~ Second, Last Chance ~

Once Mr. Crowely and Madame Eva were alone, she turned to her husband with a nasty glare, "What, in the name of the Great Seven, were you thinking!? The Dwarfs mine has been mined out for years! The chances of finding a perfectly good magic stone are one to none. Not to mention, a stripped mine is dangerous! Why would you send them there?! Lia still hardly knows anything about this world!"

"This is merely a matter of testing them, my dear,"

"A test of what?"

"A test of teamwork. Remember how Miss Lia was able to get Grim to comply with her orders and work with her Pokémon?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with,"

"If she can get those boys to comply with each other, then there's no doubt she's what this school needs. You must have noticed the boys' behavior as a counselor, yes?"

Madame Eva sighed, "I have; most have even stopped coming in to see me. They're becoming an image that most believe NRC teaches."

"Exactly, and how Miss Lia changed Grim's behavior since the orientation ceremony. She can do the same for them, too, with the help of her unique friends. Also, she might be the only one who can find Brandel in a way that we cannot."

_______________________________________________________________________________

Soon, the group found themselves in the Mirror Chamber. While walking up to the Dark Mirror, Ace broke the peace. "Dang it! How the heck did I end up in this cruddy mess? It's like I'm getting hit by bad luck."

'That's because technically, this is all your fault.' Lia and her Pokémon thought.

Deuce snapped. "If you have the energy to complain, save it for the mines. Now, let's hurry!"

"So, how are we supposed to get to these mines? Cause I'm curious as to why we're here." Persian questioned.

"Other than summoning and sorting students to their ideal dorms, the Dark Mirror can also teleport anyone to anywhere they want to go," Ace explained.

"Not exactly anywhere you want," Lia muttered lowly with a sad look in her eyes.

None of the boys heard her as Deuce went up to the mirror, "Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarf's Mine!"

A bright light flashed from the center flashed, and all of them were sucked inside. Once they regained their vision, Lia saw they were now in a different location. In front of them was a small cottage. She would have thought it was cute if it weren't for the dark and creepy aura it was giving off. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. And seeing that it was dark inside from the windows made a shiver go down her spine.

"This is the Dwarf's mine?" Deuce questioned.

Lia shrugged, "I think this is where the Dwarfs used to live, and the mines are nearby."

"Long ago, I heard that the mine flourished with magic stones. It was so bright and dazzling; you didn't need a light."

Looking at the state the cottage was in, 'dazzling' would not be a word to describe it. The group headed over, but no one saw anything out of the ordinary. Deuce tried to knock on the door. "Helllllooooo? Is anyone here?. . . Hmmm, seems like no one's here. The place must be abandoned."

Persian whipped off the dust from his paws. "You'd think they would have dusted the place before they left,"

"Gah! Bwah! Spider web in my face! Phoo! Phoo!" Grim gaged.

"Pi, Pikachu!" (Yucky! It feels gross!)

"Hold still you two." Lia took out a handkerchief and whipped their faces as Ace stated something else.

"Look at all those tiny chairs and desks. Did children live here? One, Two . . . . . Seven!? Did they think this place was a clown car or what?!"

'Seven? Why do I feel like I heard of that in a story?' "It's called a 'Dwarfs mine, right? And I heard that Dwarfs are sometimes mistaken for kids due to their size. And Mr. Crowley did say the mines were mined out. The residents must have left soon after."

"Must have been quite a lively place if it had seven workers here." Deuce thought.

"Well, either way, we won't find anything here. I doubt anyone would have kept a magic stone in a house. So, let's hurry to the mines."

Lia had already started walking ahead of the boys with her partners. "Well, that's where we came for right?"

"Hey! Wait up!"

"Don't go off on your own!"

When they all got to the mines, it was completely dark at the entrance, making Lia play with her mother's bracelet as she grew nervous. 'Why, just why did it have to be in the dark?'

"Y-You want us to go in t-there? But, it's pitch black."

Ace smirks. "What? Is the Great Grim scared of the dark? Pathetic."

