Chapter 12 - Ship Trouble
Hugh's POV
"I...did not expect that coming..." I groan, sitting up from where she had slam me. Clay had dark vertical lines under his eyes.
...I ticked her off without knowing...What did I do?
"How much strength does she have?" I mutter, rubbing my aching head.
"We should catch up." I said to Clay who seems to snapped out from his stare.
"Right..." He reply.
When we enter the flashy building, we say Mei waiting impatiently for us and Cheren standing awkwardly.
"Why's Cheren here?" I ask Clay.
"Yes, why am I here?" Cheren asks, overhearing my question.
"I'm gonna have have ya participate in the Driftveil Tournament!" Clay answers. "Eight will participate and if ya win three times, yer the champion!"
"I'm in!" I says quickly, fist pumping the air.
"That's great and all but why do I have to enter?" Cheren asks, fixing his tie.
"Cuz yer the one who's gotta show what pokemon battlin' is all 'bout. And yer pal ain't here either! I'm countin' on the power of youth, 'cause everyone likes up-n-comin' stars!"
Cheren sighs. "You never change, but this tournament does sound interesting."
"Does that mean I get to fight you again?" I asks, excited.
"If yer in the same bracket." Clay answers. That lessen my excitement but I'm still looking forwards to a good fight.
"Why do you have a bump on your head?" Cheren asks with an eye brow raised.
"Uh..."
"Are you guys done talking?" Mei asks suddenly, with a tone of annoyance. We walk towards the reception.
"Did something happen?" Cheren asks.
"You don't wanna know." I shiver.
...
"Let's give it up for the final round!" Some announcer guys exclaims. "On the left we have...HUGH!"
I walked out onto the stadium, the crowd cheering loudly. My face is on the screen.
Cheren was my last opponent and he was pretty tough to deal with. If he had used his team pokemon against me, I probably have lost.
"On the right we have...MEI!" Mei approaches from the opposite side, glaring at me. From what I watched during this tournament she was really serious. She didn't even leave a chance for her opponents to respond though that scientist - Colress was it? - gave her a little trouble. By that I mean a little.
Well, here we go... I can see a scary aura surrounding Mei as she stares at me.
"Uh...good luck?" I said nervously. She held a pokeball in front of her.
"You're going to need it more." She says with a confident tone. "Braviary!"
"Tranquill!" Our pokemon materialize at the same time.
"Air cut-"
"Aerial ace!" Mei cuts me off and Braviary swift attacks. Well, didn't see that coming.
"Use slash!"
"Tranquill, detect!" My pokemon dodges Braviary's attack. Her pokemon sure is quick to attack.
"Now air cutter!"
"Wing attack!" Braiviary flies around the attack and hits my Tranquill.
"Get up and use roost!"
"Don't let it Braviary! Aerial ace!"
"Switch to detect!" With that, Tranquill barely evades.
"Tranquill use air cutter one more time!" I call hastily. This time, it hits Braviary.
"Hone claws follow by aerial ace!" Braviary charges at Tranquill for the attack.
"Dodge it!" Tranquill didn't and my pokemon fall to the ground unconscious.
"Semipour!" I send out my second pokemon after returning Tranquill. "Use scald!"
The heated water hits Braviary causing steam to rise.
"Braviary, take Semipour up!" Her pokemon flies up in the air with Semipour in its talons.
I didn't see that coming.
"Semipor use furry swipe and get down!"
Braviary winces at the multiple swipes but still didn't let go.
"Toss Semipour and push down with aerial ace!"
"Use this chance to attack with scald!" As Braviary plunge own at Sempiour with aerial ace, my pokemon counter with scald. Both ended crashing to the ground and stay unconscious. We return our pokemon and send out another.
"Pignite! I'm counting on you!"
"Eevee! Finish this!"
"Tch, just hope Pignite lasts." I mutter.
"Eevee dig!" Her Eevee quickly digs a tunnel.
"Pignite stand your ground."
They was a tense silence as we figure out where Eevee would strike. We heard a crack.
"Use arm thrust!" I point to the spot behind Pignite.
