Meteor, Silvette, and I wandered the twisting tunnels of Granite Cave, trying to find our way out. Somehow the darkness of the cave seemed even blacker now, my PokéNav's light being more vital than ever. The light made me feel safe. I clung to the small device like it was a lifeline, the one thing keeping me from being consumed by the inky black. So when that light began to flicker and slowly fade I became truly terrified.

Calm down! Everything will be fine, Meteor picked up on my encroaching fear and tried to comfort me.

"Arn rona!" Silvette bumped her head against my leg, her steely voice reflecting Meteor's tone. They were right, there was no use in panicking. I sighed and tried to smile. I guess I was trying to make myself feel better. It did work, if only for a few minutes.

After a while, the inevitable finally happened. My PokéNav died, plunging us into complete blackness. I stopped in my tracks, not wanting to move in fear of running into something. Or worse, falling into one of the many pits that dotted the cave floor. I actually wished Winona's Combusken was here. At least some form of light was better than nothing at all.

Okay, Plan B! Meteor announced.

"A-and what is Plan B?" I asked shakily, my eyes struggling to adjust to the dark.

Scream as loud as we possibly can, and hope someone hears us, he said matter-of-factly. There has to be more than one entrance to this place.

"I... I don't think that's a good idea. Sound travels well here, sure, b-but it also echoes. If someone did hear us, it would be difficult for them to pinpoint our exact location," I replied.

Why do you have to inject logic into my ideas? Meteor sighed.

"I'm saying, we're better off using your senses to navigate than wasting more time. Wallace and the others must be worried sick by now!" I said forcefully, yet I couldn't get my legs to move. Fear and hesitance had frozen me in place.

For wanting to find a way out, you sure don't look like you want to move.

"I'm waiting for you to go first. You're the one with the extrasensory ability," I lied.

Several minutes of blind stumbling later, I saw something that made me think I was imagining things. I saw light. Not a flashlight or firelight, but actual sunlight. It was seeping through a crack in the sloping tunnel wall ahead. I was elated until I realized that it wasn't an exit.

   The jagged crack was no more than a foot wide with crumbled stone scattered around it. If I turned sideways I could probably fit through. And even if it wasn't an exit, why would there be sunlight? A cool gust of wind flowed through the crack, smelling of fresh air. There had to be an exit somewhere. At this point I was desperate to find a way out.

What are you doing? Meteor asked when I began squeezing through the gap.

"Finding a way out," I replied. "Why else would there be natural light so deep underground?" I was able to get all the way through. Being built like a stick figure occasionally had its perks. I heard Silvette trying to get through next and ended up having to pull her the rest of the way. My first order of business when I got back to Dewford was definitely going to be to get Silvette a Poké Ball of some kind.

No fair! You know I can't fit! Meteor's red eyes stared at me from the other side of the gap. I held up his Poké Ball and recalled him, letting him back out on the other side. Okay, you win.

This new tunnel was easily twice as wide as the original, and it continued to widen as we continued down it. As the tunnel widened, the sunlight became brighter as well, revealing strange symbols and faded pictures etched on the cave walls. They looked like nothing I had ever seen before. The symbols resembled everything from runic letters to random shapes. They added a sense of mystery to the hidden passage. I had read of ancient carvings and wall paintings in history books, and it amazed me that I was seeing some for myself.

I don't get humans. If they have paper, why would they draw on the walls? Meteor hovered closer to the wall and reached out to touch one of the symbols. As he did this, a rush of anxiety overtook me. Something about this was wrong. Every one of my nerves bristled, sending what were essentially panic signals through me. My instincts seemed to scream out at me all at once, telling me to stop him.

"Don't touch those!" I snapped. Meteor froze and turned around to face me.

What? Why? he cried, startled.

"I... I don't know... You... you just shouldn't," I stammered, trying to find the right words. Why did I do that? I had no reason to be concerned for the state of the symbols, so why did I feel that way? It wasn't a normal need to protect something ancient for preservation's sake. It was an instinctual, primal feeling.

   What's wrong? Are you feeling okay? Meteor asked concernedly. It was clear that neither he or Silvette felt anything odd being near these symbols. Why was I the only one who felt this way?

