A/N: Well here it is. Chapter 10. It was getting long so I cut out some details. Sorry about that. But I still like this chapter. It sort of is a set up for an interesting encounter on chapter 11. This chapter is also the first dramatic encounter with the Aqua leader. But this isn't as dramatic as this story gets. This is nothing compared to a certain chapter. You'll have to see it to understand.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. However, I do own the future drama.
Chapter 10 Get that meteorite!
May woke up the next morning, she was very refreshed. She sat up and accidentally knocked Growlithe out of the bed. (I thought he was sleeping on the floor. He must have snuck in last night.) She thought.
Growlithe stood up and tried to not be too embarrassed. He had jumped in her bed so he'd be close when she had a nightmare. But... she...she... wait...
"Well we should probably go see Nurse La and ask her for some breakfast." (I feel so rested. Usually I'm kinda tired from my nightmares... wait...) "I... didn't have a nightmare... I didn't have a nightmare!"
She picked up Growlithe and swung him around. May was happier than a Blissy. Growlithe was happy, and dizzy. But he didn't mind being swung around when May was in a good mood. He's never seen her so happy. May gave Growlithe a big hug and then put him down. Growlithe was heavier than he looked.
"Growl growlithe."
"Yeah, today is going to be good. I can feel it." May said.
They went out and May and her pokemon had a good breakfast thanks to Nurse La. After breakfast and saying goodbye, May and Growlithe walked out of the pokemon center in Maville. They walked north of the city and went where they have never walked before. They passed some trees and a house.
Then they made it to a blockade. There was no way around the rocks. May examined one of them. "This rock appears to be breakable. Miltank can probably clear a path." May threw out Miltank's pokeball. She emerged and her scarf waved in the wind. "Alright, it's time for Karate cow. Use Rock Smash."
"Moo!" Miltank chopped the rock into nothing. May patted her head and Miltank looked proud.
"Good job, now return."
Miltank went back in her pokeball and May continued. She and Growlithe walked passed a few more trees and saw a woman with a microphone and a guy holding a camera. May walked over to see what they were doing.
But the cameraman spotted her. And he looked happy. His name is Ty. "Hey, lookie here! A tough-looking trainer here, of all places!"
The woman with him spoke up. "Oh! We've just spotted a tough-looking trainer here of all places! This is a rare find folks."
"The camera isn't on yet." Ty said to her.
"Really? Okay, roll camera! Let's get this interview." The woman said.
Ty nodded. "Camera's rolling!"
(What?) May thought in confusion.
The woman didn't notice and began talking to the camera. "Gabby here, and my cameraman and I spotted a trainer. You know... I don't like that take. Ty? Can you edit that out later?" So her name was Gabby?
"No problem." (My sweet. Oh how I wish I could tell her...) Ty thought wistfully.
"Young trainer, care for a battle? It'll be 2 on 2." Gabby said.
May shrugged. "Okay, that sounds interesting." (I've never done a 2 on 2 battle. Let's see how good my pokemon work as a team.)
That made Gabby happy. "Alright! Come on out Magnemite!"
"You too Whismur." Ty let out his Whismur at the same time.
"It's time to battle Miltank." May released Miltank.
All pokemon were ready. A level 19 Whismur and Magnemite vs. level 20 Growlithe and level 21 Miltank. May quickly thought of a strategy. "Growlithe, Flamethrower on Magnemite. Miltank, Strength on Whismur.
Growlithe quickly shot out flames and Miltank ran forward and shoved Whismur hard to the ground. And in but a few seconds, both Magnemite and Whismur were knocked out. Gabby and Ty's mouths dropped. Then they recalled their pokemon. Miltank and Growlithe were happy. May recalled Miltank after congratulating her on her victory.
(Miltank's scarf made her attack stronger, and Growlithe's flamethrower was super-effective against the steel pokemon. So that was an easy battle.) May thought. Today really was going to be good.
"My eyes didn't lie! I did discover an astonishing trainer!" Gabby said with excitement in her voice.
"Yep, we sure spotted a hot trainer. This is a huge scoop for us!" Ty agreed.
"Awesome! Awesome! Who are you?!" Gabby asked May.
"My name's May."
Gabby was sure happy for someone who lost. "I knew we were onto something wild when we spotted you!"
She was too happy about meeting a strong trainer to introduce them. Ty decided to do it for her. "By the way, I'm Ty. And this is Gabby."
