A Disturbance in the (Electric) Force

Terry was already up by the time Roz awoke the next morning. A quick look out the window showed it was a couple hours past dawn, well after she usually got up. 

“Morning,” Terry said. He was trying to be his usual cheerful self but he seemed anxious. “I made breakfast for you; crickets and Chesto juice. Sorry I don’t have coffee.”

“It’s fine, thank you. Are you going to eat?”

“I already did. I ah, we kinda need to get going. You…you slept in a bit longer than I would’ve liked,” he said with a forced smile.

Roz quickly grabbed her food and floated to the door. “I can eat on the way. Why did you not wake me up?” She gulped down the juice and frantically looked for somewhere to put the cup. Terry took it from her and speed walked it over to the counter.

“With what you went through yesterday I figured you needed the sleep.” He grabbed his pack and went out the door, Roz following behind. Terry waved to his Lombre neighbor on the way out, which she returned.

“How far do we need to go?” Roz asked after swallowing a mouthful of cricket. She gagged slightly on its shell after not chewing adequately.

“Not too far, thankfully,” Terry answered, breaking into a jog. “It’s just past the town square.” As it turned out, Roz and Terry had passed close to the square on their way into town yesterday. As they got closer, houses started giving way to businesses, mostly small shops. When they entered the square proper, Roz recognized it as being what was sometimes referred to as “downtown”. 

There was an open space in the middle of the square where Pokémon could mingle. A few businesses were present, including a bank, a realtor, a blacksmith, and a gym. There was no time to look around however, and the two hurried through the square.

East of the square itself was a cliff overlooking the sea. There were two buildings nearby which Roz couldn’t immediately identify. Both were built of sturdy wood similar to the cottages she’d seen last night. Roz caught a glimpse of a sign hanging over the door of one of the buildings and recognized the silhouette of a Pelipper on it. Several Flying-types came and went through openings near the roof carrying bags. Some sort of delivery business perhaps?

Terry was running toward the other building. This one was substantially larger. The sign over the door bore a winged ovoid shape. “Roz!” Terry was at the door panting heavily. Roz herself felt a slight mental fatigue that meant she’d been pushing herself with her telekinetic flight. The Cubone pushed open the door and dashed inside. They entered a reception area with a Steenee on duty. A grandfather clock stood next to one wall, and there were chairs to accommodate all manner of body types in the corner.

“Cutting it a bit close, huh Terry?” the Steenee observed. 

Terry looked at the grandfather clock, which chimed 8:30. “I’m technically on time, Dulce,” he panted.

“Yeah, I suppose you are. Who’s this?” she asked, looking at Roz.

“This is Roz. I found her in the Tiny Woods yesterday.” He turned to her with a pitying expression. “She doesn’t remember anything.”

“Yikes! How does that happen?” 

“She’s not sure, but-”

“I can speak for myself Terry,” Roz interrupted. 

“Right, sorry.”

Roz floated higher and addressed the Steenee. “I do not know the cause of my memory loss, but in the absence of other leads, I think the recent string of natural disasters is as good a starting point as any.”

Dulce nodded slowly. “Maybe? Can’t say I’ve ever heard of ‘em doing that before.”

Roz drifted slightly closer. “Terry said this organization was researching these incidents; is that correct?”

Dulce hemmed and hawed a bit. “I’m not sure how much I should talk about that. We’re working on it anyway.”

“I would like to assist in this endeavor.”

Dulce blinked. “I mean, I guess I can talk to the Head Rangers about it. That’s not really my call though.”

“That is acceptable,” Roz nodded.

“Anyway, someone has an urgent request.” Dulce handed Terry a piece of paper. “We figured you were probably the best one for it.” Terry took it and looked it over.

“Huh, that doesn’t sound good.”

“What is it?” asked Roz.

“Something happened in Thunderwave Cave. It sounds like some Magnemite are trapped inside.”

“What happened to them?” Roz moved closer to look at the note.

“It’s not clear. Apparently they just started sticking to the walls,” Terry answered.

“I take it this is not a common occurrence.” Terry looked at Dulce for an answer.

“If it was common, I doubt they’d have to send a request to another town looking for a Ground-type,” the Steenee pointed out.

“Good point. Alright Roz, let’s do this!”

“Why am I-” Roz started.

“Terry, wait!” Dulce called. But Terry was already out the door. “Ugh. You’re not an official Ranger are you?” she asked Roz.