"Pfft! I'm not scared of anything! Because I'm taking the lead! You guys follow!"

And so, he did; as they entered the mine, Deuce noticed Lia and her partners straggling behind. "Lia? What's the matter?"

She clutched onto her necklace, "Guys, I have a confession to make. I'm actually scared of the dark and very claustrophobic."

"Seriously?!" Ace exclaimed, "You're telling us this now?"

"Yes, watch your mouth, hotshot. It's not her fault! If it hadn't been for an accident when she was younger, then maybe this wouldn't be a problem." Persian defended.

"An accident?" Ace questioned.

"It was actually meant to be a trap for Pokémon."

"Pokémon?" The boys said at once.

"Persian, if we're going to be honest here, then they at least need to know the whole truth about us," she turned to the boys. "The truth is, guys, me and my partners aren't from here. And I mean like 'here, here. We're from an entirely different world where there's no such thing as magic but Pokémon."

"Are you for real?!"

"So then, that purple cat that caught the chandelier was a"

"Yes, Espeon's a Pokémon. So is Pikachu here, as well as Persian and Zeraora, whom you met back at the hall of mirrors."

"Do all of these things have abilities?" Ace asked, and he got his answer when Pikachu gave him another suitable 'Thunder Bolt.

"Pika!" (We are not things!)

"And yes, we do have abilities. However, not all of us are the same as there are over nine hundred different species." Persian mentioned.

The two students could not prevent their jaws from going any lower in shock.

"We'll explain more later, but right now, we need to find a stone. And we won't find anything in the dark." Persian then turned to Lia. "Didn't you bring Solrock with you?"

Lia reached into her bag and pulled out the Pokémon's ball. She tossed the ball. "Solrock! I need you out here!"

It opened and released a stream of energy that made the boys jump slightly, as they didn't expect that. They also didn't expect that a floating sun-shaped rock with a face-like pattern appeared from that stream of energy.

"So, other than animals. Pokémon are also inanimate objects?"

"Sort of," Lia turned to the said Pokémon. "Solrock, could you light the way for us as we go through the mines?"

"Sol," "Thanks"

"Hey, call Noivern too. This is his expertise." Persian suggested.

"Noivern?" The boys jumped when the said creature appeared.

Lia looked determined. "Now we're sure to find that stone,"

"How so?" Deuce asked.

"Cause with Noivern's sonar-like hearing abilities, he can make out any distinctive sound."

Deuce looked in awe at the said creature.

"Good, now let's get this over with. I don't know about you guys, but this place gives me the creeps." Grim turned to lead; this time, Everyone followed.

The minute they started, Lia had Solrock use 'Flash to light the way down, and Noivern used his 'Ultrasonic to listen to the area. As they walked deeper into the mine, Lia explained more about her world to the boys. To say they were surprised was an understatement that not only a world with no magic but extraordinary creatures existed, but creatures that could shape the course of power altogether.

Although, there were some things that they had a hard time completely understanding. "So, wait a minute, when a child in your world turns ten, they go off completely on their own to travel across the country just to train with their partnered Pokémon and Pokémon that they catch along the way?" Ace questions.

"To sum it up, yes,"

"But isn't that pretty much child neglecting?" Deuce asked.

"Not necessarily; with their partnered Pokémon, their safety is assured since trained Pokémon were once wild Pokémon. And they know how to explore the terrain better than most humans. Adding more Pokémon to your arsenal adds more to your safety. Also, for us, it is a right of passage. Giving us a chance to see the world and what it offers."

"But what about school?"

"We have school too, but we can choose if we want to go or just go on the journey. My mom homeschooled me before I turned ten, and then on my journey, I still took online schooling to have an education."

"Can you still have a Pokémon if you choose to go to school instead?" Ace asked.

"Yep, in my world. We live in harmony with Pokémon. Well, most of us. There are still Pokémon hunters, smugglers, and those secret organizations that want to use Pokémon for selfish gain and all that."