Gabby stopped her ranting as she heard that. "That's right, she doesn't really know who we are. Oh, please let me explain, May. We travel around everywhere interviewing all sorts of trainers. And batting them. So, would you give us a bit of your time for an interview?"
"Sure."
"You will? Thank you! Okay, I need you to describe your feelings about our battle, but it has to be short and sweet. Go!" Gabby said. That confused May a little.
"In other words, a one word answer." Ty explained.
(Uh... that battle was...) "Excellent." May answered.
Gabby liked it. "Mmm, yeah! That's the perfect clincher! I get the feeling this will make a great TV show. There's a chance they'll air this on TV, so make sure to look for us! Okay! We'll be seeing you!"
"You're a natural! Got me some prime footage right here!" Ty told May.
"We'll be keeping an eye out for you! Goodbye." Gabby said. And so Interviewer Gabby and Ty left. May and Growlithe watched them go. Gabby and Ty were interesting people. May started walking again up the path.
Meanwhile... in Littleroot town, Prof. Birch was doing work in his lab. But then decided to call Brendan. He took out a phone and dialed. And started watching TV.
Brendan answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey son. Can you buy me some herbal remedies from that shop and bring them to me? Plus your mom wants you to visit.... me too. Sorry, didn't mean to sound like the only reason I called was for your help." Prof. Birch said.
Brendan replied, "...Sure. But I can't stay for too long. Just a couple of days. I'm busy catching..."
"Whoa! Turn on a TV. May's on!" Prof. Birch yelled.
"I'm nowhere near a TV. What's happening on there?" Brendan asked his father.
On TV
In search of trainers...
"Hi! Today I'm visiting an area near route 111. We're trying to spot some up-and-coming new talent in the field. Today, we turned our lens on the trainer May. There's something about this trainer that piqued our interest. The best way to determine how strong a trainer is... Well, the fastest way is to battle. And so we began our investigation! ... ... That's how we ended up in a battle with May. In a dominating performance, we were flattened, rolled up, and tossed aside! May is ruthlessly strong... We asked the trainer for a succinct summation of the battle we shared. ... I lost confidence in myself as a result of our encounter. We were beaten before we could launch a single attack. Ohhh... Snivel... In spite of that, May's battles are worth seeing. I recommend confident trainers to challenge May. Like I said, After our battle, we asked May for a succinct summary. The trainer replied, "Excellent." May's pokemon Growlithe and Miltank... And "Excellent"... Mmm! That's deep! There's deep significance behind that quote! It's no surprise -a good trainer has good things to say. That's all for today! See you again on our next broadcast!"
Back with May... she walked up to this sandy dusty place. It looked like a dessert. As she walked a few steps she walked right into a sandstorm. A bunch of sand got in her eyes. May whipped them and started backing away.
"The sandstorm is vicious. It's impossible to keep going. Let's go on the path to the left instead, Growlithe."
They walked out of the storm and walked left in the path. It was nicer to walk in the grass rather than a dessert anyway. They kept going left until they saw a set of stairs. May walked up the stone stairs and Growlithe suddenly started growling.
(He only growls like this when he smells Team Aqua. They must be up to something.) "Growlithe, let's sneak up on them. Lead the way."
Growlithe nodded and led her to where he smelled Team Aqua. And by this gate, two Aqua members were standing guard. May and Growlithe hid behind some small trees. May thought about going over and fighting them. But the Aqua Grunts were in conversation. It was best to listen in for now.
"Grumble... I'd like to ride the cable car to the top, too..." The first said.
(Cable car? Is that what's beyond the fence?) May thought.
"Grumble... What happened to the others who went to Fallarbor? They're late..." The second said.
(Whatever they're doing, it can't be good. I have to go to Fallarbor town and stop them!) May thought.
May and Growlithe snuck away and she looked at her Pokenav. It would take some time to get to Fallarbor, so riding her bike would be best. First she had to go in the cave called Fiery path. It cut through Mt. Chimney.
She got on her bike and went into Fiery path. Steam came from the ground every few seconds, but May had no trouble. Growlithe didn't mind the heat, but he struggled to keep up with her. At the end of the path, May exited the cave and saw some berries in a patch. She grabbed them in case she needed them and continued. May had to hurry, she had a feeling Team Aqua was planning something big.
