Corrn: "HELLO? ARE YOU TWO ALL RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT DEAD OR ANYTHING?!"

Lake groaned in pain as he pulled himself up off the floor, he and Stratus having managed to use Protect to stop themselves from being hurt from the long fall, followed by being showered with debris from the module smashing through the roof of the Holoarena.

"TELL YOU WHAT! I'LL GIVE IT AN HOUR! IF I DON'T SEE ANY SIGN OF YOU, I'LL COME DOWN THERE AND I'LL BURY YOU! YEAH..."

Stratus: <Urgh. We haven't even started and we've already nearly been killed! This is going to suck, isn't it?>

Lake: <Is there really any questioning it?>

Lake sighs.

<Let's just get this over with. Hopefully without either of us dying.>

The two leave the ruined chamber, entering the a huge battle arena overlooked by a large amount of bleachers, much like a Pokémon Stadium.

Corrn: "Oh, you're alive! Thank goodness, it would be a shame if you were dead, then we wouldn't be able to get on with the testing! Well, not to say that we wouldn't be able to do any testing with you two dead, but...just wouldn't be as fun, you know?"

Stratus: <Is that supposed to be reassuring?!>

Lake: <Look at it this way: he won't be going out of his way to kill us if that's the case.>

Stratus: <Oh, good point.>

Cornn "So, I was thinking, since you're Pokémon, and you're supposed to be really good at fighting, and all, I thought to myself "Hey, instead of having to build a whole load of complicated test chambers for you guys, I could just give you some holographic opponents to fight! So we pretty much get the same testing experience with barely any effort! Amazing, eh?"

Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad. If there was one thing Lake and Stratus were good at, it was fighting.

Lake: <Okay...what do we have to fight?>

Cornn: "Just a second, let me just turn this thingy on..."

P.A: "Holoarena activated. Creating opponent..."

The floor below Lake and Stratus begins to glow as the holographic generators come online. the whir of machinery filling the air around them with noise.

Lake: <Do you know how this thing works?>

Stratus: <Yeah, I've seen Flare and Wulfric use the one in our universe. Basically, this thing creates hard-light holograms that act just like Pokémon, complete with moves and everything, so they'll hurt if they manage to hit you.

So, it's pretty much the same as battling normally, except you don't have to worry about finding other Pokémon who want to battle with you.>

Lake: <Ooh, that's pretty interesting, actually.>

Perhaps when they got back home, he would look into having a go with this thing on his own terms.

Cornn: "Ooh, here it comes! You're going to love this, it's brilliant..."

Sure enough, the form of a Pokémon begins to materialize on the opposite end of the arena, glowing brightly as it's shape is loaded by the holographic machinery.

Stratus: <What is it?>

Lake: <It's...it's...>

Lake blinks, a look of shock corssing his face as he manages to discren the Pokémon forming in front of them.

<Oh no...>

The holographic projection finishes forming, revealing itself to be what coul be best described as a humanoid Pokémon with a few feline traits such as a long tail and a cat like face. It stood only slightly shorter than Stratus, and was covered in short, pale grey fur, apart from it's long tail, which was a deep purple.

It's face bore a harsh expression, as if it were constantly cowling at something. It's build was thin and seemingly rather weak frail, but Lake knew better than to assume this Pokémon would be a pushover.

While the Feraligatr was staring at the Pokémon with a mixture of pure terror, Stratus just seemed confused, if worried that Lake was having this reaction to it.

Stratus: <Er, Lake? What is that?>

The Feraligatr gulps nervously, keeping his eyes on their opponent.

Lake: <That's...that's a...>

Corrn: "See? Isn't it wonderful? The database calls this one a "Mewtwo." It says here that it was created by these scientists about 600 years ago as a clone of a legendary Pokémon called "Mew", a huge improvement, if I do say so myself! Of course, it ended up going mad soon after it's was born and killing a bunch of people after it was born.

Huh, kind of like a certain computer I just replaced! Funny that."

Stratus: <...What?>

Stratus shudders nervously as their holographic oppoenent, that was apparently a "Mewtwo", assume an agressive stance, forming a Shadow Ball attack in one of it's spindly paws.