"Sounds no different from hunters trying to get their hands on some rare magical creatures like dragons," Deuce mentioned.

"What exactly do you train your Pokémon for?" Ace questioned.

"Usually, just battles. But some trainers train their Pokémon for showcases."

"Battles? As in, you have your Pokémon fight other Pokémon or something?"

"Yep,"

"How is that living together in harmony?"

"It's not like that; it's more of a game. To test whose Pokémon is stronger. They fight to the point where one of them cannot keep going."

"So, it's also like a test of endurance?" Deuce thought.

"Exactly, and showcases or performances are when a trainer and their Pokémon show off their bond through a series of skills and routines."

Ace looked at her oddly. "Like a talent show?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes."

Deuce was getting increasingly impressed, "Your world sounds fascinating. If there's a chance we can go, will you show us?"

Persian shook his head. "We'd love to kid, but there's one thing that's a problem."

"And what's that?" Ace asked.

But before Persian could say anything more, Deuce held out his hand to everyone to stop. "Wait."

"What are you stopping us for?"

Lia stood her ground as her Sound wave Pokémon looked like he was about ready to attack, "Noivern senses something too, up ahead; there's something there." Soon, a few figures appeared in front of them.

"Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee! We look at what we have here: visitors! We haven't had visitors in over ten years!"

"Come now, why don't you guys make yourselves at home . . . . . for eternity!"

"Ghosts, why did it have to be Ghosts!?"

"Now's not the time to be a scaredy cat, Furball!"

"Pikachu" (They look like the ones back at our dorm.)

"Yeah, but I don't think they're friendly like they are," Persian told him.

"Just about the last thing we need right now." Deuce groaned as he and Ace pulled out their magic pens.

"Let's try to give them the slip,"

"Leave this to me, Noivern! Use 'Whirl Wind!"

"Vern!" with a raise of his wings, a series of strong winds sent the ghosts flying.

"Now's our chance!" As they started to run, the ghosts came back and followed them.

Grim growled. "They're catching up!"

"Hey! *huff* What's your *huff* hurry?"

"Okay, how can a ghost be out of breath!?"

"Do they still have lungs?!" Deuce questioned in shock.

Persian deadpanned. "That doesn't make sense,"

"We don't have time for this! Just keep moving!" Ace snapped.

"Solrock! Solar Beam!"

A ball of light formed before the Pokémon and blasted the ghosts away. The group stopped to catch their breath. "Do, do you think we lost them?" Grim asked.

Lia huffed. "yeah,"

"We're not done yet, remember?" Deuce said.

Grim squeaked, "Did, did you guys hear that?"

"Pika!" (Shhh! There!)

Everyone turned to where the tiny mouse was pointing. As it turns out, there are more ghosts.

"Seriously?! They're floating like a swarm of bees!" Ace exaggerated.

"We can't afford to stop and fight; let's just ignore them and keep going," Deuce suggested.

"Yeah, let's,"

"Who exactly made you a team leader? The reason we're here is because of what you pulled in the cafeteria."

"No, we're in this because you tried to get out of punishment!"

"You're bringing up the past now?!"

"You started it,"

"No one asked you. Also, I wouldn't have been punished if a certain hairball hadn't scorched the Great Sorcerer's statue and Lia!"

"Hey! You're the one who decided to make of me and insult Lia!"

As the boys and Grim argued, one of Lia's Pokéballs started to fidget and suddenly popped open. Coming out of her bag was a canine-like creature that had thick white fur and a blade-like appendage on the side of its head.

Lia looked ahead and started to hear something coming in their direction. "Uh, guys?"

"Don't you two realize how deep in hot water we're in!? If we don't return to the school with a magic stone before morning, we're as good as expelled!" Deuce yelled.

"Which is why you should stop ordering us around like you're the boss!" Ace argued, "Cause it's getting really annoying."

Lia had just about had it. "Guys! This isn't the time or place for this! Everyone is at fault for us being in this situation. And arguing about it won't solve anything! So shut it! And let's get moving before it gets worse!" she shouted, making them jump as they didn't expect her to go off like that.

