This story continues to have a lot of whirling plot points. As a result…yes, most of this story has only taken place in 36 hours, which explains certain absences, really, and has allowed to give a lot of characters who wouldn't have it, the chance to shine. But Chapter 12 time!
Chapter 12
A Rocket
"Reports continue to come in regarding the events that have been transpiring across the regions," Malva's sultry overtones spoke from the small screen in Diantha's hands. The only thing that could be heard over that voice was the helicopter beating its rotors loudly as they traveled. Seated across from the Kalos Champion were Korrina and Mairin, both of whom were leaning in to listen to the news report. "Relief efforts from the Aether Foundation are continuing at Mount Chimney, helping to restore the wildlife to what it was. Meanwhile, it would seem that there is very little to be spoken about in regards to Veilstone City, though time will tell in regards to that. One can only hope, in regards to these potential incidents, that the glimmering rainbows beginning to be seen above these locations can be seen as a sign of hope in the face of natural catastrophe."
"So, they're not reporting on the deaths…" Korrina commented. Diantha pursed her lips and turned the screen off. Keeping apprised of what the media was talking about was well and good, but right now was very quickly becoming a time of action that she needed to focus on. "Not even Clemont was mentioned."
"Right now, that's for the better," Diantha commented, leaning back and propping her hand on her fist. Yet another day was drawing to a close, and the tournament had continued on, completely falling into the background of her brain. Perhaps it had showed to the now increasingly restless populace when she'd lost to Cynthia; not that she had a problem with that. There was so little of the tournament on her mind at this point. Cynthia could win the whole thing and she felt no one would really care, given what was going on and who remained.
In the middle of a crisis, a tournament was the last thing that anyone was thinking about. With ARC in shambles and high-profile names such as Ash and Clemont missing, the Champions didn't even want to waste the time taking part in the tournament to begin with, but all of them knew far too well that a panicking populace was much worse than taking a few minutes to battle it out on a grand stage. Diantha was so lost in this thought that, as Mairin leaned forward, she almost missed the red-haired woman's question. "So, no one knows that this Team Rocket is making a move?"
"I hope not," Diantha breathed. She stopped leaning and looked to both of the women sitting there. It was a subtle expression, but Korrina truly looked rather worried in that moment, tapping her foot ceaselessly. The news of Clemont's disappearance (she wanted to avoid the word "death", for obvious reasons) had hit her much harder than she was letting on. It truly made Diantha wonder how Serena, ever proactive, was taking the whole thing. No doubt they both wanted to get in on the action and fight in their significant others' stead…well, wherever Serena was. Wanting to quell all of their trepidation, Diantha addressed the issue at hand. "It's better if no one knows about all of these things. We've lived in a time of unprecedented peace up to this point, and I'd rather not shatter that."
"But…isn't that just pulling the wool over everyone's eyes?" Mairin asked, clutching her Chespin to her. He seemed asleep, nodding off in the setting sun. Diantha watched the research assistant, taking her words into consideration. "Not wanting people to know what's going on…isn't that just like Lysandre, and that Michael?"
"Not quite," Korrina said, her leg stopping its jiggling. "The difference here is that we're protecting people, and probably plan to speak about what happened after everything's taken care of. Besides, we're clearly not hiding everything the greatest."
"Definitely not," Diantha scoffed out, staring at the orange tinged ocean. They were no doubt close now. "Malva seems to be running damage control and keeping names out, but the actual events aren't a secret. Hard to hide a town nearly being blown off the map."
"Let's hope he wasn't blown off the map, either," Korrina whispered. Her hands were now gripping at her knees, nails digging into them fiercely. Diantha sighed out; she had no words for the apprehensive fiancée, hoping that if Clemont was out there somewhere, he'd show up from doing whatever he was doing quite soon.
Thankfully, a distraction arrived in the form of their destination, one they had begun heading to the second that Diantha and Korrina had been kicked out of the battle, both. Mairin pressed herself to the window, and even Diantha looked out to the large, circular base that rested on the ocean. Employing the same technology as that which kept the Aether Foundation afloat, along with numerous other security measures, the League Hub was a sight to behold for anyone seeing it for the first time…which was most besides the Champions and Elite Four members, and those that had helped design it, of course (which was really help from Gladion, Clemont, Conway and the like). Now, however, it was like a marshalling spot.