"There's... something strange going on here." That was all I could think to say. Inanimate objects, let alone wall carvings, shouldn't have been able to make anyone feel emotions this extreme. I was probably overreacting and letting my fear run away with my common sense. Yes, that was probably it. It was overreaction and nothing more.

Well, let's go back.

For the first time, I didn't take his suggestion. Sure, it was possible that if we spent more time looking around in the main cave system, we would eventually find our way out. But when factoring in how deep in the cave we were, it made the tunnel we were currently in all the more appealing to explore. Where there was sunlight, there had to be an entry point, it was logical. And despite what was happening at the moment being purely illogical, I couldn't ignore the facts. And as long as none of us went near the symbols, everything would be fine.

   "No. There's light here, and that has to lead to some sort of an exit. If we don't find anything down this tunnel, we'll come back," I refused, speed-walking down the passage, convinced that I was correct. Meteor and Silvette had no choice but to follow me.

The symbols became more numerous and complex the farther I continued on. They covered every flat surface except the ground like moss on a forest floor. I kept my gaze on the rocky ground, not daring to look up. I couldn't figure it out but something about them seemed... wrong. The fear and anxiety now occurred even when I was nowhere near the symbols, and they steadily grew stronger, making me question why I had even chosen this path in the first place.

It was obvious I wasn't supposed to be here, it was as plain as day. But underneath every internal voice, hidden behind each horrible emotion, was an innate urge to continue. Curiosity? Perhaps. Hope? Most likely. It was like some unspoken words of reassurance that didn't belong to Meteor were continuously being spoken to me, enveloping me in a sense of safety and telling me to keep walking. Whatever it was, it was more comforting than anything anyone could say. As nervous as I was at this point, I desperately clung to anything positive.

At this point, my footfalls began to echo a great deal more, as if I were in a more open space. I stopped walking and looked up, instantly becoming confused. I was standing in a large empty cavern, nearly half the size of a Gym arena. The sunlight's source finally became evident. It was coming through a hole in the chamber's ceiling and lit up the whole room. In other words, there wasn't a real exit.

   Disappointment and annoyance filled me, and I let out a sigh of frustration. I had come all this way for nothing! It was then when I noticed something I was shocked I didn't see the moment I examined the cavern.

Several yards in front of me was a short set of stairs carved into the dark brown stone. At the top of the stairs was yet another picture, except this one covered the entirety of the wall it was painted upon. I was overcome by an intense sense of curiosity that drowned out my anger. Slowly, and somewhat hesitantly, I proceeded up the steps, eyes fixated on the ancient painting.

Done in varying shades of faded reds and browns, the picture showed a monstrous Pokémon-like creature standing under an oversized sun. The Pokémon stood with its arms stretched towards the sun, a blood-red horseshoe-shaped symbol carved into both of its arms. Thick lines of red erupted from the ground, representing what I thought were pillars of fire. Jagged red bolts were coming off of the sun and striking many smaller figures scattered near the Pokémon's feet. They roughly resembled people, drawn as if by a child. The whole scene gave off an air of despair and anguish, something only a great tragedy would be able to express.

What the art depicted suddenly registered with me. What am I looking at? I thought, horrified. If those figures are really supposed to be people... Oh, Arceus! It was clear what the painting was portraying. The fear I had pushed away came back in the form of outright terror, the previous comfort evaporating like water in a drought.

I stared at the mural, becoming lost in its macabre design. My eyes fell upon the creature's painted face, its eyes had no pupils and its fangs were crudely carved into the stone wall. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about the figure was so familiar to me. I searched the creature's face, as if I would find my answer there. Where had I seen it?

   That was when it happened.

   I was suddenly consumed by a chill that turned my blood to ice. It was followed by an all-encompassing dizziness that lasted for less than a few seconds. My vision blurred briefly before blackness descended over me like a veil.

Sight returned to me and I saw that I wasn't in Granite Cave anymore, nor was I anywhere I recognized. I was outside. The cloudless sky was a bright red color and the sun beat down on me with an unnatural intensity. A ten-foot high wall of flames blasted from a wide crack in the ground where the mural once stood, shocking me to my core. The parched, cracked earth crunched loudly under my shoes as I tried to back away from the flames, covering my face in an attempt to shield myself. What's going on? Where am I? I thought, beginning to panic.

