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A Viper in the Hole, Chapter 1, part 2
🕑 Added 2024-09-03 19:53:51 +0000 UTCThe first hours pass easily enough, Ran entirely in his element, as the only difference with the errands he’s been running for years so far is Spencer’s presence. By lunchtime however, it becomes quite clear that while Ran hasn’t just been planning but, thanks to his jobs, also been physically conditioning himself for the lifestyle of a journeying trainer, Spencer hasn’t been doing so.
Instead, Spencer admittedly has a far more well-rounded education under his belt and a bigger budget to lean on thanks to his more lucrative occupation as a tutor, but it has left him in significantly poorer physical shape than Ran. Consequently, Ran’s suggestion to have their first lunch on the go is immediately shot down by the other boy, as they instead pause by the roadside for a while as they eat an easy lunch, freshly made in the comforts of their own homes earlier that day.
“So,” Spencer finally speaks up, “How long until we start running into other trainers, you reckon?”
“It might be a while, honestly,” Ran answers after giving the question a moment’s thought. “Azalea Town’s newest sponsored trainer won’t be setting out until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest and whoever that ends up being, they’re probably sticking around town until they feel ready to challenge Bugsy himself. There’s no other villages between Azalea and Violet City plus Union Cave is supposed to take at least a few days to get through, so I don’t know why we’d run into anyone. Maybe if there’s any more experienced trainers who are hoping to add like an Onix to their team for the new season, we might run into someone in the Cave, but other than that, depending on how well we progress, it might genuinely take until we’re close to Violet City before we really run into anyone.”
“I agree,” his companion nods, before stunning Ran as he continues, “So it should be the perfect time for me to add a third member to my team.”
Gaping uncomprehendingly for a moment, Ran finally manages a reply, “Already? I thought you were still working on making sure Scyther is fully obedient?”
“I am,” the other trainer agrees, “but I’ve given this a lot of thought. Firstly, I’ll be at a major type disadvantage for the first Gym, which is a must-win match. Second, with Bugsy as the Gym leader and Ilex Forest right next door, Azalea’s new sponsored trainer is very likely to be featuring strong Bug types in his team, if he doesn’t become an outright Bug specialist. So if I want to stand out on the circuit or at the Conference, that’s not ideal. Not to mention the fact that with how well he did, if I show up with a full Bug team, people are going to be comparing me to Bugsy constantly and that’s just not acceptable at all.”
“You’re not even going to try for a bug-specialty?” Ran asks, aghast at how easily Spencer is jettisoning another cornerstone of what had seemed like firm plans for the future just a few short weeks ago.
“I’m not.” Spencer confirms curtly, seeming entirely unbothered by his decision. A clear sign to Ran that he’s already made his mind up and is only now seeing the need to catch Ran up on things.
“You’re really planning to get rid of your starters eventually, then? You’re not planning to be a generalist after all, right? I thought you’d come around on that!” Ran asks in dismay, shocked at the idea that Spencer has reverted to the truly callous approach of simply swapping out team members whenever he acquired a new pokémon with more potential, as he’d advocated back when they’d first become friends.
“I’m not, I’m not.” Spencer denies in mild surprise, caught off-guard by Ran’s shock. He smiles knowingly at his friend, “You’re forgetting that I have another option available to me without having to part ways with Bunker or Scyther.”
Embarrassingly, it actually takes Ran a moment to pick up on Spencer’s plan.
“You’re going to specialize in Steel types?!” He shouts in genuine disbelief, “There’s only 5 known lines in Johto and Kanto combined!”
Spencer shrugs nonchalantly, “I’m aware, I’ll probably have to arrange a trade or purchase with Hoenn or Sinnoh eventually, or go with two pokémon of the same line, but if I manage it, I’ll definitely stand out on the circuit.”
