Blast From The Past
CHAPTER 10
"What? He's already the champion?" Max asked, jaw agape in surprise.
"...It can't be..." Brock muttered to himself, feeling one hand tighten to a fist. "...Let's go, we've got to hurry."
"Congratulations, Mr. Unova Champion," Jack said formally, smiling as he gave a small bow to Leader. He calmly stepped past him, moving down the long pathway toward the single throne with the mouse on his shoulder. "Or ignore me..."
"Leader, what are we going to do now?" Lexi asked, watching the man walk away from them. She frowned.
"Can't you see he doesn't want to be disturbed? He just finished the first important battle of the series," Trevor said, crossing his arms.
"He doesn't have to be so mean about it..." Lexi muttered, looking back toward the young man. He stood in front of the royal seat for a few moments, looking at it in admiration.
"The royalty really knew taste..." he said to himself, smiling as he turned around. He sat in the chair, taking the place of the past champions. The mouse hopped off his shoulder, taking standing position on the armrest. "You three, come closer," the three glanced at each other, stepping toward the throne. They stopped a few feet away, bringing themselves to one knee. "Stop this nonsense, I've told you before."
"Yeah, but now that you're a champion, you should be treated like one," Jack replied, smirking as he stood. Leader nodded.
"I suppose you're true, but I do not wish for it. You are, after all, equal to my position in our ambitions," he told them.
"Leader, if I may ask again...What are we doing now? We've taken position for control over Unova, but what of the other regions?" Lexi asked, standing again.
"That's why we'll have to head out again soon," she looked over at Trevor, finally moving to standing position. "We will travel to other regions, defeating their champions for control of that region. As we already knew, Unova is only the first of the series."
"I know, I just wasn't expecting it so...soon, I guess?" the blonde replied. Leader nodded, then looked past her down the pathway. Across the large room, a single man stood in the rectangle area that was once a battlefield. The former champion stared at Leader in shock, surprised he had been defeated so easily.
"Alder," he blinked, hearing Leader's call. "Come closer, I wish to speak to you," he hesitated, then cautiously stepped down the path. "No need to be cautious, I only request a conversation."
"Or do you defy Unova's strongest trainer?" Trevor asked threateningly, looking intimidatingly at the man. He stepped past nervously, stopping in front of him. The three trainers watched him expectantly, Leader noticed.
"No need, Alder," he assured the man, knowing what he was thinking.
"...What is it you would like, my champion?" Alder asked, not believing he would ever say those words.
"I wish for you to heal your Pokemon," Alder blinked in surprise, watching the trainer gesture to the machine a few feet from the throne's side, resembling the hundreds in each pokemon centre. Alder hesitantly moved toward the machine, placing his six pokeballs on the machine. "Good."
"Is there...anything else you wish for?" he asked, moving back in front of the throne respectively.
"That will be all, Alder. When your pokemon are healed, you may call them out here. I will reserve a royal room to keep your Pokemon," Leader told him, earning a surprised and confused look. "You've heard my ambitions, you should know why," Alder thought for a moment, then it dawned him.
"You...You want me to release my pokemon...?"
"Yes!" Max pumped a fist, smiling as he looked at the defeated swordsmen pokemon. He called back his mighty ape, smiling proudly.
"Bisharp, return," Grimsley spoke, recalling the pokemon to its pokeball. "Good work, old friend. Congratulations, challenger, you may move onto the next room," he gestured to a glowing floor panel beside him. Max nodded, hurrying onto the panel and returning to the lobby. Leaning against the statue, Dawn and Brock waited patiently.
"So?" Brock inquired, watching the boy. He smiled, pointing to the now-glowing panel in front of the dark-type trainer's room. "Great job, Max."
"Are May, Misty or Gary back yet?" he asked, looking at the three doorways his friends had entered before.