"It's bigger than I expected," Mairin commented. Behind Diantha, she could hear the radio scratching out, indicating that someone else was already on approach to the Hub. The Kalos Champion didn't pay attention to that, preferring to focus on their own descent. A landing platform was suddenly extending from the side of the exterior as the panel was detaching, one of the many security measures activating. The helicopter aimed right for it, touching down moments later in a perfect fashion. Diantha was standing before it steadied.
"Stay close to me. The Hub can be confusing," she informed her two companions. "We did design it to be a long-term fortress if needed. So, we'll want a streamlined path to the important locations, understood?"
"Got it!" Korrina complied, bouncing to her feet and pumping her fist. Hearing that, Diantha disembarked from the helicopter and onto the landing platform. The sea breeze swirled around her, and she looked up to see another helicopter on approach for the landing platform next to them. She chose to make that her first stop.
Checking to make sure that Korrina and Mairin were still keeping pace with her, she strode into the Hub, itself, a door slamming behind the three of them once they were inside the metal-lined hallway. Once immediately inside, Diantha made a sharp right to approach the other door that led to the adjacent platform. To no one's surprise, the door opened, and in strode Tau, leading a rather decent-sized group of trainers that included Paul, Sawyer and Alain. Mairin instantly reacted.
"Alain, you're okay!" Mairin called, running right for the man and encapsulating him in a hug. Paul shifted his eyes over for a second, but otherwise ignored the reuniting two. "Not that I thought you wouldn't, but you know…"
"Glad you made it safely, Tau," Diantha spoke, the leader of Alpha Squad catching up to her in seconds. He wasn't wearing any manner of jovial smile as he did so, placing his hands inside his pockets. The two older adults turned away, down a hallway that led to a large briefing room. The others followed closely, Paul, in particular. It was clear that the young man was listening to her conversation with Tau intently. "No Serena, right? I thought Dawn was in Veilstone with you, as well."
"She was…and then she and Serena had the bright idea of hopping aboard Team Rocket's airship," Tau answered. He seemed to almost be snorting with amusement at the thought of it. Diantha resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If it wasn't Ash being reckless, it was his wife; though, she supposed that was what made them so effective at times. "I'll be honest, I have no idea where they've gone."
"That's all right," Diantha admitted. "You obtained information?"
"Scant," Tau confessed. He seemed tired in admitting it. "All we know is that Team Rocket is trying to do something by shedding blood in multiple regions. It's all to ignite these 'veins' around the world, but before we could get anything about how to do that or why, our source was killed. We lost the assassin, but, and I'm not sure about this, I think someone else was actually tracking them or…something. Saw a shape in the air at the time. Although I couldn't say who…if that's even the case."
"And things grow more complicated…as usual…" Diantha said with a rather labored sigh. The others all were conversing behind them, chatting about this and that, but Diantha focused on getting into the briefing room. In seconds, she had reached the doors and pushed them wide open, allowing each of them into the area.
Mairin and Korrina gasped loudly, while even Sawyer took the whole room in with awe. She couldn't blame them. Despite being an entirely interior room, the briefing room at the League Hub was massive, with a wide table enough to seat near fifty people, and decorations to make it seem very much like a home on the water. Most important to Diantha, however, were the large screens at the head of the room. That was her exact destination.
"Secure connection open. Voice command: Kalos Champion Diantha," Diantha spoke to it. The voice recognition activated perfectly, opening channels on the IRCS while keeping the line completely secure. "Find voice: Ash Ketchum, Serena Ketchum…mmm, and Gary Oak and Aidan."
"Aidan?" Tau asked. She was surprised he didn't ask about searching for the voices of people via the IRCS but, on second thought, figured that Tau knew it all too well, even if had been a recent administrative development for the Hub. The searching icon on the screen continued circling, and all of the others in the room quieted down, waiting for the screen that was splitting into four. A door opened in the room, and Diantha briefly looked to see Gladion striding in, having obviously just arrived, himself. The system stopped searching, the display reading "1 Voice Found".
