Death of Duty, Chapter 14: Survival
Journey
Death of Duty
Part 3: The Battle of Celadon
Survival
Death of Duty
Part 3: The Battle of Celadon
Survival
There is no greater service than to those you love. — Samson Oak
The kangaskhan moved faster than should have been possible. A bolt of lightning from Red's pikachu sailed harmlessly past, splashing uselessly off the wall of the cavern. The kangaskhan pushed through a combined flamethrower from Blue's arcanine and Luna, hardly even breaking stride.
Giovanni just smirked smugly, as though he already knew the outcome of the battle and was just waiting for it to play out.
Acolyte stepped forward, Pride moving to support him as the kangaskhan closed with us.
"Intercept it," I ordered quickly. "Tag team."
Pride leapt up, leading with his horn as Acolyte came in swinging. The kangaskhan caught Pride by the throat, using my nidorino's momentum to catapult him across the room and through the bars of a primeape's cage. Acolyte swung for the kangaskhan's head, going straight for a knockout blow.
The kangaskhan caught Acolyte's club effortlessly as she turned. I saw the fear and surprise etched clearly into my marowak's face. Then a meaty fist slammed into his jaw, sending my pokemon sailing across the cavern. He slammed into the wall of the cavern and slumped heavily to the floor.
"Together!" Red shouted, raising a pair of pokeballs. His pikachu jumped off his shoulder as he released his poliwhirl and a butterfree that fluttered towards the cavern ceiling. His pikachu jumped off his shoulder, taking a place in front of Red's other pokemon. "We can't take it alone!"
My hand found Vector's ball as Blue raised a pair of his own. My heracross appeared alongside a sturdy blastoise and Blue's kadabra. Vector hissed, nervously flitting his wings and looking around for me.
I put my hand on Vector's back, calming my bug with the touch. He still would barely listen, but I didn't have a choice. I glanced down at Luna, finding the courage I needed in my starter's determined stare.
"Alright," I started, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. Acolyte was struggling to his feet, Pride extricating himself from the cage alongside the primeape. "Let's take it together."
We charged as one, ten pokemon attacking all at once. Lightning tore across the cavern from two directions, bathing the kangaskhan in crackling electricity. Dual flamethrowers washed over her, blackening the stone floor with their intensity. No pokemon could stand against this assault. Yet the kangaskhan stood firm, hardly even budging an inch as she withstood our greatest efforts.
The flamethrowers died and I saw the kangaskhan glance up as Acolyte and Vector hurtled towards her. Blue's arcanine bounded forwards, a ring of flame already surrounding her as she closed with our foe. I saw Red order his pikachu forward and the little pokemon wreath himself in blue lightning.
Acolyte got there first, bringing his club down in a hammer blow. The kangaskhan caught the blow with her forearm, directing the club past her and into my charging heracross. Vector hit the ground, crawling away from the fearsome kangaskhan as she slammed Acolyte headfirst into the floor.
She turned, meeting Blue's charging arcanine with a mega punch to the jaw. The shaggy fire type yelped in pain, her flaming charge cut short as she staggered on her feet. The kangaskhan followed up with a second hook to the jaw, spinning the arcanine to the side. She leaned back, delivering a powerful mega kick to the arcanine's side.
Red's pikachu leapt over the tumbling form of the arcanine, blue lightning enveloping the little yellow pokemon. The kangaskhan turned, already swinging a punch to intercept the volt tackle. She wasn't fast enough.
The little pikachu hit her on the inside of her shoulder. She spun as lightning erupted on her chest, knocked off balance as stray bolts carved smouldering furrows in her fur. Red's poliwhirl was there, pounding his meaty fists into her face and pushing her back with the intensity of his assault.
The kangaskhan caught a fist, but an iron tail to the jaw knocked her back off balance. Then the poliwhirl was back, pummeling the kangaskhan with a series of blows that would have flattened any of my pokemon. Every time she regained her composure enough to counter a blow, Red's pikachu was there. An iron tail to the joints or a bolt of lightning to the chest would knock the kangaskhan back onto the defensive.
Vector was back up, drawing close to Acolyte as my marowak struggled to his feet. We'd taken a beating, but Red had proved that the kangaskhan was not invincible. We could take him together.
Pride charged, finally having extricated himself from the cage. The primeape from the cage screamed bloody murder, bounding after my nidorino with a shriek of primal bloodlust.
"Together!" I roared as our pokemon charged.
Giovanni stamped his foot once, drawing a quick glance from his kangaskhan. "Enough games, Dauntless. End this."
I saw the look of pleasure cross the kangaskhan's face and I knew that we had misjudged our chances. Dauntless' back heel touched the wall of the cavern as she caught what should have been a devastating punch. She glanced up, tracking Red's pikachu as he sailed towards her.
Red's poliwhirl jerked his fist back, trying to free himself from Dauntless' crushing grip. The kangaskhan was stronger though by far and held strong. With a smooth, practiced movement, she spun and flung the struggling poliwhirl across the cavern. He collided with Pride, sending both pokemon tumbling over each other.
Red's pikachu missed by inches, carving a deep gash into the stone wall. The kangaskhan turned back, already swinging a powerful fist. Red's pikachu never stood a chance. Dauntless smashed her lead fist into the little pikachu, sending the little pokemon flying across the room.
It was too late to stop. We were in full charge. We only had one choice left to us; attack.
