Chapter 7

Officer Jenny approached the thick, black door of Robotropolis. She hoped Ash wasn't tricking her. Not seeing any doorbell, she pounded on the iron with her fist.

Suddenly, green screens appeared all about the door. They seemed to be processing information, but even while looking closely, Jenny could not tell what they were processing.

Suddenly, she heard a voice. "What do you want?"

"I've heard things about this place that disturbs me," the police officer said. "Namely, forcing children to work and some sort of experimenting on humans to turn them into robots. It sounds silly, I know, but they trouble me all the same. Though these reports came from no reliable source, I would like to verify they aren't true - to be on the safe side."

There was a pause. "So, uh, what do you want?"

"I want information," Jenny said. "A tour of the city, perhaps." Officer Jenny was not too sure about what she was saying - what if she was captured? - but since only one kid doubted this city's integrity, she relaxed. Chances are, it was but a misunderstanding.

There was a long pause.

"But, surely you can't tour this whole city in one day - I mean, as you can see, it's very large -"

"I know I can't, but can't I have some verification that these reports are false?"

Another very long pause.

Meanwhile, in the city's control tower...

Robovonni signed off from the communications computer.

"What should I tell this woman?" Robovonni fussed. "Somehow, the truth has gotten out, despite our best efforts to restrain it!"

Misty was silent.

"Oh, why am I asking you?" Robovonni said, swiveling his chair back to the communications computer control. "Why would you know something I don't?" Robovonni turned the communications computer back on.

"Well, anyone can plainly see that these reports are blatant lies," Robovonni said. "Completely ficticious. Made up to scare people. You can't turn people into robots!" A false laugh sounded from his throat.

"The fact that you aren't giving me proof is just raising suspicions," a voice from the other end said, in a cautious but straightforward manner. "Please, give me some proof unless you want spies to infiltrate your city!"

"Oh, now you're treating me like a military enemy! Very well, then. I shall show you just how harmless this city really is."

Robovonni turned the computer off once more and turned to Misty. "Ready the transportation mobile! I will go down and meet this woman myself!" Then she looked at Misty. "But first, we must prepare via some minor deceptions." He clicked a button on his desk and a microphone popped out. "All robots, go into the Central Center, close the door, keep it closed, and stay in there until I tell you that you should come out!"

Immediately, the command sounded in the robotic minds of Nurse Joy, Brock's family, and several other families that Robovonni had roboticized. Mere seconds after that, Robovonni's deception was carried out by the will-lacking robots.

The door in front of Officer Jenny opened. Then, she saw a plump but handsome-faced man.

"Greetings, I am Robovonni, the leader of this city," the man said. "You may step in."

She did. And immediately, she coughed.

"This air is hard to breathe!" she choked. "It's so full of...pollution!"

"Nonsense, nonsense!" Robovonni said. "It's certainly not that bad."

"I guess," said Officer Jenny, taking a deep breath. "I mean, I can breathe it, but it sure does smell!"

"Oh, I guess this place is just a little dirty, but we'll clean it up in time!" Robovonni assured unassuringly.

"OK, OK..." Officer Jenny looked around, puzzed. "Where...where are all the houses?"

"Uh, some of these buildings are apartment buildings, see...they have an interesting style, I know, but...I like it that way."

"Umm, OK," said Officer Jenny. "Could I see one of your residents?"

Robovonni smiled. If he hadn't prepared for this, he would've been horrified, but he had the perfect trick. He was ready to call out the "resident" - actually, a strikingly realistic hologram that was being controlled by Misty. The actual residents were clustered inside a building and would not come out.

However, Robovonni neglected one detail.

Inside the Central Center, sensors buzzed. There was a living, non-robot human outside aside from Robovonni or Misty not far outside of the Central Center. A Robovonni-given impulse surged through there metallic bodies, telling them that they needed to roboticize that person. The bit of feelings and thoughts that these people had were telling them just the opposite, but that didn't matter. They couldn't do anything about what they did, and they couldn't fight the impulse.

However, there was a problem. They were commanded to not go outside or open the door...but in order to roboticize the person, they had to, didn't they? They wished that this would just make the command go away, but no. Robovonni had given them orders, so their computerized brains had to find a solution.

