Groudon's Story

There is a legend. A legend told throughout the ages that talks about the existence of a pokemon that forged the very continents themselves. The pokemon was named Groudon. The pokemon was said to have fought the pokemon Kyogre. The fight went for ages, perhaps figuratively, more likely literally. They battled until stopped by the great Rayquaza. Then Groudon found a hole in the earth and went to sleep. It has never awaken since.

Since then there has been talk of a monster. People exploring the magma catacombs said they saw a great beast sleeping in a huge cavern deep within the catacombs. They told of a beast they initially mistook for a large rock until they heard a deep rumble. The rumble was steady, and then they realized the rumble was coming from the rock. It was at that point that they realized the rock wasn't a rock, and it was breathing. They ran and told the story of the monster deep in the catacombs...

-Present Day-

A Heatmor picked it's way through the Magma Catacombs. It had been looking for tasty Durants on the surface, but when it came across this cavern it thought it could find a Slugma to eat. Every Slugma it came across melted away into pools of magma. The Heatmor finally found a Slugma no where near a pool of Magma, it was on top of a rock in the middle cavern. The Heatmor scampered up the rock and caught the pokemon. Then the ground rumbled, once, twice, three times. The Heatmor realized it was standing on a pokemon, it quickly fled to the edge of the cavern and watched the sleeping pokemon, more curious than scared.

A seemingly young trainer with not but a map, some supplies and all the bravery her mini skirt could hide approached one of the larger entrances to the caverns. A yamask followed in her wake. To the pokemon watching it would appear as if the yamask was speaking but no words were coming out, but to Valorie she heard him as clear as day in plain English. His voice always sounded as if it were a mere echo, a slightly haunting reminder of the nature of his existence.

"Hey, you know that man said -not- to go in there right? Deadly heat, burns, toxic air? Are any of those registering in that pretty little head of yours?" Shu asked his partner, the skirt to whose shadow he bound himself. Valorie just sort of turned her gaze upon Shu and gave him a look that said she understood, declining to comment. She knew by now that he was only being rude because he wanted to grab her attention, and in that sense his efforts backfired. Shu wasn't having any of it.

The ghost moved in front of Valorie, getting rather up in her face and causing her to stop abruptly. "Hey--You remember how you said I should have more of a say in what we do and where we go? Well here's my request: Let's -not- go in there!" he remarked. The request stung like a betrayal, but once again a part of Valorie knew better. The short woman locked eyes with Shu and a shudder seemed to run through the ghost pokemon as her magically glowing eyes pacified him.

Holding an argument with her was difficult without the assistance of a blindfold. It was so easy to just... stop caring about even the most serious of topics when one looked into those eyes. Her irises swam with the appearance of an aurora, a hint of the power that dwelled beneath them.

"...I could go alone, I suppose." Valorie replied thoughtfully. She knew Shu wasn't protesting for his own sake.

Valorie smiled at Shu and reached out to gently yet firmly grasp the temporarily pacified pokemon's mask; it was the only part of him she could reliably handle. Pulling the mask into a hug, she displayed her best carefree smile. "Uh--" Shu started, pulling away slightly. He did not get far however before he had to stop and consider the implications of what his partner had said.

"What I'd really like though is if we could go together; I need you." she assured the other in a mildly affectionate tone. A moment of silence would pass where Shu did his best to avoid having his judgement clouded by those supernatural eyes of hers be before...

"Fine." Shu relented, not entirely convinced. Valorie hadn't given him a great deal of options. The short woman released Shu's mask and nodded at him in silent thanks before making her way onwards.

...The sight of a translucent wavering in the air was her first clue she'd found the right place. With mild caution Valorie approached the fissure that was the entrance to Magma Catacombs. As she leaned over the opening her face was immediately assaulted with a foul smell and her eyes forced shut by the sudden blast of heat that wafted past her. She pulled back and began coughing, her body not appreciating the toxic fumes.

After a moment's recovery she looked up to find Shu watching her quietly and beckoned him with her eyes. Valorie reached out and the two of them drifted together, Shu's mask finding it's place upon her face. For a moment she was overcome by symbiosis; a flood of new information, sensory and emotional, threatened to tear the bond apart before it even began. The strain upon her mind was enough to cause her to lose her balance momentarily. The moment passed however; understanding, respect, acceptance, focus and a little bit of compromise all went into stabilizing their bond. A rush of relief passed through Valorie as the two of their souls joined together like two pieces of a puzzle and reacted powerfully, filling her with strength and millenniums worth of wisdom.