The primeape got there first, swinging wildly at Dauntless. I didn't doubt that the primeape was powerful, but it had none of the precision technique that a trained pokemon would have possessed. Dauntless deftly weathered the reckless barrage, batting aside blows with her own open palms. She caught a punch, seizing on the opportunity as she caught the primeape's other fist with ease. She lifted him off the ground and kicked him with all she could muster. The primeape hit the wall hard and slumped to the floor.
Acolyte came in swinging, missing Dauntless by inches as she sidestepped the attack. She swung for his elbow, but Blue's arcanine was there. The shaggy fire type clamped her jaws over Dauntless' forearm, flames roasting away at her tough hide. Acolyte recovered as the kangaskhan flailed wildly at the arcanine holding desperately to her forearm. Her free fist hammered into the arcanine's head over and over, but still she held strong.
Vector darted in, fist hammering the back of Dauntless' knee as Acolyte swung a vicious rising blow at her head. The kangaskhan's knee buckled and she dropped down to one knee, stunned for half a moment. Sensing the advantage, Blue's arcanine planted her hind legs and leaned into Dauntless as Acolyte pounded a follow up blow into the top of her other knee.
The kangaskhan toppled backwards, surprise clear on her face. She kept rolling, using the momentum to catapult Blue's arcanine away from her. The arcanine crashed headlong into the wall and lay deathly still. Acolyte jabbed down at Dauntless' head, but his club found only the stone floor.
Dauntless swept Acolyte's legs out from underneath him before he could react. My marowak hit the floor, the kangaskhan already rising to deliver a fatal blow.
Vector was there, leading with his horn. He took Dauntless in the chest, movement flowing smoothly into an all out attack. Fists, feet and horn all landed in a flurry of blows that I could barely track. For a long, precious moment, it looked as though Vector might stop the kangaskhan cold.
Then he slowed. It wasn't much, just a kick that moved a fraction of a second slower. But it was enough for Dauntless. She batted the kick aside, rearing back with her head. She delivered a powerful headbutt to the base of Vector's horn. My heracross bounced away limply, rolling to a stop against a ruined cage.
Acolyte retreated towards me as I returned Vector to his ball. Luna stood loyally at my side, waiting for an order. I didn't know what to do, what to say. We were utterly outclassed by this man, by only a single one of his pokemon.
Blue returned his arcanine, nervously eying the kangaskhan that had devastated our teams as he retreated towards me. "What do we do?" he asked bleakly. "That thing is just too strong."
I grimaced as Red moved towards me. Pride limped weakly behind his poliwhirl, favouring his left side as he trotted over to my side. Red glanced over at his friend. "We fight," he said firmly. "We don't have any other choice."
"I gave you a choice," Giovanni called.
His kangaskhan gingerly plodded over to his side, giving off the illusion of a gentle giant. A shudder went down my spine as I attempted to reconcile the things I had seen Dauntless do with the image she presented to us now.
"You chose to spit in the face of my offer. You could have had wealth beyond compare, power beyond your wildest dreams. You could have seen the rise of a resurgent human race. You could have been a part of something greater." He folded his arms across his chest and regarded us coldly. "I told you that I would end your little crusade if you persisted."
"Come and end it," Red spat. "Just like before, we'll stop you."
Giovanni furrowed his brow and deepened his scowl. "Like before?" he asked with a sneer. "You mean your triumphant battle beneath Mount Moon? Or your tragic, desperate victory aboard the S.S. Anne?"
Red turned a chilling shade of white. His pikachu leapt up onto his shoulder, sparking furiously.
"You accomplished nothing. You scrapped a fossil mine that had long since run dry and destroyed a prototype long after a successful test. The data we gleaned from that test was insightful indeed." He smirked knowingly. "I have five more prototypes in production and a new fossil mine to replace what you disposed of for me."
"Don't listen to him, Red." Blue elbowed past me, shouting at his friend. "He's just trying to get into your head!"
"Please," Giovanni interjected. "I've been in his head ever since that pidgeotto died at sea. Just like I've been in yours since your raticate was crushed to death." He smirked and spread his arms out wide. "I am Rocket. Everything that happens in Kanto happens because I allow it. Everything that you think you've done was only to give you the impression you were actually doing something. Did you really think a couple of plucky kids could take down my organization?"
"I don't care," Blue spat, finding his courage. "We will stop you."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Giovanni asked simply. "My men are storming the gym now, rooting out the last remnants of Erika's pathetic resistance. Celadon is mine. Her people know nothing but generosity by my hand. Their golden age is now, made possible by my guidance."
"All the while, your boot hangs over their heads." I crossed my arms, joining the two boys. "That doesn't sound like a golden age to me."
His face morphed into an expression of pure disdain. "A shame you won't be around to see it." He turned to his kangaskhan. "Finish them, Dauntless."
The kangaskhan beat her chest as our pokemon roared in unison.
"We can't beat him," Blue said quietly. He looked over at me and Red. "He's just too strong."
Red stared defiantly at Giovanni, refusing to let himself be cowed. "There has to be something," he said. "Something to even the playing…" his voice trailed off as he glanced away from Giovanni.
"The cages," the boys said in unison.
I turned and looked over at the row of cages. There were dozens of pokemon still trapped, more than enough to turn the tide. I glanced at the chained charizard longingly, praying that the boys could get the fire drake free in time.