"Not yet, but I can tell they're almost done," Dawn said happily. The three waited by the statue for a while, Misty returning a minute after Max and Gary two minutes after. As Misty complained about her battle being tough and challenging, May returned.
"That. Was. Difficult," May sighed, slouching forward.
"Yeah, Unova's Elite Four really do challenge you," Gary added, frowning. Misty nodded.
"But, at least we managed to beat them all," Max stated, pointing to the large glowing panel beneath the statue. They all looked at each other, nodded and stepped onto the panel. It shook for a second, then they stumbled as the ground lowered beneath them. They watched the lobby disappear above as they descended into a rocky area, a long and difficult climb in front of them. And at the end, Leader.
"This is scary..." Dawn muttered, frowning.
"Go on, Alder," Leader said, urging the man. Alder stared at his pokeballs, feeling mixed emotions as he thought.
"Don't keep your champion waiting!" Jack pressured the man.
"Jack, that is not necessary. It is a painful process, remembering the effort you gave to capture your pokemon with the very sphere you are about to release it from," Leader stated, looking back at the man. Alder took two pokeballs, staring at them in his hands. He closed his eyes, frowning as he sighed quietly.
"...I'm sorry..I've failed..." he whispered, then pressed the buttons on the sphere's centers. They opened in a brilliant flash of white, releasing a floating, smiling dual snow cone and grey-armored bug with spears for arms. He took two more, frowning again as he opened them, releasing a small blue and red bug, as well as a large blue, winged dragon with a red head. He took the last two, staring at them as he felt pain at his heart. He closed his eyes, feeling his left eye build-up liquid as he opened the final two pokeballs. In the brilliant flash of white, a large brown bull was released, as well as a white bug with orange wings, giving off flame particles.
"Well done, Unova's former champion. Jack, escort Alder and his friends to their new room," Leader stated. Jack blinked.
"And that would be...?" Leader sighed.
"That is your choosing. Be sure to find the largest and luxurious room you can," Jack nodded, feeling confused as he lead the former champion and the powerful pokemon down a side-corridor.
"Leader, why does he get the most luxurious room?" Lexi asked, frowning. Trevor sighed, shaking his head at her childishness.
"Jack knows me well, and that means he knows I care for you like family. He will be sure to find the fourth best room, of course," Leader told her. Lexi smiled.
"Leader, if I may suggest...we must head to Kanto next," Trevor told him. Lexi blinked in confusion, but Leader nodded.
"Our minds think alike, Trevor. If we box around a region, they will gain knowledge of our actions from every direction. Therefore, we must take the closest region, sweeping the globe from a single direction," Leader explained, smirking. "We will head out in three days, for the time being, you may rest and prepare," Leader told them.
"So soon? We just got here!" Lexi told him.
"If we do not move quickly, other regions will hear of Unova's conquering and prepare to defend themselves. Moving fast is most efficient," Leader told her, Trevor nodding in agreement.
"It's agreed, we will move to Kanto in three days time," Trevor recounted, turning around and facing the long pathway. "Lexi, we must stand by Leader."
"What? Why?" she asked, watching him move behind the throne. He stood by Leader's right armrest, behind the mouse with his hands behind his back.
"We have company," Lexi hurried behind the throne, copying Trevor's position in respect to Leader. The three watched down the path, noticing small black dots blocking the distant doorway.
"Excuse me!" a feminine voice called out, the blunette waiting for a response.
"Wait, over there!" May pointed across the immense-spaced room, noticing the figures by the throne.
"Excuse me! Are you Leader!" Gary called across the room, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.
"Indeed I am," Leader called out, smirking as he stood up from the throne. Recalling valuable information Alder had told him, he pressed a button with a small mic on it, on the right armrest. A small circle opened in the floor in front of him, a microphone emerging. Across the room, the group was startled as a microphone emerged from the ground in front of them.
"What the...?" Max asked, tapping the microphone.
