Eleanor trudged along. Her feet hurt. She was hungry. She was scared.

  She was also at the utter mercy of a rabid Jigglypuff and a Rufflet with an attitude large enough she was surprised it fit in this cave.

  “Will you two please stop trying to fight everything that moves?” she pleaded for what felt like the fortieth time. And for the fortieth time, they completely ignored her.

  “Puff!” Mochi yelled, her Rollout making contact with the poor Roggenrola that was just trying to take a nap nearby.

  Eleanor sighed.

  “TJ, can you help me out here?” she asked, looking to Troy's Pancham to be the voice of reason. He wasn't at her side. She looked around, where the hell?

  She sighed again, even louder. There he was, wrestling a Machop.

  Eleanor didn't get a chance to spot the wild Pokemon before one of the three lunatics she had been saddled with was racing off into the darkness. This was a nightmare. Even if by some miracle they didn't get split up, it was only a matter of time before they challenged something they couldn't handle.

  Why did she have to get saddled with the idiots? Why could she have Star? He was responsible. But nooo, she had the Powerpuff, the Anger Bird and the Himbo.

  …which really wasn't a change from her usual company come to think of it. Eleanor giggled, imagining Mochi with Chloe’s ponytail, Rufflet in Fiona’s boots and…

  She was losing her damn mind.

  “I need to find the others…” she muttered.

  Fiona had said that their tunnels would meet, and Eleanor had decided to trust that she was right. That was far better than the alternative. She refused to consider that she might end up lost and alone, wandering forever…

  Yeah, fuck that.

  Instead she walked, doing her best to make sure the Pokemon with her didn't wander off. She needed to catch herself a third. She missed Lumen. Calm, judgemental Lumen.

  But, Lumen wasn't here. Nor was Echo. Both of her partners were with Troy. She hoped. Troy would keep them safe. Which meant Eleanor needed to keep TJ safe for Troy. As well as the other two, though that thought was a little silly.

  But first Eleanor needed to work out how to keep herself safe.

  “I need to find Fiona soon… fuck!”

  Eleanor ducked, swearing as a Golbat swooped at her from the darkness. It missed her, but didn't flap off into the darkness. Instead it rounded on her, ready for another go.

  “Shit, guys!” Eleanor shouted, looking around for any of the trio. She couldn't see them. They had all split off, and now she was facing a Golbat alone.

  It came at her again, she screamed and ducked. Its teeth glowed a dangerous colour, she swung her camera at it on its lanyard. It cracked into the Golbat, sending it off course. It narrowly missed her again.

  “One of you fuckers help me!” Eleanor screamed, the Golbat gearing up for a third attempt. It moved, she tensed.

  “Puff!”

  A blast of sound knocked it out of the air, the ringing Hyper Voice echoing down the tunnel and temporarily deafening Eleanor.

  The Golbat fled, wings beating as it flapped back into the darkness. Eleanor slumped, chest heaving, back pressed against the cold rock of the tunnel wall.

  “Jiggly?”

  Eleanor looked down to see a sheepish looking Mochi staring up at her. Closing her eyes, Eleanor took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself.

  “I’m fine,” she said, “I’m fine. Just… please, stop running off. We need to stick together.”

  “Puff,” Mochi agreed.

  Eleanor sighed. She made a mental note to stop complaining about Echo being a pain in the ass. At least her Chatot wasn't trying to fight everything that moved.

  Still, it was clear. If she wanted to get through this cave in one piece, she was going to have to step up. Blaming the Pokemon wasn't fair. They weren't even hers. Besides, the others had no issues controlling them. No, it was time for Eleanor to, as Fiona would probably put it, woman the fuck up.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  She stood.

  “Thistle!” Eleanor yelled, “Get your ass back here!”.

  …she hoped it would work or she would feel stupid.

  A rustle of wings, and Thistle was there, looking up at her. Thank fuck.

  “You're leading. No starting fights, we can't afford to waste time,” Eleanor said, putting on her sternest voice.

  To her relief, he nodded, so she turned to Mochi and TJ, the Pancham having sidled up while she was talking.

  “You two stay with me. Mochi, you're on ranged duty, TJ, punch anything that gets close. Got it?”

  They all nodded.

  “Good,” Eleanor said, “First, let's find Fiona.”

  She set off, heart pounding. The Pokemon followed. Hopefully they would listen to her, she didn't know what she would do if they didn't.

  CRASH

  Eleanor jumped when the noise started. The roar of some huge, angry Pokemon echoed down the tunnel, alongside the deafening crash of stone on stone. The racket was terrifying, the sound of some titanic struggle, exactly the sort of thing she wanted to avoid.

  It was also, however, coming from up ahead, down the only path she had to follow.

  She debated what to do. On the one hand, she had precisely zero interest in getting caught up in some death match between cage monsters, on the other, there was a chance that the noise was Fiona.

  She looked down at her travelling companions.

  “What do you guys think?” she asked.

  “Puff!”

  “Chan!”

  Mochi pounded her fists together while TJ flexed.

  Eleanor sighed, yeah, she shouldn't have asked.

  She had two choices. Wait here until the noise died down, or have a look.

  Waiting was safer, but if it was Fiona up ahead… well the other girl might need her help.

  Okay no, she probably didn't. But still, it was the right thing to do.

  “Okay,” Eleanor said, coming to a decision.

  “We're going to have a look. But we are not fighting unless we have to,” she instructed, making sure she met the eyes of each of her brawl hungry companions. They all nodded.

  “Right, let’s do this.”