Reaching into her satchel the newly masked Valorie produced a second pokeball, priming it and tossing it to the ground without concern. From it emerged a doublade whose hilts Valorie immediately reached out to grasp. It felt as if she'd just stuck her finger in an electric socket, a rather sharp pain shooting up into her chest as the two blade's seemingly decorative clothes suddenly reached up and wrapped her arms. The cursed blade's grip tightened and for a moment Valorie felt the tug of it's presence upon her soul, attempting to devour her very essence. This was however quickly blocked by Shu, decidedly unwilling. This was normal. Doublade's species generally didn't like being handled and had developed this predatory reaction to take advantage of those who would try. It was certainly one of the harder pokemon to symbiosis with, or perhaps yamask were simply one of the easiest; perhaps both were true!

As Valorie regained her sense of stability and self she moved over to the fissure again and began to lower herself into the catacombs.

The fumes and heat no longer threatened her.

While the events down in the catacombs took place, another legend awoke from his slumber atop the Sky Pillar. The great Rayquaza opened its eyes slowly before rising off of the place it slept on. For a few minutes, all it did was hover and shake its head as if to wake itself up. It then blinked, and turned; there was a twinge in its heart, something was happening to his beloved Trainer. With a growl, Rayquaza lifted himself higher into the air, and then vanished as it flew towards the Magma Catacombs.

....

A young man appeared at the mouth of the cave mere seconds after the young girl went in and performed the symbiosis with the Doublade and Yamask. His arms were crossed as he walked into the cave behind her, his footsteps not even making a sound as he moved.

This young man showed a sign of displeasure about being here, and even more displeasure when he heard the rumbling from deep within the catacombs. He followed Valorie for a while, hoping she would notice his presence, however, when she did not, he decided to speak. "You know, this is one of the last places I'd think my delicate little trainer would go by herself." he said with a small, playful smirk on his face, showing that A: he meant no harm, and B: He was joking with her. This young man, known to Valorie as Nathan, knew that she was simply more than a young girl. No.... she was something else entirely...in a good way.

The Heatmor watched carefully as the giant pokemon slumbered. The Heatmor once again spotted a Slugma near the slumbering giant. The Heatmor decided to take its chances and rushed the Slugma and quickly consumed the hapless lava slug. This proved to be a huge mistake. The sleeping pokemon stirred and rose slowly. The Heatmor stood paralyzed by fear. The massive beast swatted the Heatmor into the wall of the cavern. The pokemon then let out a roar that shook the cavern. The Heatmor scampered out of the area and hurried out of the catacombs past Valorie and Nathan.

Deep in the catacombs the giant pokemon let out another roar, this one shaking the whole of the catacombs. The legends were true, there was indeed a monster deep in the Magma Catacombs, and it was awake. The creature looked around it knew there was another legend present, and this particular legend had previously met the creature int the catacombs.

Valorie stopped, her attention ripped away from the deadly environment of the molten tomb by a familiar voice. She turned upon Nathan, golden mask entirely obscuring her face. When she spoke her voice was honestly... creepy. It was as if Shu, who sounded like a grown man by the way, and Valorie were speaking in dissonant unison. They also sounded as if they were speaking from a moderate distance away. "Nathan! I'm glad you're here... I can't really joke right now because Shu and I have very different senses of humor." she explained in a rather cheery, matter-o-fact tone. She short girl shrugged helplessly at the situation. A heatmor running past drew Valorie's attention and she stopped to watch it for a moment. She turned her attention back to Nathan.

"To better myself I'm finding new ways to push myself and my pokemon. At the same time I'm trying to 'become one' with them--Er, with you..." she explained, debating the plausibility of becoming 'one' with Nathan. Nothing immediately came to mind; some pokemon were harder than others to achieve symbiosis with. She gestured deeper into the tomb, where the heatmor had come from.

"Will you watch my back..?" she asked searchingly, not entirely oblivious to how dangerous what she was doing was. The short girl turned said back and began marching deeper. "I shouldn't stay down here too long. If we get tired I could die." she explained, seemingly referring to herself and the two pokemon bonded to her body.