"It's to communicate across this hall," they jumped at the sudden loudness in Leader's voice. "If the champion does not wish to battle right away, they can communicate with the trainer in this fashion," Leader's voice told them, amplified by the building's speaker system.
"Okay," Max said into the microphone, nodding. "You said you were Leader, so you`re the one who's behind the pokemon liberation speeches," he said, his now-booming voice carried across the hall.
"Indeed, I am," Leader smirked. "You must be the beings my accomplices have encountered, I've heard about each of you."
"What?" Dawn asked, feeling uncomfortable at hearing that.
"With the added information I've received from my partners, I have growing knowledge on each of you," Leader said, taking the wireless microphone from the stand and stepping forward down the path. Lexi and Trevor quickly followed, walking formally behind him on each side.
"What do you know about us? We've never met before, and we don't know your friends very well," Max said defensively into the microphone.
"Ah, but that doesn't matter, Max Maple," his eyes widened. "First and only son of Norman Maple, gym leader of Hoenn's Petalburg City. You placed an impressive top eight in the Hoenn league, then entered and took the top four in Johto's Silver Conference," Leader explained, smirking as he drew closer, but still had quite a distance from them at the pace he was going.
"How...?" was all Max could say. Dawn and Brock moved him away from the mic, standing defensively in front of the others.
"How do you know about Max?" Misty asked.
"Tell us!" Brock added.
"No need to become hostile and defensive, gym leaders," they watched him carefully, not convinced. "Misty Waterflower and Brock Stone of Kanto's Cerulean and Pewter City. Training the fields of water- and rock-type pokemon respectively, you remain occupied with young challengers to your gyms," Leader explained, drawing closer.
"How do you know about us, you creep!" Misty said into the mic defensively. She felt a hand on her shoulder, looking back to see Dawn shaking her head. The two stepped aside, letting her at the mic.
"Leader, we know you are a Kanto trainer, we heard from Professor Oak himself," Dawn told him, the others then remembering they had heard that. "Saying that, you will only waste time introducing our friend Gary," she gestured to the young professor behind her, who smiled.
"It is true, I also know of Gary Oak, grandson of the famous professor. I am impressed you speak in a royal fashion, Dawn Berlitz of Sinnoh's Twinleaf Town. Placing runner-up for your first grand festival in the field of coordinating, then placing top coordinator in Hoenn, you are truly a powerful and graceful trainer," Dawn felt her cheeks heat up.
"W-Well...T-Thank you..." she said into the mic, quickly moving back.
"You're very welcome, only the highest class of compliments suits a high-class coordinator like yourself," Leader said politely, smiling as he moved closer. Dawn felt herself grow warmer and warmer, then May stepped up.
"Sweet-talking my friend isn't going to draw us in, you may as well cut the nice act now," she said, noticing Leader stopped on the path. Lexi and Trevor continued past him, standing in front of him protectively as if bodyguards.
"...And then it ends with you." May watched him intently, confused at his tone. For her friends he had used a friendly and stranger-kind of tone, but now his voice changed. It was almost like...Hatred...
"What do you mean?" she asked, curious as to what he had to say about her.
"I know about you most of all..." May's cheeks heated up, but she continued staring at him. "May Maple of Petalburg City, only sibling of Max Maple. Placing top eight in Hoenn and then top four in Kanto, your grand festivals weren't as admirable as your friend's," the two turned slightly red, one in anger and one in embarrassment. "But in the beginning, you weren't exactly a coordinator, now were you?"
"What's that supposed to mean? I'm a coordinator, always have been!" she asked defensively, feeling anger build up.
"But you were once a novice trainer, like everyone else. Fact is...you were even afraid of pokemon, you didn't even like them," May stared in shock.
"...What...?" like Max, that's all she could say.
"Young May Maple didn't like pokemon, she only used them as an excuse to travel the world. If that's not an insult to pokemon trainers, I don't know what is," Leader smirked again.