Cornn: "Oh, I forgot to mention; I wanted this test to be challenging, so I cranked the difficulty setting on this thing to the highest level, which means that he's not going to stop fighting until either you beat him, or he, er...kills the pair of you.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go and put out a teensy little fire in the fireworks research wi-"

An distant explosion sounds out, shaking the facility.

"...Oh, scratch that. I've got to go and put a fire in what's left of the fireworks research wing. If you can, try not to die before I get back!"

With that, Cornn turns his attention to putting out some literal fires elsewhere in the facility, leaving Lake and Stratus alone with the twice artificial killing machine.

Stratus: <...I don't suppose it's too late to surrender?>

Holoarena

Stratus blinks as he hears a familliar voice over the P.A system.

Stratus: <...Huh? Igneous?>

Lake: <Igneous? What's he doin- WAAH!!!>

The Feraligatr leaps out of the way as the space he was standing in just a few moments prior is blasted with a Shadow Ball. With a fierce growl, Lake drops to all fours as he assumes a fighting stance, as Stratus gazes around the arena, trying to find the source of Igneous voice.

Stratus: <Where are you? Are you alright?>

Stratus: <Oh. Er...thanks Igneous.>

He glances over at lake, who attempts to rush at the holographic Mewtwo and bit him with a vicious Crunch, only to be levitated into the air by telekineses and flung helplessly to the side.

Lake: <WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!>

CRASH!

<Ouch...>

Stratus: <We're really going to need it...>

Lake: <Urk...>

Lake pulls himself to his feet, aching from having been flung into the wall.

<YES! Turn the difficulty down Igneous, please!>

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?di … 052#176279

In the Bowels of PEFE-B

-the group finally comes across Nazz and Skipper-

Nazz: Hey! Peoplemons!

Human!Ammy: Oh! Two of you! -huggles- You're both OK!

Styx: How did Nazz get here? ._.

Gravemind: The problem, we think, will be getting OUT...

Mainframe Room

Igneous: <Aha! Found it!>

He turns the knob labeled "Difficulty"... which happened to be very rusty.

SNAP!

Igneous: <...Um... This is a problem. Well, the good news is, it was set on "Level 9" difficulty. The bad news... The knob broke. So it's not getting any easier. I'm really, really sorry... I might have managed to turn it down to Level 8, so it might stop attacking you once you faint. But I suggest you try not to faint. Because I really don't know.>

He tries to weld the knob back on with his fire. It sticks, but it won't be moving anytime soon.

The Bowels of The Earth - PEFE-That-Was - Sometime in the Past, But We'll Pretend It's Now

-The hatch lifts and settles... Revealing a yellow wall with a door in the lower right corner-

<"... Whoa... Well... That was certainly convenient...">

<Lardna: "What are we waiting for? Let's get going!">

-We proceed towards the door... Press through it... And...-

<Riana: "Wow... There's an entire sky in here!">

<Pepper: "... How did this place ever become so... Big?">

-See a vast expanse from a concrete ledge catwalk running along a pool of toxic-looking brown goo, an incomplete tower with an elevator, and a massive sphere coming into view in a massive shaft seemingly without end-

<"I think that it was built into a mine of some sort...">

-We head up a flight of stairs, and reach a bent door with a pile of rubble preventing it from being opened-

<Lardna: "I'll get that...">

-And shoots a portal through the gap at a wall in the corridor and one on the wall beside us, letting us pass through to find set of doors with a switch beside them-

<Toothless: "... Is that a breaker? What does it do?">

<Teala: "It looks like the sort that turn on lights or something... I wonder...">

-And pulls the switch. Causing the room beyond to flicker to life with light... And sound-

<???: "Hello, and welcome to PEFE! I'm sure you all got to know each other on the sailboat, flight, or teleport over, so let me introduce myself.">

<Teala: "Wait a minute... Isn't that-?">

<Cleo: "It's the mad scientist founder!">

<"(Technically, it's not mad science...)">

-The voice of a long-departed, but familiar figure continues on from some loudspeakers-