One of Brock's brothers, CJ, had unwillingly found the answer to the problem. He threw up a Poke Ball and a non-robotic Hitmonchan came out.

"Hitmonchan!" it said, ready to obey its master's orders.

"Hitmonchan," moaned its robotic trainer, "punch the wall until you break through."

"Hitmon-hitmon!" the Pokemon said. It began to rapidly fire punch after punch at the wall. It used many different punches in a rapid flurry, until...

Officer Jenny was just talking to the resident about various things. Suddenly, she heard a "Hitmon-hitmon!" The Hitmonchan had just broken through.

CJ dreaded to say this, but he couldn't help it. "Grab her and take her away to the roboticizer."

"Wh-what?" Officer Jenny said, puzzled and somewhat horrified. The Hitmonchan's puffy red gloves grabbed Jenny by the arm and started to drag her away.

Robovonni just realized his error. Now, it was possible that the truth would be not just revealed but verifiable.

Jenny's mind raced. This was almost too bad to be true.

She could see one option remaining.

She hurled a Poke Ball. "Blastoise!"

The Blaistoise that came out was not a typical Blastoise. Its skin was purple, and its shell was green. It raised its cannons, ready to attack. Everyone around thought it was unusual for an Officer Jenny to have a Blastoise. Normally, they just have Growlithes.

"Shoot the Hitmonchan with Hydro Pump!" she commanded. The Blastoise's cannons grew a bit, and then they shot a thick blast of heavy water straight into Hitmonchan's face. Not only did he lose his grip on the Jenny, but he nearly fell over.

CJ had no choice but to engage in a Pokemon battle.

"ThunderPunch," he demanded robotically. Hitmonchan charged up his glove-like fist with lightning power until it glowed yellow. Then, he struck Officer Jenny's Blastoise and released the electric energy at the same time, causing bolts of blue lightning to emerge from his fist and hit Blastoise.

Officer Jenny was shocked. A robot was training this Hitmonchan?

Blastoise doubled over in pain, but knew he had to keep up the fight.

"Flash Cannon!" his trainer demanded, and he starting charging power right away. White energy glowed within Blastoise's cannons, and then it shot out rapidly. It hit Hitmonchan right on, causing a brilliant red light on impact and knocking the fighting Pokemon over.

Hitmonchan rubbed his head and got up. "Use Revenge," CJ said. Hitmonchan's eyes glowed a furious red, and it slapped Blastoise on the head with a fierce punch.

Though Blastoise was strong, this mysterious robot's Hitmonchan was as well. Officer Jenny decided to tell Blastoise to use Protect. Blastoise popped its limbs into its shell and a forcefield formed around it. Seconds later, however, Hitmonchan did Feint on command, and with a brilliant sparkle and a punch, the forcefield was gone, and the shell knocked over. Blastoise launched a Flash Cannon, but Hitmonchan executed a Hi Jump Kick, running up to the Blastoise and jumping high while pointing its sharp knee towards the water-dweller.

Blastoise was ready to retaliate the minute his trainer said, "Toxic!" He felt an excessively strong poison pump up from its inner cannon mechanism to the surface of the cannons. They formed into huge toxic balls, and the gooey purple blobs zoomed into Hitmonchan's face.

The fighter's face and part of his body were dripping with the totally toxic goo. Instantly, the effects of it surged into his brain, and he was badly poisoned. Despite having only a little conscious thought, CJ was very worried about his Pokemon, especially since there was probably no Pokemon Center in Robotropolis.

However, he had no choice but to keep up the fight. "Hi Jump Kick!" Despite feeling very weak thanks to the poison, Hitmonchan complied, running towards Blastoise, jumping, and hitting him hard with his knee.

Though in pain from Hitmonchan's many attacks, Blastoise had high defense and was ready to keep up the battling.

"Flash Cannon!" yelled Officer Jenny. Another blazing white ray zoomed like a bullet from Blastoise's cannon into Hitmonchan's face. Hitmonchan was dreading this battle terribly, and he felt the effects of the poison even more. He would prefer to faint than to go on.