"...I've changed! I know pokemon are amazing creatures and my friends, and I would never part with them!" everyone but May and Leader winced at her anger through the mic.
"You say that, but didn't you once say that about an ex of yours?" Leader asked.
"What are you getting at...?" May's eyes widened, unnoticed by her friends. "...You...you can't..."
"Oh, but I can, May," Leader smirked, now looking into her eyes directly, sending a shiver up her spine. "You see, I may only be a single person, but I've got ears and eyes all across the globe. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, even Unova, I've got accomplices everywhere," May stood frozen in shock. Leader opened his arms, smirking. "There's no hope for you, facing me. Now, tell me...As opposed to being utterly defeated and taken captive...Won't you feel better standing by my side?" the room fell silent. For minutes, Leader, Lexi and Trevor watched the group think of their proposal. "...I'll take that as-"
"...No..."
"What?" his eyes snapped toward Dawn, who's head was held low. "...I said...No..." she snapped her head up, her eyes showing determination and resistance. "There's no way I will join the likes of you! Never!"
"Me, too!" Leader turned quickly to Misty. "Dawn's right, there's no way we would give in to you!" the redhead shouted, glaring at him.
"They're right. No deal, Leader, not in a million years," Brock told him.
"I could never oppose my friends! If they say no, then that's the right decision!" Max stated.
"The ambition for pokemon liberation...It drove Team Plasma's Ghetsis mad with power. We would never want to end up like him," Gary told him, crossing his arms. May looked back at each of her friends, then smiled as she turned back to Leader.
"...Looks like you've got six rejections, Leader," surprisingly, Leader only started laughing.
"...I didn't say you had to accept my offer, I respect humanity's rights of choice. However," Lexi and Trevor both pulled a pokeball, smirking. "...I suppose you can at least entertain my accomplices."
"Nothing personal, Misty or Dawn, but I only obey Leader's orders," Lexi told them, moving toward the left of the large rectangle floor.
"Max and Gary, you both have already witness my power. But I'm afraid if my Leader requests it, I am obliged to obey without question," Trevor told them, moving to the right.
"Lexi, we thought you were our friend...!" Dawn and Misty pulled a pokeball, stepping forward and facing the girl on the left.
"You may have beaten us before, but not this time!" Gary and Max pulled a pokeball each, facing against him on the right.
"I guess that leaves us with you, then," Brock and May stepped forward, pulling a pokeball.
"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong." the two turned in surprise, seeing Jack in the doorway, arms crossed and smirking at them. "Next time, you should always watch you back."
"How...?!"
"As with Lexi and not-so-much Trevor, friendship doesn't affect my ways of battling," he pulled a pokeball.
"That's just fine, if you're related to that monster!" May and Brock turned completely, facing against him. Everyone glanced around, noticing each person in a face-off against the one they knew. All but Leader.
"I'm afraid this is your final mistake, novices," Leader smirked, bringing his arms out.
"No, it's your mistake," he arched a brow, looking at Max. "Haven't you noticed? You've got one person against two of us, three times around," Max smiled confidently. "You're at a disadvantage."
"Are we? I'm afraid my associates are far stronger than any of your pairs together. It is you, who is at a disadvantage," Leader stated, bringing his arms back in and turning, walking back to the throne. "Besides, I have more strength than these three together, if you do somehow manage to overcome them."
"You speak very confident for a single man," Gary said into the microphone, watching him walk away. "You have a secret weapon, don't you? Tell us!"
"I'm afraid I don't have any 'secrets', nothing someone else hasn't seen," Leader said, bringing the microphone in his hand up. He stopped, turning and facing them by the throne. "Now, I will sit in my throne and watch the downfall of each of you, at the hands of my partners," he sat down, smiling as he watched them. The mouse, who remained on the armrest the entire time, now crawled onto his lap. Leader began stroking its fur.
"What's that...?" Max asked, putting his hand over his forehead as he tried to see what had crawled on Leader.