"Get's worse? How so, Lia?"

Before Lia could answer him, they all suddenly heard a disgruntled, gargling sound. ". . . . . . . iiiiivvvvv. . . . . . . . . . . .ooooooouuuuuu. . . . "

"Down the tunnel, look," Persian said as he and the other Pokémon stood their ground before Lia and the others.

"neeeeeevvvvaaa. . . . . iiiiivvvvv. . . . . .ooooouuuu. . . . . "

"Noivern," (It's not human or creature. It's too incoherent, I can't make it out.)

"Wha-what is it." Deuce stuttered.

Lia could barely contain her fear either. "Solrock, give us some more light."

Solrock did just that, but they immediately regretted it as the thing that was making those sounds came into view with the group.

The thing had a large physique, with a body made of strange black goo, wearing a red ragged shirt; in one hand, it had a lantern, and in the other was a giant pickaxe. But what really stood out from it was the cracked jar it had for a head.

"Stoooooonessssss. . . . . . . Stoooonesss aaaare miiiiiiine!!!!!"

"Absol use 'Slash!" Lia shouted.

The blade-like horn on the Disaster Pokémon glowed, and then it went flying at the blob creature, making it stagger back and giving the group the chance to make a run for it. Once they were at a reasonable distance, they stopped momentarily to catch their breath and gather their thoughts about what they saw.

"What in the name of the Great Seven was that?!" Deuce freaked.

"N-no one said anything about this! Let's get out of here!" Grim demanded, in tears.

"Wait, if it was getting defensive about stones then,"

"Stoooooonesssss. . . . .nevvvvvva give stoooooonessssss!!!" The monster gargled, confirming Lia's theory.

"That must mean there are still some magic stones left in this mine!" Deuce realized, relieved that their mission wouldn't be a wild goose chase.

Grim protested, "Heck no! I may be a master sorcerer, but not even I'm a match for that thing! Even if there are magic stones, there's no way that thing's going to let us pass!"

"But we need to get to that stone before time runs out! If we don't do this, we'll be expelled!" Deuce reminded them, "I'm going back!"

"What/Pika!?!"

"Are you out of your mind!? You'll get obliterated! by that thing!" Ace shouted at the spade boy.

Lia tried to reason with him, but Deuce only ran toward the monster.

"Be . . .gone! Begoooooone!!!"

Before the young man could make a move, the beast swung its arm and sent him flying, hitting the wall near him. "Deuce!"

"He didn't stand a chance, yet he still charged at it. Alright, Take this!" Ace used his wind magic to attack, but it didn't have any effect. Getting angry, the monster did the same thing to him. "GHAH!" "Ace!/Pika!"

"Mynah! No! Stay away!" Grim started up his flames and surrounded the monster, but the thing didn't even flinch. "Grrraaawrrrr!"

"Not a scratch!?

Then, Solrock noticed something as he moved a bit in the air, still a-lit. Something was flashing behind the monster. "Solrock!" (Lia, behind the beast!)

Lia looked and noticed the same thing her Pokémon did. The Flash happened again, and it didn't take long for her to figure it out.

"Guys! Look behind the thing!" she pointed to where the monster was standing, and the boys widened their eyes as they saw the slight Flash, too.

Something was sparkling behind the shaft.

"It must be the magic stone!" Deuce thought.

However, apparently, the monster heard them say that and became furious. "GWAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! NOOOOO GIIIVVVE STOOOOOOONE!"

"Lia, we got to get out of here before that thing squashes us into paste!" Grim cried out to the young woman.

All of Lia's Pokémon stood in front of the group as Persian turned to them, "No time to think about it now! We need to retreat and think of something else!"

"You're right! Ace! Deuce! Get on, Noivern, and let's get out of here!"

The boy didn't hesitate to get on the sound wave Pokémon's back as Lia and Grim got on Absol's. As they fled, the monster roared out in fury one last time.