"Go," I said. "I'll hold him."
I turned back to Dauntless, my hands balling into fists. I looked past the kangaskhan at Giovanni and felt the rage in my chest. Red and Blue's pokemon were still with me. All I had to do was hold back the unstoppable.
I pointed forward, shouting orders as our teams charged as one. The boys dashed away and my attention turned to the battle at hand. Pride and Acolyte led the charge, Red's poliwhirl a half-step behind them both. Red's pikachu paced a path wide of the kangaskhan, keeping an eye open for any opening as Luna followed him.
Blue's blastoise let out a tremendous bellow, and levelled his shoulder cannons with the kangaskhan. I heard the distant rush of water and turned away to shield my face.
Dauntless took both blasts of water to the chest, skidding backwards but staying on her feet. The hydro pump ended as Acolyte leapt up into a diving blow. Dauntless was quick though. She reached up, catching Acolyte as he descended.
Pride buried his horn up to the base in Dauntless' thigh, drawing a grunt of pain from the beast. She roared, rearing back and pitching Acolyte across the cavern. He smashed into Red's poliwhirl, sending both pokemon tumbling.
Pride yanked his horn free, sensing danger as I shouted for him to get clear. Blood and viscous purple gunk leaked freely from the gaping wound, but Dauntless was truly unstoppable. Pride had only managed to turn away before the kangaskhan caught him.
She caught him by the horn, yanking him back towards her and smashing him bodily off of the cavern wall. My nidorino rolled limply to a halt, eyes looking at me desperately. I watched helplessly as the kangaskhan raised a foot to crush Pride.
A beam of psychic light tore across the cavern, smiting Dauntless on the back of her shoulder. She staggered slightly as a vicious gust of wind buffeted her from behind.
Red's butterfree dropped from the ceiling, picking the perfect moment to launch her surprise assault. She beat her wings again as her antennas flexed. A blade of howling wind formed beneath her, kept in place by the psychic power she commanded.
Luna leapt forwards, seeing an opening as Pride struggled to his feet. Dauntless was distracted, turning towards the butterfree.
"Flamethrower!" I shouted.
Luna loosed a torrent of flame that washed over Dauntless. I lost the kangaskhan in the fire for a moment, but knew that I didn't have long. Luna wouldn't do much more than draw her attention for a fraction of a second.
I turned to Blue's blastoise. We had to follow up while Dauntless was on the defensive. "Hydro pump as soon as the fire clears."
He levelled his cannons and I once again heard a distant roar of waves crashing against the shore. Luna's fire died and a pair of highly pressurized water blasts erupted from the titanic water type.
Dauntless was hit by the hydro pump just as Red's butterfree let her attack fly. A razor-blade of howling wind tore across the cavern, battering the kangaskhan and smashing her bodily into the wall behind her.
Dauntless hit the ground for the second time, slumping forwards as her chest heaved. She looked up at me and I knew she was pissed.
"Dauntless," Giovanni said calmly. "Rock slide."
My eyes widened in horrible realization. Giovanni was going to bury us. I opened my mouth to shout a warning, but I was already too late.
Dauntless slammed her fist into the cavern wall. I heard a great crack, and a low rumble as the earth around us protested violently. Dauntless tightened her fist and looked mercilessly at her opponents.
Red's butterfree disappeared under a torrent of falling rock. Pride ran desperately, Luna overtaking him as the falling ceiling gained on them both.
Dauntless shot off like a rocket, charging straight towards me and the blastoise beside me. Blue's blastoise levelled his cannons, already readying a desperate hydro pump.
Dauntless got there first, hammering her fist into the blastoise's jaw. Twin cannons blasted craters into the ceiling as Dauntless followed up with a hammer arm that smashed the blastoise into the ground.
I scrambled away, our organized defence smashed aside with a single blow. I caught a glimpse of Red's pikachu wreathed in blue lightning and Acolyte's sailing club.
Dauntless caught the club with ease, turning and swinging it deftly at the charging pikachu. The bone club absorbed the lightning on contact, knocking the little pokemon headlong into the cavern wall. She turned back to the prone blastoise, discarding Acolyte's club as if it were useless. She planted a foot on the blastoise's belly as he retreated into his shell, pressing down steadily on the softer underbelly of the impenetrable shell.
I heard a brittle cracking noise and realized that she meant to kill Blue's blastoise. I got to my feet, Acolyte and Red's poliwhirl charging as Luna and Pride joined them. We had barely moments.
Dauntless turned as I shouted my attack orders and I realized that they didn't matter. She swatted Pride's ineffective charge to the side, meeting the poliwhirl's fist with her own open palm. She spun with the same movement, slamming Red's poliwhirl into the wall and leaving the bruising water type limp on the ground.
I dove into my pack desperately, a crazy plan forming half-cocked. "Pride!" I roared as I raised the little moon rock Blue had given me in Lavender. I didn't know if he was strong enough, but we had no choice.
Acolyte grabbed up his club, jumping up with a leaping swing that Dauntless ducked under. The kangaskhan sidestepped my marowak, letting him slide past her. Acolyte came back swinging as Pride staggered back to his feet and dashed back towards me.
Dauntless intercepted Acolyte's club with one arm, twisting and pulling his arm outstretched. She drove her free palm into Acolyte's elbow, drawing a shriek of pain out of my stoic marowak. He dropped his club, clamping his good arm over his injured elbow and staggering back. Dauntless raised a fist and hammered it into the crest of Acolyte's skull cap. He hit the ground, looking up at the kangaskhan in dazed terror.