Valorie stopped, her attention ripped away from the deadly environment of the molten tomb by a familiar voice. She turned upon Nathan, golden mask entirely obscuring her face. When she spoke her voice was honestly... creepy. It was as if Shu, who sounded like a grown man by the way, and Valorie were speaking in dissonant unison. They also sounded as if they were speaking from a moderate distance away. "Nathan! I'm glad you're here... I can't really joke right now because Shu and I have very different senses of humor." she explained in a rather cheery, matter-o-fact tone. She short girl shrugged helplessly at the situation. A heatmor running past drew Valorie's attention and she stopped to watch it for a moment. She turned her attention back to Nathan.

"To better myself I'm finding new ways to push myself and my pokemon. At the same time I'm trying to 'become one' with them--Er, with you..." she explained, debating the plausibility of becoming 'one' with Nathan. Nothing immediately came to mind; some pokemon were harder than others to achieve symbiosis with. She gestured deeper into the tomb, where the heatmor had come from.

"Will you watch my back..?" she asked searchingly, not entirely oblivious to how dangerous what she was doing was. The short girl turned said back and began marching deeper. "I shouldn't stay down here too long. If we get tired I could die." she explained, seemingly referring to herself and the two pokemon bonded to her body.

Nathan smiled at Valorie as she turned to face him, and his eyebrow twitched upwards as he heard the mixing of hers and Shu's voices, but he didn't question it. "I didn't really come here to joke, actually." he said, watching the Heatmor run past them. He turned and watched it run out of the cave. "Oh no...."

As his trainer continued to talk, he turned and walked towards her. "I...am glad you want to become one with your pokemon, and even happier to see you with some sort of purpose in life." he said, his hands going out to his sides with the palms up to show his gratitude.

She then spoke again and his mouth hung open, he was almost at a loss for words at the moment. As she turned and continued to march forward into the cavern, he spoke again, following her as asked. "I don't want to sound like I'm babying you, but....is this the place you truly wish to push yourself in? You know what is in the center of this cavern, right? You know who is in the center of this cavern?" he asked.

The roar rumbled the catacombs and Nathan's arms moved out to keep his balance before he ran in front of Valorie to stop her. "Please, Valorie." he said. "Groudon awaits us if we go further! Are you prepared to face him if he attacks you?" He asked her. He could hear the rumbling of Groudon's breathing, and he looked back behind him, around the corner was Groudon, he knew it, he felt it in his very soul. He then looked back to Valorie, awaiting her answer.

Groudon searched his resting place, it had been a long time since the Continent Pokemon had been a member of the waking world. The last time Groudon had been awake he had forged the Hoenn region's land into existence and had battled Kyogre for a reason he could not remember. Rayquaza had stopped them and Groudon had been sent to the Magma Catacombs to sleep. Now that same green dragon was knocking down his door to ruin his slumber.

"Rayquaza!" Groudon roared through the cavern, "Why have you come here!?" Groudon then punctuated his question with another ground shaking roar.

Valorie hesitated a moment, her expression invisible behind the eerie golden mask adorning her face. The mask's design itself was what made it eerie, a depiction of a rather distinct face of agony engraved into it. One could only speculate as to why yamask carried such things, or perhaps they could ask their local professor... It seemed to take a long moment for Valorie and Shu to agree on answer to Nathan's question.

"...People never talk about the negative aspects of immortality. Shu and I understand, though; we know eternal life to be more of an eternal half-life, a state of undeath." the small girl began explaining. "We feel it... It's not true immortality like the kind you read about in books; while most of us stays the same, we can feel a part of us withering away." Valorie explained in a sad tone.

"It's... our humanity." she added after a moment, hesitating a moment to let that sink in.

"I don't know what would be left in it's place, but I don't think I want to find out. Pushing ourselves might be the only way to avoid that fate. Maybe this state of being is just a plateau; all I need to do is try hard enough and I'll eventually rise above it." she mused aloud, turning deeper into the catacombs and beginning to head forward towards destiny. She stopped and turned her head. "And if it isn't enough, maybe someone will remember me for being strong enough to try anyway. Maybe I'll provide inspiration to others. That's how I'd like to be remembered." she added, flashing a optimistic, ever so slightly cocky grin.

