Hey guys, sorry about the delay, but im back now, and heres the next chapter! I know I've asked for a certain amount of reviews, but the reviews that I get are what gives me motivation to keep on going, so the more reviews the better!

Chapter Ten:

Over the next week, the trio continued to move, as they hunted their Pokémon.

Every time that they thought that they were safe, something would send them running.

Once they had found a safe place inside a giant hollow tree deep in the jungle, only to find that the surrounding branches held a massive nest of Beedrill. Although one of Serena's Pokémon that she needed was a poison, and Beedrill was a Bug-Poison type, she wouldn't have anything to do with it, because it was "nasty".

More often than not, the group was sent running from Xander and his two cronies, who seemed to always be able to find them, no matter where they hid.

Ryder would try to figure out a way to fight back, but as soon as they would find his rival's camp, they would be hit much harder than he would have expected.

During their travels, Alyx had caught himself a Solosis who was strangely just floating around an abandoned temple that was shut tight, near the centre of the island.

Ryder also tried to train with Bagon as much as possible, but the Pokémon was so full of himself, he wouldn't bother listening to his trainer, or anyone else.

Ryder, as much as he tried, was still being romantically pursued by Serena, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, and nothing he could do could stop it. If his feeling for Lizy weren't still tearing into his heart, he might be able to bring himself to like Serena instead, but his longing to see Lizy, just pushed him away.

"Arceus!" Alyx cursed, as the trio sprinted through the forest, as they were pelted by the massive typhoon that had suddenly cloaked the island. "If it rains anymore we might drown!"

"I'm soaked!" Serena cried, her hair dripping wet.

"Hang on guys, what's that?" Ryder asked, as they broke through the dense jungle.

They once again reached the mountain in the centre of the island, but they had made their way around to the other side.

They were staring at a cave, but the inside seemed to be lit, a ghostly blue-green glow.

Ryder began to march through the storm, as lightning crashed around them, towards the cave.

"Ryder wait," Serena called. "It could be a trap".

"It doesn't matter," Ryder replied. "At the rate this rain is going, we're going to drown out here; I'm going in, whether Xander's inside or not".

Alyx sighed, but the other two Recruits followed Ryder to the mouth of the cave, then inside.

The cave walls were covered in strange blue-green stones that lit up the cave enough that they could all see.

"They're gorgeous," Serena commented.

"What are they?" Ryder asked.

"Dawn stones," Alyx said. "They mine them in Unova, but I didn't know they were in any other regions. They allow certain Pokémon, like Snorunt to evolve."

There were plenty of Snorunts in Glacia, but Ryder had only ever seen Glalies, never a Froslass, which is evolved with a Dawn stone, which would explain a lot.

"At least we can see in here now," Ryder said, and continued to move through the cave, away from the entrance, and the storm.

It was strangely warm, and humid, as they trio moved through the cave, led by the dim lights.

Ryder hadn't seen a single Pokémon in the cave either, which was strange, especially since the storm outside was so bad.

As they continued further into the cave, the light only seemed to get brighter, and as they reached a bend, the light was so bright that the three of them had to stop, and allow their eyes to adjust, before following the bend.

There was a large opening that now stood before them, a huge cavern, with walls lined with a different stone that shone like the sun, a bright yellow that simulated the sun all around them.

Serena gasped.

"Shiny Stones," she said, exhaling. "Thousands of them."

"What are they used for?" Ryder asked.

The only stones that Ryder was really familiar with were Water, Fire, and Thunder stones. Other than that, the stones were more or less a mystery to him.

"Like other stones, they evolve certain Pokémon," Alyx said, as he took in the marvellous sight.

The cavern was like a massive cone, wide at the bottom, but became a sharp point as it reached the top. The cold cave stone that covered the floor had turned into soft sand, like the trio saw at the beach, and in the centre of the cavern, there was a pool of perfect blue water that had steam slowly rising from it.

A natural hot spring.

The trio hadn't been able to find a safe place to clean themselves since they left the beach, and a hot spring, in a place like this, seemed like a perfect place.

"Only one way in, or out," Ryder speculated, as the trio looked around the cave. "That takes away the risk of an ambush".

"Does that mean we can stay?!" Serena squealed.

She already had her shoes off, and her feet dipped in the spring. Her eyes closed, and she sighed.

"It's so warm".

Alyx was watching Ryder, awaiting an answer.

"I'm not your leader guys," Ryder said, looking at his two companions, before joining them at the side of the spring. "It's a group decision".

"Ryder, if it wasn't for you," Alyx started.

"We would have been dead on the beach," Serena finished.

"Every time that we've been in a jam Ryder, you've been able to pull us out of it. We owe you".

"No matter what you say hun, you're our leader, and there is nothing you can do or say to change our minds". Serena smiled at him.

Ryder felt proud of himself, and confident, more confident than he would feel when Rage takes over.

"Thank you guys," Ryder said. "This means a lot to me".

They stayed silent, watching the water, and the steam floating above it.

"So?" Alyx asked impatiently. "Can we stay?"

Ryder took one more look around the cavern.

"There's room for all three of us, and our Pokémon," Ryder said. "So, we can keep Zeus near the turn, Serena's Vibrava can watch over us on the walls, and Alyx, your Teddiursa can roam around free. If we keep those Pokémon on sentry duty, and the rest of our Pokémon with us, we can stay".

Ryder smiled at his friends.

Serena stood up and cheered, before doing a little dance, while Alyx quickly released his Teddiursa, and began to unpack.

In the time that Alyx had Teddiursa, he discovered that his new little bear Pokémon was also quite the tracker, for one so young. Almost as good as Zeus, or Vibrava, who was the trio's aerial tracking Pokémon.

As the three Recruits became comfortable, for once in the time they had been on the island, Ryder felt safe with his companions; almost sure that Xander couldn't touch him now.

When they were all unpacked, and the Pokémon were all released from their pokeballs, the trainers changed into bathing suits that they had brought with them, and together, along with Vice, and Alyx's Quagsire, they sat in the hot spring joking and laughing for hours.

Ryder finally felt like he was having real fun, and that things will work out.

For the first time since Ryder saw him, he forgot about Team Nova's leader, and whatever other secrets and demons this hellhole held.

Alright guys, so what do we think? Is the shelter true? Or will it be a short lived celebration? Let me know what you guys think!