She kept going and noticed that they were where the other side of the dessert was. Going up further, May saw more berries and picked them before continuing on the path. But she was starting to get tired. May saw that the grass up ahead was a pale color. And when she got there, May got right off her bike in surprise. Because it was... snowing?
(What the... what is this?) She looked at her pokenav and was given an answer. "We're close to Mt. Chimney. I guess it's a volcano. And this must be volcanic ash falling on us."
Growlithe knew exactly what the volcanic ash was. Since he was born on Mt. Chimney, this was something he was introduced to not that long ago. May put up her bike and decided to not risk riding in this "weather." The two of them walked through the grass and saw a few trainers trying to catch pokemon. They left a trail in the ashes as they walked. Then the volcanic ash would cover the area again. This would have been a fun time, if it weren't for the current situation.
(It's hard to look at the map through all this. Hey wait, Growlithe was born on Mt. Chimney. He may know his way around here.) "Growlithe, do you know the way to the next town?" May asked.
Growlithe sadly shook his head. The only place he saw before meeting May was the peak of the mountain.
"Okay, then can you try to sniff out Team Aqua?"
He tried to sniff the ground, but all he could do was sneeze. The only thing he smelled was ashes. Growlithe couldn't even smell May! But then he noticed something. "Growl, growl growlithe."
May looked at where he was staring and saw a house. They could get their bearings!
(May's traveling tips. Remember, even if you have a map, it's useless if you're trying to read it in bad weather. So be prepared.)
They walked inside and saw a little boy and man. The man with a receding hairline spoke up. "Welcome, I am Flu and this is my young assistant Jeff. Huff-puff."
May was about to ask if he saw Team Aqua and how far Fallarbor was but he suddenly said-
"This area is covered in volcanic ash, huff-puff! I'm specially gifted, huff-puff. I make glass out of volcanic ash and make items, huff-puff. Go collect ashes with this, huff-puff."
He handed May a Soot Sack. "Thanks but-"
Flu wasn't listening. "Just take that Soot Sack and walk through the piles of ash, huff-puff. And it will fill up with volcanic ash, huff-puff. Once you think you've collected a good amount, come see me, huff-puff. Now goodbye."
"Wait, have you seen any people wearing blue bandana's around here?" May asked.
Jeff spoke up for the first time. "We've been inside all day. Right boss?"
"That's correct. Huff-puff." (Curse the ash for making me cough.) Flu thought.
"Then how far is Fallarbor?"
Jeff answered, "You're really close miss. Just keep going on the path and you'll be there in a minute or two. It's just hard to see the town through all the volcanic ash falling around here. But it doesn't reach Fallarbor."
"Thanks for the help." (Good, maybe I'll catch up to Team Aqua.)
May quickly left that house and kept walking. The ashes stopped falling and May saw the town right away. She and Growlithe quickly went in and went into the pokemon center for healing and info on Team Aqua. "Excuse me, Nurse. But have you seen Team Aqua?"
"Team Aqua? No I haven't heard of anyone like that. But you should ask Lanette over by the PC. She's a smart woman. In the meantime, I can look at your pokemon." Nurse Jasmine said.
"Thank you. I'll be right back." May left her pokemon with Nurse Jasmine and walked over to the PC. Lanette was doing something on it. "Excuse me."
"Oh, hello. You are?" Lanette asked.
"Im May and-"
"Okay, your name's May. I can see that you're a trainer. So that means you use the pokemon storage system I developed. How I arrived at that conclusion is a simple deductive process. You spoke to me because you wanted to access something on this PC."
"No I-"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Lanette. Honestly, I'm glad to meet you- it's great that you're using the storage system. If you could, please come visit me at home. My house is on route 114." Lanette suddenly ran out as if she forgot something.
(She didn't even let me get a word in! I have to find Team Aqua! How can nobody have seen them!) May thought in frustration.
"Your pokemon are healed." The pokemon nurse said.
May left the pokemon center with Growlithe. He could tell she was frustrated. So he tried to think of how to help May. "Why can't anyone tell me where Team Aqua is? Didn't their teammates say they were coming here?"
An old man walked over. "What's up, what's up? I saw a shady fellow scuttling in and out of Prof. Cozmo's lab. Perhaps he was this, Team Aqua, you speak of."
(Finally a lead!) "Where is the lab?" May asked.
"Right over there. It's small like a house."
