The rails of the minecart slicked together along the old, rust infested wheels. creating a screeching sound that echoed throughout. Alerting wild flocks of Zubat that nested in the darkened ceilings above us. These lime green, and thin purple skinned bats flew in many varying directions. All diving toward us as they could only hear the sound of the cart they couldn't see.

The speed of the cart increased as we fell further into the pit. Cubone nestled around Misty's abdomen. Moving about and trying to find a spot that was a bit more comfortable of a position to rest. I couldn't blame the poor thing. All four of us were cramped within a runaway cart that we couldn't control and despite whoever kicked us into it. So far, this cart was leading us to where we needed to go.

The minecart started to fall even deeper and made a slight right turn as if we were going down a very narrow corridor that lead straight into an unknown path. The light was able to show the corridors, but Clifford's power was unable to obscure the darkness enough for us to make out anything that was in our way. Other than Zubat's, which seemed rather annoyed that we were making noise within their slumber.

Blue looked to be rather distraught that he had seen Penny's grunts that had left us in this predicament. I wasn't sure what made him look so angry and anxious. It was almost like he been found out, something that seemed to be troubling him.

"Is everything alright?" I asked. "I know we ran into Penny but it seems like you don't like where any of this is going."

"I don't." He affirmed.

"Penny and I had an altercation on the ship."

"You met her on the S.S. Anne?" I inquired.

The boy nodded and squirmed with an upsetting fit of rage. Something about Penny rubbed him the wrong way. Almost like he wasn't expecting them to be around.

"She still has that Meowth that she stole from the Day Care and if she actually is here in this cave. We need to do everything we can to make sure she relinquishes her."

It's not often that I agreed with him on many things, but for once I consented from hearing that logic. We still weren't able to find the Meowth to bring back to that poor old woman. Penny was one causing a lot of damage and Team Rocket certainly got in the way of our mission of trying to reclaim and rescue that poor Pokémon.

No matter how she justified taking that Meowth from the Day Care. She shouldn't take Pokémon that don't belong to her.

"We'll find her Blue, it seems we might be running into either of them soon. Seeing as one of her grunts are here."

No surprise, as soon as I declared their presence. We finally saw a cart approaching us from behind. This cart had a couple of Team Love grunts and it seemed like one of them left of the tall figure were carrying an old lamp to guide them along the path. It was considerably weaker than the power of the Hidden Machine, but it was enough for them to see.

There they are! I furrowed.

"Whoah! Do we have company?" Inquired Misty to my right as she also heard a squeaky cart coming up to us from the rear.

"Everyone get ready, looks like we have both teams here!" Announced Brock along with us.

"They have Fire-types! If they use fire use your Water-types they will be effective against them." I informed to the Gym Leaders.

Blue who was seated uncomfortably behind me; readied his Poké Ball as the two grunts released their Pokémon for an immobilizing strike in their cart from the rear. Blue released his Wartortle along the edge of it. While Misty released her Staryu Pokémon alongside him.

"Be on your guard, looks like they are trying to derail us." I assured.

"Who are they?" Asked Misty.

"Team Love, and they are not gonna let us go without a fight." I reasoned.

"Let's go Growlithe! Ember attack!" Declared Meredith, the same lackey of Penny's that we met on Route five. Had her Pokémon at the ready, along with her brown cloaked outfit concealing her face before us.

"You as well Growlithe, throw as much firepower at them as you can!" Seethed Erda, a smaller, petite lackey in comparison to Meredith's height and she had red, vibrant short hair in comparison to her senior's who was darker with longer strands.

The fire bellowed from the two pups and bounced against the rock around us with intense heat. Hot rock and dirt spattered about us, almost like we were being tossed about like steak on a fiery grill.

"Water Gun Wartortle!" Stressed Blue.

"Water Pulse!" Followed Misty with her Pokémon.

Staryu spun around in a rather stylish fashion as the spray had been flung from many of it's various stubs for arms. While Wartortle used his move for a straight splash of water across the rails behind us.

"Duck!" Declared Meredith as each of her Pokémon took cover form the amount of water being sprayed in their direction. It wasn't going to be helpful if they continued to retreat behind the front of the bucket. They were going to be harassing us further toward our exit and we were right in that regard.

"Do we have a way of reaching them from the inside? They are shielding themselves from the hits." I recanted to Brock and Misty.

"There is a way, you'll probably need to take advantage of the environment or an attack that won't miss."

Misty smiled from that confirmation; she had a form of attack that would be willing to hit without any pressure of worry or whether it will miss.

"Staryu! Use Swift!" She bellowed with direct tone.

I had almost forgot how effective this attack was. When Staryu threw those stars at me they were extremely precise and were difficult to navigate away from while biking on Route nine. The starfish-Pokémon released three distinct glowing stars above him and those stars were flying directly toward Meredith's Growlithe seated on the right.

Each one pummeled the Pokémon in succession and knocked the cart back a few feet away as sparks and rock all ignited around them. This in turn annihilated Meredith's Growlithe and the only Pokémon that was left was Erda's.

"That Pokémon belongs to Penny. Give him back to us."

"Who are you talking about, which Pokémon?" I berated to Meredith.

"The Cubone! We saw him first, but that Gastly got in our way." Echoed Erda beside her.

"He is not your Pokémon, take a hike you two!" I pointed with a fevered gesture.

"No!" They both declared in unison.