"That's...! Leader!" Gary moved closer to the microphone again. "There is another reason we came here."
"Oh, and what is that?" he inquired.
"My grandpa, Professor Oak, had recently caught an activation signal of a Kanto trainer's pokedex," Gary started, the others eyes widened as they remembered. "This was no ordinary trainer, it was Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town."
"Ah, the young boy...What of him?" Leader asked, leaning his chin into one hand while stroking the mouse with the other.
"The pokedex signal has most recently been activated here, and Trevor said something to us when we first met! He finished the sentence coming from my mouth, meaning he knew what I was saying! Trevor knows..." Gary hesitated, then his fists clenched as he looked across the room, standing tall. "...He knew Ash Ketchum! If he knew Ash, then so do you!"
"...I'm impressed," Gary looked in confusion. "Your bravery and determination to oppose me...It's admirable and surprising. Since Trevor told you of this, I suppose he had also mentioned of my legendary power. And I don't only speak in a metaphor," Gary and Max gulped, recalling Trevor's words at their first encounter. "It is true. I have indeed met a legendary pokemon, and I have also made it my friend and partner. With it by my side, we will move to the top of the pokemon champions list and conquer this world!" Leader grinned.
"But...But you can't rule the world! So many times, across the globe, people like you have tried different ways of accomplishing the same thing! Giovanni of Team Rocket, Maxie of Team Magma, Archie of Team Aqua, Cyrus of Team Galactic, Ghetsis of Team Plasma, they all failed! As each criminal organization tried to conquer this world, our friend managed to stop them!" Max moved in front of the microphone, explaining.
"That's right!" May moved behind him, taking the microphone over his shoulder. "Ash stopped every one of those organizations! If Gary is right about Ash being here, then he will help us! There's no reason he can't beat you!" May told him. Leader smirked, letting a quiet and eerily evil laughter echo through the immense lobby.
"...You say that like you know..." Leader stared across the room, ceasing his petting on the mouse. "You believe in your friend, and you believe he's here at the League, am I right?"
"Of course! Professor Oak even told us so!" Max told him.
"Then why hasn't he come to help you?" they hesitated. "If he's as strong and pure as you say, why hasn't he come to stop me yet? He's here, he's persistent, that alone should have brought him out of hiding a long time ago."
"...He...has a point..." Max muttered, backing away from the mic so it didn't echo.
"What? No he doesn't!" May replied, covering the microphone.
"But he's right, why hasn't Ash come to help?" Max asked, frowning. "Ash can't be hiding anymore!"
"He-...Wait..." Gary looked around at everyone in the room. Himself and his friends. The mysterious Trevor, Lexi and Jack. Then...Leader. "...Arceus..."
"Gary, what is it?" May asked, shaking his shoulder. His eyes only trailed off, wide as puzzle pieces clicked together in his mind.
"...Leader," Gary stepped up, taking the microphone from the others. The siblings looked at each other in confusion, then at Gary. "...Trevor said he knew Ash's Infernape, do you know about it?"
"I've seen it in battle, both on television and personally, yes," Leader responded. Then, the pieces clicked in Max's mind.
"Next question," Max took the mic from Gary. "You say you want pokemon liberation, but you haven't told us the exact details in your desires."
"Very well. I want a clean world where pokemon and humans co-exist peacefully, working together and helping to build a positive future. Pokemon may stay with humans, but keeping them in pokeballs is only torturing them. I have a personal agreement to that statement, right here," Leader brought the microphone down.
"Chupi pika!"
"A pikachu...?" Brock muttered in confusion. Misty and Dawn wondered as well, then it clicked in each of their minds.
"Then...One last question will answer all of this..." Gary took the mic back, taking a deep breath and hesitating. "To get to the Elite Four, you...you would've had to use a pokedex to get in..."
"That is correct," Leader responded, the researcher hesitating once more.