As they were making their escape, Lia looked back at the said monster and noticed something. She noticed that the stuff that was dripping from the thing's cracked jar-like head wasn't just some goop. 'Wait a minute, is that ink?'

If that creature was made up of ink, then maybe. There might be a way for them to have the upper hand. They made it out of the mines and into the open space of the forest that surrounded the cottage they were in before.

"I think we're far enough from that thing. It doesn't look like it was following us." Grim said.

"That's because we didn't bother to try to get the stone behind it. It's pretty much guarding it." Lia told him. She then turned to the boys, who were slowly getting off of Noivern's back.

"Are you guys alright?"

"Owwwww, just what was that thing? No one mentioned anything about that!" Ace groaned, frustrated.

"It definitely wasn't a normal ghost, that's for sure." Deuce pointed out.

"I don't think it's a ghost at all. I managed to get a closer look at it and noticed that it gave off a strange aura around it. Like it's more of a living entity than a spirit of some sort."

"You know what, let's just forget it. I'd rather face expulsion than try to face and fight off that thing." Ace shrugged off, acting like it didn't matter anymore.

"What/Pika?!"

"Huh!? No way! Not happening! I'd rather face that thing a hundred times than get expelled from Night Raven! How can you give up just like that when we still have a chance to get that stone!?" Deuce lectured him.

"*Humph* Big talk from a guy who's just as average at magic as I am. If you want that stone so bad, then get it yourself. I'm out. No way am I going back there with that thing."

"FINE THEN! GO AND RUN AWAY YOU COWARD!!!" Deuce yelled, completely changing his physic and making Lia and her Pokémon jump in shock.

"And exactly who are you calling coward?"

"Whoa there, um, Deuce. Is it just me, or did you change from a totally different person just now?" Grim questioned.

"Yeah, are you alright?" Lia asked concerned.

Realizing his mistake, Deuce quickly collected himself back to his physic before. "Ah! *cough* *cough* Sorry, I just lost my cool there; I didn't mean to scare you guys."

Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, Lia changed the subject, "So, what now? Can't you guys use your magic to defeat it?"

"Like what Madame Eva said, even magic has its limits. If one can't strongly visualize their magic to how they want it, it won't work out how you want it to. Using magic that's on a greater scale or different types of magic that we're not used to requires a lot of training." Deuce explained.

"Exactly, that's why magic academies are there. It takes a ton of training before anyone can snap their fingers and get things done instantly. How flustered or pressured you are, the likelihood of you making mistakes is pretty high." Ace added.

"It sounds like magic is no different than training Pokémon." Lia thought. "I just thought using spells or casting them just came naturally in this world. Like it is in some story books."

"Nope, even if magic is one's specialty, you still have to use it more intuitively. The Great Sorcerer, Yen Sid, is a perfect example of that. He may have been powerful, but he had to learn how to use and control his magic first." Ace corrected her.

"Anyway, we still need to figure out how to deal with that thing and get the magic stone." Deuce reminded them.

"Oh? ~ Just like the chandelier incident, right? How you 'figured out a way, and now we're here. We just got our butts handed to us back there. How exactly do you plan on dealing with that, genius? ~ From where I'm standing, I'm sure as hell don't trust your way of improvising."

"Excuse me!? You're the one who got us in this mess in the first place!"

As the two boys argued on and on about who was to blame for their current situation. Lia was reaching the end of her rope when she finally snapped.

"WOULD THE BOTH OF YOU JUST KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!!?"

Her sudden outburst made the boys jump in shock, as did Grim and her Pokémon.

"Do you guys actually want to get expelled just like that? When you have just gotten into school after so long, do you really want to put all that hard work you've done to waste on the first day? Huh?!"

Every word Lia said was like a stab in the chest to the boy's ego and self-esteem. But she wasn't far from the truth either. "And, unlike you two, I don't have any place to go back to! After the dark mirror brought me here, the magic it had to do was pretty much gone! I'm pretty much stuck here with no means of getting by to survive! In other words, I can't afford to get kicked out of the school!"