"We will protect him from Team Rocket! He is going to bring about the potential for us all!" Shouted Meredith toward me.

"Tell the Diamond of three that we are not interested in giving this Pokémon back to her. Who was it that pushed us in that cart anyway!?" I inquired to the two of them who were still approaching our cart at the same pace and distance between us.

"It wasn't us." Said Meredith.

"Yeah, I didn't do it." Professed Erda.

"Then who did? It was another Grunt of yours?"

"We chased after you because you have the Pokémon that the Diamond of three needs." Answered Meredith.

"Yeah, we don't know the Trainer who pushed you guys? Teehee." Said Erda with a nervous laugh.

"Well someone's gotta come clean." I scolded to each of them.

They both looked at me funny and decided to ignore me with another Pokémon attack to summon.

"Growlithe use Ember again!" Demanded Erda to her pup.

The orange and black striped, dog happily leaped his paws up against the side of the bucket and took aim towards Wartortle. Firing a flaming ball from his jawline and striking Wartortle's abdomen that applied enough heat and pressure to throw him back against Blue's gut which nearly knocked the air right out of him.

"Are you alright Blue?"

He held firm to his Pokémon as he tried to exhale from the force that his turtle received but the Pokémon didn't take a lot of damage from the hit. Wartortle's shell was super resilient that it could effectively take any hit, even if it was a super effective move. Despite Wartortle's stat speed being slow; his defensive capabilities were something to be admired.

"I'm fine!" He croaked from the pain.

"Staryu, Water Gun, aim for the wall."

Misty's Pokémon aimed his red jewel for a precise target to try and bounce water toward Erda's direction on the left. Forty degrees above the archway, the attack's spout bounced up above the target and ricocheted toward the Growlithe who was hit with a very super effective move upsetting Erda's chances for a counter attack to begin.

"Growlithe!" She shuttered with an anxious tone.

"You'll pay for this!" Defied Meredith with a gestured fist.

The minecart continued down the railway and got increasingly faster as we sped toward the final floor of the tunnel. We suddenly turned very quickly down a shaft that crawled along a massive wall. This wall seemed to spiral down toward the final entrance below.

Brock could see the entrance clearly and signaled to us with a gesture outside of the minecart that we were getting close.

"There, over there is our exit; we are nearly out." But his smile started to turn to a frown as someone else was impeding our progress.

Don't tell me that?... I thought while trying to read Brock's expression with worry.

I didn't want to believe it myself, but as I looked down towards the same shaft that Clifford was shining towards. Clearly the man with the agenda who had complete control of the environment was standing as a blockade to our promised destination. The man smirked with the most satisfying grin you could possibly make out from his confidence. It seemed to stretch across his face to everlasting freedom.

"Heh! So you ran into those hearty fools." Said Lieutenant Surge.

"Looks like we are looking for the same thing." He continued as he eyed the two Team Love grunts behind us.

The man pulled out a device that was used in his last stint and ignited the button that created an explosion on each level of the shaft that were spiraling down towards the exit. The Voltorb that were each lined on the levels of the spiraling tracks. Blew out the rails that were holding the tracks together.

"He's gonna derail us!" Shouted Misty as she desperately clung tight to Cubone for his protection.

Lieutenant Surge smirked with glee; he finally caught up after he split us apart and now that our cart was launched off of the broken rail. It plummeted a good twenty-feet toward the bottom. Colliding forward along the ground and with Team Love's Grunts who had also been derailed. The two carts obliterated down the shaft and splintered into strewn out pieces. All of us bounced against the rugged terrain, sustaining more bruising and cuts that seemed to knock the wind out of all of us.

Rock, dust and other particulates all scattered and all I could make out from my surroundings was a shadow that marched towards us in a veil that obscured our view. He approached Misty, who was a bit further away from us in the group. The Lieutenant walked with a brisk pace. Forcefully pulling Cubone from Misty's grip as he placed his boot against her tiny abdomen to wrench the Pokémon free.

"Let... him.. go!" He yanked with a violent pull, straining Misty's body as she desperately tried to keep Cubone close.

"You let him go!" I yelped with fervent anger.

"Heh, like I'd do that; you want this Pokémon? You're gonna have to stop me at Pokémon Tower, but I doubt with the strength you're in, you'd even have the balls to fight me again." He snickered while walking toward his exit with his prize.

"Au revoir, Leaf of Pallet Town."

Team Rocket and Team Love had pincered us in the Rock Tunnel and now we were left without Yellow, Red or the Pokémon we had hoped to protect. The difficult thing about this, was the fact that we had to contend with these two opposing sides, all for the sake of the Pokémon Cubone.

Just why do they need this Cubone to begin with?

There had to be a reason, and it raised many questions that I had and I was even more demoralized from this incident now that more Pokémon were going to be hurt all due to my incompetence.

Meowth was taken from Penny and now Cubone? How are we ever gonna get them back?

Now that Cubone was taken; we needed to figure out a strategy to get him back. Surge was not going to be easy to contend with again and Penny was also looking for this Pokémon. The likelihood that we will be able to win again was becoming more difficult of a prospect now that the factions were fighting for our attention.

I don't want him to be hurt. Red, Yellow, I hope you guys are okay?

Things were becoming uncertain for me with every passing minute as each of us tried to get our bearings and with the cave in ruins. It represented my world in shambles and all I knew was that I needed to pick up the pieces.