"Thank you very much." May walked down to the lab and walked in. The old man said someone went in and out. So Prof. Cozmo should know. They saw that this place honestly looked like a regular house. Only a woman was inside. "Are you Prof. Cozmo?"
The woman was actually named Ruth. "No, Prof. Cozmo went off to Meteor falls on route 114 with some people from... what was it they called each other?... oh yes, Team Aqua. So you'll have to... huh?"
May was gone. She had already run out and gotten on her bike. She pulled out the pokenav. (Route 114 is left of town. Got it.) "Let's go Growlithe. We're going after them."
"Growl!"
The search continued. May went on route 114 and started riding down the path. She came to a large bridge and crossed it. But had to stop, since the path ended. She wasn't sure where to go. "Can you smell them?"
Growlithe shook his head. That ash smell was still in his nose. May sighed and wished she asked Ruth how to find Meteor falls. She wandered around a little and found some more berries. She picked them and noticed a house. (That could be Lanette's house. I should try asking her... again.)
Meanwhile.. in said house. Lanette was checking her e-mail. "So he sent me another e-mail." (Why doesn't anyone just call anymore?) "Let's see..."
"Your storage system offers more convenience than mine. It has a lot of user-friendly features that make it fun and useful, too. It makes me proud that I played a part in its development. Here's hoping that you'll continue research in storage systems. From Bill."
Lanette smiled after reading that. Bill was a nice guy. She knew she'd probably never be as famous as him. But maybe that was a good thing. Part of the reason he was so famous was because a accidentally turned himself into a pokemon with one of his machines one time. But that was years ago. A story that would take too long to tell. Suddenly May walked in on Lanette. The house was filled with computers, boxes and many books all over the place.
"Hi again. I-"
"Oh! May!" (I didn't expect her to come today.) "I'm sorry everything is so cluttered... When I get engrossed in research, things get this way... this is embarrassing... Please keep this a secret in exchange for this." Lanette transferred a Lotad doll through the PC. "I'm giving you a doll. You'll be able to access it under your name. It can be taken out at your home and-."
This time May interrupted Lanette. "Listen! I need to know where Meteor Falls is! My map doesn't show the specific direction."
"Ohhh. Meteor Falls is a cave with a couple of large waterfalls. To get there, go on the rocky terrain. It will zigzag, but eventually lead you to the cave." So she DID have useful info!
"Okay, thanks. Bye."
May and Growlithe quickly left. Making Lanette confused. (I wonder why they left so soon. Maybe to see the pretty waterfalls.) She went on to do her work while May tried not to crash her bike on the rocky terrain.
In meteor falls... Team Aqua was there with Cozmo. And things were not going well for the professor.
"What are you doing?!" Prof. Cozmo yelled.
Aqua Admin Matt said, "What? We found the meteorite. Now we're taking it."
This really upset Cozmo. "But I was going to use that for research! You can't just say you're going to help me and just take it away right when we found it!"
"Actually, we can do what we want. It's for a better cause." Aqua Admin Matt replied.
"But-"
"I suggest you stop whining. Or me and my friends will make you stop." Matt threatened. Two other Aqua members stepped forward and cornered Cozmo. The professor was scared and didn't say anything else. "Good! Hehehe. Now one of you call the boss. Tell him we have it, and will meet him soon."
Back with May... She got off her bike once she reached the cave. Growlithe immediately started growling. The ash smell left his nose, and he recognized a few of the smells by the entrance.
(Bingo.) "Lead the way." May told Growlithe.
Growlithe ran in and May followed him. The cave was actually beautiful, and had a lovely looking waterfall. Too bad they didn't have the time to enjoy it. The two of them came by a staircase and Team Aqua was found. A tough looking big (As in muscular) Aqua guy started laughing. " Hehehe! With this meteorite, Mt. Chimney will..." Aqua Admin Matt saw May and Growlithe. "Heh? I don't know who you are, but if you get in the way of Team Aqua, don't expect any mercy!"
"I'm not afraid of some bonehead! What the heck are you trying to do anyway!? May yelled/asked.
That got Matt really angry. "Bonehead? Bonehead! That's it! You're toast!"
He started stomping towards May. Growlithe sensed his negative intentions and stood in front of May. "GROWL! GROWL! GROWL!"
The Admin wasn't afraid and kept walking. Growlithe was about to go bite this guy until...