<AU!Tangent: "I am Tangent, headmaster and chief of state of the Pokédex Ext- *static* You have been invited here to employ your craftsmanship or engineering skills to help us get this facility back online, and helping the world recover from this setback. Now. Who's ready to do some civilization rebuilding?!">

<??? + ???: "We are!">

<AU!Tangent: "Haha, those are my parallel-timeline-adopted-sorta-nephews, Mint and Boldo!">

<"Well... I guess that explains what we were up to after everything happened...">

-Scanning surroundings and noticing a wall with a pair of doors, a fenced-off passage seemingly leading deeper into the earth and a raised room cut off where a catwalk would have once been with a strangely inviting look emanating from its windows-

<"... Why did we ever go this far down, though?">

The Bowels of the Earth - PEFE-That-Was

<"GAH!">

<Lardna: "Wait, there's more of us down he- Wait a minute...">

-And notices the very human-looking Ammy amongst the group-

<Teala: "Wait... But I thought that there weren't supposed to be any humans in this universe...">

<Riana: (*chirp*) "Oh, hello!">

-Recognizing the Sableye in the group-

<"... Styx? Is that you? And who is that beside you?">

The Bowels of the Earth - PEFE-That-Was

<Lardna: "That's Ammy?">

<Riana: "... Who?">

<"She's a friend that we met in Hoenn... (Not quite sure how she keeps getting around like that...)">

<Pepper: "That horrid personality core threw you down here too?">

Irate that it's attempt to throw Lake around had been thwarted, the Holographic Mewtwo charges up, then flings a ball of  crackling Obscura at Stratus, hoping he would drop the Feraligatr for the same effect.

Mewtwo used Shadow Ball!

Lake: <INCOMING!>

Stratus: <YIKES!>

Flapping his wings furiously, the Dragonite swoops down, narrowly dodging the attack. Annoyed, the Mewtwo flings another ball, but the Dragonite manages to roll to the side to dodge that one too.

Lake: <QUICK! Put me down!>

Stratus: <Okay, hang on!>

Climbing upwards to avoid yet another Shadow Ball, the Mewtwo decides to try something different. He charges another ball of energy, this one a deep blue instead of purple, then flings it at the duo.

Lake: <Hey that one's different! Wait...>

Lake blinks, realizing what sort of projectile was now heading towards them.

<Oh, MUK! That's an Aura Sphere!>

Stratus: <AURA SPHERE?! I thought only Lucario and Meinshao could use it?!>

Lake: <That's what I thought, too! Hang on, I'll stop it!>

As Stratus dives towards the ground, Lake strains himself to project a shield large enough to encase both him AND Stratus.

Lake used Protect!

The Dragonite comes into a landing just as the Aura Sphere crashes against Lake's Protect barrier, exploding harmlessly against it. Exhausted from the effort, the Feraligatr drops the shield as Stratus puts him down gently.

<Phew...I don't think I'll be doing that again.>

Seeing this as a minor setback at best, The Mewtwo flings yet another Aura Sphere, the ball of energy once again homing in on the the two's Aura like a heat-seeking missile.

Stratus: <EEP!>

Reacting quickly, Stratus charges yet another Dragon Pulse, the two spheres of energy colliding in mid-air, creating a rather large explosion of Draconic and Aura energy.

<Gah! I can't keep this up forever!>

Lake: <Hang on, let me try something!>

The Mewtwo launches yet another ball of Aura energy at the two. Annoyed, Lake cloaks his tail in water...

<Hope this works...>

With the sphere bearing down on him, the Feraligatr whirls around and strikes the ball with an Aqua Tail attack.

Lake used Aqua Tail!

Which, to everyone's surprise, sends the sphere flying away, like a hitting a Baseball/Cricket Ball with a Baseball/Cricket bat (American/British readers can delete as appropriate). Knocked off course, the ball of Aura flies into the wall of the arena and explodes, leaving Stratus shocked at what he had just witnessed.

Stratus: <How did you know THAT would happen?!>

Lake: <You don't remember what happened when Wulfric fought Mr. Fuji's Marowak?>

Stratus: <...Oh! Now I do...>

Near Tracer's group

Human!Ammy: Mabye those of us who can fly or climb can go first and find another way around?

Gravemind: Or phase, for that matter?