A blinding light erupted from my nidorino, forcing Dauntless to shield her eyes from the supernova. Pride's growl deepened into a deafening bellow as he rose to his hind legs. His limbs thickened immensely, his torso growing alongside them. The horn on his head lengthened and heavy plates of armour grew where leathery skin had been.
Acolyte squirmed free as Dauntless turned to face the new threat. He raised his club, taking advantage of the sudden opening as two titans challenged each other.
Pride charged, dropping to all fours and pounding towards the kangaskhan. Dauntless shrank back for a moment, bracing herself and absorbing the momentum as she was pushed backwards. She shifted to the side, steering Pride to the ground easily and turning to face Acolyte as he leapt with his club. She cocked a foot and kicked Acolyte solidly in the chest with all the power she could muster. He hit the far wall of the cavern and collapsed into a heap.
Luna was there before Dauntless could turn back to finish Pride, a spinning helix of flaming light gathering around her. She darted in, her eyes flaring purple as she put all her strength into a desperate mental attack.
Pride chose his moment well, driving his horn again deep into the kangaskhan's thigh. She dropped to one knee, grunting in pain as her hand clamped down on Pride's throat. His eyes widened in shock and I heard a wet gurgle as he desperately gasped for air. Dauntless lifted him effortlessly, crushing her fist tighter as she ripped his horn out of her leg.
"No!" I shouted, knowing that Pride had overextended himself dangerously in his newfound confidence. "Luna, help him!"
Dauntless clamped her other hand on the other side of Pride's head, caressing him ominously. She looked vengefully down at the stubborn nidoking that had dared to defy her, then over at me. I could have sworn that I saw her grin, knowing that there was nothing I could do to stop her.
Then she did it. One quick twist at the neck and it was done. Pride's body slumped to the ground, limp and lifeless as he fell. Dauntless turned and left my first capture behind, stalking towards me as I fell to my knees.
It was over. Luna stepped in front of me protectively, but there was nothing she could do. She growled, baring her teeth at the looming kangaskhan. Everyone else was down and out. I hadn't held out long enough.
A deafening roar echoed across the cavern. The charizard launched himself forward, wings flapping as he built up momentum. Dauntless turned, but Luna's eyes flashed and the kangaskhan was rooted to the spot. Blue's kadabra appeared suddenly, adding his strength to Luna's as she desperately held the kangaskhan in place.
They couldn't hold long, but it was enough. Dauntless broke free, turning to face the angry charizard as he sank his claws into her chest. The two pokemon lifted off the ground for a moment as the charizard heaved with all his considerable might.
Dauntless writhed madly, but the charizard had her. He built speed, sailing towards Giovanni with the leader's kangaskhan held tightly against him. The charizard released, flaring his wings and flinging Dauntless back at her master.
The kangaskhan disappeared in a flash of red light before she could land, leaving Giovanni standing alone against the furious fire drake. He tucked the ball back into a hidden pocket in his suit and scowled at the newest combatant.
Red and Blue appeared from behind me, a veritable army of prize pokemon alongside them. I saw a pair of dratini slither past me, a regal dragonair following a half-moment later. A clutch of young totodile stormed past me, growling eagerly as they charged the Viridian Gym Leader.
He smirked and stamped his foot on a strangely coloured patch of floor at his side. He disappeared without a word, leaving us alone in the cavern.
The charge of prize pokemon fizzled out as quickly as it had started. Most of the pokemon broke into species groups, leaving a wide berth around us.
"Did we win?" Blue asked cautiously. I could hear the hope in his voice, but I didn't answer. He turned towards Red, a wide smile on his face. "Damn, we just kicked his ass!"
I turned away as Red answered him with the same hopeful tone, my eyes picking through the rubble. I found Acolyte laying against the wall, his eyes closed and his chest terrifyingly still. His left arm was bent at a terrible angle and his skull cap had cracked near the base of one of his horns. I returned him to his ball, holding it close to my chest as I continued through the rubble.
Luna found my side instinctively, nuzzling against my leg as I looked down at Pride's body. Red and Blue were still excitedly recounting the battle, but I couldn't make out their words through the rush of blood in my ears. I couldn't hear anything but the beating of my own heart, couldn't do anything but stare in horror at my dead pokemon.
I dropped to my knees, gingerly leaning over Pride. His neck was bent wrong and his eyes were blankly staring straight ahead. I gently turned his head, taking great care to close his eyes for good. My hand lingered on his neck, at the base of a pair of spikes that had tripled in thickness with his evolution. He'd always loved when I scratched him there.
"I'm sorry," I said, choking on the words. I tasted blood and bile, nearly vomiting as I struggled with the sight before me. "Gods, I'm sorry Pride."
Luna nudged him with her nose, as if she was trying to wake him up. That was the breaking point. The tears fell freely and I buried my face into Luna's neck. Pride was dead. My first capture was dead.
"Marcus," Blue said. I was suddenly aware of his hand on my shoulder, and Red's on the other. "We gotta get out of here."
"She killed him," I said dumbly. "Without even a thought. Like she was swatting an insect."
I saw Red wince and felt instant regret. I'd seen his butterfree be crushed under a torrent of falling rock. "That's why we're going to stop them," Red continued. "Because that's what they do."