"Connect," Diantha said, shaking her head. That it couldn't find Ash or Serena meant they were obviously in a place unreachable by the IRCS. Aidan, likely, didn't even care to pick up. Gary, on the other hand, was neither of those things. Nor did he seemed to be surprised at having been contacted, especially with his guest being none other than Steven. "Well, I'm glad to see you're filled in on the situation."
"As much as I've been able to," Steven admitted with a small smile in Diantha's direction. She bit back a laugh, and opted for a graceful nod instead. "Though, I still feel locked out of the loop. Even Lance hasn't been in contact."
"It would appear most of us are not in contact. It's maddening, if I'm honest," Diantha admitted to the group at large. "Gary, since Steven has filled you in, I take it you're aware of what's been going on in the world at large. From what I've been informed of, it has to do with your expertise, yes?"
"That's what seemed to happen at Veilstone," Tau admitted. Gladion had now come to stand by Diantha, his brow set into a furrow. He looked to have something on his mind, but didn't interrupt the flow of conversation to share it. Instead, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his dress pants and listened.
"Yeah, I've seen the reports about the weird glows," Gary admitted, leaning forward to the screen. "I'd already been trying to study the noted events in Unova, once you'd contacted me earlier before the situation worsened, but with it starting to happen worldwide, I'm thinking I'll need to go to an un-activated source, if I can."
"Gary's been in contact with Professor Burnet," Steven shared. Diantha reached up, placing her hand under her chin as she listened. "She's been doing joint research on dimensions, still with focus on the cleaved Ultra Space. Apparently, she has an idea that there may be some meteorites on Mount Lanakila."
"Why there?" Tau asked, not having any compunctions about interrupting, himself. Gary shifted in his seat, and Diantha noticed a bag right by his side; he was no doubt ready to leave at a moment's notice. Diantha was now considering it a good thing that she had taken the time to contact him first.
"Mount Lanakila is considered the closest to the Legendaries of Alola, right? Well, Burnet theorizes that, with their connection to the stars, that maybe meteorites struck down there in ages long past," Gary told them. Gladion was nodding, and it seemed to all but confirm everything being spoken as the wisest conclusion. "We just need to be on site to confirm things. Unova isn't too far from Alola, so I can be there in a couple hours, tops."
"Then we'll count on you, Gary. Steven, you plan to go with him?" The Hoenn Champion nodded, saying nothing more, and Diantha chose to leave them all to it. The connection ended, and she turned to Gladion, who stared right back at her. "You seem perturbed, Gladion."
"Just a strange report from Plumeria," Gladion admitted. He took his hands out of his pockets to bring one by his face, breathing out slowly. "Tell me, have you heard from Bonnie and the others?"
"Don't tell me…" Korrina exclaimed before anyone else had the chance to even think about it. Diantha just watched Gladion with pursed lips, and then he turned to look at Tau, searching the older man carefully.
"They separated a while ago, and Plumeria says she…found something attached to the jet that shouldn't have been there," Gladion admitted. He closed his eyes a moment and shook his head. There seemed to be some kind of conflict deeper inside him, like a concern that wouldn't stop growing, but he eventually addressed it. "Also, while Plumeria was contacting me, there was a glitch…like someone was listening in on the feed, or trying to get in contact. I don't know who it could be, but considering everything's been fine there since, I can't imagine it was anyone bad…"
"Hmmm…" Diantha mused, wracking her brain for an answer to Gladion's well-timed queries. There was no doubt that whatever had been originally listening in had tracked Bonnie's group. That they hadn't arrived at the League Hub was disturbing, though with so much else, it had escaped her attention. And then, someone listening in… "Did they notice anything else?"
"…well, they're rarely the most observant," Gladion admitted sheepishly. Paul snorted. "That said, Plumeria said she thought someone was watching them on the cleanup effort, and there was a large roar on the air, but it could easily be nothing."
"At this point, I'm fairly sure that nothing is just that…" Diantha said. Gladion didn't say any more. The Kalos Champion turned to the screens, watching them remain blank. Whatever this situation was, it had been well planned in the grand scheme of things. Their foe was no doubt gathering as much information as possible, and with so many people going missing at once…Diantha shook her head. She couldn't let that control her mindset. Someone was clearly out there, listening for information, and whether it was Aidan or someone else, it simply meant they weren't alone in the battle ahead.
That alone was a comforting thought.