"Hold it right there, Team Aqua!" Matt stopped in his tracks and looked back. "We, Team Magma, won't allow you to get away with your misdeeds!"
Three people dressed in red walked over. There was one not wearing a red hat. But had red hair.
May started to think. (Team Magma? Who are-)
Admin Matt laughed. "Hehehe! Even Team Magma joins us! But it's too much trouble to deal with you all... Heh, it doesn't matter! We've got the meteorite, so off to Mt. Chimney we go! Hehehe! Be seeing you, you Team Magma dingbats!"
He and the other Aqua members ran at May. Growlithe snapped at them, but they pushed through. May had to jump out of the way to avoid getting run over.
"Ahhhh!" Matt screamed.
May was confused when that guy yelled as he was running. But one look at the cloth in Growlithe's mouth quickly answered that question. Growlithe spit out the piece of pants as the Magma member without a hat walked up to May.
"And you are?"
"I'm May. Who are you?"
"Fine, so you are May. I am Maxie. As the head of Team Magma, I have dedicated myself to thwarting the dangerous plans of Team Aqua. Because Team Aqua is a grave threat to us all. They have committed many destructive acts in their bid to enlarge the sea. We, Team Magma, love dry land above all! Team Aqua is our sworn enemy!"
Maxie's teammates walked up. "Maxie, we should give chase to Team Aqua..."
Maxie was mad at himself for that. (Drat! I let my anger make me stop to tell all my troubles to some wandering trainer. There's no time for this!) "Yes, yes, we must! We've got to hurry. There's no telling what Team Aqua will do at Mt. Chimney!"
(Man... that's right. Team Aqua is going all the way back to Mt. Chimney. It'll take forever to go all the way back there!) May thought.
"May, you should keep an eye out for Team Aqua, too. Farewell!" Maxie and his team left.
May was about to go, when she noticed a nerdy guy wearing glasses and a lab coat. "Hey, are you okay? You look scared. Who are you? And what happened?"
"I... I'm Cozmo... I'm a Professor... I usually study meteorites in Fallarbor town... Then some people from Team Aqua made me guide them to Meteor Falls... They promised me that they would excavate meteorites for me... But, I... Team Aqua tricked me... Oh... that meteorite... It will never be mine now... But that Team Aqua... What are they going to do with that meteorite at Mt. Chimney?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to put an end to it." (Even though I have to go all the way back to where I spied on those Aqua members talking.) "Will you be okay?" May asked.
"I'll be fine. Go on and teach them a lesson." Prof. Cozmo said.
May got on her bike and started the long ride back. May and Growlithe had to go back to Fallarbor, go through the falling volcanic ash, and go on the long path that led back to Fiery pass.
Now, it was 6:00pm. Needless to say, May was exhausted. But she made it through the Fiery path and made it to where the Aqua grunts were talking. May got off her bike and put it up. The grunts were no longer there. They walked in a small building and saw a slightly looking scared woman. By a cable car. (Oh thank goodness! Someone to help! But I must be professional.) "Would you like to go up on the cable car? It'll take you straight up the mountain."
" ...yeah." (Does she not know Team Aqua is here? Or is she dense?) May thought to herself.
(Yes I'm saved!) "Please come this way." May and Growlithe boarded the cable car, and it started going up and out.
May looked out the window with Growlithe. "Would you look at that view. All the trees look so small from here. Even though we're going into battle, I feel sort of relaxed because of this view."
"Growl?"
"Hm... I'm not exactly sure why." Volcanic ash started falling down. "Alright. We're almost there. Enough sightseeing. I need to focus."
During their trip to Fallarbor and back, Lapras grew to level 22. Growlithe was still at 20 and Miltank 21. May hoped they would be strong enough to stop Team Aqua. The cable car reached the top and they got off. Another cable lady led them to the door leading outside.
When May exited this building, the ashes were really coming down. And even the trees changed colors up here. But that didn't surprise May. What did was seeing, what one could probably call a gang war. They immediately saw an Aqua and Magma grunt having a pokemon battle. But there were more confrontations a little ways up.
The Magma grunt saw May. "It's you... please, help us! There isn't time to go for help and we're outnumbered! If they expand the sea, there'll be less habitats for pokemon and people!"
His Poochyena was suddenly tackled by an Aqua member's Poochyena. "Yeah! Hose them down!" The Aqua member yelled.