I tried to look up at him, but my gaze was transfixed on Pride. "How do we do that?" I asked. I tore my gaze away, rounding on the boys. "I didn't want this! I thought it was too risky! I knew I was being watched! But no, the two of you had to force my hand!" I stopped for a moment, breathing heavy.
The boys looked back at me with all the sympathy of people who knew the pain I was in. Red smiled softly. "Nobody wanted this," he said. He looked down at Pride mournfully. "This is the cost of doing what's right. This is the cost of fighting this war."
"War?" I asked derisively. "We aren't soldiers. You two are barely even kids, and I-"
"Need to stop," Blue said forcefully. "We don't have the teleport power to get all these pokemon to the surface." He scratched his neck. "And I don't know if you noticed, but it's getting harder to breathe down here." His eyes met mine, and I felt supreme calm radiate from him. "Mourn after. Right now, we figure out how to get out of here. Or else all of us die."
I took a moment. The omnipresent hum of machinery was gone, and the air was hot. Thick, acrid smoke was leaking from the elevator shaft and slowly spreading out towards us. "Giovanni shut down the fans that supply fresh air to this chamber. The elevator is a non-option." I looked over at the boys. "How did he disappear?"
Red turned, looking over at the spot Giovanni had been standing. "He literally just disappeared. Like he teleported out."
"I didn't see any psychics," Blue added. "Shadow travel? Maybe he used a dark pokemon?"
Red shook his head. "Not supposed to be possible," he replied. "It drives humans insane and he was sane."
I scanned the room again, looking for anything we'd missed. I pointed at the patch of strangely patterned floor. It was covered in grooves and had several small ridges around the edges. "What's that?" I asked.
Red knelt over it, studying the pattern of the strange panel. "Something suspicious," he started. He reached out, brushing the layer of dust and rubble off the floor panel.
He disappeared with a faint pop. Blue and I looked at each other in shock, moving closer to the panel. Luna growled, inching alongside with me.
Red reappeared on the panel, a wide grin on his face. "It leads to the surface. Some kind of teleport pad."
Blue frowned. "That's not possible. The technology doesn't exist."
Red stepped off the pad, shrugging. "Well it does now," he said. "We have our way out. The pad took me to some empty warehouse. No sign of Giovanni."
Blue looked over at me, then over at the pokemon surrounding us. "Then let's get to it."
We emerged from the warehouse into a city at war. Fires were burning on every corner and the sounds of battle were still echoing through the streets. Most of it seemed to be coming from the south, towards the gym. We returned most of the prize pokemon to the balls that had been on their cages, only keeping out the charizard and a few of the more compliant grass types.
I returned Luna to her ball, giving her a short rest as Blue returned his own pokemon. We'd been fighting for our lives and every one of our pokemon needed rest.
Red took to the sky on the back of the charizard, leading us closer and closer to the fighting in the horticultural quarter. More than once, Blue and I watched him dive towards the ground and disappear onto the next street over. We'd round the corner and Red would be leaning against the wall nonchalantly, a roadblock torn to pieces or a few Rocket pokemon laying in pieces around the charizard.
The horticultural quarter was a shattered ruin. Greenhouses that had awed me with their beauty were burnt out shells, fires having long ago chewed through the exotic flora. I cursed the Rockets again, my resolve hardening as we made our way through the destruction.
The gym itself was the only place that wasn't a burning ruin, but that wasn't for lack of trying. Parts of the gym were aflame, but we could see the gym trainers rushing back and forth as they desperately fought the flames. The gym's fire sprinklers were spraying valiantly, keeping the fires from overwhelming the defenders before they could douse them.
I hopped through a smashed greenhouse, taking cover against the wall facing the gym's front courtyard. There were more Rockets in the courtyard, still trying to force an entry to the gym. Even as I watched, a pair of gym trainers beat back a squad of Rockets. Another squad of Rockets filled the hole the retreating squad made, a pair of raticate overwhelming one of the gym trainers' gloom.
"Any ideas?" I asked, glancing over towards Blue. "I count eighteen men, at least twice that in pokemon."
"Surprise attack," he replied grimly. "It's all we can do."
I gripped Luna's ball tighter. "Only got my vulpix left."
He grimaced as he raised a pair of his own balls. "Then fight smart." He vaulted over the wall, releasing an electabuzz and his blastoise. They charged off, blasting through a squad of Rockets before they could even turn to face him. The squad melted under his assault, the men fleeing from the sudden ferocity of the attack.
Red dropped from the sky astride the charizard, his pikachu perched proudly on his shoulder. The fire drake flared his wings, slowing himself just enough to allow Red to safely leap away. The boy rolled with the landing, coming up with his pikachu already sparking as the charizard gutted a raticate from above.
I vaulted over the wall after Blue, joining the mad assault. Luna ran ahead of me, her eyes flashing with psychic light. The Rocket closest to me yelped as his koffing dropped like it was a puppet who's strings had been cut. Luna tore into the man's drowzee from the side, tearing at the Pokémon's calf muscle while it was still distracted.
A thunderous roar erupted from the gym as a group of gym trainers charged. A pair of gloom speared the Rocket formation with solar beams, carving smouldering furrows into the courtyard. A tangela charged ahead of them, vines whipping out and lashing at the retreating Rockets as a trio of ivysaur peppered them with a barrage of razor sharp leaves.
