Pokemon Adventures: Hunt of the Plates
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon Adventures/Special.
Hm, it looks like I'm running outta time... :(
Began writing on December 4th, 2011. Currently drafting Chapter 17 of Arc 2.
Chapter 9. Vs. Arbok: The Original Bad Guys
- Eterna Forest -
Crystal's eyes were everywhere at once.
In front of her Spinee was locked in a vicious catfight with Proton's Victreebel, where her central focus was on. But she was also acutely aware of Meragree, Archy, Chumee and Xatee as they fought the endless wave of Team Rocket grunts all around her, trying to stop them from reaching her. And somehow she found enough room in her head to pay attention to each one of them, as if her eyes had suddenly gained omniteal capabilities.
"Victreebel, use Solarbeam!" Proton shouted in frustration, making the Flycatcher Pokemon fire a quickly charged beam of solar energy - not at Spinee, but at Crystal. Feeling a spark of irritation at the man's dirty tactics she dodged the Grass-type attack, which blasted a small area around where she'd been standing on along with several nearby grunts.
Proton's first action upon first facing Crys in battle was to have his Victreebel use Sunny Day, no doubt planning on utlilizing Chlorophyll and a Fire-type Weather Ball against Spinee. While Crystal couldn't call the strategy unsuccessful - demonstrated by the burn marks on her Ariados - it backfired badly by also empowering Megaree and Archy; not that Chumee and Xatee were performing badly, but the Meganium and Arcanine were literally sweeping the floor, clearing out the sea of grunts with a barrage of Solarbeams and Flare Blitz.
"Archy, try not to burn the forest down!" Crys cautioned the rampaging Legendary Pokemon as she signed Spinee to charge Victreebel for a Sucker Punch.
"What a petty thing to worry about," responded Proton with a silent laugh. "Victreebel, Power Whip!"
"With its speed boosted double by the Sunny Day (so hard so see the sun these days without one!) the Flycatcher Pokemon lashed out the lone vine attatched to the back of its head, wrapping it around Spinee's leg that just delivered a powerful Dark-type strike at it. Too close to the opponent to dodge the sudden attack, the Ariados let out a surprised screech as the vine mercilessly pulled her into the Victreebel's gaping mouth, which quickly swallowed the Long Leg Pokemon whole.
"You fear that you'll burn down a few trees when your life is at risk here," chuckled Proton as he watched Crystal's surprised expression. "I'd have though such an agressive go-getter like you'd be more focused on your goal like us; I'm not afraid to turn this entire woods inside out to find the Insect Plate! It's called devotion to your duties."
"It's called stupidity," snapped Crys, only to flinch in surprise as another voice from further away shouted the exact same words simultaneously. Before she turned around to check, however, she didn't forget to carry on with her original plan. "Now, Spinee! Use Bug Bite!"
"What?" Proton exclaimed in shock as the Ariados leaped out from where she'd been hiding all along, in the thick grass that came up to Crystal's knees, chomping down on the surprised Victreebel's head with her vicious fangs.
"Roserade, use Magical Leaf!"
Finally turning back to identify the souce of the voice, Crystal's eyes widened to see the graceful Bouquet Pokemon cutting through a bunch of Staryu that Xatee had been facing and making way for a mid-height woman with tan hair and moss-green clothes, whom Crys had met a short while ago after arriving in Eterna City with Blue.
"Gardenia!" The Capturer gasped in pleasant surprise as the Gym Leader made her way to her side with a smile.
"Sorry for dithering, but it looks like you're handling it well!" Remarked Gardenia as she observed her chaotic surroundings. "Nice plan with the Substitute, by the way. Where'd you learn it?"
"From a good senior of ours," replied Crystal, letting Spinee distract Proton for a moment as she turned to the bright-spirited woman. "She's fighting inside the Chateau right now, where the darkness suits her best..."
- Old Chateau -
"Where'd you run off to this time, little lady?" Fumed Ariana as she marched through the shadowy corridors of the mansion, followed behind by her impatient-looking Arbok and a squad of grunts that apparantly got bored of the scavanger hunt for the Dread Plate. "Come out, come out, before we find you first! Then things won't be so pretty..."
Turning back to the grunts the Rocket Executive snapped: "Well, what're you standing around for? Resume the search! I'll handle the little alley-cat on my own."
The grunts took her word, quickly scattering throughout the mansion again with their Pokemon, but before they could scatter widely a loud bark caught Ariana's attention. Looking ahead she saw her grunts gathering in front of a small room on the side of the corridor. A large Granbull sat in front of the closed door, one paw in front of his jaws in a hushing motion as he pointed at the room with the other paw.
"What is it?" Asked a female grunt standing behind Ariana as she walked over to her Pokemon, who growled something quietly in her ears. Turning back to Ariana the grunt whispered: "I think the girl's hiding in here."
"Alright, men!" Ariana barked out, a plan already forming in her head as she signalled the grunts to surround the door. "It's no use searching for the girl. Return to searching the Plate! She won't dare come here again after seeing our might."
