Water dripped down from the massive stalactites above. The cave itself was quite spacious. Every orifice could have been tunneled by a herd of Steelix. A Mamoswine would be able to swing its tusks around freely.
Samuel Oak crept down the dark tunnel. He was not worried about being noticed. And he was not worried of being ambushed. His starter was alongside him.
Alakazam floated through the air, its feet mere inches off the ground. In its hands were thick dark gray batons.
It was common knowledge that psychics liked using a conduit to focus their energy. Many chose silver spoons, due to their high conductivity. It was still relatively unknown why conductivity had anything to do with being able to harness psychic energy, but the two had a direct correlation. Not many had made the connection. Few thought to look past the fact that psychics liked using metal trinkets.
Oak had not stopped at the first explanation he had heard. He researched. And he researched. And he found the most efficient material for his starter to use. Silver had generally been accepted as the best conductor over the years. But new research had risen in Galar, with advanced psychic manipulation helping in constructing carbon nanofiber like material. Alakazam's batons were made of small interconnected carbon structures. Honeycomb graphene walls wrapped around into cylinders, multi-layered to form the baton. If the psychics in Galar could make it, he and Alakazam could figure it out. And so they did.
Alakazam could easily scan the surrounding area for miles to check for assailants. Very few psychics around the world could contend with his area mapping. His ability to spot void and chaos types was nearly unrivaled. So no, Oak did not worry about any pesky ghosts or the like sneaking up on him.
The footprints on the ground confirmed he was headed in the right direction. Not that he ever doubted Alakazam's tracking ability to begin with.
The sound of a rock getting kicked made Oak flinch. He felt an itch in the back of his head, but Oak recognized it, so he let down his defenses. Alakazam showed images of a Starfallen Squirtle scurrying away. Nothing to worry about.
But the Squirtle did remind him of someone. Red. That was going to be his original mission. To find out why Starfallen Blastoise are so averse to humans. They were a passive species. They had a strict Laissez Faire policy, which somehow even isolated individuals followed, which fascinated Oak. They refused to battle for sport, and only used their fighting prowess to defend themselves and protect others. Kind of similar to how Lucario operated in Sinnoh. But it went to an even deeper extent here. No Rangers had been able to get a Starfallen Blastoise to work with them, even if they were simply working to protect wild pokemon. They had a deep resentment of humans, and Oak wanted to find the source. But that was simply one of hundreds of peculiarities in Pokemon that Oak wanted to figure out, and simply did not have the time to explore each one.
That was going to be his original assignment for Red. Oak had captured many different species in his primary trek around Starfall. It was a habit he had since his younger years. Catch anything worth studying.
And a regional variant of a species he trained certainly numbered as one of those.
He wondered how Red was doing. He'd done his best to set him on the right path. After getting contacted by one of his friends in the hospital, with the interesting addendum of complete amnesia, Oak had been interested in a new subject.
After having Alakazam check the kids mind, Oak had been surprised. Red's memories were locked away in his subconscious, behind walls even Alakazam hadn't been able to pierce. He had been tempted to use his trump card, but that Pokemon very well could have turned Red's mind to mush by accident with its raw power.
And then he had a vision. That was why Oak had been so successful over the years. His refined ability. Foresight. Usually it was just a couple seconds advanced warning for something dangerous, but sometimes he got visions far into the future.
Oak rubbed the back of his head as he remembered a certain cabbage headed pokemon. The visions didn't always go well, or lead to good paths. Those damned time pixies.
But in this vision he had seen a trainer with two fully grown dragons. One yellow and red, powerful and surrounded by its lightning cloak. The other had red scales with blue fire. But this was a Charizard he recognized. It had blue eyes. There was only one other Charizard with blue eyes in the world, and it resided on Oak's belt.
Apparently this kid was worthy of training the offspring. It was clear what Oak had to do. After recently acquiring a specimen of those damned yellow and red dragons, Oak had been ready to train it himself. He had wanted to find what the differences were between the two species. But apparently this kid was going to be the one to do it.
Oak had tried to go against his visions before. To tear them apart at every turn. It had never gone well.
So Oak had decided that a bright and inquisitive mind could be put to use. The fact the kid knew so much about Pokemon had been a huge bonus. One that encouraged Oak to actually give the kid a real assignment, rather than the basic regimen that he had prepared first. He would have to try and look into the source of his amnesia later. And the reason for the vision. Oak suspected some Legendary involvement, but he was sure that Red would be looking into it himself anyway. They could compare notes later.
It had been fun, having a little battle of wits with Red. He'd had to pretend to be threatening. Red was smart enough that if Oak hadn't been hesitant and untrusting, at least to some degree, Red would have been suspicious. And psychic reading was a big no no in nearly every region. And even if Red hadn't known about such things then, Oak couldn't afford word getting out later. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Alakazam had only confirmed that the kid was smart and trustworthy enough that Oak could use him. And maybe checked a couple times afterwards anyway just in case.
Trust, but verify.
Those words had kept Oak alive far too many times for him to stop believing in them now.
