Chapter 6: THERE IS A DEPARTMENT STORE IN ALABAMA.

"Aiiiii–" Gao screamed. He sped back around the corner with a huge mechanic man chasing him.

"INTRUDER! INTRUDER!" the robot boomed. "US MECHADOLLS WILL NOT ALLOW INTRUDERS!"

"What's a Mechadoll?" Tasuku asked.

"ME." The Mechadoll said. "THERE ARE FOUR MORE MECHADOLLS. IF YOU WISH TO PASS, YOU MUST ANSWER OUR QUIZES!"

"Sounds easy," Kiri said.

"Sounds fun, yo!" Tetsuya yelled. "So, what's the question?"

The Mechadoll 1 made a clattering sound and a piece of papyrus paper printed out of its mouth.

"It says: How much does one Escape Rope cost?" Gao carefully read.

"300 poké," Tasuku answered promptly.

"Correct!" The Mechadoll stated. "Move on."

"My ninja instincts say that an Escape Rope costs 300 poké," stated Zanya at the same time.

Tasuku's eyes narrowed as he frowned at Zanya. He just copied me again!

Tetsuya, Zanya, and Tasuku climbed off the flying banana and followed Gao around the corner again. They quickly came face-to-face with the Mechadoll 2!

Gao read from the paper it printed: "How many carvings were on the walls in the previous room?"

"My ninja instincts tell me that there are exactly 42," Zanya proudly assumed.

"BDZT. WRONG. YOU FAIL," said the Mechadoll 2.

Zanya was shocked. "But that's the meaning of life!"

Kiri had just returned form counting the carvings in the previous room. "There are 16," he told the Mechadoll 2 confidently.

"CORRECT," Mechadoll 2 stated. "PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION."

"Don't worry about us!" Gao cheerfully assured the Mechadoll. He ran around the next corner. "C'mon, guys!"

"Sure thing, yo," Tetsuya said.

Zanya frowned. "My instincts tell me a menacing presence resides within yonder location."

"What?!" Tetsuya commented. "What does yonder mean!"

"Dunno," Tasuku explained.

"Guys, we found the third Mechadoll!" Kiri cheerfully exclaimed.

As Zanya, Tetsuya, and Tasuku rounded the corner, they noticed unique carvings on the wall.

"THAT'S PRIMAL GROUDON AND PRIMAL KYOGRE AND MEGA RAYQUAZA," Mechadoll 3 spoke.

"Here's the question," Gao shouted. "It says… DOES THE CARD 'GARDEVOIR SPIRIT LINK' PREVENT YOUR TURN FROM ENDING WHEN YOU MEGA EVOLVE A GENGAR?"

"According to my never-failing ninja instincts…" Zanya calculated quickly. "Yes!"

Mechadoll 3's eyes turned red. "ERR BZTS! WRONG! FAILURE!"

"No," Tetsuya answered.

"Correct." Mechadoll 3's eyes turned green. "PROCEED WITHOUT CAUTION."

"Guys, my instincts are informing me that a great danger awaits us around this mysterious corner." Zanya spoke.

Tasuku glared at Zanya. "Half the time your 'instincts' are just repeating what I've said, and the other half of the time, they're wrong!"

Zanya nervously adjusted his glasses. "Well, I, er, um–"

"Here's Mechadoll 4!" Gao called, waving for them to come over.

"YOUR QUESTION WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU IN WORDS SPOKEN BY YOURS TRULY," the robotic man warned them. "Repeats DO NOT HAPPEN."

"You mean we can only hear the question once?" Tasuku asked.

"CORRECT," the Mechadoll said "THE QUESTION IS: PETE AND REPEAT WERE IN A TREE. PETE WAS PUSHED OFF. WHO WAS LEFT?"

"Can you repeat please?" Kiri asked.

"CORRECT," Mechadoll 4 boomed. "PLEASE PROCEED TO YOUR 5th AND FINAL CHALLENGE: THE MECHADOLL 5!"

"It didn't say anything about caution," Tetsuya noted in a worried tone. "That sounds sorta suspicious, yo."

Gao nodded. "Guys, be careful."

Kiri slowly sneaked down the path, hiding behind walls as a extra precaution. "Here," he whispered, motioning to his friends. "I found it!"

The Mechadoll stepped forward.

"Alright!" Gao exclaimed. "The last question!"

"THERE IS A DEPARTMENT STORE IN ALABAMA. THERE ARE 200 PLAY ITEMS, EACH COSTING 10 - 250 POKÉ. THERE ARE ALSO STUFFED ANIMALS AND MICROWAVES, COSTING 10 - 2,578 POKÉ. THE KITCHEN SECTION CONTAINS OVER 168 ITEMS. THE TOTAL COST OF THE KITCHEN ITEMS IS OVER 2,000,000 POKÉ - ONLY IF YOU BUY EACH ITEM 2 TIMES. THE ESCALATORS STRETCH AN IMPRESSIVE 1 MILE EACH WHEN YOU CUT THEM INTO 2,000 STRIPS AND THEN PLACE THEM ALL NEXT TO EACH OTHER. A TOY DOG COSTS 1 POKÉ WHILE A BICYCLE COSTS 230 POKÉ. IF YOU ADD THOSE TWO PRICES, ARE THEY UNDER 1 POKÉ, NOT INCLUDING SALES TAX?"

Zanya grinned as he grandly began, "My ninja instincts–"

"NO!" the other boys cut him off.

"CORRECT. YOU MAY PASS. BEWARE THE MEGA LOPUNNY," stated the Mechadoll 5.

"Wait – did he say…Lopunny?" gasped Gao.

"Could it be…the Legendary Lopunny?" Kiri wondered excitedly.

"Watch out guys!" Tasuku warned. "Unleash the Future Force!" Tasuku transformed into his future self in a flourish of glowing blue cards and sparkles.

"Why?" Gao asked. He lifted his gaze up to the ceiling, intentionally looking upon the problem Tasuku had spoken of. When h saw the horde of Crobats descending upon them, he nearly screamed 'Gargantua Punisher' but a Crobat had accidently hit him in the mouth with one of its wings and Gao muttered, "Ouch."

"I equip Dragonblade, Dragobrave!" Tasuku called out. The armor and sword materialized and Tasuku slashed at the Crobats.

Kiri had out his old trusty bunny-catching net and was using it as a Crobat swatter. As the many Crobats around him fell to the ground, Kiri grinned. "This thing is not so bad!"

"I bet Crobats don't like no sound," Tetsuya rapped. "Yo yo yo YO! They'll end up in one big mound!"

"Sound doesn't have any effects whatsoever on Crobats," Zanya informed Tetsuya while adjusting his glasses.

"Who would care?" Tetsuya smiled. "This is better than catching hares!"

Gao smacked down the last Crobat. "All done!" he announced proudly.

"Great, now let's go on," Tasuku said. He pushed open the ancient door in front of them. There was a spooky creaking sound accompanied by an equally creepy rush of cold air. Kiri latched onto Gao's arm in fright.

"Remember, keep calm and – Aaaahhhh!" Zanya screamed. Inside the ancient room, a Lopunny in a fighting stance was slowly circling Zanya. But it was no ordinary Lopunny!

It was the Legendary Lopunny.