One thing Ariana had taken gladly from sly old Petrel was sign language, and she and Proton learned it well enough to be able to teach it to their minions as well. Even as Ariana spoke the grunts knew to listen to her hands, walking on the spot to trick the girl into thinking they were leaving. Sure enough, when the grunts finished their false march the door cracked open slightly, as if someone was trying to peek out with one eye.
"Get her!" Ariana barked out, sending all the gathered grunts barging into the small room like an angry wave set out to punish the infiltrator. Just as the last grunt - the Trainer of the Granbull - took a step toward the room, the Fairy Pokemon suddenly leaped forward and closed the door shut before its Trainer could go in.
"Whoa," said the grunt as she stepped back from the door with the Granbull, but before Ariana could question her behavior a series of shocked cries rang out from inside the sealed room, followed by a wild roar and the sound of - fists smashing into things?
"What's going on in there?" Ariana shouted angrily as she marched in front of the door with her Arbok. Her question was answered by the door as it was torn free from its hinges and vanished into the lightless room, out of which an enormous Nidoqueen walked out with a smug expression.
"Wow, that was messy," remarked the female grunt from behind Ariana, who whirled around at her in time to look into her sly grin. "My apologies for the blunder, ma'am. I didn't know gaining solo audience with you was this difficult."
"What's the meaning of this?" Was all that Ariana got to demand before the grunt raised her hand to her head with a trilling laugh, effortlessly peeling the Ditto mask off her face to reveal the very person that had infiltrated the mansion herself.
"As much as I hate you lot for what they did to me and my brother, I can only laugh at your naivety," giggled Blue teasingly as she looked into Ariana's thunderstruck expression. (#1) "I've been doing this trick with Ditty since I grew out of my diapers, and now you're attempting a poor imitation of it like your poor friend Petrel. Well, no matter. I've got debts to settle here. Umbry, take the Arbok. Nidory, Bully, surround her!"
- Pastoria Great Marsh -
"Feraligatr, use Earthquake!" Silver snarled as he delivered a kick straight into an incoming Team Rocket grunt, tripping him clean into a nearby swamp. With a belligerent roar his partner smashed his fists onto a sparce patch of dry land, causing a great shockwave throughout the marsh that ended up sweeping away scores of grunts with the suddenly-raised torrent of mud.
"Push on. The leader should be near now!" Silver shouted encouragingly to Weavile and Ursaring, who immediately dropped the enemy Pokemon they were pulverizing and walked deeper into the swamp, with the shorter Weavile riding upon Ursaring's shoulder. (#2) Silver also remounted Gyarados as the Atrocious Pokemon helped Feraligatr clean out the area of Team Rocket.
"By 'leader', I assume you're referring to me?"
Silver's head snapped up at the familiar voice, toward a small hill among the sea of mud where a tall man stood. The face, the hair, the gait was most definitely Giovanni, but Silver didn't miss the fact that he looked younger - and much healthier - than his father had looked when he last saw him in the crumbling castle of Team Plasma, barely weeks ago.
"Take off the mask, Petrel!" Silver roared, releasing all his stored fury toward the man who dared to insult his father; a calmer side of him made a mental note to thank Red-senpai later for passing the shapeshifter's information to him.
"Aww, damn it!" Groaned the imposter, tearing the Ditto disguise off his gaunt face with a frustrated scowl. "I'll kill that Maroon person! Thanks to him I gotta - but who's this? The renowned son of our Boss!" (#3)
"Don't say that!" Silver snapped as he glared into Petrel's hateful face, feeling his lifetime's bitterness over his miserable youth boil out of him. Had things been different, would he have been a better person?
"But of course you are," chuckled Petrel as he released his Raticate, beckoning the Exchanger over with an inviting gesture. "Why, I reckon gaining you might be better than getting the Toxic Plate outta this mudhole. What a great asset you'll be to Team Rocket, to ME! I see your potential extend throughout the planet, little prince. And I know how to make that talent bloom."
"Then consider that knowledge lost," growled Silver as he sent out his Crobat. "I've done plenty of bad things in my life, but thanks to my friends... seniors... sister... I could put the past behind me. You'll never make me relive that past, nor will you leave here with the Toxic Plate. Crobat, use Taunt!"
- Stark Mountain -
"Pika, finish with Volt Tackle!" Red shouted, watching his comrade lightly leap over the Houndoom's Over heat attack and bringing him directly above the opponent's head. With a yowl Pika shot his crackling body straight down upon the Dark Pokemon's back, causing a mini-explosion of energy that immediately knocked the Houndoom out.
"Quickly, Saur! Bind him!" Red ordered in a rapid succession, noticing Archer about to take out another Poke Ball despite the fact that he was now alone in the volcanic chamber with Red; Snor and Saur had been very thorough in their work with the grunts. The Venusaur complied with a low growl, shooting out two thick vines from beneath his flower which quickly wrapped around Archer's arms and waist, bringing the Rocket Executive to the ground. For extra measure Snor lumbered over to the fallen man, lightly pressing one stubby arm on his back and effectively pinning him down.
"Nice work, mate," spoke Red as he walked over to Archer, sharing a hi-five with Pika as the Pikachu climbed up to his shoulder. Looking down at the struggling Archer he added: "We'll have to rid him of the Hypnosis to learn anything from him. Come out, Vee!"