The Rocket I had attacked turned tail and ran, abandoning his pokemon on the field as Luna hamstrung the drowzee. One of his squad turned, ordering his raticate after me, but Luna torched it with a powerful jet of flame and burned off a large swath of fur. It fled along with its master.
The gym trainers swept out of the gym, more grass pokemon emerging along with them. They drove the Rockets from the courtyard, joining our sudden assault with their own.
"STAND AND FIGHT!" boomed a voice. It was cold and cruel, and yet I knew the voice intimately. It had haunted my nightmares ever since I'd met him. "Push them back!" roared Vicious.
He stepped out from one of the greenhouses across from the gym that Rocket had captured. His beard was flecked with blood and his helmet was covered in dents. His scizor stood beside him, the bug's metal claws dripping viscera.
"You," I said calmly, planting my feet. Luna stepped in front of me, growling and exhaling smoke.
Blue turned, his teeth gritting when he laid his eyes on Vicious. "You," he repeated.
Vicious grinned wildly. "Yes," he said. "Me." He raised a pair of strangely coloured pokeballs, his grin growing like he knew something. The balls crackled with purple electricity, ominously sparking in the Rocket agent's hands.
"We stopped your boss," Red said proudly. His pikachu leaned forward on his shoulder, sparking angrily at the cheeks. "We'll stop you too."
Vicious smirked, his eyes flitting between the boys and me. He settled his gaze on Red. The Rockets turned, stopping their mad flight as the Iron Masked Marauder set foot on the field.
"How should we take him?" Red asked. Vicious just stood there, waiting for us to make our move.
Blue looked mournfully at me, then back at his friend. He set his jaw and lifted his gaze to our foe. "Together," Blue replied.
I looked around. The fighting had grown still, the gym trainers and Rocket grunts turning to watch us face down the agent. My fists tightened unconsciously and I clenched my jaw. We'd broken the siege temporarily, but we had to end it. The roar of battle seemed to die for a moment, and then I heard it.
A bolt of thunderous lightning speared the scizor and broke the silent showdown. The chopper roared overhead, a trio of trainers diving out as the fighting resumed with desperate intensity.
I looked up at the chopper, making out the massive, hulking shape of Surge leaning out of the open door. I watched him shout another order and his raichu roast a raticate from above.
Vicious roared in anger, pointing up at the chopper. His scizor took off like a rocket. It was a rust-red metal blur, moving faster than any human eye could track.
Surge saw though, somehow seeing the blindingly fast attack coming. He and his raichu leapt free of the chopper as the scizor tore through the tail section. More trainers leapt out as the burning chopper spun away in pieces, crushing a flaming path through the battle as it slammed into the ground.
The battle erupted into chaos, Vermillion gym trainers and Celadon gym trainers clashed with the Rockets, bolts of electricity and whipping vines driving back the attackers. Rangers descended on the battle in squads, landing on any Rockets that dared to poke their heads out.
More trainers were teleporting in, dozens of psychic pokemon popping in alongside their masters. The Saffron gym trainers ripped into the Rocket formation, tearing apart squads and making the rest easy pickings for the Gym's beleaguered defenders.
I pushed forwards with Red and Blue at my sides, ignoring the battle around us. There was only one target I wanted. Luna ran along at my side, keeping her eyes firmly on Vicious.
The masked trainer smirked at us and tossed the pair of black pokeballs into the air. I gasped as the terrible form of Vicious' tyranitar took shape before us. A black beast, bone armour wrapping around it's torso, took shape beside the tyranitar. The houndoom growled menacingly, padding forward as the misshapen tyranitar bellowed a furious cry.
I couldn't see Surge, could hardly see the gym through all the smoke. All I could see was Vicious and his pokemon, backlit by the flames behind them. The roar of battling men and mon was terrifying, like the screams of the damned. It was hell on earth, a nightmare brought to life.
I saw Blue's fists tighten and reached over to him. "For Clothos. For Pride," I said. He met my eyes and I felt my resolve harden.
"For Sawyer, for Free," Red added. His pikachu sparked in agreement and the charizard growled in anticipation.
We looked at Vicious, standing as a group. He smirked and pointed forwards.
The tyranitar surged forward, roaring as it stomped forward on armoured legs. The charizard leapt off the ground, taking flight as Blue ordered his blastoise forward.
A powerful blast of water hammered the tyranitar in its lead knee. The titanic beast dropped, flailing wildly in an attempt to right itself. The charizard hit it from above, driving it into the earth with an explosion of fire.
The blastoise doused the flames, hitting the tyranitar with another hydro pump that knocked it back onto its back. The charizard descended again, clamping his jaws over the tyranitar's neck. Blue's blastoise plodded over, planting a foot on the fallen tyrant as the charizard attempted to tear its head off.
The houndoom leapt past the battling titans, charging towards us. I pointed forward, and the boys did the same. The houndoom dodged the first bolt of lightning, a thunderous spear that tore a smoking path in the courtyard. Red's pikachu aimed true though, shocking the houndoom with a smaller and more focused bolt.
Luna was there as the bolt ended, jaws snapping and growling ferociously as she tangled with the larger pokemon. The separated for a moment, before throwing themselves at each other with reckless abandon.
"Get Luna clear!" Red shouted.
I cupped my hands over my mouth. "Luna, get away!"