“You’d better,” Ran scoffs, “I know you’ve got a bit more saved up than I do, but feeding a Skarmory isn’t cheap. Not to mention how long you’ll have to wait to get your- hang on what do you mean catch your third pokémon? Magnemite and Skarmory aren’t native to an area even remotely close to Violet City!”
“Again, I’m aware. But Onix is.” Spencer replies dryly, as he starts to pack up his gear and starts getting ready to continue their journey.
“You’ve lost your mind.” Ran deadpans in disbelief, staring at his delusional friend as if he’s seeing him for the first time.
“I really haven’t,” Spencer insists, “Yes, they’re ruinous in upkeep, but they can keep themself fed while we’re in Union Cave and the Dark Caves, which by the way they’d be the perfect addition for and by that point I plan to be winning enough matches and doing enough jobs to break even. Ideally, after Blackthorn we’d take a brief detour south to go hunt a Skarmory and then Magnemite could wait until after Ecruteak, assuming all of our information is still up to date, of course.”
“Oh so now not only are you going to catch one of the most upkeep-heavy pokémon, we’ll also be traveling the route you want before I’ve even agreed to anything? How lovely.” Ran speaks, sarcasm dripping off of every word.
Spencer looks surprised at how annoyed he is, but still answers casually even as he starts walking again, “Your main concern is how dangerous the Dark Caves are, an Onix will solve that concern, so I don’t see the issue.”
“My concern is that, firstly, an Onix doesn’t just ‘solve’ the threat the Dark Caves pose and secondly, just as, if not more important, there’s the likely scenario where you run out of budget and leave me forced to continue my journey on my own!” Ran fumes, catching up easily enough and gesticulating angrily at the other trainer’s blase attitude.
“If you’re so concerned about the Dark Caves, Violet City has that large lake of theirs, catch yourself a Tentacool as insurance for all I care,” Spencer dismisses Ran’s complaints, “It’s my team and my career and it’s my decision. You’re my friend and I want you there with me, but my mind is made up, so you can either accept that or we can part ways after Violet City.”
Ran looks at his friend in disbelief, walk stuttering to a halt whilst Spencer carries on stubbornly, “Really? Two years of planning together, motivating each other and before we’ve even been on the road for half a day you’re posing ultimatums?”
Spencer doesn’t even look back, merely speaking louder to make sure he’s still audible even as the distance between both young trainers grows, “I’ve given it a lot of thought and it’s the only decision which makes sense for me. Again, I’d like to have you there with me, but I can’t let you or anyone else hold me back. Never again.”
For a few seconds, Ran can only stand there mutely, watching his friend’s back as the other boy walks further away from him. Finally he stows the feeling of acute betrayal away for now, rushing to catch up once more. They don’t speak, barring some orders to their pokémon when a few wild pokémon wander out of the grass and onto the road to confront them, until they start setting up camp later that evening. Even then, the conversation is sparse and stilted, and the topic isn’t raised again.
By the next morning, things are back to feeling normal, though the topic is clearly mutually avoided for now. Or avoided on Ran’s end at least as, considering Spencer’s earlier attitude, his friend might just be assuming that the final word on the matter has been spoken.
Whatever the truth of the matter, by early afternoon they’re entering Union Cave, Zubat out of his ball and serving as their first line of defense. Fortunately, the beams of light cast by their flashlights draw little attention, most of the pokémon in the cave choosing to retreat deeper into the darkness rather than confront the intruders to their home. The few wild pokémon they run into early on all suffer the same fate as the first Sandshrew that squares up for a fight.
They come upon it just after a mild right turn in the somewhat narrow path they’re currently following. Walking next to each other would be mildly uncomfortable, so Ran and Zubat are leading ahead of Spencer, when up ahead the light of Ran’s torch uncovers a Sandshrew. Unlike the previous pokémon they’ve encountered however, this one turns to face them aggressively, letting out a threatening hiss and presenting its claws.