  She made her way forward carefully, turning her headlamp down as low as it could go.

  The noise grew, thundering crashes and roars, splintering rock and impacts that rocked the tunnel, shaking dust and pebbles loose.

  Then, she heard what sounded like a voice. Her heart quickened. It sounded like Fiona.

  She got closer, and became sure. That was definitely the Galarian Trainer. Eleanor couldn't make out the words, but the tone was unmistakable. Fiona was in battle mode.

  Thistle heard it too, and he was gone, winging his way down the corridor. Eleanor didn't blame him, his trainer was in a fight and probably needed him. To that end, she looked down at Mochi.

  “Go,” she said, seeing that the Battlepuff was raring to go.

  Mochi raced off as fast as her little feet could carry her, and Eleanor followed, picking up the pace, and cranking her headlamp back up to make sure she didn't trip. TJ followed at her feet, easily matching her pace.

  She had no idea what Fiona was battling, but it sounded like she could use some help, and while Eleanor wasn't exactly the cavalry anyone would choose, she was the one that was there. Eleanor didn't particularly relish the idea of running into danger, but at least there was an upside, Thistle wasn't her problem anymore.

  Fiona:

  “Copycat it again!”

  Heather twisted, smacking her glowing tail into the Onix. It didn't have anywhere near the effect Fiona needed. Her Skitty was slowing, and she lacked the brute force needed to put this monster down. Mimi was somehow still holding her own, locked in an epic struggle with her own Onix.

  Reinette though, was the issue. The Grass Type was struggling. Between the damage she had taken earlier and the distinct lack of sunlight in this cave, she was running on empty. That was a problem. Heather was losing, Mimi was in a stalemate. Fiona needed Reinette to finish the job, but she could barely stand.

  “This is not fucking good,” Fiona muttered, debating on what she should do. She considered just throwing a Pokeball at one of the Onix to see what would happen. Worst case, she wasted one and gained a few seconds. Best case, she removed one opponent and added an ally. But without her bag, she only had the one spare. That would be her last resort. No, she needed a better plan. If only she had Tank, he’d solve this for her. Or any Pokemon for that matter. Still, maybe she would get lucky, and Eleanor would show up with Thistle.

  Fiona shook herself. She was tired if she was engaging in wishful thinking. She needed a plan, not a hope.

  Maybe she could…

  A blur streaked in through one of the side tunnels leading into this cave, smacking into Heather's Onix.

  Fiona's eyes widened. She’d recognise that blur anywhere.

  “Fuck me, guess wishes worked,” she said, grin spreading.

  “Hang in there Mimi, Cavalry is here. Thistle, Close Combat, help Heather.”

  Mimi growled in acknowledgement as her opponent attempted to crush her, while Thistle circled to crash back into Heather's opponent, relentlessly pummeling the Onix in the face with his wings and feet.

  “Jiggly!”

  A battlecry announced the arrival of Mochi, the Jigglypuff smacking into that same Onix with a Rollout. Fiona grinned, problem solved.

  “Heather, help Mimi!” Fiona called, redirecting her Skitty. Mochi and Thistle could handle that Onix. Now it was time for Mimi to get a hand to finish hers. But more importantly, Fiona had to check on Reinette.

  The Steenee was barely standing, attempting to gain the energy to jump back into the fray. Fiona decided to leave the others to it. They didn't need her help. Instead she fished out one of her emergency potions, (thank fuck she still had those), and rushed over.

  “Let them handle it”, Fiona said, spraying Reinette down. She could see the inner battle take place behind the exhausted Pokemon’s eyes, before she came to decision, and sat down.

  “Stee,” Reinette panted, and Fiona nodded. She might not speak plant, but she got that message.

  “I know, worry about yourself now.”

  Ahead, one Onix roared as Mochi slammed into it with another Rollout that sent it crashing to the ground. Thistle landed, opening his mouth to blast it with a Heatwave before Mochi’s follow-up Brick Break had the huge Rock Type fainting.

  One down.

  On the other side of the room Mimi met her Onix head on, the enormous crash sending a shower of rock flying, forcing Fiona to duck and curse. Heather followed up with another copied Iron Tail, slowly but surely wearing the thing down.

  Then, a shout from the tunnel that the back up arrived from.

  “TJ, finish it!”

  Troy’s Pancham leapt across the cavern to drive his palm into the Onix’s head.

  *Thwap Thwap Thwap*

  A series of vicious Arm Thrusts, and a Brick Break from Mochi joining the fray after the first Onix stopped moving and the second fell.

  Fiona breathed a huge sigh. It was over. She slumped to the ground next to Reinette, and looked up to see Eleanor rushing over.

  “Fiona! Are you alright?” the other girl said, and Fiona gave her a wave in response.

  “I’m good. Just need a breather. That was fucking intense.”

  Eleanor surveyed the shattered remnants of the cavern. Two massive Onix lay, unmoving amidst the wreckage, as well as a number of Geodude. It was a war zone.

  “I can tell,” Eleanor said, breathing hard from her rush over, “Glad I decided to jump in rather than wait it out.”

  Fiona laughed, “Yeah, me too. I hate to admit it, but that was a little sketchy.”

  She looked around. Reinette was basically fainted, Mimi was battered and bruised to the point where Fiona was surprised the Mawile was still on her feet, and Heather was utterly exhausted. That had been way closer than Fiona would have liked. Still, it was done, and now she could work on a different problem.

  “I don't suppose you have any water?” she asked, “I’m fucking parched.”