Dawn's ears were ringing, her entire body crying out in pain. There was some screaming, and pounding. At least, that's what she thought it was…it was really hard to tell through all the ringing if that pounding was outside or inside her own head. She coughed loudly, her whole body jolting with the action as she did so. Pain erupted across her chest from it, and that just stirred further coughing from within her. Her eyes were shut, feeling like her lids were practically glued together. She tried to force them open, but found she couldn't.
There was heat, almost unendurable heat consuming the room, and Dawn could feel her ears returning to normal, though the pain remained. There was screaming, and a crackling noise in the background that Dawn couldn't quite place. She strained her eyes, and finally managed to open them a crack. It didn't do much, only presenting a shimmering haze through her vision, like there was an extreme source of heat in the room. She tried to move, going to place her hand on the floor to push herself up.
"Ah!" she screamed, unable to contain the sound from leaving her mouth. Pain erupted up her arm, and her hand slipped, forcing her to fall back down to the floor. The bluenette's head turned, looking at her arm and realizing it was bent at an impossible angle. Panic rose in her chest as she now attempted to sit up without the use of her hand, but found she wasn't quite able to get there yet. "Piplup…PIPLUP!"
"Lup…" Piplup groaned out, and Dawn breathed in relief. At least she didn't have to worry about him. The Penguin Pokémon seemed to be moving, and Dawn felt him pressing on her pained chest, crawling up to her face and touching her with a flipper. "Piplup pip…"
"I'm okay, Piplup…I'm just glad you're okay," Dawn breathed out. Her loyal Pokémon could obviously tell she was lying to him, but that seemed all right with how much pain she was feeling. Finally, she endeavored to sit straight up once again. The action screamed and groaned inside her bones, but with a little bit of effort, she managed to sit up straight, heaving and huffing. The first thing she did, as Piplup tumbled into her lap, was notice that a stack of crates had fallen onto her legs, a nail sticking into one of them. That pain seemed like nothing next to her broken arm.
It was certainly nothing compared to the bodies that she also saw as she looked around.
"No…" she breathed out. Her good hand (which she realized she had, thankfully) moved forward to push the heavy crate off her leg. There was a moment that she bit her lip and then reached for the nail, yanking it out quickly. "Yeeee…."
"Piplup!" Piplup cried in concern, but she shook her head to show she was okay, even as some of the blood dribbled out. She was also realizing the source of the heat in the room: there was fire almost everywhere except for directly around her. It seemed like Piplup had done a little something before she'd fully awoken. Dawn took deep breaths into her lungs despite the pain, helping her to steady herself in that moment.
When she'd finally calmed down enough, Dawn could finally take stock of the room at large, her eyes widening as she took it all in. The scientists that had been opposing her before were all strewn about the room. Some were on their backs, breathing as they struggled to move. Others were incontrovertibly fallen. Flames licked around the room in a destructive fashion, and now that she was sitting up, Dawn could feel a breeze from a hole in the wall that led to the outdoor canyon, where the sun was setting. The screens that had been monitoring the meteonite were cracked down the center, debris having cracked all of them, even if one of them appeared to still be barely functioning. Otherwise, the only thing intact seemed to be a control panel, where a very familiar figure was.
"Hey!" Dawn's voice croaked, but was hardly enough to be heard over the raging flames. Knowing she'd be too prone to things from her position, Dawn crawled over to the nearby wall and used her good hand to help herself up to a standing position. Her breath heaved and her teeth clenched, but she was able to draw closer to the console. "Hey! What's going on? What did you do?"
"What?" snapped the irritable voice of Doctor Zager. He turned to see Dawn there, a snarl on his lips and cuts all over his face. Gone was the cold veneer that said he was in control of everything. Dawn could see it all sitting there in his eyes: this was a man in panic mode. "You're still alive?"
"I'm…" Rage filled into Dawn's veins, helping her to stand taller, despite her limbs slowly growing useless from the pain. Zager was focusing on the control panel, looking up at the sole working screen as it sparked. Her lip began to twitch; did he seriously care nothing for the dead scientists around him? "You don't even care?"