“Zubat, use Supersonic and then drain it dry with Absorb!” Ran orders, his pokémon immediately crying out obediently, before its mouth remains open even as it no longer produces an audible sound. Or at least, not audible to humans, as Sandshrew, which only just starts forward in a Rollout, sharply veers off course, slamming into the cave wall at full force.
As the unfortunate Ground type uncurls and falls weakly onto its back, Zubat shows no mercy, rapidly closing in before focusing intently, green globules of energy appearing out of Sandshrew’s body and flying into Zubat. For a moment, it looks as if the fight is already over, but then Sandshrew’s eyes snap open.
“Back up!” Ran calls, Zubat immediately flapping his wings fervently to get away from his target, Absorb fading away.
The order comes just in time, as Sandshrew’s forepaws scrape across the ground, the rocky cave floor partially scraping off into an improbable amount of sand which flies up right at Zubat. Although the flying type lacks the eyes that Sand Attack usually targets, Ran still sighs in relief when the attack falls short, as the sheer volume of sand and the force at which it got thrown might have been enough to knock Zubat towards the ground for a moment.
Fortunately, that potential turning point doesn’t materialize, as Ran instead calls out another attack, “Astonish! Follow up with another Absorb and then get above it again!”
Zubat dives towards Sandshrew before it can react, a sharp shriek rings out, which is followed by his mouth gaping open impossibly wide thanks to the tiny amount of Ghost-energy Zubat can muster. The sight is enough to shock his opponent into a stupor for a few precious seconds, the following Absorb enough to see the sand mouse think better of the fight and hastily retreat from the direct fight. A few seconds after it disappears out of the light cast by Ran’s torch, they can all hear frantic digging, as Sandshrew clearly escapes out of the tunnel they’re passing through, leaving Ran free to praise his pokémon’s outstanding performance.
The day doesn’t get any more exciting than that, the extra speed Zubat gained over his past few months as a trainer pokémon visible in his dominant performance against all takers. Eventually, exhaustion sets in and Zubat and Ran trade places with Spencer and Pineco for the final hour or so, the bug type worryingly eager to meet any challenger with Rollout, even if said challenger is made out of literal rock.
To Spencer’s credit however, his starter proves able to take the measure of all challengers, allowing their progress to continue with hardly any trouble, until they eventually pick out a small offshoot of the tunnel they’d been following, opening up into a small, roughly circular room, where they start setting up camp. Not having encountered any Onix yet, Ran quietly hopes that the trend will continue the next day, but said dreams are dashed when, in the middle of the night, he is gently shaken awake.
Waking up confused by something sharp prodding him gently in his side, it takes Ran a moment to make out Scyther’s figure in the darkness, the bug type gesturing vaguely towards the other side of their campsite once he realizes that he has Ran’s attention. Scrabbling for his torch as he gets up, Ran flicks it on to see Spencer with his ear against the ground, his friend’s expression pulled tight in concentration.
It only takes a moment for Ran to connect the dots, a sinking feeling filling him which is only strengthened when Spencer’s eyes snap open triumphantly, “There! I heard it again! Something’s making the cave rumble! Ran, get Zubat out and help me track it down!”
“I don’t know if Zubat’s going to be able to-” Ran starts, only to be cut off by Spencer’s begging voice.
“Please, Ran! Scyther and I will take care of the battle and the capture, we just need help tracking it down!”
Ran hesitates a moment longer, before yielding, unwilling to deny his friend’s foolish dream.
“Fine, get dressed, I’m not hunting for Onix in my sleepwear.” He mutters reluctantly as he pulls his backpack towards himself, only for Spencer to throw off his sleeping bag and reveal his normal outfit.
“You never-” “I never changed!” Spencer announces proudly, easily silencing Ran’s far more aggrieved voice.
The next few minutes are spent getting ready, with Spencer urging Ran to hurry what feels like every other second, but soon enough Zubat is leading the way out into the tunnels. Under Spencer’s enthusiastic encouragement, they’re nearly running through the caves, Ran hurriedly tagging the walls with a sharp rock to leave some markers for their eventual return to their camping place.