With a twist she turned and began heading further into the catacombs, the roar causing her to flinch briefly. "...You said you know this guy?" she asked, completely oblivious to what a groudon was or why Rayquaza was so concerned. Regardless, she did not stop on her trip towards the core.

Nathan listened to Valorie explain herself for being down int he catacombs, and as she started to advance further, he lowered his arm to let her pass. She had given a good enough answer to be let into the catacombs, but still, a twinge in his heart told him he should not let her go any further towards the danger that Groudon posed.

He jogged up behind Valorie as she passed him and put a hand on her shoulder gently. "I...want you to know that I'm here to support you, every step of your way. After all, who better to get you over a plateau than the pokemon who controls the skies, right?" he smiled, patting her shoulder and following her deeper into the catacombs.

Nathan growled as Groudon called his name in a roar With a swift motion, his hands went to Valorie's ears to protect them from he was going to do next. "Why I am here is none of your concern, Groudon!" he roared back, his voice amplified from his throat to sound as if he hadn't transformed into a human form. With that, he removed his hands from Valorie's ears. "Yes, I know him all too well." he said quietly, a small hint of displeasure in his voice.

He then cleared his throat as he continued to follow Valorie to the core of the catacombs. "Prepare yourself, you're almost at the core." he said.

Groudon snarled as he heard Rayquaza's rebuttal. The emerald dragon had the audacity to tell Groudon that it was none of his concern why Rayquaza was in his domain. Groudon snorted in disgust, the very creature that sent him to his long slumber now awakened him and assumed it had the right to be in his domain.

That was when Groudon sensed the other presence, a more soothing one. The presence of another legend, one that was foreign to the Hoenn region, but not one unfamiliar to Groudon. Groudon just could't place the aura. The strange thing was that it came from the form of a human. Groudon could excuse Rayquaza's trespassing if Rayquaza was accompanying another, more peaceful legend.

Groudon waited in relative silence until the human and Rayquaza arrived.

The small girl peered up at Rayquaza searchingly for a moment, quietly debating hi relation to whatever laid within. She found herself wishing not to stay and chat however; it was hot in here! Valorie itched to hug Nathan, to let him know his support mean something to her. She found she couldn't however--Shu just wasn't into it.

"Thanks..." she murmured, quietly resolving to let him know how she really felt another time. "I appreciate that."

With a little twirl she moved to continue further into the catacombs. She could feel the heat, the toxic smoke brushing over her bare skin. A part of her was nervous; if she separated from Shu for but a moment she could die! Shu' voice reassured her however. He wasn't going to let that happen. If he couldn't outlast a little girl, what good was he?

Valorie couldn't help but find herself amused with Shu's teasing. He was getting better at not being creepy when he made jokes, even if they were at her expense. It was a sign of hope for him, for her.

Finally, Valorie emerged into the central chamber. In both hands she carried her doublade, but it likely wouldn't be too difficult to figure out that she couldn't let go, judging by the almost dangerously tight cloth wrapped around her entire forearm. She made a move to slowly approach the entirely unfamiliar pokemon...

Nathan nodded in response to her thanks, a smile upon his face. "It's what a pokemon does for their trainer, after all." he said. As they moved further through the catacombs, a wave of heat rushed past Nathan, flaring out his coat. He took in a deep breath; the toxic fumes couldn't hurt him.

As they rounded the corner and faced Groudon, Nathan naturally shifted his form out of habit, going from that of a young man to that of the legendary sky pokemon within seconds. He stayed behind Valorie, floating above the ground and constantly coiling around himself to make it look like he was always moving while not at the same time not moving from where he floated behind the young girl.

For now, he only stared at Groudon.

Groudon gave the Emerald Dragon a brief glance before turning his full attention to the legend packed inside of a small girl. He stared for a long time unmoving, like the continent he forged. Then his massive maw opened up like he was prepared to bombard the dragon and girl with flames, but instead of fire came a low roar.

Then came something unexpected from a Pokemon with such a violent reputation, words. "Hello," began Groudon, "I would like to welcome you to my domain, well at least one of you." Groudon shot Rayquaza another glance, "I was sleeping but your presences here awoke me. One enraging legendary presence, and one calming legendary presence. Before any further words are exchanged, I must know one thing. Why have you come here?"