But Red didn't have anything to do with what Oak was doing now. Oak was running errands for the Champion of the region.
Why, you ask? Why might one of the most powerful men on the entire planet have stooped so low as to run errands for one that some might argue is lesser?
Oak wouldn't tell anybody that he had confirmed such trivial rumors on his own. But to be frank, his trump card was pretty unfair. Other than that, it had been a pretty even battle. But eventually the Professor had proven why Oak was a household name worldwide.
That old Champion had a surprising amount of fight in his bones for being centuries old, Oak had to admit.
His Starfallen Arcanine had certainly been a menace to deal with. For something to cause Oak enough fear to make him use his trump card was saying something. But that was why he was doing this.
Of course if they ever battled again, Oak wouldn't let his Machamp or Charizard get taken out before Starfallen Arcanine came into play, but semantics.
Taimu had agreed that if Oak got rid of his problem with the exiles, he would give Oak the pup of his Starfallen Arcanine.
It was one of the few Pokemon that Oak wasn't confident he could capture on his own. The pack of Starfallen Arcanine in the mountains were protected by Sabre. The few Kings Oak had seen with his eyes had proven they were not a force that should be taken lightly. And Sabre had a higher reputation than any other.
So Oak had agreed to run the Champion's little errand. The Champion was too busy managing the city to deal with the problem on his own. And Oak figured it would be a not boring way to pass the time, while also giving him an excuse to explore the region.
Of course Oak would have thought it would be simpler than this, especially given his resources. But now it was a matter of pride. This task should have been easy. But it had gone on long enough that there was no way in hell Oak would give up now.
These exiles had been enough of a nuisance to Oak, through their sheer stubbornness, that Oak had still failed to find their main base of operations.
Everyone he interrogated had been pulled into the Void by some unseen force before he could get any real answers. All he heard was a scream, which Oak had to assume meant death.
He could count on one hand the trainers who could walk through the Void without their minds crumbling or their limbs shredded in the sharp gravity wells of the abyss. To walk through the Void, a trainer had to be of the strongest mental fortitude, as well as be in touch with the Void enough to know how to chart a safe path.
His good friend Karen was one of the few who had accomplished the impossible task. And even with her veteran pokemon as her guide, she only chose to do it when absolutely necessary.
Void trainers in general had to have incredible mental fortitude to resist the dark pull of the malicious nature of the Pokemon they trained. To train so many was incredibly dangerous.
There was a reason that Chaos and Void trainers were feared. And why so many ended up on the wrong side of conflicts.
Oak felt the gentle touch of Alakazam brushing against his mind, letting him know that they were close.
The Exiles were smart. Surprisingly so. And far more organized than Oak would have thought. Than Taimu told him. But Oak wasn't worried. He had already destroyed three of their outposts. He would find their main base of operations soon enough, get his goddamn Starfallen Arcanine pup, and then he could get out of dodge to go study the damn thing.
He tapped his chin.
Or maybe he'd stick around and study Red more. Converse with Red more, Oak corrected himself. If he went back to the mainland he'd probably have to deal with Gary's incessant whining. Or Ash's constant updates of the new pokemon he had caught. The kid had Champion duties, but still somehow spent all of his free time teleporting around the planet trying to find new pokemon. If the kid wasn't stuck with Champion responsibilities, Oak was sure he'd be spending all his time here in Starfall.
The cavern opened up to an incredibly spacious area. The ceiling had to be hundreds of feet high. He couldn't even see the wall on the other side.
There were dozens of tents set about. Some people were next to their pokemon. There was a fire with something cooking over it.
Oak would have teleported in, but there was a constant void field set up, preventing any teleportation in or out. It was annoying. But no matter. Something had to be generating this field.
Once he took it out, he could have some fun and actually participate in the battle.
He released his Blastoise, hiding behind rocks to prevent the flash from alerting anyone. He sent a question to Alakazam in the form of thoughts and emotion. Words were inefficient.
His eyes glowed a low pink as he sent the instructions over to Blastoise. The large turtle hunkered down onto all fours. The cannons on its back spun as they extended to full length. The ends of the cannons widened up, preparing to shoot a Hydro Cannon.
Searing pain. Icy blades raking across his neck.
Oak flinched. He looked at Alakazam through the corners of his eyes, but didn't act differently to betray the surprise.
My seven o clock.
Alakazam's eyes widened as it searched. It found something. A pool of void, and something coming out of it. The fact they were in a void field had dulled Alakazam's senses.
Ready a focus blast.
Blastoise looked over to Oak for the confirmation. It had noticed the exchange between Oak and Alakzam, and even though it didn't hear anything that transpired, it didn't need to. They wouldn't change his current orders. Oak simply nodded his head.
Blastoise didn't flinch as the powerful blast of water rocketed from his cannons. But the rocks below him did crack from Blastoise's claws digging in for more stability.
The blast of water ripped through the tents, tearing through anything that was in its way, until it eventually reached its target.
A lone Honchkrow, over 450 feet away, behind half a dozen tents, sitting on a small perch, its eyes closed in concentration from holding up such a large void field.
