Operation Matchmaker: Part 9
The Pokémon and their trainers stared at the scientist as he slowly eased himself onto the frozen snow. Clearly, he was well-prepared for the weather with his fur coat and thick boots while the Pokémon had to contend with the elements with fur and fat being their only solace.
Most of the Pokémon took a step back. They couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly but this human was giving off bad vibes and probably only had to look at most Pokémon to send them scurrying. He was a Team Rocket Scientist so that was bad enough but those… unsavoury experiments that he conducted were even worse and these Pokémon didn't even know about them. He was definitely no friend to Pokémon that was for sure.
"Blasted winds," Dr Zager muttered to himself. "I would have got here sooner if it wasn't for that. Ah, you three, just what are those Pokémon doing out of their cages?" Team Rocket froze momentarily and then rushed over with an almost simpering air since they were unused to seeing the scientist in person before.
"It's nothing, really," said James, nervously laughing. "We just have some problem children on our hands, that's all. We'll get rid of them in a jiffy!"
"We did say that we would bring them all here and we have," said Jessie with a sickly grin as she used a Revive on her Woobat. Woobat was brought out again once it was completely healed. It fluttered over to Yamask; neither of them wanted to be near this creepy scientist.
"Yeah, and we've even got dat Pokémon which we didn't have earlier!" said Meowth brightly pointing to Oshawott. Oshawott stood his ground and bared his teeth, just daring Dr Zager to challenge him. He was thrown by the sinister smile that he was given in return but nevertheless he stood in front of Snivy so that she wasn't in harm's way. He hoped that his quivering would be mistaken for the wintry weather's effects.
"Oh, how sweet," said Dr Zager icily. "I love a Pokémon with guts and spunk to boot. I see that you would be perfect for my latest experiment." Oshawott shivered and it was nothing to do with the cold.
"Whatever you were planning to do with our Pokémon," said Cilan. "You are simply not going to go through with it. Scientists among every other person are supposed to work with their Pokémon. They do not use them to satisfy their base needs for sick experiments! How can you call yourself a human? And you too, Team Rocket! Aren't you ashamed of yourselves as well?" he shouted, pointing dramatically at the silent trio. They shuffled about looking embarrassed. They never had this from the other twerps before.
"You tell him, Cilan!" Iris shrieked. "It just makes me really angry to see people like this in the world!"
"What I want doesn't concern you," said Dr Zager with a voice colder than the north wind. "Cooperate and we shall even give you free passage back down this mountain. You may expect to be rewarded."
"You think you can just buy our Pokémon off us?" said Iris, aghast. She clutched Axew even more tightly. "That's just… disgusting! Who'd do such a thing?"
Dr Zager gave a delicate sigh. "Then I suppose I shall just have to take them off you."
"I don't see how you would be able to take us all on!" Ash shouted. He was shaking with fury. "Even if you've got Pokémon on your side, you still can't beat all of us!"
"I don't need Pokémon for those sorts of purposes," said Dr Zager. Pokémon… were just simple tools at the end of the day, even the talking one that travelled with his colleagues although that one was quite interesting. He didn't understand why people could form powerful bonds with such creatures but then he didn't want to understand.
Ash and the gang realised that Dr Zager hadn't come alone. Four Team Rocket Grunts, dressed in black furs emblazoned with the 'R' insignia, suddenly filed out of the motionless helicopter, all clutching Pokéballs in their thick gloves. Ash grimaced: when was the last time he had to take on these guys? (Jessie, James and Meowth notwithstanding of course.) Giovanni's business was still going strong then it seemed. When on earth would their nefarious schemes be stopped and the team be disbanded and imprisoned? Pikachu's cheeks twitched with rage at the sight of them.
Dr Zager did not have any Pokémon of course. Instead, he held up a ray gun not dissimilar to the bazookas that Team Rocket was fond of. It possessed a paralysing energy pulse that surrounded and subdued most Pokémon in seconds and its outer parts glowed red as its inner cells sprang to life. It was a formidable weapon with its only let-down being the time it took to charge up each shot. "Prepare yourself," he said and he fired.
Oshawott, being at the front of the group was the likeliest target of the gun. He didn't have time to think logically but neglecting his own safety for the sake of the others, he raced to slice the weapon in two, ignoring the flame that still enveloped him. He was so sure that he could slash it there and then with no problems.
However, Dr Zager was quicker on the uptake and Oshawott was nowhere near his full strength. As a result, the energy pulse hit him violently and shattered his defences. Crimson energy waves shimmered about his body and each time Oshawott tried to move, they too flared up causing Oshawott to collapse again. He shot Dr Zager a look of pure hatred; he couldn't even move to handle his scalchop. This was just not his day.