"Hurry May! I've got this one! Go stop them!" The Magma grunt pleaded.
"Alright, don't worry, we'll stop them." May said.
May and Growlithe kept walking up the mountain and saw the others. And it wasn't looking good for Team Magma. Almost everyone was battling.
A different Magma grunt was having problems. "Darn... Team Aqua outnumber us! We can't keep up with them!"
The battles continued, and some were even in arguments.
"Stay out of our way, okay? We're trying to enlarge the sea for the good of everybody!" An Aqua Grunt yelled.
"Team Aqua wants to expand the sea... How's that for insane?" A Magma Grunt countered.
The only response the Aqua Grunt had left was, "Shut up!"
Growlithe was starting to get more upset. The place he hatched was turned into a battlefield.
It was so peaceful when he was here. Even though he was only there for a minute. May and Growlithe came to Maxie. And were surprised to see his pokemon was facing three other Aqua pokemon. But the pokemon was holding up surprisingly well.
The Aqua Grunts kept ranting. "That annoying Team Magma... They always mess with our plans!"
"Go my pokemon! Stomp Team Magma! And expand the sea!"
May made her way over to Maxie. "We'll help you."
"Oh, May! Please, you must stop Team Aqua for me! Forget about me. They're trying to make the volcano inactive by using the stolen meteorite's power! They want the magma to harden. So that rain wont turn to mist. Dealing with these three thugs is a lot, even for me! But you have to go on and get that meteorite! We'll slow the others down as long as we can."
"We've got it covered." (I'm starting to get nervous.) May thought. This was a lot of responsibility.
Maxie nodded and continued his battle.
(I acted brave, but Team Magma is fighting a losing battle. And they expect me to even out the odds. It was four Magma members against nine Aqua members.)
May kept walking and saw two Aqua guards. There was no way to sneak passed them.
(Why be afraid? With my pokemon, I can take those guys down without a problem.) She walked right up to the guard.
"We of Team Aqua are working hard for everyone's sake." The Aqua Grunt said.
"For everyone's sake? How is expanding the sea and being thugs doing anything positive?" May asked.
That shook him up a little. "Um, Like, if there's more water around, water pokemon will be happy, and it'll give people more fun places to swim!"
"You do realize you'd have to take away from land to do that, right?"
"Yeah... but I don't care. Go Zubat!" Moron.
May tossed out her own pokeball and released Lapras.
"La."
"Sorry there's no water here. Anyway... knock out his Zubat with Thunderbolt." May told Lapras.
Lapras gathered energy for her electric attack and shot a super-effective bolt that KO'd Zubat in one shot. The grunt had his Zubat return. "Man... just one shot... But this isn't over. Go Poochyena!"
His pokemon came out and May recalled Lapras. "It's your turn Growlithe."
"Growlithe."
"Flamethrower."
Growlithe blew out fire that knocked out Poochyena in one shot as well. Poochyena fell to the ground just before the Aqua Grunt recalled him. The Grunt didn't even know what went wrong. Both pokemon were at the same level and were both unevolved.
"Hunh? What do you mean I lost?" (How could her Growlithe knock out my Poochyena in one shot? It makes no sense!) "Man... Our Boss says, "It will make everyone happy." But why does everyone keep getting in our way?"
May ignored him and kept walking. Running into the second guard. Which made Growlithe very mad. It was Aqua Admin Matt. "Hehehe! So you've come all the way here! But you're too late! I've already delivered the meteorite from Meteor Falls to the Boss! And now, you and your pants ripping puppy will pay! Those pants cost a lot of money! Go Carvanha!"
"I choose Lapras." Both pokemon came out. "Thunderbolt."
Shots of lightning quickly knocked out the fish pokemon. Matt had his pokemon return and brought out a Poochyena.
"Lapras return. Knock him out Growlithe." May recalled Lapras and Growlithe stepped up. Growlithe used Flamethrower and the pokemon was KO'd in a second. Growlithe grew to level 21.
"I'm not done yet. Carvanha number 2!" Matt yelled. His pokemon came out. And May knew it was better to switch to Lapras again.
"Return Growlithe."
Growlithe went back to her side as she released Lapras. After the command, the fish pokemon was wiped out with a thunderbolt as well. And that ended the battle. Both May and Matt recalled their pokemon.
"Hehehe... So I lost... I'm sure glad I never took you on back at Meteor Falls. I'm usually not one to give up. If it were up to me, I'd throw you in the lava. You little pest." Matt said with malice.