She heard me, and I saw my mistake manifest in horrid consequences. Luna separated from the houndoom, fangs snapping at the beast to keep it back. Then she turned, attempting to bound away in the same movement. The houndoom seized upon the opening, clamping its much more powerful jaws over Luna's hind leg. I saw the bone snap and Luna cry in terrified pain.
Blue's electabuzz was there, a lightning coated fist slamming into the houndoom's bone crest. The houndoom released Luna just as Red's pikachu arrived, blue electricity wrapping around his charge. An explosion of lightning threw the houndoom back at Vicious, leaving it smoking on the ground. The beast did not try to rise, laying deathly still in the dirt.
Luna limped weakly back to me, whining in pain and refusing to put any weight on her broken leg. I raised her ball, returning my starter to her ball. She had fought bravely, for far longer than I could have reasonably asked of her. She deserved to rest.
Vicious scowled, turning to his tyranitar. "Stone edge!"
A spear of stone thrust from the earth, slamming into the charizard's chest. I heard bones crack and the charizard shriek in pain. He released the tyranitar's head and flapped his wings once, faltering as he realized the depth of his injury.
The tyranitar shoved Blue's blastoise back, clambering back to her feet as the charizard retreated towards Red. Blue's blastoise reared its head back and smashed his skull into the tyranitar's chest.
The tyranitar blinked, as if it hadn't felt anything. Then it opened its maw. A beam of iridescent light erupted from the tyranitar's jaws, smiting Blue's blastoise dead in the chest. The water type sailed through the air, bouncing through the chaos of battle and coming to a halt against the Gym wall.
Vicious stepped forward, his face screwed up into a savage grin. "I'm going to enjoy this next bit. Very very much-"
A screaming beam of burning light tore through the courtyard from above, impaling the tyranitar through the chest. It stood there for a long moment, as if the hyper beam was the only thing holding the tyranitar up. Then the beam ended, leaving a gaping hole through the centre of the beast.
The dragonite landed atop the dead tyrant, her master dropping gracefully from her back. His cape blew in the smoky wind and his eyes were locked dead on Vicious. The champion had arrived.
Vicious stopped dead, unsure of what to do. He took a step back, glancing around as the fighting died out. All eyes turned to the dragon master, his cape blowing heroically in the wind behind him. "Hyper beam," he ordered calmly.
Vicious put his hands up as the dragonite opened her maw. He disappeared in a blaze of burning light, his body simply disintegrating under the direct blow from the hyper beam. Then the beam ended, leaving behind only a smoking crater where the Rocket agent had been standing.
Lance turned, looking out at the Rockets that had been battling until moments ago. He folded his arms across his chest, his eyes cold and disapproving. "Now," he started carefully. His voice was measured and slow, with an almost musical tone to it. "Surrender or die."
It had been two days. Two days since the Rockets had launched an all-out assault on the Celadon Gym. Two days since Pride had been killed and Lance had ended the battle with his arrival. Two days of waiting as the Gym Leaders and the Champion restored order.
The city was in uproar. The Game Corner was a smoking pile of rubble, the cave system beneath completely inaccessible with a collapsed building atop it. There were League Rangers on site to clear debris, but it was slow work. It'd be weeks until they managed to clear away enough debris to access the caves.
Martial law had been declared, and all known Rocket members were being arrested as the Indigo Aces combed the city. However, Rocket didn't keep public lists of all members. That, plus their habits of feeding and providing for the masses that could hardly get through the day, meant that arrests were few and far between.
I spent most of those two days worrying about Luna and Acolyte. Both of them had been seriously wounded in the battle and hadn't left the pokemon centre's surgery ward. Vector had been returned to me at the start of the second day. He'd taken a serious blow, but hadn't suffered any structural damage from the headbutt that had knocked him out.
Curie seemed to be able to sense my morose mood. However, she couldn't do anything about it. I had a Pride-sized hole in my heart, a gap where the first pokemon that I had captured should have been. Curie tried, but I was having none of it.
Finally, on the third day, a Celadon Gym trainer knocked on my door. I returned Curie to her ball and turned off the news reports blaring the same banned over and over.
The Gym trainer collected Red and Blue from their rooms, leading us deeper into the gym. We passed the hallway to the stadium, passed more shattered greenhouses and burnt out inner courtyards. The Gym trainer opened a door and ushered us into a conference room.
We took the three open seats. Champion Lance, Leader Erika, Leader Surge, and Leader Sabrina stood waiting on the other side of the table.
"Well," Surge started. He plopped his feet up on the table, reclining in his chair. "The boys with the balls of steel. You three have some nerves on you."
The champion stepped off the wall, cutting an imposing figure as he leaned over the table. "That they do. They'll make fine challengers, all three."
My heart fluttered at the praise. The champion considered me equal to Red and Blue, at least to praise us. I hid the embarrassment on my face behind a smile and stiffened my spine. "We just did what was right," I said.
"Which is why we're here today," Lance replied. "Something must be done about Leader Sakai. He has grown beyond his mandate and threatens the peace of Kanto."
"Might I suggest something, dear champion." Surge raised his arm as though he were a child in a classroom. "How about you nail his ass to the wall? Get your wild houndoom back on the damn chain!"
"Wait," I said in sudden confusion. "Giovanni was working for you?"