"Take out the rest of the Pokémon," he barked to the Grunts and the usual trio. He moved over to the subdued Oshawott but found Snivy blocking his path, her vines held out before her. He dared not move closer.
"Snivy…" said Oshawott weakly. He couldn't move without causing himself further damage and in any case, Snivy held him in place to make sure that he wouldn't do just that. Seeing that it would be pointless to argue, Oshawott let her do so.
The Grunts all released Vanilluxe which were of course suitable to these climes. Ash groaned. Out of his Pokémon, two of them were weak to Ice; two of Iris's Pokémon were weak to Ice and all three of Cilan's Pokémon were weak to Ice. They needed to swiftly end the oncoming battle if they stood a chance of winning even with their boosted numbers since Vanilluxe was the final evolution was Vannilite.
Jessie and James sent Woobat and Yamask after Snivy who was currently protecting Oshawott. His breath was laboured; he had never felt so cold in his life even with the burn effect. Snivy was frustrated that she couldn't help him in any way other than battle.
"Use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash cried.
Pikachu quickly struck the Woobat with the super-effective move and did so again while Cilan's Pansage made short work out of Yamask. The rest of the Pokémon raced forwards once given commands with Tepig, Dwebble and Excadrill being especially vital with their moves.
Woobat and Yamask were not stupid; they knew when they were outnumbered. There were eleven fighting on the other side (Oshawott couldn't of course) and so they retreated to a far safer spot as did Team Rocket. Technically, they had completed their mission since they had brought the Pokémon to the rendezvous point as requested and in any case, their own Pokémon were hurt. They, however, carried on watching the battle somewhat nervously.
"Use Ice Beam!" the Grunts continuously grunted. Frustratingly, they had already used Light Screen to take less damage from special moves. The Grass-Type Pansage and the Dual-Type Scraggy were forced to dodge the Ice moves repeatedly leaving them no chance to attack. However, Dwebble managed to use Rock Slide and Excadrill used Metal Claw leaving the opponents with less health than before.
"Gah, I hate kids," one of them growled.
"You're telling me," another one said. "Cover me; I'm going to use the big one. Vanniluxe, use Giga Impact!"
Vanniluxe was surrounded by a purple energy sphere and before some of the Pokémon knew what was happening, it then launched a devastating beam that took out Axew, Scraggy and Stunfisk. It was a powerful move and the other three covered their partner as it recharged leaving no openings for attack. Iris snatched up Axew and the other two were returned; safe in their Pokéballs at least.
Another Vanniluxe began charging up Giga Impact. Ash guessed that once it had used the move, the other two would also use it and so pick off their team alarmingly quickly if they were all bunched together. Thinking fast, Ash got their Pokémon to scatter just before the other Pokémon used Giga Impact. Unfezant was much safer up in the air than the rest were as they were the focus of the attacks.
"Unfezant, use Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled. The Bird Pokémon flew around the back of the Vanniluxe and zoomed straight into it using its quick moves. The Vanniluxe was very much weakened. Light Screen had also worn off too. Aerial Ace was always a very useful move. Unfortunately, one of them retaliated with Frost Breath which always resulted in a critical hit thus taking Unfezant out of the battle.
"How are you guys holding up?" Cilan called out as he fretfully watched his two Pokémon battle for what were essentially their lives. Unfortunately, Dwebble was taken out next despite its high defence and Iris's Emolga was in the critical stage.
"Hey! Aren't you helping out?" Emolga gasped to Snivy. But she was too busy staring at Dr Zager who had almost fully charged up the weapon again in the midst of all the commotion. The next time he got round to building this, he would have to make sure that it took far less time to charge and fire. She urged Oshawott to try and move this time but to no avail.
"Not too good!" Iris yelled. "They're too strong!"
"They're not too strong for the likes of us!" Ash snarled. "We've almost got them now! Use Flame Charge, Tepig! Use Thunderbolt, Pikachu! Everybody, attack at once!"
Anybody watching from a distance would have wondered with the amazement at the conflagration of fire, electricity and other elemental moves blasted at the Vanniluxe. They had battled long but there was no way that the Ice-Types could withstand the sudden onslaught against them, finally resulting in their knockouts.
The Grunts cursed themselves for not having more Pokémon while Team Rocket was quietly impressed with the twerp efforts. The Grunts' mission had been a failure; they decided to retreat to the helicopter and let the scientist see things through against a bunch of kids. This whole work was more distasteful than normal anyway.
Dr Zager snorted under his breath and made a memo to have them punished later. "This is where machines come in handy…" he muttered to himself. He cocked the weapon and prepared to fire at Snivy who had been valiantly protecting Oshawott from him.
"Oh no, you don't!" Ash snarled. "Use Flamethrower, Tepig!" Tepig happily obliged.