"...Then, the pokedex you used...it isn't yours, is it?" he finally asked, the pieces beginning to fall into place for everyone. Leader smirked.
"Of course it is. I'm an honest man, no thief," he told them, beginning to return towards the throne.
"No...It can't be..." May slowly stepped back subconsciously, her eyes not leaving the man opposing them. "Then...How you know about each of us..."
"I'm sure this is very shocking for each of you, May in particular," everyone's eyes were on the brunette now. "I'm afraid I can't explain the past at this point, May...Especially about that particular point resting on your wrist...'An angel waiting in my clear and bright future'...I suppose you resent me beyond repair since it's come to this," Leader explained, May's heart sinking as her eyes rolled onto her bracelet, the words gleaming in the light. Her head slowly rose, eyes twitching from the tears.
"This...isn't happening...right...?" Dawn was at a loss for words.
"Please...Please tell us it's a lie! Tell us you're lying about all of this!" Max shouted. Leader gave a simple sigh.
"But what about it is a lie?" he asked, stopping in front of the throne and turning to face them. May's hand moved to her chest, clenched into a fist as she felt tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes.
"...Please...Please tell us it isn't you, Ash..." then a quiet laugh echoed through the hall. The group stared in shock at Leader, Lexi, Trevor and Jack looking at each other in confusion.
"...I'm afraid the world isn't that simple," Leader said, his electric-type partner jumping to his shoulder.
"Leader, what happened to us destroying them?" Jack asked, feeling impatient.
"If he knows we know it's him, he won't want to hurt us," Max stated, smiling weakly.
"Maybe..." he looked at Gary, who looked to be dealing with conflicted emotions. Moments passed as Leader thought, then smirked.
"...Change of plans. I head to Kanto now, defeat Champion Lance easily and head to Johto. In that time, you will take care of them and bring them to the League's dungeons. Once completed, we will meet up in Johto's Pokemon League," Leader explained, smirking to himself. The others gasped in surprise.
"He...he's letting them battle us...!" Max said in surprise.
"He...He didn't just say that...!" Dawn said in shock.
"...He...He can't be Ash...!" Gary said in horror. May blinked, snapping out of it.
"...But he is..." they all blinked, looking at the brunette. "...He is Ash, and he's...changed..."
"Funny thing, the concept of evolution," they all blinked, looking over at Leader again. "One moment, you can be warm and inviting to anyone you meet. Next moment, you could be thinking that being nice is overrated and unnecessary. It's all thanks to evolution," Leader grinned, moving down the pathway towards them. They watched him draw closer, finally a few feet from them. He brought down the microphone, grinning to them. "...With evolution, we're never the same person our entire life. We change from who we were a moment before, our minds and bodies more developed than seconds ago," Leader stepped passed them, his eyes meeting May's. As their eyes met, their minds filled with memories as time seemed to stop at that moment, but Leader pushed it all away. "It's good to see you're doing well...Angel..." May watched in surprise, shock, anger, sadness, and amazement as Leader brushed her off so plainly, considering their history. They were best friends, they loved each other, but now he treated that all like trash as he walked out the doorway.
"Guys, focus!" May shook her head, looking at Gary. "We've still got battles here!" they all looked at their respective opponent.
"This is going to be fun," Lexi smirked, watching the blunette and redhead intently.
"I suggest you give up now, you've seen my pokemon's power," Trevor said plainly, smirking at the young trainer and professor.
"We've got to know each other, I'd say we've become friends...But, May, nothing holds me back on the battlefield," Jack smirked, looking at the brunette and older man. Everyone waited for the opposing team to make a move, but nothing happened. "...Okay...I'm getting bored fast."
"Well send out your pokemon, then! Or have you finally realized you're at a disadvantage?" Max asked cockily, smirking as he turned to look at him. Jack glared at the boy.
"I don't even know you, but now you're now on my bad side, kid. Watch it," he said threateningly.