Growlithe started growling and Matt backed away. While trying to not look intimidated.
"I see... so now you're threatening to kill me. I thought you were trying to help the world." May said.
"I... whatever! Your lucky that you have your little pokemon for now, but he wont do any good against the Boss. Hehehe! You might have beaten me, but you don't stand a chance against the Boss! If you get lost now, you wont have to face a sound whipping! You better heed my advice." Matt said.
May just walked by him. Growlithe kept a good eye on Matt. If he dared try to even touch May, Growlithe would do more than rip his pants. May found a machine holding the meteorite.
(The machine seems to be storing energy into the meteorite. Wait... that's odd. Where is Archie? Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'd better stop the machine.) She reached for the meteorite, only to get her hand smacked away. Archie came up from who knows where and did that. Growlithe realized he missed him because of the falling ashes. And jumped towards Archie. But a Mightyena suddenly appeared and knocked Growlithe away. Growlithe hit the ground away from May and Archie. Mightyena stood in front of Archie.
"Growlithe! Are you-" May was interrupted when Archie grabbed her wrist hard. They were right on the ledge by the lava. (Is he going to throw me in?) "Let go!"
She tugged hard, he pulled harder and knocked her to the floor. Growlithe tried to get to her, but Archie's pokemon pinned him to the ground by the back of his neck. May slowly got up and was glad Archie didn't throw her in the lava. But she was pretty mad he threw her at all.
Archie began his long rant about his plans. "The power contained in the meteorite... By amplifying its power with this machine, Mt. Chimney's volcanic activity will stop. Fufufu... Eventually, the cooled-down crater will fill with rainwater, giving water pokemon a place to live. Now listen. All life depends on the sea. The sea is everything! Its importance is paramount! That is why we of Team Aqua are committed to expanding the sea. Doing so will result in the emergence of new pokemon species. We will return the world back to nature for the good of pokemon. That is Team Aqua's vision! I can't allow an ignorant child like you to get in the way."
(Ignorant child?! How dare he!?) May angrily thought.
"I, Archie, will show you the consequences of meddling!"
Growlithe had enough! He pushed up as hard as he could, that gave him enough space to turn around and blow fire at Mightyena. The hyena pokemon released him and jumped back from the pain.
"Growlithe!" He ran over by May to make sure she wasn't hurt.
Archie wasn't fazed by this at all. (The rain will make the volcano overflow and flood the surrounding area. They will all see how water is the key to life!) "Mightyena, Bite!"
Mightyena, being the taller dog like pokemon and at level 24, easily grabbed Growlithe by the back and bit him.
"Quick use Flamethrower!"
Growlithe shot his flamethrower at Mightyena and was released. This evolved pokemon wouldn't go down without a fight. He growled back at Growlithe, trying to show that he was stronger.
"Bite him again!" Archie ordered.
Growlithe tried to jump away, but Mightyena grabbed him and bit hard in the same spot.
"Growl!" Growlithe tried to play that off as a growl to show he was angry, but he wasn't fooling anyone. That was a yelp of pain.
(Poor Growlithe, he can't take much more of this.) "Flamethrower again..." Now May wasn't sure what was best to do.
Growlithe blew out a flamethrower that not only set him free again, but critically injured Mightyena. Mightyena stared at Growlithe with pure hatred before suddenly yelping in pain. His body was burned.
Both pokemon were practically dead on their feet. And May decided Growlithe couldn't finish the job. "I know you want to beat Mightyena, but I want you to return. One more hit and you'll be KO'd."
Growlithe nodded and walked back to her. He was a little disappointed in himself. He wasn't strong enough...
"You did a great job. Especially burning Mightyena." May tossed out a pokeball and Miltank came out. Miltank saw how hurt Growlithe was and instantly hated Mightyena.
But then, Archie used a super potion of Mightyena. And Mightyena was healed of most damage. Mightyena yelped again when his burn started hurting again. "Pull yourself together! We're fighting for a noble cause!"
"A noble cause?! You stole a meteorite, have a gang fighting team Magma as we speak, and you shoved me to the ground. I don't see anything noble about that?"
"Quiet girl. You're naive to what's best for the world." Archie said.
"You're the naive one! Miltank, use Strength."