The Espeon was beside him in a flash, but before Red could instruct him on what to do a series of footsteps rang out from behind, followed by a loud cry: "What! It's over already?"
Turning toward the chamber entrance, Red blinked as a redhaired boy wearing a flame-patterned shirt leaped into the magma room, scanning the defeated Team Rocket littering the ground with wide eyes. A Claydol came hovering behind him, followed by Aero, Poli, Gyara and Sear (who'd been standing guard at the tunnel) as they ryshed over to him. The Claydol looked as if he'd been fighting, while his Pokemon looked as if they'd been... excercising. In a hot bath.
"I told you, Buck, he wouldn't need help, didn't I?" Clicked another, older voice. Red blinked again to see another redhaired man (this one with an afro hairdo) appear from behind the boy, wearing a yellow shirt and black pants with a red belt: Flint, an Elite Four member of Sinnoh. He and the boy looked so much alike, they could only be kin.
"But admittedly, this is rather... astounding," said Lucian as he followed through his comrade, greeting Red with a welcoming nod. "I wouldn't have thought it possible that a single Trainer could devastate an entire Team Rocket division so thoroughly... I suppose it comes from talent."
"Experience, more like," replied Red modestly, remembering how he, Green and Blue broke into the Team Rocket HQ in Saffron City nine years ago - and totalled it into rubble.
"And it looks like you've gotten us a prisoner," said Flint as he inspected the captured Archer and his white uniform. "Looks like he's someone important. What are you gonna do with this guy?"
"He's been brainwashed 'cause he knows something he shouldn't know," answered Red as he kneeled down beside his Espeon. "I'll have Vee here try and remove this Hypnosis from Archer. Maybe we'll be able to find out what these people are after the Plates for."
"Well, that's a good idea!" Buck remarked as he beckoned his Claydol nearer. "Then two can play at that game. What do we gotta do?"
"Let my Pokemon hear as well," Lucian put in as he released his Girafarig and Alakazam. "This appears to be an extremely dangerous and complicated sort of mind control, and if you know how to undo it we should know about it."
"I don't; let Vee tell them," assured Red with a proud smile at Vee, who quickly waved the other Psychic-types around him with his forked tail. Red, Buck, Flint and Lucian watched on as the Espeon began instructing Claydol, Girafarig and Alakazam with clear mews and telepathy. The lecture didn't last long, and soon all of them were surrounding the now-unconscious Archer (Red supposed Snor had pressed a little too hard) in a square formation.
"Ready?" Red asked Vee, who was just about to nod back when -
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!" Archer suddenly howled, suddenly convulsing madly on the ground as if an Eelektross had hugged him. The surprised Psychic-type Pokemon leaped out of the way with yelps, and even Snor and Saur let out dismayed growls - though, to his credit, Saur didn't let go of unbind the Rocket Executive.
"What the - ? What's goin' on?" Buck exclaimed in shock, but Red hardly heard him as he saw Archer's expression: it was distorted in stark terror and pain, and his bound fingers twitched toward his head - as if something was destroying his brain from the inside.
"Someone's frying his brain! Vee, use Psychic!" Red shouted quickly, but it was too late; before Vee could utilize his powers Archer already stopped twitching, his eyes rolling into his skull before he collapsed onto the floor like a corpse. Lucian at once hurried over to him, first checking the man's pulse as his Alakazam tapped into the Executive's brain.
"He's still alive," reported the Psychic-type Elite Four after awhile. "But you're right about the brain-frying alright; his memory's a total mess. It's asylum life for the rest of his years, I fear."
"He knew something someone didn't want us to know," muttered Red as he took his eyes away from Archer's now empty expression to the chamber exit, out of which he knew the mysterious energy storm still raged. "We stopped Archer from getting the Flame Plate, but it feels weird... almost as if we lost. Where's the Flame Plate, if not here? What did he know that had to be hidden from us? And most of all, who felt the need and the power to do this to him?"
Hell yeah, Red, you're awesome XD
#1. It's actually the Mask of Ice who did all the crap, before he gained control of Team Rocket, but the hell Blue cares XD
#2. For those who don't remember, Giovanni returned Silver's Ursaring in Chapter 32 of Arc 1. I'm still thinking of the Rhyperior... do you think Silver should return the borrowed Rhyperior to Green? Post your opinions on the reviews!
#3. Petrel still doesn't realize the fact that Maroon is Red... but then again, no one really did until Maroon unmasked himself XD
pika09, it says Dia's birthday's Dec.4th on Bulbapedia, though I'm not sure it's 100% accurate. Better than nothing, though.
Points to notice here:
1. Petrel's in on a secret, something that's hidden from his comrades. But it looks like he has a plan on his own...
2. Check out Red's last question. It's the question of the leaders. Something big's rising from the horizon, but who is that?
In Chapter 10 we finally return to Grey (N) as he fights the baddest villain so far (in my opinion), Ghetsis. Meanwhile other fights are coming to a close...? Until then, R&R!
Writing completed on December 5th, 2011. This is Yowl of Time, out.