"No need to scare the children, Jack," Trevor said tauntingly, glancing at the young trainer, who was now mad.
"What was that?!" he shouted, glaring at the trainer. "I'll have you know that even though I'm young, I'm strong! I'll beat all of you then I'll beat Ash!" he shouted, clutching tighter on his pokeball.
"Determination...But, I told you before. Anger clouds the mind, and that's why pokemon are off-aim," Trevor taunted again.
"You speak about strength like it's the most important thing, but we're strong too! We have twice as many people as you and we're just as strong, so you'll lose either way!" Max shouted, trying to hold back from jumping the older trainer.
"They're at a disadvantage, you say?"
Everyone looked around, confused at the feminine voice echoing through the area. "Wait, Lea- I mean, Ash took the microphone. He's just messing with our minds!" Max declared, looking around at his friends.
"But...Max, it's a girl's voice..." May told him, shaking her head. He frowned.
"Indeed, I am a girl. If you believe they are at a disadvantage, just say the words one more time."
The others looked at each other in confusion, then Gary spoke up. "Guys, don't say anything. It could be a trap."
"But, Gary, that would only make four of them. We still have six on four, we can still win," Max stepped forward, looking around. "...They are at a disadvantage."
"...Very well. We will make it even."
"Yes, we will make the teams more than even."
"What?" Dawn asked, looking around in surprise. "There...There's two girls...?"
"Not only two girls, We're here to join the party."
"You got that right. Jack, we got the doorway."
"No problem, guys. Glad you could make it," Jack smirked, moving toward Trevor. He adjusted around the group slightly, so the trio could face against the group with them all rounding the side opposite of the doorway.
"There's two more guys, now! And Jack knows them!" Misty stated, blinking in shock.
"You are right. We have come to aid our Leader's wishes."
"And we have noticed you oppose him. A big mistake."
"For that, we will crush you into dust with fists, kicks and willpower!"
"It's time, old friends. Let's show them the powers Leader taught us himself!"
"If he taught them himself...All of them...!" Gary stood in shock.
"Three, then four...That makes seven. Thanks a lot, Max, now it's seven on six!" May whacked the boy's head.
"It seems you show negativity amongst yourselves."
"No matter, we will only use it to defeat you even easier."
"Then show yourselves! What are you, scared?!" Max shouted tauntingly, then felt a pair of hands over his mouth.
"Shut up, Max!" his sister scolded, hitting him repeatedly on the head.
"Scared, you say?"
"You dare have the audacity to insult us?"
"No one mocks Leader's seven underlings! You're in for it now!"
"Let's go, you three! Let's show them!"
"Ha, I'm really-" a thud noise was heard, everyone looked toward the doorway. Across the ground, four shadows stretched across the room's floor. In the doorway, two men and two women stood, the girls slightly shorter than the men but still intimidatingly tall. They quickly moved into the room, taking the unblocked areas so the group was 360 degrees-trapped. "...Scared..."
"What are you going to do now, small-fry?" the man with green hair asked, smirking at the kid as he pulled a pokeball. He wore a black suit with white undershirt, a green tie to match his fairly long hair.
"Are you going to try to stop us?" the orange-haired man asked, smirking as he also pulled a sphere. He also wore a black suit with a white shirt underneath, wearing an orange tie to match with his hair color.
"That would be a grave mistake, there's no denying," the silver-haired woman spoke, looking emotionless as she held a pokeball. Her silver hair covered her left eye and half of her right, her hair flowing freely just below her shoulders. She wore a flashy silver jacket ending below her chest, showing her midriff. She also wore silver pants, but the class under skin-tight, giving a slightly baggy look.
"You can give up now, we will capture you with your pokemon unharmed," the other girl told them, smirking as she held her own pokeball as the others had. Her icy-blue hair was up in a bun behind her head, her eyes giving a brilliant mixture of white and blue. She wore an icy-blue tank top with straps running over her shoulders, and skinny-leg light blue jeans, small holes on each knee. They all wore sneakers of their respective colors.