Alakazam had pinpointed the exact location, given that location to Oak, who had then psychically connected with Blastoise for perfect target lock on.
The void field faded, and Oak let out a sigh of relief. He had to concentrate far harder to communicate to his pokemon when they were in such a field. Before it had been trying to yell through three walls. Now it was effortless again.
The second the void field went down, something dark and fast flitted out of the cave behind them. A lone Weavile, who had feint attacked through the void to travel behind them. Alakazam usually would notice it a mile away, but given the thick void field and the distraction of communicating with Blastoise and Oak, the Weavile would have been fast enough to attack Oak. His foresight really came in handy.
The brown and orange ball of energy flew out of Alakazam's hands and shredded through the Weavile like wet paper. The red feathers exploded, and soon the only evidence a Weavile had existed were a few snowflakes that fluttered to the ground.
Shouts of alarm came from the camp. Many had been in those tents that had been in between Blastoise and Honchkrow, after all.
"Well done. Perfect aim, as usual. Have a nice rest." Oak brought up the pokeball to Blastoise's brow, and returned him.
"Well, let's have some fun shall we. These old bones could use some action." Oak muttered to Alakazam as he rolled his shoulder.
"Where to start, where to start." Oak's face lit up as he thought of something. "Well this area has some pretty heavy air. It'd be a shame if we made it a little more dangerous."
A large stout green creature appeared in front of Oak. The Venusaur lopped its tongue lazily around its mouth. It yawned.
An ice beam pierced through the air towards Oak. It seemed like he'd been spotted. It splashed harmlessly against a pink shield. Such paltry attacks would never get past Alakazam.
Oak connected with Venusaur, confirming he had brewed all the necessary powders. Oak looked up above the basecamp, and relayed orders to Alakazam.
Seconds later, in a flash of pink light, the massive green creature appeared hanging upside down, right above the center of the camp. It immediately began falling. Gravity still existed.
Thick wathes of powder poured out of the massive flower on its back. And right before it hit the ground, Venasaur appeared right back next to Oak in another flash of pink light.
The thick waves of powders rolled over the tents, creating a haze of toxic powder that was over 20 feet high. It kept spreading out, the wave of toxins spreading to all ends of the camp.
By now, many of the Exiles had collected together towards the edge of the camp, where they had spotted the intruder. After learning that long distance projectiles weren't working, some began to close the distance over the rocky ground. Oak spotted a Machoke, an Absol, two Golbats, even a Tyranitar. It was quite small though. It was likely a very recent evolution. And its scales weren't a healthy color. A rushed evolution? These Exiles clearly did not train their pokemon well.
Oak returned Venasaur. Now for the melee.
Keep one will you. Not that I imagine the interrogations will go any better. But still worth a shot.
Alakazam gave a confirmation nod in response.
Oak released two more pokemon. These two were titans. One stood over 8 feet tall, with rippling muscles that looked like they could tear mountains apart. The other stood 7 feet tall, with a thick powerful tail that dripped poison. Spikes ran up all along its back, eventually wrapping around to lead to a massive horn.
Oak looked at Machamp and Nidoking, and nodded down to the assembled pokemon and trainers that were approaching. "Go to work."
Machamp gave a toothy grin and bounced on the balls of its feet, shaking out its arms.
Nidoking slammed its tail against the ground and roared.
Then, Machamp gained a maniacal look of glee in its eye. It snagged Nidoking by the tail, spun around and whipped the heavy pokemon towards the line of approaching mon.
They toppled like bowling pins under the Nidokings heavy weight and sharp spikes. It quickly picked up its feet and roared at Machamp, shooting some toxic spikes at the menacing brute in anger. Machamp batted them out of the air with ease, ignoring the outburst, and then proceeded to blur into motion. It launched itself into the line of opponents, sending them flying with each punch. The Nidoking followed suit, tearing through the enemies.
Within seconds, the battlefield stilled.
Oak frowned. "Damn. No Starfallen Venusaur. Guess this wasn't the main camp either."
That was all Taimu had told him. The Leader of the Exiles would have a Starfallen Venusaur. It's one of the reasons why he'd thought to dump all the toxins on the camp to begin the battle. He'd hoped to flush it out, but he had no such luck. This underground cave didn't seem very main base like to begin with.
Oak returned Machamp and Nidoking. If he'd let them stay out any longer, they probably would have opted to fight each other. Those two were constantly battle hungry. So was Charizard. The battle with Taimu had settled their nerves for a bit, but none of the Exiles had really put up a fight yet.
It was no wonder why Oak constantly had to be doing something. Those pokemon gave him far too much adrenaline. He felt antsy getting cooped up doing research. Field research was really where Oak shined. At least Alakazam's inquisitive mind helped him balance out the more destructive tendencies of his other pokemon.
Hopefully the grunt Alakazam captured wouldn't be pulled into the Void immediately after Oak started asking him questions. Those void tendrils broke through even Alakazam's strongest psychic holds. He might have to use his trump card this time. Just to be safe.
He would find those Exiles. Their main base camp would be his. One way or the other.