"Double team follow by shadow ball!"
As my pokemon attacks, Eevee quickly duplicates, causing Pignite to miss then they launch multiple shadow balls at Pignite.
"Use flame charge until you find the real one!"
"Nite!" Pignite burst into flames, charging back and forth at the Eevees until none are left.
"Wha...?" I look frantically at where Eevee could be but they're not there.
"Eevee now!" Suddenly, the brown pokemon pops up under Pignite and takes Pignite down.
"Pignite! Get up and use flamethrower!"
"Quick attack!" Before Pignite could launch, Eevee headbutts his mouth close.
"Shadow ball!"
"Arm thrust!" Both attacks hit and they stood back to have a staring contest. Pignite becomes unstable and fall. His eyes become swirls.
"AND THE WINNER IS MEI! Let's thank them for having a great battle!"
The audience roar with cheers and applauds. I sigh and return my pokemon while Mei pets Eevee before returning her.
She's pretty strong when she wants to be.
Mei's POV
I feel so much better now. Those three battles took away my steam.
"Well, that sure was exciting." Cheren says as me, him and Hugh head out. "You two really have changed since our battle back at Aspertia City."
We gave him blank faces then a figure in black passes us.
"What was that?" Hugh asks, narrowing his eyes are the running figure. "I'm going to give chase! Mei, come withe me!"
"E-eh?!" I exclaim. He's giving me a look that says I can't argue back.
"Stop." Someone commands calmly. We look around to see Colress coming out.
"It is not in your business to stick your neck in something that's so dangerous!"
"Dude. I don't even know you." Hugh says, annoyed. "They might have my sister's Purloin!"
He then chased after the figure.
"And...there he goes." I said nonchalantly.
"Don't worry, I'll go as well." Cheren says, fixing his tie and started walking. "I got his back."
I watch as they get further from view and sigh. Colress sigh as well.
"He's being reckless! Does he place so much trust in his pokemon?" Colress asks no one in particular. "That is merely impossible, they are only bond by pokeballs. "
"Trust..." I look at Servine's pokeball in my hand then look ahead and started running after them.
"Where are you going?" Colress shouts. I didn't bother to reply back.
There is a huge sail ship docked at the pier. I look up to see that the sails have the Team Plasma Crest on it and gulp.
Okay Mei, you can do this. They're now your enemies. I took a deep breath before stepping on onto the plank and into the ship.
"Seriously? This is your base?" I heard Hugh's mocking tone. I let out Servine, nodding to each other, we sneaked around then saw Hugh shouting and Cheren fixing his tie, preparing to battle. I mentally facepalm, idiot...he's making such a big commotion...
"Is it me or is it a bit cold in here?" I ask Servine.
'What have we here?" A voice says evilly.
"Servine." I called. My pokemon quickly strike but only to get hit back by a Seviper.
"I think I found something interesting." The female grunt says.
What...? Does she recognize me? I frown and furrow my brows.
"Seviper, take care of that pokemon."
"Tch." I lunge forward to cover Servine from being hit by a poison tail. I grimace in pain.
In seconds, I feel my throat being squeezed by something.
"Ngh-!" I couldn't talk.
"Take her." I try struggling against the pokemon's grip but it only tightens it, it feels like the air is being taken out of me. After being dragged into up to the deck, I'm thrown into a room. I support myself up, gasping for air then went for the door but it's locked.
"Ugh..." I clutched my wound, the poison from Seviper takes in effect.
"Look what we have here."
"That voice..." I look fearfully into the room.
"If it isn't Whi-Two." Zinzolin comes into view wearing a purple robe with a Cryogonal hovering next to him.
"How have you been?" He asks in a false sweet done.
I stayed silent and quickly took out my pokeball.
"Ice beam!"
"Electabuzz, thunderbolt!" I send out my pokemon and both attacks hit each other, sending sparks and ice everywhere. I shield myself with my arms as some of the attacks hit near me and luckily, the door.
"Electabuzz return!" I command as I return Electabuzz to his pokeball and began running out.