She sighed and shook her head. “No, but it appears I will be acting as one anyway.”

“You’re not…supposed to do that.” But Roz was already gone.

Roz found Terry around the back of the building talking to a Pigeot. There were several other Flying-types back there as well. “How far away is this place?” Roz asked.

“Not too far. It should only take us an hour or so by flight,” Terry answered.The Pigeot crouched down and he climbed onto his back, gesturing for Roz to follow.

“Is this everyone?” Pigeot asked over his shoulder.

“Yes,” Terry confirmed.

“Right. Make sure you’re holding on tight.” He spread his great wings and started flapping them as he gathered speed to take off. There was a harness on his back, which Roz and Terry gripped tightly. With a hop and a big flap he lifted off the ground. 

During their flight, Roz got her first aerial view of the Air Continent. Most of the land they passed over was taken up by lush, temperate forest. But she saw a few signs that all was not well. Smoke rose from some trees in the distance, and they flew directly over a gaping scar where the land itself had been torn apart. The presence of trees precariously bridging the chasm, leaves still green on their branches meant this was a recent incident. These were disturbing sights in their own right, but the fact that they were so close together was downright alarming. 

~~~

Pigeot descended near the mouth of a cave. The flight took a bit longer than Terry had predicted, closer to two hours. Terry and Roz got off the Pigeot’s back. “Thanks for the ride,” said Terry.

“No problem. Just try not to take too long.” 

A Magnemite hovering in front of the cave approached them as they dismounted the Pigeot. Are you two here to help my friends? it asked anxiously. Its voice had a hollow, metallic quality to it. 

“We are. I’m Terry and this is Roz.” The Cubone held up a plain metal badge with the same winged oval shape Roz saw on the Rangers’ Headquarters. 

Good. Roz suspected it would’ve sighed with relief if it were able. I’m Ion, by the way. The three of them made their way to the cave entrance.

Thunderwave Cave was situated partway up a tall mountain. Lush greenery spread in all directions. A path led up the mountain to the cave and beyond, presumably to the top. The cave mouth loomed in front of them. As Roz got closer, she felt static in the air. The interior was dim, but not dark on account of a number of crystals scattered all over the walls that gave off a faint blue glow. 

“What exactly happened?” Roz asked Ion.

We came to eat minerals and electricity like we always do, Ion explained. But my friends started…sticking to the walls. I managed to escape, but… Ion left the rest unsaid.

“Has anything like this ever happened before?” asked Roz.

Briefly, but never this bad. There are spontaneous discharges from time to time, but they only last a few seconds at most. I waited for my friends for half an hour, but they never came out. The U-shaped appendages on either side of its orb rotated; a sign of agitation in Magnemite.

“How far in are they?” said Terry.

Quite a ways in. We never went into the depths of the mountain though. 

“Got it. We’ll find ‘em,” Terry assured it with a pat on the hull. He and Roz entered the cave.

On closer examination, Roz noticed that the crystals along the walls were sparking slightly. Ion had mentioned coming here to feed on electricity, so she assumed this was normal. So far the cave only went in one direction, but Roz kept an eye out for a passage that looked like it led deeper into the mountain.

“Where does this electricity come from?” Roz asked, pointing to one of the sparking crystals.

“You know, I don’t know,” Terry answered. “Maybe some of the Electric-types who come in here discharge excess electricity sometimes?” He poked one of the crystals with his bone,  causing sparks to travel down it and into his body. Terry started a bit, but looked unharmed. He poked it again with the same result. “I can see why they come in here though. That certainly woke me up!”

“Fascinating.” Roz put a hand on her chin and looked Terry over. “Bone is not known to be a conductive material, yet the charge is drawn to it without harming you. Does this effect occur if you touch the crystal directly?”

“It doesn’t hurt me ‘cause I’m a Ground-type.” Terry prodded the crystal with his finger. Nothing happened. “I’ve noticed my bone draws in electricity before though. From what I hear, that’s pretty common for Cubone.”

“Fascinating,” Roz repeated. She raised a finger to one of the smaller crystals and received a painful zap. “Ow!” She shook her hand and the lights on her fingertips flashed rapidly for a few seconds. Terry winced.

“I told you, I’m a Ground-type. Electricity won’t hurt me. You should probably be careful though.” Roz nodded in agreement. Thankfully the pain was short-lived, though her finger still tingled slightly. The light at the end of that particular finger brightened and dimmed slowly. Roz made a conscious effort to avoid the crystals from that point on, even going so far as to float higher off the ground so as to avoid the ones embedded in the floor. 