CJ felt bad for Hitmonchan, and would've happily swapped him out for another Pokemon. If he had another Pokemon.

Officer Jenny, meanwhile, was not sure what to do. Though she almost had Hitmonchan beat, she didn't know how to escape this strange and terrible place. Then, she realized she could just walk out of the still-open door.

Or maybe she couldn't.

Before she could step outside, the door closed.

Then, she turned to Robovonni.

"You really do turn people into robots and make them work for you, don't you?" she said softly.

"How did you guess?" said Robovonni with a grin.

CJ had a desire to leave, but...he couldn't.

"You twisted fiend!" said Officer Jenny. "I hate you!"

"Oh, I am so worried!" Robovonni said sarcastically. He threw a Poke Ball, and a Persian came out.

"Persian, hit the oh-so-frightening lady with Thunderbolt," he said. A beam made of electric power zoomed straight towartds Officer Jenny. Officer Jenny was not only pained but paralyzed. She fell to the ground like a rock.

Blastoise was angry. He got on his hands and knees and shot a powerful Hydro Pump from his cannons into Persian's face. The classy cat sputtered, coughed and spat out water.

"Look what you've done to my Persian!" said Robovonni. "Naughty, naughty, naughty. Looks like someone's going to have to teach you some manners!" He looked at the robots in the Central Center. "Battle him!"

The robots starting throwing Poke Balls and calling out names robotically.

"Magby!"

"Togetic!"

"Eevee!"

"Elekid!"

Blastoise felt outnumbered, and for a good reason.

"ThunderShock," commanded the Elekid's trainer, one of Brock's younger sisters.

"Elekid!" the Baby Pokemon shouted, tossing small bolts of electricity from his hands. After battling a rather tough Hitmonchan, the worn-down Blastoise was not exactly enthusiastic about this battle. As Blastoise attempted to recover from the shock, he was hit with a Sand-Attack from an Eevee. As he was trying to get the sand out of his eyes, he was attacked by a flurry of leaves covered in a magical aura conjured up by Togetic.

Blastoise was worn out, but he knew he had to help his trainer. Unfortunately for him, all of the Pokemon felt just as loyal. Suddenly, thick and disgusting smog floated out from the Magby's mouth and the coals in his head. As the thick, yucky substance reached Blastoise, he not only was hurt by traces of acid but poisoned as well. Blastoise didn't feel he could take one more attack.

CJ could not help but be loyal to Robovonni. His Hitmonchan was recovering, so he told him to use Revenge. Soon, Blastoise fell down, unable to keep standing.

Robovonni felt so triumphant he cackled aloud. Then he shouted, "Come here, Tracey Roboticizit! I have a job for you!"

"Your wish is my commaaaand," said the robot.

"Please, could you roboticize this officer and her misfit shellfish?"

"Certainlyyyyyy, oh keeper of the spare tiiiiire," Tracey Roboticizit said. He pointed his roboticizer gun towards them and shot.

Officer Jenny and her Blastoise awoke - but only because of sharp surge of pain. Usually, sharp pains go away in less than a second, but not this one. It continued. And it felt really bad.

And it wasn't just pain. It was another feeling. To both of them, their bodies felt as though they were growing harder and harder. And their minds...they felt weirder and weirder. Their own thoughts felt more and more distant, less and less related to their bodies.

Finally, the process was completed. On that day, Officer Jenny #58 and her Shiny Blastoise were roboticized.

Robovonni told them to get up, and they did (though Jenny, still paralyzed, struggled to do so). No thought was involved.

Robovonni cackled once more. Then, he looked at CJ's Hitmonchan. "Tsk, tsk!" he said. "Your Hitmonchan seems to be significantly weakened, does it not? The creature is simply too weak in its fleshy state. Tracey, roboticize this one as well!"

No! CJ thought. Oh, how he wished that his Pokemon would not have the same fate as he, but wishes don't always come true. Robovonni put all his robots to work, and everyone in the city was miserable that day - except, of course, Robovonni, who could hardly be happier.

And Tracey. Well, he doesn't really have emotions, so he can't be miserable, you know?