"Now now, why are you running away?" I heard Zinzolin said calmly. "Cryogonal, stop them!"
Where we're out by the rails of the deck, I could see Hugh and Cheren being cornered at the mast by the grunts.
"Hugh! Cheren!" I called out, getting there attention.
"Ser!" I turn to where I heard Servine's voice. Out of the corner of my eye, Cryogonal send out another ice beam with the purpose to freeze me in my tracks.
"Icebeam!"
Another ice beam collides with Cryogonal's but the impact send me flying off the deck and free falling.
"Servine!" My pokemon called out.
Tch...The poison's getting to me. I close my eyes and hope for the worse.
"Well this is interesting." A familiar voice says amusingly. "It's not everyday that a maiden falls into my arms. Am I lucky or what?"
I open my eyes and stare into a smirking face...with a lot of scratches.
"Hehe..." I chuckle weakly. "In your dreams..."
"Can you stand?"
"I-I think..." He puts me down gently. We're standing near the mast of the ship, I flew pretty far.
"Kyouhei!" Hugh exclaims. "What took you so long?!"
"Sorry." Kyouhei grins. "I have minor set backs. But we should settle this first."
A Samurott stand by his side.
"Yeah..." Hugh looks back to his surroundings, Emboar by his side. I guess it evolved during this.
"This is so bothersome." Cheren says calmly, fixing his tie.
"Stop your resistance if you don't want harm to these two pokemon." Zinzolin threatens. I widen my eyes, he has Servine pinned down by Seviper.
"Servine!" The poison affected me even more.. "Argh..."
"We'll handle this." Hugh says deadly through grit teeth, extending an arm in front of me to signal to me to not move.
"Kyouhei, I'm going to let my rage run wild so back me up."
Kouhei smile at Hugh and nod.
"Emboar, flame thrower!" Hugh points at Zinzolin.
"Cryogonal, use ice beam!" The fire pushes back at the ice pokemon.
"Samurott, ice beam!"
Kyouhei's pokemon releases the beam, aiming at the deck. The created ice spikes all the way up and everyone had to get out of the way.
"Emboar, arm thrust on Seviper!" The fire pokemon jump up to punch Seviper down.
"Cryogonal use ice beam one more time!"
"Flame thrower!" The flames melt the ice and hits the grandpa snowflake. (I always want to call him that)
"Seviper, poison tail and aim for the Servine!" The female grunt commands.
"Servine block it!" I exclaim. Servine hears my command and got up. Using her tail, Servine blocks the poison tail with leaf blade. In the contact, she starts to glow and grow in size. Where Servine was is now a Serperior.
Relieve spread through my chest. "Thank goodness."
"Stoutland, take care of these grunts with hyper beam."
"Samurott, water pulse!"
"Emboar, flame thrower!"
With everyone attacking, the ship is filled with explosions and smoke. My pokemon manage to return to me through the chaos.
Once the attacks stop, we stood in front of Zinzolin.
"Give it up." Hugh says coldly, cracking his knuckles.
"Aren't you the sage that was stuck in the frozen storage two years ago?" Cheren asks, recognizing him from up close. "Zinzolin was it?"
"YOU!" Zinzolin points to Cheren. "If it weren't for you and your pals, Team Plasma could've ruled Unova two years ago! But just you wait, we'll be at the top in no time!"
"We should tie them up while we have the chance." Kyouhei says with a serious tone.
"Grr...Shadow Triad!" Zinzolin summons. "Get them out of here!"
"We are not yours to command." One of the three ninja figures state as they appear out of no where. "This will be the only exception."
"Whatever, just get them away." Zinizolin says, annoyed.
Within a flash, we're transported back to the pier, but not before one of the Shadow Triads whispers something to me that bring uneasiness.
"What the-!" Hugh says with surprise.
"They're not call the Shadow Triad for nothing..." Cheren comments. "Their superhuman abilities..."
"Mei, you alright?" Kyouhei asks suddenly.
"H-huh...?" I tried to think up of an answer and force a smile.
"Um...I'm...fin..e..." My mind decided to blank out.
"H-hey!"