If she hadn’t known better, Roz would’ve assumed this place was artificial. She’d never heard of crystals quite like these before. There were signs here and there of large chunks missing from the walls and ceiling, but the walls and floor were far from smooth and the floor was never level. The passage was consistently much wider than it needed to be to accommodate both of them. Roz assumed this was a natural cave system that Pokémon had widened out. Based on what Ion had said, it was probably so they could get food from the deeper parts of the cave.

Eventually they came across a split in the path. Neither of them could tell the difference between the two passageways. One path went slightly more downward than the other, but that didn’t mean anything with how often the cave floor curved up and down. “One of these must lead to the depths of the mountain Ion was talking about,” said Terry. “I kinda assumed it would be a bit more obvious. Any chance you can sense the Magnemite, Roz?” he asked.

“I can try, but it likely will not help.” She raised her fingers to the sides of her head and reached out with her senses. There was a presence right next to her that was obviously Terry, but nothing else in the immediate area. Roz extended her awareness further. The lights on her fingertips started blinking rhythmically. She sensed something, very clearly from the passage on the right. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. 

There were subtleties that allowed her to identify individuals if she was familiar enough with them, but without interacting with someone or, as happened with Terry just now, already knowing exactly where they were, she could never tell anything about anyone based on her presence sense alone. This one was different. Whatever it was, it was powerful. Far more powerful than anyone or anything she had ever encountered, with perhaps one exception. But it was also very, very wrong in a way she couldn’t describe. 

Roz jolted out of her trance almost as soon as she started it, fists clenched and trembling. “Did you find ‘em?” Terry asked.

“Terry…there is something here,” Roz whispered. She stared at the right passage.

“They’re that way?” Terry asked, pointing to the passage.

“No!” Roz hissed. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. “Not that way!”

“So…wait, do you know where they are or what?”  

Roz placed her hands on Terry’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. “There is something in there that I have no intention of encountering. If the Magnemite are in there, they are likely beyond our help.”

“Then we have to go after them!” Terry lifted Roz’s hands from his shoulders, but she kept hold of his wrist.

“I did not sense anything else in that direction. It is possible that tunnel leads deeper into the mountain.” The Cubone stopped pulling on her, so she let go of him. “We should check the other tunnel first. If we do not find them, we can decide what to do from there.”

“…Alright,” Terry conceded with a nod. “But if we don’t find them we’re going down that right passage whether you want to or not.” The Elgyem said nothing and followed after him.

Roz estimated they’d been in there for about 15 to 20 minutes by this point. The crystals became larger and brighter the farther they went into the cave. Even more spectacularly, some of them floated. 

“Astounding,” she said, studying one of the levitating crystals. “The charge on these crystals is so strong that they are actually repelled from the ground.” As she approached for a closer look however, a jolt of electricity jumped from the ground toward Terry. Roz froze in place and more sparks flew toward Terry’s bone. She decided to back off. “Of course; if the crystals are able to float the floor would need to be charged as well. I may be unable to go beyond this point.”

“Actually…” Terry walked toward the charged floor. Electricity arced from the ground and crystals to the tip of the bone strapped to his back. It traveled down the shaft and was absorbed by his body.“I don’t think that’s gonna be an issue.” Roz gingerly floated forward again. More sparks jumped around, but they were all pulled toward Terry, who harmlessly absorbed them.

“Remarkable,” muttered the Elgyem. 

As the pair advanced, Roz continued trying to avoid the electrified minerals as she wasn’t sure what limitations Terry’s electricity-absorbing powers had. Even if she was passing through completely unscathed, the constant flurry of sparks combined with the scent of ozone and heavy static in the air were unnerving. Terry occasionally paused to push one of the floating crystals aside.

After approximately five minutes they entered a larger chamber.The walls were covered in electrically-charged crystals, and looked like they’d been excavated extensively. Sparks traveled along the floor, crystals bobbed through the air, and a blue glow emanated from every surface.