The fire continued to rage fiercely, and I only stopped moving when I felt another surge of heat at my back. I whirled around to see a second wall of flames mere feet from me. I quickly came to the realization that I was surrounded on all sides by the fire. I was in the middle of a sea of red and orange, the spot of ground I stood upon being the sole island. Smaller flames occasionally sprung from the walls in my direction, almost seeming to reach for me. The red-hot embers, the pain I knew they could inflict... The memories of that day when I was five flooded back to me.

I was visiting my grandparents' graves near Mt. Pyre with Mom and Dad, and I had managed to slip away from them, determined that I was old enough to explore the rocky area by myself. I soon saw a wild Vulpix carrying what I now knew was a Fire Stone.

   My reckless, five year-old self decided that I needed the colorful Evolution Item more than the little Fire-type. I snatched the stone from the Vulpix and as expected, it turned on me. The look of malice in its eyes and how every hair on its body stuck up showed that it was furious with me, it wanted revenge. It then unleased a powerful Ember attack, aiming at the hand that held its precious ore. The rest was a blur of flame and agony.

   It hurt, it had hurt so much. The doctor had later said I was fortunate to have not been burned any worse. "Fortunate" was not the word I would have necessarily used.

The memory of that day was burned into me, scorched. Tears began stinging the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. I didn't want to be burned, I didn't want to experience that pain ever again! The heat was unbearable. Sweat trickled down my brow, falling into my stinging, tear-filled eyes.

   "What... what the hell is happening?" I cried in a frightened, haltingly petrified voice that didn't sound like my own. My mind was racing and my heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst from my chest. Why was I here? Why was I surrounded by fire? An earsplitting roar echoed somewhere in the distance, not too far from where I was. The ground then began shaking with what seemed like footsteps. I froze, my body breaking out in goosebumps despite the sweltering heat.

The roar came again a second later, this time many human screams accompanied it. Over the crackling of the inferno, I could hear countless screams of agony.

   The tears spilled over, and they began streaming down my face. I covered my mouth, my body wracked with muffled sobs. Pure pain, utter anguish, relentless torture... Those poor people were suffering, they were dying and I couldn't help them! A nauseating stench soon filled the air, its overpowering copper-tinted aroma causing bile to rise in my throat. It didn't take long for me to guess what was causing it. Oh, Arceus! No, no, Arceus, please no!

A Pokémon's form then crested the wall of fire in front of me. My eyes widened in horror when I saw it was the monster depicted in the mural, the symbols on its arms glowing bright yellow. It was at least two stories tall with long claws and red armor-like plates that had molten magma flowing between them like exposed veins.

   The monster looked down at me with sickly yellow eyes that seemed to be made of magma as well. It opened its mouth, revealing several rows of razor-sharp fangs. It emitted that ear shattering roar, an orb of fire forming inside its mouth. It was going to attack me! I was alone and trapped with no possible means of escape. Well, unless being near the remains of the dead didn't count as being alone.

Let it be over quickly... I thought as I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see it happen, I didn't want to see myself burning, not again.

Right when the impossibly scorching heat began to engulf me, everything went quiet. The screaming ceased, yet the heat remained though it was not as intense. I cautiously opened my eyes, hoping that what I was thinking wasn't a cruel trick my mind had conjured. I was relieved to see that I was back in Granite Cave. It... wasn't real. I was beyond happy that whatever I had seen wasn't real. It may have been the amount of adrenaline I had pumping through my veins but I felt incredibly light-headed.

Steven, are you okay? You weren't moving and you wouldn't say a thing! Meteor sounded panicked. His voice had never sounded more welcoming. It was like music to my ringing ears.

My legs gave out and I fell to my knees, my strength nonexistent. "Okay? I'm..." My voice came out more like a croak, cracking slightly with how dry my throat felt.

Answer me! Are you okay? Meteor dropped his panic and his voice took on a freakishly serious tone. I never knew he could be capable of panic in the first place, let alone seriousness.

You don't have to worry. It wasn't real, that's all that matters. I began laughing softly, the sheer relief I felt crushing any other thought. I must have looked crazy when I was doing that. The fire, the creature, the people, they were all false! "I-I'm... fine!" I forced the words out of me. I sensed Meteor's presence beside me along with Silvette's.