That shocked the boys once more and added more to their guilt. They've been so busy worrying about themselves that they didn't take into consideration of Lia's position.

"Look, I get that we're at a disadvantage here, but would it kill you two to just cooperate just a little bit?"

"Work with Loosey Deucey here? Heck no, he'd just get me killed like he almost did last time."

"Like it would be a 'joy for me to be working with you!"

"Can't you two just put your differences aside and work together just for this? We need to come up with a better plan to deal with that thing."

" 'Work together? With him? Is that some kind of joke? Even if you're saying that with a straight face, that's the lamest thing I've ever heard." Ace huffed.

"I'm sorry, Lia, but he's right. There's no way I can work together with him." Deuce apologized.

"Then I guess you two will have to deal with being the biggest losers in the school." Persian shrugged at them.

"And what do you mean by that, you mangy cat?!" Ace glared at him.

"You're saying that working together to get one thing done is lame, but isn't getting expelled from the school after just getting admitted just as lame?"

Grim nodded, "He's got a point there."

This made the two speechless, as they knew the two creatures were right on the nail with that. "Exactly, there's nothing cool about it. Pretty sure the whole town and school will talk about you guys being the fastest dropouts in history." Lia added, hitting them where it hurt once more.

Finally, the boys reluctantly agreed. "Gah. . . Fine, let's get this over with." Ace groaned. He then turned to Lia with a small smile. "Okay, Lia, so what's your plan? Assuming you came up with one?"

"You bet I did,"

After going through Lia's plan, everyone returned to the mines' entrance. The plan was simple: some would distract the monster long enough for one of them to sneak past it and get the stone. However, they all knew it wouldn't be as easy as it sounds. But, as the saying goes, 'Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

"Lia, are you absolutely sure this plan is going to work? I'm getting a little sca - I mean, I'm getting a little skeptical here." Grim nervously said to her.

"It's alright to be scared, Grim. It's all the more reason to try. After all, this is our last chance."

"Even the bravest champions face their greatest fears," Persian added.

"Exactly, I can't guarantee that this will work out well. But it's definitely better than nothing."

"Lia's right, let's do this!" Deuce agreed, full of determination.

"Pikachu!" (Let's kick some monster butt!)

"Heh, heh, like how you're keeping it loose and lively Pipsqueak. Yeah, let's do this!" Ace grinned.

Pikachu sweat-dropped. "Pika pi," (That's seriously going to be my nickname now?)

"Might as well be," Persian smirked.

And so, it started, Grim stood before the entrance of the mine. If Lia's hunch is correct, the creature should be close enough to hear them. "H-Hey, you glorified pile of goop! I got a bone to pick with you, so get out here and face me, that is, if you can!"

Then, a few moments later, the creature came sluggishly out of the mine entrance, looking livid. "Grrrrrrraaaaawrrrrrr! BBBEEEEGOOOOOONNNNE!"

"Gah! I-It's coming! It's coming!"

"Alright, guys, on my signal," Lia said.

As soon as the creature was out of the mine, Lia made the next move. "Hey, you big creep! Over here!"

"Grrrrrurrrgh? Thiiieeefff thiiissss wwwwaaay toooooo. . . . .Neeeevvvaaa giiivvve stoooones!"

"Noivern, use Screech!"

"RRRAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" The impact made the creature stagger from the entrance.

"Neeeeevvvaaaa!" swinging its pickaxe at the girl and her Pokémon; thankfully, they both dodged out of the way just in time before it could hit them.

"Eek! i-if we get hit with its pickaxe, we're goners!" Grim exclaimed fearfully.

"Good thing I know a good countermeasure, but remember, focus on luring that thing away as far as possible. Absol! Use 'Slash!" With one swipe of his blade, Absol launched his attack, making it stager away from the mine entrance even more.

"Now's our chance! Ace! Grim! Do it!"