Help, came a weak, metallic voice.

“There they are!” said Terry. 

Stuck to the upper rim of the passage Terry and Roz entered through were a pair of Magnemite. Roz floated up to get a closer look. One of the Magnemite had its eye closed and looked to be unconscious. Both of their bodies were slightly deformed; dented perhaps? Had they been attacked?

Hurry…can’t take this much longer…

“I do not see an obvious way of getting them down,” Roz observed. Electricity arced all over them, so anything involving direct contact was out of the question.

“Just grab ahold of them and pull them off!” yelled Terry.

“They are covered in electricity. I cannot safely touch them.”

Just do something…please.

Roz concentrated just enough to sense the presence of thought patterns. “Your friend is still alive. You are not in immediate mortal danger.”

“Can’t you move them with telekinesis or something?” he suggested, wringing his hands.

“I cannot levitate anything except myself.”

The Cubone brandished his club. “Just grab it then!”

Magnemite’s eye closed. Roz grasped the U-shaped appendages on either side of it. Electricity surged from it, but it all arced toward Terry. Roz pulled. It didn’t budge. She should’ve expected as much. “Brace yourself,” she told the Magnemite.

What?-

Roz turned her focus to the ground beneath her, and she and Magnemite vanished. Less than a second later, they reappeared at the point she’d been focusing on. But Magnemite was none too keen on staying there, and was immediately pulled right back up. Terry quickly ran over and helped Roz push it into the tunnel, where it bobbed up and down in midair. She repeated the procedure with the other Magnemite. 

“I suspect they have absorbed too much electricity. We need to get them out of here before they suffer permanent injuries.” Roz floated toward one of the Magnemite and started pushing it down the tunnel.

“Er, right!”

The Magnemite floated too high for Terry to reach them, but they moved easily with the application of even a small amount of force, allowing Roz to push them without difficulty. Terry anxiously followed, holding his bone up in an attempt to draw in more electricity. He kept his eyes glued to the Magnemite so hard that Roz had to warn him a couple of times so he didn’t walk into a wall or floating crystal.

“Can either of you fly?” Roz asked when they neared the end of the charged floor.

No…

I don’t think so…

At least they were both conscious again. “Their hulls are damaged; we must get them to the ground without further injuring them,” Roz instructed Terry.

“Can’t you just teleport them again?” Terry asked. 

“Not with that level of precision. I need you to catch them and slowly lower them once they leave the electric field.”

“But it worked before.”

“Last time they were in an electric field that kept them off the ground,” Roz pointed out.

“Good point.” Terry put his club away, got in position, and spread his arms and legs.

“Everyone get ready,” Roz warned. She placed her hands against one Magnemite’s orb and pushed, slowly advancing toward the edge of the charged area. Once the Magnemite passed the point where the charge emanating from the ground was too weak to counter gravity, it fell like a rock. Terry intercepted, and the Magnemite knocked him to the ground with a grunt.

“Oof!” He pushed the Steel-type off of his chest, where it fell the rest of the way, landing awkwardly on its face. Terry helped get it into the comfortable position he could, and it managed to support itself on its magnetic appendages. Once the Cubone had a chance to catch his breath, he indicated he was ready for the other Magnemite. The process was much the same, though Terry had a better idea of what to expect this time.

“So now what?” he asked.

“Do you think you will recover enough strength to fly outside that electric field?” Roz asked the Magnemite.

We are currently suffering from an overload. Once we discharge the excess electricity we should at least be well enough to get home, one of them told her.

Are you two Rangers? said the other one.

“I am, Roz isn’t. Not yet anyway,” Terry answered.

“How long do you anticipate it will take until you are mobile again?” Roz asked the Magnemite.

At the rate we’re discharging currently, it’ll be a while. 

That Pidgeot sounded like he was in a hurry, Roz thought. He’s probably stuck here until we finish. “Can you not discharge faster?”

“Roz!” Terry protested.

The Elgyem looked at him in confusion for a moment before it dawned on her; she must’ve sounded impatient. “My apologies. I did not mean to pressure you. I simply wonder if there is a more efficient approach available to us.”

We can release stored electricity faster, but it’s not safe with you around. Even if you weren’t here we’d still be overcharging each other, the other one explained. Roz gave Terry a significant look. Realization dawned and he pulled out his club.

“Actually, I don’t think that’s gonna be an issue.”