After five minutes of hurried searching, Zubat halts, Spencer nearly running into the back of the flying-poison-type in his enthusiasm. Zubat’s soft, wary call is easily understood by Ran.
“It should be just up ahead. Are you really sure about this?”
“Of course,” Spencer mutters dismissively, more focused on examining the walls and ceiling of the tunnel they’re standing in than on Ran’s question, “You just stay here for a minute, just to be safe. Against an Onix in this kind of environment, there’s always a risk of falling debris.”
“You realize that you’re just as rock-proof as I am, which is to say not at all?” Ran asks sarcastically, but Spencer merely waves him off.
“I’ll be fine and if I’m not, I trust you to pull me out.” Spencer says to Ran, the shock value of the statement enough to leave Ran struck dumb, as Spencer addresses his pokémon next, “Alright, enough time wasted. Scyther, be ready to intervene, alright? Bunker will be taking the lead.”
Then Ran’s traveling companion is jogging ahead once more, Scyther dutifully by his side and Bunker the Pineco’s ball already palmed.
When everything remains quiet for the better part of a minute, Ran dares to hope that the Onix quietly tunneled away during the brief conversation, but then the deep scraping of rock on rock and a loud ‘Onix!’ destroy that particular hope. Distantly, Ran can make out the muted sounds of a battle, but Zubat must have stopped them at a pretty respectable distance from the titan up ahead.
Spencer’s voice is hard to make out over the din of battle, until he shouts a command with even more volume than the Onix’ initial challenging roar.
“Self Destruct!”
Ran’s eyes widen in shocked disbelief, as for a single, heart wrenching moment, everything goes quiet. Then the caves shake from the noise of a bone-shaking explosion, Ran hurriedly recalling Zubat as he dives to the ground and covers up as best he can.
Distantly, the sound of the explosion is replaced by the noise of falling boulders, but Zubat’s caution pays off, as Ran is only pelted by a few minor pebbles that get shaken loose from the ceiling, before finally quiet returns and everything seems to settle once more. Distantly, Ran hears the disturbed shrieking of a Zubat colony, but the sound is distant enough not to worry him.
Scrambling upright hurriedly, he rushes towards the epicenter of the explosion even as Zubat is once more brought out to serve as his protector. As they hurry onwards, the sight of increasingly large pieces of debris worry Ran deeply. Before he even catches sight of Spencer, Pineco, Scyther or Onix, he’s already forced to sidestep and in one case even scale proper boulders, the entire tunnel’s geography changed as a result of Pineco’s technique.
Finally, however, the epicenter becomes visible, as the tunnel widens into a proper cavern. Or what was once a cavern, as all around its edges lie large pieces of collapsed ceiling, the cave clearly not able to handle the explosive force at such a close distance. Right in the middle of the cavern however, there is a circle of nearly-undisturbed rock floor, charred black. And standing in the middle of said circle, with a panting Scyther by his side and a pokéball triumphantly held aloft, stands a disheveled, but, crucially, unhurt Spencer Curtis.
As he catches sight of Ran, the other boy gives him what can only be called a shit-eating grin, “Told you I could do it!”
Ran merely sags in relief, “You’re alive, thank goodness.”
Spencer scoffs, “Oh don’t be a baby.”
“Whatever you say,” Ran waves him off with a giddy smile, fear-adrenaline making way for sheer relief, “Let’s just head back to camp already before anything else collapses around here.”
It’s very clear from Spencer’s expression that he’s about to dismiss the idea of further collapses, but before he can even voice the first syllable, there’s an entirely too close for comfort groaning of stone on stone somewhere above them.
Ran turns and starts walking back the way he came, not needing to see the expression on the other boy’s face to hear the sudden fear, faint as it may be, in his voice, “Sure, good plan, lead on!”