"You got it! One heaping helping of wind, coming right at ya!" "With a side of Grim's blazing-hot fire! Myaaaahh!"

The two combined their attacks and trapped the creature in a tornado of blue flames. The combo attack not only caught the thing by surprise but also weakened it as it started to become sluggish.

"GGGGrrrraaaaaahhhh!!?"

"Ha! How do you like that big guy!? With my winds fanning them, Grim's feeble flames can be as big as a crazy inferno!"

"Hey! Just what are you calling feeble!? Can't shut your mouth for once, can you?"

"Guys! Not the time! Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!"

"Pika!" (On it!)

Pikachu dashed right at the creature as his tail turned into a shiny iron weapon. He jumped and whacked that sucker right in the jarhead, making it discombobulated.

"Your turn, Deuce!" Lia mentioned.

"Alright, stay calm, focus, and aim carefully. . . . put out the biggest and heaviest thing you can think of. . . . Now, come forth! Cauldron!" with a wave of his magic pen, Deuce summoned a huge cauldron that fell right on top of the creature.

"Gggggrrraah?!"

"It's working! The plan is working!" Grim said, getting excited. "Ha hah! Look at it, Lia! A cauldron smashed The thing on the head just like Ace did before!"

"Could have done just fine without that reminder. Thank you! It's like one drag after another," Ace begrudgingly sighed.

"Now's our chance while that thing's down! Quick! We got to get to the magic stone!" Deuce reminded them.

"He's right! Noivern! Absol! Keep an eye on that thing and keep it from coming after us!" Lia ordered as she and the others ran into the mines.

"Guuuuh!? Waaaaaait! NOOOOOOO!"

As the group ran down deeper into the mine to where the stone was, Lia had apparently brought one extra Pokémon with her in case she needed help with a certain situation.

"Look there!" Persian pointed at a multicolored crystal-like stone between some boulders.

"That's it!" Deuce beamed.

"But, how are we going to get it out?" Ace questioned.

Lia pulled a Pokéball. "Don't worry, guys, I know who can help us with this one," She tossed it and out came an armadillo-like creature.

(A/N I don't own this pic, I found it on Google, moving on)

"Shrew?"

"Sandshrew, could you dig that stone out for us?"

"Sandshrew!" (Sure thing!) Within a blink, he started digging at the rocks.

"Whoa! The little guy's digging like a motorized shovel!" Ace exclaimed, amazed.

"You haven't seen anything yet, kid." Persian mused.

Once Sandshrew was done, he happily presented the stone to Lia. "Thanks so much, Sandshrew!"

"Pika!" (Yeah!)

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed throughout the mine, "W-What was that?" Grim shivered.

"Something tells me that we're about to find out." Persian hesitantly replied.

Then, as if on cue, Noivern and Absol were tailgating the creature as it charged down the cave straight toward them.

"Doooon't toooooouuuuch Thaaaaaat!"

"Crap! It got loose!" Ace panicked.

"Noivern! Use 'Dragon Pulse! And Absol! Use 'Shadow Ball!" Lia called out to her Pokémon. They did just that and caused the creature to tumble to the ground.

"Quick Deuce! Try crushing that thing again!" Grim quickly suggested.

"Y-You mean like something heavier? Um. . I summon thee, cauldron!" A cauldron appeared once again above the creature and fell on top of it again.

"Um, ah! Again! another Cauldron!"

And another fell,

"I-I summon another on top of that! Come forth, all cauldrons!"

"NNNNNRRRAAAGGGGH!" The creature cried out as piles of cauldrons fell on top of it, burying it in the process.

"Are cauldrons all you can summon?!" Ace questioned.

"Sh-Shut up! I'm worked up enough as it is!"

Grim suddenly let out his fire and surrounded the buried creature, "Let's just go already! We got the magic stone, so let's hurry and get out of here!"

"Copy that! Let's go!" Ace agreed,

The boys jumped onto Noivern's back as Lia, Grim, and Pikachu did the same on Absol. Persian followed as they all swiftly got out of the mines.