~~~

Roz, Terry, and the two Magnemite exited Thunderwave Cave. The rescued Pokémon were a bit shaky in the air, but they managed. Ion rushed over to greet them the moment it saw them. Amp! Watt! The three Magnemite joined their magnets together in a ring and rotated around each other for several seconds.

“Are you two about ready to go?” Pigeot asked Roz and Terry.

“Almost. I want to confirm something first,” Roz replied.

“Well, hurry up already.”

Roz drifted toward the slope of the mountain and examined some of the plants growing there. They were certainly alive, but they were drooping slightly. More importantly, as she had suspected, their leaves had discolored patches on them. She went back to the Magnemite.

“I noticed signs of damage on your hulls. What happened?” The three of them looked each other over. Intriguingly, Ion didn’t have the same deformations that its companions did.

That’s weird. I don’t remember that happening, said Watt.

“Did it happen while you guys were unconscious?” Terry proposed.

Maybe? said Amp.

“Ion, did they look like this when you came here?” asked Roz.

Ion examined its friends. I don’t think so. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention.

“Do you think they were attacked?” said Terry.

“They have been drained of minerals,” said Roz.

“Huh?!” Terry exclaimed. All three Magnemite were staring at the Elgyem with wide eyes.

But that doesn’t make sense, said Amp. Mt. Steel is known for having an abundance of minerals. That’s why so many Rock and Steel-types come here to feed.

Roz gestured to the plants she’d examined. “Did any of you see the discolored leaves on those plants? This is a sign of mineral depletion. Furthermore, the damage to your hulls,” she pointed to Amp and Watt, “is not consistent with physical damage. They are not so much dented as warped and brittle. Something has removed the metal from your bodies.”

But how? asked Ion worriedly. How does something like that happen?

“I do not know,” Roz answered. “But it must have happened while they were stuck to the cave wall. That is why you did not suffer the same fate.” The Elgyem raised a hand to her chin. “Almost as if the minerals were absorbed through the cave wall itself.”

All three Magnemite looked at each other with apprehension. Do you think we’ll keep losing minerals? asked Amp.

Roz shook her head. “I do not know. I suggest you monitor yourselves to ensure your conditions do not worsen. I would also recommend obtaining minerals from elsewhere and consulting a medical professional.”

A medical professional? Ion repeated. It and everyone else nearby looked slightly confused. 

“A doctor,” Roz clarified, berating herself slightly. She would need to be careful about the language she used. The assembled Pokémon nodded in understanding.

We should return home, then, said Ion. Thank you both. It sounds like things could’ve gone very badly if it wasn’t for you two.

“It was mostly Roz,” said Terry. “I couldn’t have done anything if she hadn’t been here.” The Magnemite waved their appendages and floated off toward wherever they called home.

