In Lava [Pokémon Watty Awards, 2016 2nd Place Romance]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Courtney slipped out of her office and out the door of Team Magma's headquarters. The immediate conflict had been dealt with and now she had something else to attend to. Brendan was headed down Jagged Pass. He could have gotten on the lift, but he actually decided to take the long way down.

Fortunately, it would take him a while to get there and find her. She got a running start at the cliff near the hideout and dove, doing a tuck and roll to soften her landing, minimizing the deceleration before rolling back up to continue running. She knew the shortcuts to get to her little hideaway. She hopped down a few more ledges and then landed at the entrance of her hidden sanctuary.

She placed her hand on the door and a small compartment opened up. She put her hand on the scanner and allowed it to scan her hand. Before it closed up, she slid a prepared note inside. The door began to slide open, allowing her entry. She pressed a button on the inside and the door closed. She discarded her uniform onto a coat hanger and began to change into more casual wear.
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Brendan held on as he found the next foothold on the cliff he decided to descend. He had thought about flying down, however Skarmory was exhausted. He needed to get to a center to refresh their energy. Right now, they were resting. Brendan touched down on a more stable ground and paused to survey the scenery.

Despite the deplorable conditions, there were a lot of shrubs and tall trees growing in the area. Brendan looked over the ledge he was on to find a few more, followed by a ledge that had a wall of vocanic ash to slide down and then another ledge. Deciding to see where it led, he leapt from the ledge and took off after landing, leaping thrice more before sliding down the ash. He stopped to look to his right, spotting a larger cliff face nearby which lead higher up the mountain.

He glanced down to see that he was only about a fifth of the way down the volcano. With a sigh, he jumped over the ledge and began another climb down. It wasn't too long before he hit the bottom of the rock face. With a sigh, he took a seat and looked around. Piles of ash were everywhere. A few Numel could be seen in the grass, sleeping.

This was a tougher climb down than I thought. Then again, I don't exactly have any gear. Honestly, I don't know why I even took this way. What did the note say again? Brendan thought as he reached for the paper in his pocket.

"Search the crevices. That's the only clue. I'm in the right place, but where the hell do I look?" Brendan sighed.

He surveyed his surroundings, drinking in the details. He then looked down from where he stood to find a platform that had what appeared to be three stone platforms and an ash slide on the side. It was a peculiar sight. Deciding to take a chance, he began to climb down, finding footholds where he could. He planted his feet on the ground and looked behind him.

All he saw was a solid wall of rock. Upon closer inspection, the wall seemed to have a crack that ran in a curved pattern from the top of it to the bottom. Brendan ran a hand over the surface and felt that it was definitely rock, until he reached a part that felt artificial. He knocked on it, getting a different sound than the rest of the rock. A slot suddenly opened up and a hand scanner appeared.

He had found it. At least, he hoped he had. His attention was drawn to a folded up piece of paper that was now on the ground at his feet. He pivked it up and opened it.

Brendan,

If you are reading this, congratulations. You have found my little hideaway. This is but one of a few that I have. The hand scanner is the only way inside and can only be used by yours truly. However, I am able to open the door from the inside. But first, a riddle.