The Unlikely Trio Explore the Ruins! What Mysteries Are Hidden Within!?

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Akuroma fell to his knees and panted, "I-I don't think they'll follow us into the ruins," he managed to say as he let Cracker and Mirage free from his Confusion attack, which had been half dragging them for the past few moments. He caught his breath and stood up looking around the corridor they were in.
"Well...welcome to Monochrome Ruins," he said, still a bit winded from his less-than-thought-through escape plan.

Akuroma sighed again, mumbling something to himself before he shakily stood back up and began to make his way towards where his horn sensed Cracker.

"Cracker, do you think you can carry Mirage? I don't think she'll be able to get out of here with that paw of her's. I might be able to do something with it if we can get outside with some better lighting and maybe some herbs around. Though I'd hate to admit it but I'm not well versed in botany," the Ralts said, scratching the back of his head and sighing. He looked down and saw what looked like footprints.

"Was someone else here? Normally the local Pokemon don't enter this room. I hope it didn't give you too much trouble, we didn't even hear a fight breaking out," the Ralts said, already starting to check the Aipom for injuries.

The Aipom was still searching the darkness for the missing Sableye when Akuroma approached, asking if he could carry Mirage. Of course there was little question is his mind that he could, despite her being heavier than even he was, but in his befuddlement over the weird dark-type Pokemon’s sudden disappearance, he was slow to respond. Cracker put his paws on his hips and frowned, wondering if it had even been real.

Maybe he imagined it, or maybe it was a ghost the whole time. After all, Sableyes were part ghost-type, right? But does that mean they’re actually ghosts, or are they just ghost-like? he wondered. The Pokemon shrugged in defeat. Whatever the case, the Sableye was gone. He was just about to give up altogether when the Ralts noticed the footprints on the floor and inquired about it.

“There’s nothing to worry about, I’m fine,” Cracker replied, giggling as the Ralts searched him for injuries. “I’m sorry by the way but I couldn’t find anything, this room is totally empty.” After Akuroma finished inspecting him, the Aipom headed back to where Mirage lay unconscious, looking worried. “So do you really think it’s safe to leave now? How’re we gonna get out without running into more trouble?”

((Permission to skip Blue due to Mirage being out cold))

Akuroma scratched the scars on his chin a bit, "Well, I was hoping I wouldn't need to use it, but I have an Escape Orb. I was hoping to save it for an emergency, though this has gone quite farther than an emergency," he said, looking down at the unconscious Zorua, "But these things teleport us to the dungeon entrance, which means we'll have to find someplace to put Mirage. That is, if you don't feel the need to turn her in."

Akuroma looked over at the Aipom, his hand reaching down into his bag and taking out the Escape Orb. He knew they shouldn't turn in the Zorua, or everything they had said to her she would take as lies just to gain her trust. He hoped Cracker knew that, or at least like Mirage enough not to put her in jail.

As Akuroma explained his plan for getting out of the dungeon, Cracker was already trying to figure out how to get Mirage onto his back. She was almost the same height as him and at least two whole pounds heavier, and he wasn’t the strongest Pokemon in the world. Luckily by now, though, he had recovered from the Fire Fang bite he’d gotten shortly before they all entered this blasted place, so he was in the best shape to even attempt carrying her at all.

Wrapping his tail around the Zorua’s body, he hoisted her awkwardly into the air, just enough that he could slip underneath and pull her front legs over his small shoulders. Of course, the Aipom put the most care into handling her injury, contorting himself into position until he could lift with his legs and pick her up off the floor.

Just as he got the hang of bearing her weight, the Ralts pulled the orb from his bag. Cracker stared at it with interest.

“Wow, that’s really pretty,” he said, watching the little globe catch the flickering light of the nearby torch. He was almost hypnotized by it before he realized what Akuroma had just finished saying. “I’m mean—I don’t see any reason to turn her in. I still don’t really believe she’s even an outlaw. Mirage is way too nice, and she hasn’t done anything bad the entire time we’ve been together; I mean, unless calling you names counts. Either way, I don’t think it’d be fair.”

Akuroma watched as the Aipom lifted the slightly heavier Zorua onto his back. Akuroma nodded at Cracker's response.

"Then we'll find some place in Pecha Forest to hide her while she heals. Even though she lives here, that paw injury will make her easy prey, Pecha forest doesn't have any Pokemon strong enough to take her down. It'll be safer there," he said before smashing the orb, the three Pokemon soon enveloped by a bright light before appearing at the entrance to Shadowhue Forest.

The sudden flash of light as the orb was shattered caught Cracker off guard. He wasn’t really sure what to expect when the item was used, but seeing a blinding light surround the three of them as they were instantly relocated back into the sunny forest at the border between Shadowhue and Pecha Forest, was enough to disorient him. The moment the light faded away, the Aipom staggered awkwardly before catching himself short of falling.

“Ngh! That was sooo weird,” he groaned, shaking his head. “I’m never gonna get used to that. Gives me all kinds’a chills.”

Readjusting the Zorua’s load on his back, the long-tailed Pokemon craned his neck to look up past the tree tops awkwardly. He’d never felt so relieved to see the sky in his life. After spending so long in those dark miserable depths, he probably would’ve settled for just a whiff of fresh air, but out here, he could take full, deep breaths of the forest’s scent again. It was bliss, to say the least.

Akuroma had already started crossing the border into Pecha Forest, and the Aipom was primed to follow, but he stopped abruptly, jerking his head back to the sky again once more, looking around worriedly. He’d almost completely forgotten what had led him to being in this forest to begin with, but being out here again brought back that unpleasant memory of being chased by an angry flock of Tranquill and Pidove.

His frantic search of the sky showed it to be empty and harmless though, but he still hesitated to step forward. The last thing he wanted to do was direct the ire of those Pokemon toward his new friends.

“Hey, um… Aku, you don’t sense any Pokemon nearby, right?” he asked uneasily. “No, uh… big groups or anything? Possibly… lying in wait? And maybe still angry about a certain dispute…”

Akuroma glanced back at Cracker, "No, just a scared Aipom," he said as he continued into Pecha Forest. He chuckled to himself a bit. Now he understood why the Aipom was in such a bad shape when they first met. Seems he got off on the wrong foot with a group of Pokemon that lived in the forest. Though now Akuroma would have to keep that in mind as they traveled in the woods.

"Let's get going before fat fur behind you wakes up and starts acting like she's a big tough 'mon again."

To Be Continued...