“Huh, sounds like that was kinda serious,” said Pidgeot. “Sorry if I was rude. We should get back though.” Terry and Roz agreed, and climbed on his back in preparation for the flight home.

~~~

Pidgeot let them off back at Headquarters. By now it was mid-afternoon. “What do we do now?” Roz asked Terry.

“We report what happened, then stick around for a bit in case we’re needed for anything else,” he responded. “Thanks for the ride,” he told the Pidgeot.

“No problem. Hey, in the future though, you shouldn’t bring non-Rangers with you on missions.”

Terry sighed. “Alright,” he responded with a nod. “C’mon Roz; we need to go report on this.” The Cubone made his way around to the front of the building. Roz drifted along after him. 

“Hey, Terry,” Dulce greeted them when they entered.

“Hey, Dulce.”

“How’d the job go?” The Steenee clasped her hands and rested her elbows on the desk.

“It…” he glanced at Roz for a second, “it went great!” Roz tilted her head slightly. What was that about?

“Always good to hear! By the way, Octavia wanted to talk to you.”

Terry’s smile fell. “Oh…uh, alright.”

“Should I go with him?” Roz asked.

“She didn’t say anything about you, so…I guess if you want.”

“It’s this way,” said Terry. He led her through a door behind Dulce’s desk into an office area. There were a few Rangers working at desks either chatting or filling out paperwork. Some of them waved at Terry. The pair continued through the office and went through another door. The room they emerged in was constructed of smooth stone, with no trace of the wood found in other parts of the building. Roz suspected this was to prevent damage from the large pool of water in the middle of the room. Terry walked over to a small pile of rocks next to the pool, picked one up, and tossed it in. Then he waited while fidgeting with his hands. A few seconds later, an Octillary’s head emerged from the water.

“Hello Terry,” she said.

“Dulce said you wanted to see me,” Terry responded.

“Yes, dear. Is this the Elgyem Dulce mentioned?” The Octillary, who Roz assumed was Octavia, shambled her way out of the water.

“Yes; I am Roz,” the Elgyem responded. 

“A pleasure to meet you Roz; I’m Octavia,” she said, confirming Roz’s suspicions. “You weren’t hurt, were you?” She started anxiously looking over Roz’s body. Roz was slightly taken aback by her concern. Was she expected to have been injured on this job? She shot Terry a questioning look, but the Cubone just looked back nervously.

“No, I am unharmed,” Roz answered.

“That’s good. Terry, dear, you can’t bring civilians with you on jobs. It’s too dangerous.”

“But I couldn’t have done it without her!” Terry objected. “And once I got there and found out I couldn’t do anything, there might not’ve been enough time to come back for help!”

Octavia sighed and rubbed her face with an arm. “Roz, dear, is this true?”

“I…I suppose it is,” said Roz after some consideration.

Octavia sighed again and fidgeted with her arms. “You were chosen for that job specifically because Dulce thought you’d be able to handle Thunderwave Cave on your own. What happened?”

Roz and Terry explained how they’d needed Roz’s levitation and teleportation abilities. Further questioning led Roz to inform Octavia about Amp and Watt sticking to the cave wall and the leaching of minerals from their hulls and the local flora. It took a bit of explaining for the Octillary to fully understand what was going on, but once she did, she was shaken.

“This needs to be reported to Archimedes,” Octavia declared solemnly. “I’m worried I’ll forget some of the important details. I’ll notify him, but you should come back in here and explain it to him. I’ve never heard of anything like this happening before; certainly not on Mt. Steel.

“Terry, while taking someone who isn’t qualified with you was reckless, under the circumstances it was the right decision. But please dear, don’t do it again without asking.” The Cubone and Elgyem agreed.

“When can I expect to meet with… Archimedes, you said his name was?” Roz asked.

“Could you come in with Terry tomorrow morning? He should be in then,” Octavia responded.

“Understood.”

With that, the Octillary dismissed them. “C’mon, let’s go fill out our report,” Terry said.

Exiting Octavia’s room, they re-emerged in the office area they’d passed through before. Terry made his way over to one of the desks and grabbed a pen and piece of paper. Roz helped him with the report, especially with filling out the details, and suggested follow-ups. 

Since Terry had completed a mission that day, he was free to leave once his report was done. He and Roz submitted it to Dulce and made their way home.

~~~

“How’d you remember all that stuff about minerals?” Terry asked once they were back at his house.

I should’ve thought of that. “Seeing the Magnemite must have triggered my memories,” Roz suggested.

“I guess that makes sense.” Terry took off his pack and set it by the door, then unslung his club and put it next to his bag. “But Ranger Headquarters didn’t spark anything?” Roz shook her head.

“This amnesia of yours is weird.” The Cubone sat down, then brightened up. “But I bet Archimedes can help! He knows all kinds of things!”

“I am certain he has more pressing matters to attend to,” Roz responded stiffly. She settled down in a chair across from Terry.

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s busy, but it sounds like you might know some pretty interesting things. Who knows, getting your memory back might help us figure this whole mess out! That’d be worth his time.”

Roz excused herself to step out. She had a lot to think about. There was still plenty of daylight left, so she settled into a tree’s branches and pulled up her holotab. There was a lot to go over. Was the bizarre mineral leaching at Mt. Steel connected to the other natural disasters she’d heard about? Were any of the disasters connected to each other or to her mission? 

If the Rangers were indeed looking into these incidents, that’s where Roz needed to be. But working for the Rangers would likely require her to keep up her cover. Claiming amnesia meant she couldn’t claim to have any experience, which wouldn’t look good. But news of her true origins getting out was far worse. She’d have to see what this Archimedes individual was like. If needed, she might be able to risk revealing part of her history to him if it meant getting closer to her main goal. She just hoped Terry wouldn’t ruin everything for her tomorrow.

~~~

In the dark of night, a four-legged figure investigated the base of Mt. Steel and immediately noticed something wrong. The plants were malnourished, most likely because the soil composition was off. It gazed toward the mountain itself. Something didn’t feel right. The figure strode toward Thunderwave Cave and entered the mountain.

~~~

Logbook entry #0236

Mineral: Chargestone—electrically charged crystal. Capable of storing and releasing electricity. Avoid direct contact.

Chargestone is an unusual mineral capable of generating electric fields. Larger crystals store larger charges. In the right environment, these charges are strong enough to counteract gravity and enable the crystals to float. Active chargestone crystals will discharge electricity on contact. Large concentrations of crystals pose an electrocution hazard; navigation of natural deposits is not recommended.