The moment Skylar whispered, "We're out of time," the hive heard him.
Not literally.
But something deeper—deeper than sound—registered them.
The chamber's central crystal let out a dull, rumbling thrum, vibrating the ground beneath their feet like a buried growl. All around them, the glowing sacs trembled in unison.
Then—
Screeching.
The watchers—the eyeless, shadow-bodied creatures—twitched violently, then turned in unison toward Skylar and Misty.
—"They heard us," Misty said, breath caught in her throat.
One of the watchers let out a shriek that sounded like tearing metal, and then they moved—all at once—crawling down walls, dropping from ceiling veins, charging toward them with inhuman grace.
—"Charmeleon, Flame Burst! Gardevoir, Barrier, now!"
Charmeleon roared, launching a fireball at the closest group. It exploded mid-air, sending molten embers in every direction. Gardevoir raised a translucent dome around the group, catching the impact just as three creatures slammed into it.
—"Starmie, Rapid Spin, keep the left flank clear!"
Misty's Water-type shot forward, spinning violently and knocking a watcher off its trajectory—but another immediately lunged from above, claws outstretched.
Froakie leapt from Misty's shoulder.
—"Water Gun!"
The high-pressure blast collided with the creature mid-jump, knocking it off-course. Froakie landed beside Starmie, croaking defiantly.
—"They're coordinating," Skylar growled, dodging debris as the walls themselves shuddered. "The hive's giving them orders!"
From the ceiling, a large rupture opened, revealing a glowing membrane—not rock, but living tissue. A defensive pulse surged through it, sending shockwaves across the chamber floor.
Cracks opened behind them.
The tunnel they came from reopened—but only slightly.
—"That's our way out!" Misty shouted.
—"Then we make a break for it," Skylar replied. "Charmeleon, Gardevoir—clear the path!"
Another wave of watchers surged in. Charmeleon's claws ignited with Metal Claw, slicing through the lead one's head with brutal force. Gardevoir launched a pulse of psychic energy, flinging two more into the nearest wall.
Skylar turned to Misty. "On my signal, we run."
She nodded. "Signal."
—"NOW!"
They sprinted.
Behind them, more watchers screamed, and one leapt over the group, landing in front of them.
Too fast.
Too close.
—"Froakie, Quick Attack! Starmie, Psywave, wide burst!"
The two Pokémon moved in tandem—Froakie slamming into the enemy's side, knocking it off-balance just long enough for Starmie's psychic wave to crash into it, blasting it back into the shadows.
They kept running.
The tunnel was closing again—flesh and stone sealing like a wound trying to heal over.
—"Charmeleon—burn the seal! Full power!"
With a guttural roar, Charmeleon launched his most powerful Dragon Breath yet. The green-blue flames slammed into the organic stone, slowing its closure—and just enough…
Skylar and Misty dived through the opening just as it slammed shut behind them.
Darkness.
Silence.
Then only their gasping breaths filled the narrow escape corridor.
Gardevoir stood still, trembling slightly from psychic strain. Starmie's gem dimmed to a dull blue. Froakie leaned against Misty's leg, panting.
Charmeleon growled—low, defensive—staring at the sealed flesh wall behind them.
Skylar turned.
They weren't safe.
Not really.
—"We stopped it from catching us," Misty said between breaths, "but it knows who we are now."
Skylar nodded grimly. "And it knows we're a threat."
He reached into his bag and pulled out the crystal shard again—it now pulsed in rhythm with the hive's last vibration.
Not calling him back.
Just marking him.
Claiming him as a target.
Misty leaned against the wall, Froakie in her arms. "We can't go back in there—not alone."
Skylar looked ahead into the dark corridor, barely lit by the pulse of Charmeleon's flame.
—"Then we find a way out… and bring the fire back with us."