Valorie's reaction was impossible to gauge due to the golden mask covering her face in it's entirety. She did hesitate however, perhaps surprised by groudon's politeness. He had addressed her as a pokemon! It wasn't necessarily the first time she supposed; it was certainly not the norm however.

Valorie promptly performed a curtsey in an attempt to humor groudon's politeness, earning herself some mild indignation from Shu. "I... Thanks." she replied, her tiny voice hardly anything before the colossal pokemon. "I have come seeking enlightenment through trial. I've met a terrible fate, and if I don't challenge my limits it will consume me." she explained softly.

"I've been seeking out the most dangerous places in our world in hopes of saving and bettering myself. I didn't." she added after a moment, peering at Groudon straight through her solid gold mask. "Can you help me?" she asked, seemingly offering herself to the other's whim.

The fact that Groudon even had a sliver of politeness almost surprised the Emerald Dragon. Almost. After slowly blinking away the initial shock, Rayquaza started to glow slightly as he shifted back into a human form. He wasn't here to fight, and really, the only way to show that to Groudon was to assume a form that wasn't threatening in the least to the Continent Pokemon.

Once in his human form again, he glanced at Valorie, a somewhat worried look on his face. Enlightenment through trial in one of the most dangerous places in the world? He could understand the need for the trials, but why the most dangerous places on earth? Couldn't she have chosen to read a book about enlightenment and try the methods in that? Or perhaps she could visit some monks that live on the tallest mountain in the region?

This girl...His trainer...She confused him as much as she calmed him with her mere presence. On one hand, he wanted her to grow stronger in every way she could, but on the other hand, his own love for her made him want to prevent her from doing the things she wanted to do in order to get stronger; he was torn at the moment between letting his beloved Trainer continue in her quest, and knocking out Groudon and taking Valorie away to where she'd be safe.

For now, however, all he did was stand there, hands behind his back.

The huge Pokemon listened to the plea of the Legendary Pokemon inside the body of a small girl. He pondered the question of the girl. She wanted the help of an ancient legend, what kind of help is what Groudon was unsure of. The Continent Pokemon shifted his weight and let out a low grumble.

"You come here seeking my help," began Groudon, "Help is not something I offer without cost. The cost depends on the type of help required. Do not worry, I am not unfair. I will not ask for anything that exceeds the value of my assistance. Now the real question is: Just what kind of help do you need?"

Groudon took a deep breath and awaited the response of the girl.

Valorie peered up at Groudon from behind her golden mask, hesitating but a moment. "...Challenge me!" she called out firmly. Boy, Nathan was going to have a heart attack--Or more likely drag her out of there by her hair to give her a long talk about reasonable expectations. Was Valorie picking a fight with Groudon? "It is only through hardship that we can grow stronger, and I believe you are strong enough to give me that. Give me your price, so that we might begin!" she went on, a certain absolute confidence in her tone. She for one didn't seem to be afraid.

It probably wasn't enough to drown out the fact that Nathan likely knew she was as fragile as any normal human--Perhaps moreso, given the exceptional youth of her body.

After Valorie spoke, Nathan stood in complete silence, his mouth hanging open. He stared at the young woman in front of him and a small, loud squeak from his throat as he took a step forward, opening his mouth again to speak, but only squeaking again as he turned and paced back and forth, grumbling and growling to himself multiple times before turning to Valorie again.

"Are you insane?" he finally asked his beloved trainer. But then....he remembered that she had taken him down and captured him in a normal pokeball.....so anything was possible...right?

"I....Uh....ah....." he stuttered for words, only a foot or two away from Valorie, still struggling to get his words of protest out of his throat.

Groudon let out a choppy roar that almost sounded like a laugh. The girl/pokemon was brave, he would give her that. That kind of bravery could help Groudon reach his true form...

"I agree to do combat with you," said Groudon, "On the condition that you take me with you after this conflict and help me reach my Primal Form." Groudon was certain that this girl would accept his terms. She would take Groudon with her and together they would be able to bring Groudon to maximum power.

Groudon let out a loud roar and it seemed to get hotter and brighter in the cavern, almost as if the sunlight was suddenly able to extend through the earth to the cave.