"Ann..?" Silvette bumped my arm. I ignored her and stared up at the painting, my right eye twitching ever-so-slightly.

What happened? Meteor asked. I couldn't read your thoughts, and you wouldn't say a thing!

"I'm okay, Meteor. I saw something strange, and it... shook me up a little," I said, my voice trembling.

What I said couldn't have been farther from the truth. The things I had seen, while fake, were burned into my retinas. I could still see the towering Pokémon, still feel the scorching heat from the sunlight and the fire, and I could still smell the ungodly scent of burning flesh. The scent was the worst part. It reminded me of an overly bloody slab of meat that had been left in the oven for far, far too long. It was so strong that I could actually taste it in the back of my throat.

Needless to say, that was too much for my stomach to handle. The sickness I had felt previously forced itself upwards into my throat with a lurch that caused my insides to instantly knot up. I tried my best to compose myself and keep it down, but the urge was overwhelming. With a surge of bitter tasting saliva, I doubled over and unceremoniously emptied the contents of my stomach out onto the cave floor.

Whoa! Okay, you're not fine! Meteor cried out in shock and slight disgust, nearly bumping into the wall with the mural as he did so.

"S-stay away from that," I gagged. The vile taste of acid filled my mouth, and I dry-heaved, my body helplessly shuddering with convulsions as the last few dregs of bile escaped me. Even though the painting should have been the last thing on my mind, I couldn't allow Meteor to go near it.

I won't! Believe me, I won't! He backed away from the wall, eyes scanning its rough surface. I don't get it, what happened? It's clear that these drawings or whatever they're meant to be are doing something to you. Why didn't you tell me they were making you feel sick?

"It... it wasn't that," I said, still reeling from what I had just done. While being near the carvings did make me feel ill, it was more of a result of the negative emotions I felt at the time. For me, feeling nervous or afraid often tended to result in that sort of nausea, it was something I had grown used to. But that wasn't what caused me to vomit, it was something else entirely.

Then what was it? Meteor asked concernedly. I've never seen you do something like this, so it's probably something serious. Do you still feel sick?

"It had to do with what I saw," I said. Meteor cast me a curious look and I tried to change the subject. I couldn't tell him what I saw, not right now. I was more than unwilling to relive the horrifying vision. "Don't worry, it's fine! I feel fine! People say that getting it out of you makes you feel better," I lied. I felt like I was going to be sick again at any moment. The one thing that kept me from doing so was the disgust I felt for doing just that. I could tell Meteor wasn't buying my claim and that he would start reading my mind for the real answer. I did my best to clear my head and made my only thoughts ones of reassurance.

You're not fine! Meteor objected. For Arceus' sake, you just threw up! Stop hiding it and tell me what you saw, he demanded.

I shook my head. "I'm telling you, I'm fine. I just want to get out of this place. Please, take my word for it."

No, I won't! Why don't you ever tell me when you're not feeling okay? You worry over me so much, let me return the favor!

"I don't want you to worry. You shouldn't have to!" I cried. With what felt like an immeasurable amount of willpower, I forced myself back upright, my insides a knotted mess and my head swimming. My lightheadedness wasn't going away. In fact, it actually seemed to be worsening.

Okay, I'll 'take your word for it,' or whatever you said... To make myself feel better, promise me you'll get checked out by a doctor or something when we get back to town, Meteor stated, oblivious to the mental anguish I had gone through. I nodded, blindly agreeing to his terms. I didn't care anymore, I wanted to leave. Meteor sighed in defeat, surely tired of dealing with my stubbornness. Can you at least stand?

"Y-yes. Give me a moment, and I'll..." Something wasn't right. "I'll—" My vision began to spot black. Blinking proved to be useless, it only seemed to make the spots grow. If Meteor was saying anything, I couldn't understand it, my mind felt disconnected from my body. I slumped over onto my side, my sight quickly dimming.

Steven? Meteor's panicked voice broke through the mental fog that had descended over me, but I wouldn't—couldn't—respond. Steven, get up! He was beginning to sound hysterical. Wake up, please! His pleads then faded away, as did the rest of my senses.