"Why, you good-for-nothing boy!" Dr Zager yelled as his weapon suddenly heated up to levels too hot to handle. He was forced to drop the gun and Pikachu used the full force of Iron Tail upon it. That should have taken care of it.
However, Oshawott was still in his paralysed state despite the destruction of the energy core. He couldn't even brush the snow flurries off his face. Oshawott tried and failed to swallow a whimper. Dr Zager gave a nasty chuckle.
"Do you think that it would be so easy? I've been told that you have been a travelling trainer for some time and yet you appeared to have learnt nothing or either you are just an inexperienced boy far away from home. Have you not realised the advances that sciences have made? Destroying the energy core does not mean you destroy the effects. No, they last far longer than that. And now you have destroyed the gun, I cannot even release your Oshawott prematurely. I'm afraid it will be subdued for far longer than intended. I pity the thing."
"You don't know the meaning of pity!" Ash spat. "And what makes you think that we can believe you anyway?" Ash wanted to pick Oshawott up but even the slightest movement seemed to cause the Water-Type pain.
However, Oshawott, suppressing evidence of his agony, forced himself upright if only so that he could prove to the scientist that he was not beaten yet.
"Well, well, well," Dr Zager laughed as Oshawott painstakingly removed his scalchop and brandished it as a weapon; not caring that he was being stared at. "I suppose it's very resilient. All the better for my experiment then. Hmm? What's this?" he barked as Oshawott was soon joined by the gang's remaining Pokémon.
Pansage suddenly had the bright idea of giving Oshawott one of the leaves of its tuft as a means of alleviating weariness. Oshawott was tempted but being the usual stubborn soul that he was, he refused for the time being even though every second was costing him precious energy.
"~Osha~Oshawott~Oshawott~Oshawott~!"
"What is it saying?" said Dr Zager, irritated with the idea of a Pokémon actually talking back at him.
"I think Oshawott's tryin' to say that dere's no way you're gonna get away with stealin' his pals," Meowth translated as he, Jessie and James finally approached the group again. "He says that he doesn't care what ya do to him as long as the others are left alone 'cause that what friends are for and why he came all dis way in da first place. Da game is up and you can't even fight fairly what with that gun an' all."
Oshawott turned to look at Snivy and found a smile encouraging to continue. Oshawott took a deep, shaky breath.
What was said next was almost too quick for the Pokémon to catch as if he was desperate to get all his words out. He looked as red as a furnace as he launched into his speech. The humans were confused when the Pokémon suddenly burst out in joyous applause; even Emolga looked somewhat cheery. Snivy, for what was possibly the first time in her life, actually blushed as much as Oshawott was doing right now but she too was strangely happy that Oshawott had managed to say, in this most unsuitable of environments, what she had been waiting to hear for quite some time.
"Aww!" Meowth gushed. "That's just gotta be the sweetest thing I've ever heard in my entire life. I gotta tell ya, Oshy, it touched me right dere in my tarnished heart. It just makes me think of Meowsie in a past life of mine…"
"What did Oshawott say?" asked James curiously.
"Can I tell them?" Meowth asked Oshawott. Oshawott nodded and let Snivy gently hold him upright.
"Don't let your heart rule your head whatever it is," Jessie sighed, knowing Meowth's disposition for whatever he considered to be sweet.
"Oshawott's sayin' that he ought to have said it ages ago but he was too shy to do so 'cause he was afraid that he'd only look stupid in front of everybody but since dere's no time like the present, Oshawott finally declared to Snivy how much he really loves her! An' he says he's felt like dis for ages too which is why the twerps thought he was actin' kinda weird an' he's been tryin' all sorts of things only to get scuppered at every other turn! I know how ya feel on that score; I've had to go through myself. But yeah, the bottom line is, is that Oshawott and Snivy love each other!"
"Which I guess is the reason why you had brought the flowers and why you kept them isn't that right?" said Cilan, smiling at the pair.
"Whoa, when did you figure that out?" Iris queried.
"Only a short while ago," Cilan admitted. "When I saw how Oshawott reacted to Ash's question. But it made perfect sense when I thought about it."
"Well, congratulations you two!" said Ash jovially. "And to think I've been worried about you all this time, Oshawott! I suppose you didn't make it as obvious this time but I'm really happy for both of you." Oshawott gave a tired smile as he felt a familiar vine wrap around him again. He could almost forget Dr Zager and the paralysing beam and the attempts to steal them right now.
Dr Zager. They were still in danger. The scientist did not appear moved at all. In fact, he seemed to be almost disgusted; as if Pokémon didn't deserve feelings of love.
What did he care about such foolish sentimental feelings as those? He wanted those Pokémon and he was going to get away with it whether they liked the idea or not.