Miltank charged at Mightyena and shoved him as hard as she could. Mightyena regained his balance and kicked sand at Miltank's face. "Millo!" She wiped off her face and saw Mightyena preparing to attack again.
"Finish him off." May comanded.
Mightyena leapt at Miltank, but was easily thrown to the side. Mightyena didn't get up after that.
"Mightyena? Mightyena! Get up!" (Darn! He's out cold.) "I'll teach you not to hurt my pokemon." Archie recalled Mightyena and released a Golbat.
May turned to Miltank. "Miltank, you should watch Growlithe for me. I'm going to have Lapras finish the battle."
Miltank agreed and stood by Growlithe. Who had laid down to rest. May released Lapras.
"Wing attack!" Archie yelled to Golbat.
The bat pokemon flew at Lapras and beat her with his wings. The hit was critical and Lapras only had half of her health.
"Thunderbolt." Lapras shot out the thunderbolt and zapped Golbat. But he barely hung on. (That Golbat is still standing? That was super-effective! Okay... then we'll have to hit him again.) "Ice beam."
Thanks to the Quick Claw Lapras was holding, she attacked first and shot a beam of ice from her mouth. Which knocked Golbat out. Lapras went to level 23. Archie recalled his pokemon and pulled out his last pokeball. A shark pokemon came out. The mascot for Team Aqua, Sharpedo. Both water pokemon stared at each other.
"Focus your energy. Prepare to hit Lapras hard." Archie commanded.
Sharpedo started pumping up his energy.
"Thunderbolt him." May told Lapras.
The attack was super-effective, and almost knocked out the shark pokemon. Archie quickly used a super potion to remedy that. But it didn't heal Sharpedo completely, which May knew was the turning point. (This battle is over.) "Knock him out."
Another thunderbolt easily KO'd Sharpedo. Lapras went to level 24. Archie had his pokemon return and looked furious. "What?! I, Archie, was caught off guard?!"
"That's right. Now stop this stupid plan of yours."
"Ah, whatever. I will give up our plans for Mt. Chimney for the time being... But no one can ever stop us! Team Aqua will prevail! Don't you ever forget that!"
Archie an off and May sighed. (What will it take for him to give up?)
Maxie walked over to May. Honestly, he felt a little guilty when he sent her off to fight Archie. But everything was okay now. "May! Thank you! With your help, we thwarted Team Aqua's destructive plan! They have all left Mt. Chimney. But... This victory doesn't mean the end of their evil plans. We will remain vigilant and keep up our pursuit of Team Aqua. May, we shall meet again!" He suddenly walked away.
(Well, I'm glad that's over. Now I can-) "Wait the meteorite!"
She went to the machine and quickly removed it. The machine lost its power and stopped. May turned to her pokemon and saw how tired Growlithe and Lapras were. And they were no where near a pokemon center.
(It's a good thing Miltank has that new move.) "Miltank, can you use Milk drink to heal Growlithe and Lapras a little?"
Only a little because Miltank loses health when healing allies. Miltank nodded, and first worked on Growlithe. Out of nowhere, Miltank produced a glass cup and turned away from everyone. Then turned back around with the glass full of milk. She gave it to Growlithe and he drank it. He regained some health back. She gave him another and then one to Lapras. At this point, Miltank lost half her health. May took out one potion and gave it to Miltank so she would be healed partially too. Once that was done, all her pokemon had 80% health left.
(It's a good thing I had this one potion left for Miltank.) May thought.
(Thanks Miltank I feel much better.) Growlithe told her.
(Yes, thank you very much.) Lapras thanked Miltank as well.
(It was no problem.) Miltank replied.
May was glad her pokemon were doing good now. It was getting late, so it was time to leave. "Good job everyone. Now, Lapras and Miltank, return."
Both pokemon went back in their pokeballs. May and Growlithe started walking back. And Growlithe was glad that Team Aqua had left the place he was born.
Preview: After being startled, May and Growlithe stumble across Lavaridge town. A place with a calming hot spring, and a gym. May also gets more responsibility. Finally, the 4th badge is within reach. The one she needs before facing her father. Next time... Chapter 11 A bun in the oven
A/N: Lapras leveled up pretty fast in this one. Even I was surprised. This chapter is twice the length of the usual ones. I could have split it but that would have ruined the flow. This was the first meeting with Gabby and Ty. But this isn't the last you'll see of them. They'll be reoccurring characters.