Lance sighed. "Yes, unfortunately." He shook his head, rubbing his temples. "I trusted him to run a special project. Research based, collaborating with Blaine Katsura. Perhaps I placed too much trust in him, but I'd been given no reason to doubt him." He leaned back. "Clearly, I should have paid closer attention." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Nevertheless, the League will take action now."
I saw Blue roll his eyes. "So, this is all because you weren't good enough at your job?" he asked. "He built a goddamn army right under your nose and we're just supposed to accept that you missed it?" He shook his head. "That's not good enough. You aren't telling us something."
The champion turned his head, scowling at Blue. He leaned over the table, his eyes boring into the boy. "The Indigo Champion carries the responsibility of two nations with him, child. You are right. I am keeping information from you. Information that would cause panic if it were to reach the public. I am keeping a great many things to myself. Pray that you do not find yourselves in my position one day."
Lance straightened his back and turned away from the table. He folded his arms behind his back and adjusted his cape. The room was silent, waiting for Lance to make his decision. "As I said, Giovanni must be dealt with." He turned to Surge. "I'm placing you in charge of this, Emmett," he said simply. "Enlist whoever you need. Bring him to justice, lieutenant."
Surge nodded, rising to his feet. He saluted saluted the champion, burning resolve etched into his face. "Yes, Champion."
The meeting was over as soon as it began. Lance disappeared from the room with a swish of his cape, storming down the hallway and out of sight. The woman who hadn't spoken nodded at Surge, disappearing with a faint pop.
"Well," Erika started. "I must thank you. It is not a stretch to say that I would be dead and Celadon in Rocket hands without the three of you."
I bowed my head, emotions churning in my chest. "We just did what anyone would have."
"No," Erika replied. "You all went above and beyond. In return, I have a special gift for you all." She smirked, knowing that she had our full attention. "As a League appointed Gym Leader, I have access to high-grade breeders. I am prepared to purchase one pokemon of your choice each, in return for saving my life."
I felt my jaw drop. "That's a fortune," I said dumbly. "More than I've even made during my journey so far."
She shrugged. "A small price to pay to repay the debt I am in. You did not have to do what you did, and yet still you did."
Red rose to his feet. "Thank you," he said quietly.
Blue did the same, rising and thanking Erika for her generous offer. I stood there, deep in thought as both of the boys professed their gratitude. They both promised to have their selection sent over by the end of the day, before filing out and leaving me alone with the two Gym Leaders.
Surge met my eyes, already seeming to know why I was still here. He raised an eyebrow. "It'll be dangerous, you know."
I shrugged. "He killed Pride. Someone has to stop them."
"And you think it should be you?" he asked. He shook his head. "You don't got what it takes yet. Giovanni will wipe the floor with you."
"He already did," I sighed. "I got lucky and only one of my pokemon was killed. He could have murdered us all if he'd have let out even a single more pokemon." I paused, my eyes meeting his. "You extended me an offer once. I'd like to know if the offer still stands."
Surge leaned back in his chair. "That was a limited time thing," he said gruffly.
"And you're going to act like you won't extend it again?" I leaned forward, putting both my hands on the table. "I want in, Surge. I want to bring that bastard down."
He watched me for a long moment, as if he was waiting for me to change his mind. I stayed silent, waiting for him to break and agree.
Erika broke the silence. "I am needed elsewhere," she said. She looked at me. "Have your selection sent to me and I will contact you when I have your pokemon."
I nodded as she waved to the door, a pair of Gym trainers helping her into a wheelchair and rolling her out of the room.
Surge grinned. "So," he started.
"So," I replied. "When do I start?"
The tall man stepped through the doors, his brow furrowed and the mood of their meeting already poisoned. "They've done it now," he started. "Saffron and Vermillion rendering aid! The Champion directly intervening? Celadon resists our influence and it is entirely their fault." He shot the shorter man an accusatory scowl. "I thought I was meant to test them, not bring Indigo's wrath down on our heads. Even the Champion is involved now as well. Was that yet more of your meddling?"
"Surge's, I would imagine." The shorter man rose to his feet. "He's been piecing a case together since the first test of Project Catalyst."
"And the third boy?" asked the tall man. "The one that fought alongside the boys? He was the one who saved the cubone colony. He has become a nuisance."
The short man waved him off. "Unimportant. I've looked into him. He is nobody. He will not interfere further."
"He joined the Rangers," the tall man replied. "Surge already snapped him up for Zapdos Squad. He's training the boy himself."
There was stunned silence between them for the first time in ages. "I did not know that," he said after a long pause. "Does he plan on molding the boy into a Champion?"
The tall man shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Our course of action remains the same. Surge has directly interfered with our plans. He has to be eliminated. No more games, no more threats. Just action."
"I'll make the arrangements," replied the short man. "Perhaps Silver, or maybe Karen?
"No need," replied the other. "I've already begun baiting the trap. Surge will never see it coming."
Pokédex Entry #115 – Kangaskhan
Kangaskhan are large mammalian pokemon with a pouch on their belly. Their young nest in this pouch after they hatch until the later juvenile stage of life.
Although these pokemon are exceedingly powerful, they are mostly peaceful. They typically only become enraged when their young are threatened.
There are numerous reports of kangaskhan raising orphaned human children after losing their own young. These humans have never successfully integrated back into society and invariably return to the wild.
Intermediate Trainer KT#07996101, Marcus Wright, current team
Luna, Vulpix
Acolyte, Marowak
Vector, Heracross
Curie, Chansey
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