"We'll never give in!" Max retorted, then felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, Gary shaking his head to the boy.
"Your friend knows what's good for you. Give up, and come along peacefully," the green-haired man spoke, smirking. The group looked at each other, frowning. "...It's decided, then," the outer trainers closed in. Trevor grabbed Gary, the orange-haired man grabbed Brock, Jack grabbed Max, Lexi grabbed Dawn, the silver-haired girl grabbed Misty, and finally the icy-blue-haired girl grabbed May. "Now, to the dungeons," the green-haired man lead the way down the corridor, going down flights of stairs until they were in a scene similar to a jail cell.
"We'll let you go once it's all over, we're not animals here," the orange-haired man told them.
"You'll regret this..." Max mumbled, turning away.
"What was that, kid?" he asked threateningly, but Max ignored him. "That's what I thought."
"Jack, how have you been, man?" the green-haired man pounded fists with the younger boy, the pair wearing smiles.
"Way too long, Webber," Jack smirked, stifling a chuckle.
"It's Webb, you promised you would stop saying Webber," he said, frowning at the younger boy.
"I'm sorry, it's just been too long to resist," Jack laughed again. "Not just Webb, it's great to see all of you here again. Mason, where have you been?" Jack held out his hand.
"Working with Webb, as usual," the orange-haired man took his hand, as if arm-wrestling in the air.
"Boring," Jack laughed again, turning to the girls. "Gina, where have you been for the past...Huh, guess it hasn't been that long," Jack chuckled again.
"Taking care of her, as usual," she said plainly, referring to the icy-haired girl beside her.
"So, Krystal, you're still the troublemaker?" Jack smirked, crossing his arms.
"Hey! I'm not the troublemaker!" she retorted, crossing her arms and turning away.
"That's why you're always in trouble, and I need to help you..." the silver-haired girl said quietly, smiling to herself. Jack laughed.
"It's been too long since I've seen this. Come on, let's go meet up with Leader," he said, heading toward the stairs.
"So if he's taken over Unova, I assume he's heading for Kanto next?" Mason asked, looking at Trevor as they started for the stairs.
"Exactly, it's easier to go to regions that are closest first," he told him.
"Krystal, Gina, it's so great to see you!" Lexi said happily, hugging the two girls. Krystal happily returned the hug, but Gina didn't seem to mind nor enjoy it. "How have you been? We have to catch up!"
"We totally do!" the icy-haired girl agreed, nodding happily as they neared the stairs. Gina only nodded in agreement.
"I...I can't believe it..." Dawn stared, awestruck as they acted like best friends. Gary and Max leaned against the wall, Gary bringing one foot up against it with his arms crossed. The blunette sat on one bed, and the redhead and brunette on the other. Brock stood by the gates.
"If they're going for the same thing, it's only natural, Dawn," Brock told her. "The question is, how do we bust out of here...?"
"Sucks they took our pokeballs. I wish I hid one, just for today..." May said depressingly, lowering her head.
"Come on, May, stop moping and start thinking," Misty told her.
"I know, it's just..." she looked up at the redhead. "...I can't believe it was Ash, this whole time...He was right in front of us..."
"I know, I know," she hugged the girl. "But we have to face facts. After we get out of here, we'll stick it to him."
"I can't believe it..." she repeated, staring distantly.
"I can't believe you didn't tell us you were dating," her eyes widened, looking at Max. "Oh come on, we're all thinking it. And it's not like we didn't know before, but now that he basically told us, you can finally admit it, can't you?" her face reddened.
"Max, leave her alone. We'll get out of here, stop Ash, then torment her about the past," Brock told the boy, May frowned. Brock looked out the bars, peering down the hallway. He sighed, moving across the small space and sitting on the small bench. "...We're gonna be here a while..."
END