"Shut up, you foolish girl," Zager said, his own rage now dominating his features. "This is a disaster you and your friend caused by coming here. I'm trying to salvage-"
"Pip-Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn managed to gasp out. It was all she could for the moment, but hearing how little Zager cared for anything but the operation enraged her. Piplup opened his beak and sent the bubbles blasting out, if not as strong as before. Zager turned towards her, and in the distance, the bluenette heard another explosion going off.
"I do not have time for your silly games. Weavile, Night Slash." Zager's command was simple as the Dark type emerged from a pokeball. The bubbles converged upon it, but it slashed with a purple claw that obliterated it. Another pokeball flashed brightly, a large Steelix emerging with a familiar glowing collar around it, while Zager dug into his pocket. Dawn's teeth grit further upon seeing the keystone he was pulling out. "I'd have thought the Pillars would take care of you above, and I didn't wish to damage the lab further. Either they failed or something else happened, but I need to salvage what is left of the Lanakila mission. Now that the lab's wellbeing is a moot point, I'd rather not deal with you for much longer. Steelix, Mega Evolve, and Iron Tail."
Dawn looked to Piplup, who was heaving, bending over with exhaustion. Bright light shined from Steelix's form, transforming into a larger, almost meaner, looking version with rings around it. Weavile just remained the same, but Dawn could tell: they had the same blank look in their eyes. It was a wonder that Zager was able to even Mega Evolve at all, but she quickly figured that its lack of personality suddenly made it a perfect receptacle for a "bond". All their different copycat research started making a little more sense. Steelix finished transforming, and its steely tail swiped outward. Dawn had no time to block, and she only shut her eyes as she turned to the side. The tail slammed against her broken arm, causing her to scream from the even more intense pain. Even moreso, her body was flung off, straight towards the wall as yet another explosion went off, this time from above.
"Piiiiiipluuuuuuup!" Piplup screamed for her, but she couldn't stop what was about to happen. She closed her eyes, reaching her good arm out for her most faithful Pokémon.
Then she hit something…only it wasn't a wall. It was a person…or four persons…? Dawn's body shook, blistering with pain.
"That was rather close," a voice chuckled out.
"That's your fault! If you weren't so sentimental up above we could have been here sooner!" snapped another, far more feminine voice (in a certain respect).
"Well, excuse me! I think it's in poor taste to leave our previous pack of partners to partake in a passel of pyrotechnics!" the other voice yelled back. It sounded so familiar to Dawn, but she'd yet to place it, the air thick with the smoke and dust of that last explosion.
"Will da two of ya quit da alliteration?! Dis ain't home anymore or nuthin', so pull it together!"
"Wobb wobba wobb wobb!" Dawn's eyes snapped open. Now, she recognized those voices all too well. Doctor Zager, on the other hand, did not.
"Who's there? Are you responsible for this catastrophe? !" the doctor yelled, and the smoke began to clear. Dawn felt herself being placed surprisingly gently upon the ground.
"Well, prepare for trouble, this isn't our fault."
"And make it double, the boss is a dolt!"
"To protect the world from poorly hatched schemes!"
"To unite all people against wicked dreams!"
"To denounce the evils of teaming with twerps!"
"To extend our reach, and not leave them in the lurch!"
"Jessie!" called the now all-too-recognizable voice of the woman that had once been Dawn's enemy.
"And James!" followed up her perennial partner. Dawn suddenly found herself smiling, even if she couldn't explain why. They had come to the base, yet instead of joining their allies, they seemed to be turning on them.
"This Team Rocket base is blowing up at the speed of light."
"But we're not with it anymore, so it's you we'll fight!"
"Dat's totally right!"
"Wobbuffet!" There was relative silence following Wobbuffet's definitive closing statement, and at long last the smoke cleared, revealing the trio of former Pokémon thieves, standing tall. Dawn couldn't believe it, even seeing the three of them there, standing tall with a whole bevy of Pokémon surrounding them. They were dressed yet still in their Team Rocket uniforms as they walked forward.
"You three?" Zager asked, and Dawn could tell that he was no longer masking any sense of surprise. Things had gone off the rails at the base, and now he was dealing with fallout while Jessie walked forward. At her side were Gourgeist, Bewear and Yanmega, while James was flanked by Inkay and Carnivine, a Crabrawler clamped to his head with his claw. "What are you doing here? You were on a mission from Giovanni, himself!"
"Oh, shut it, doctor! We don't take orders from you anymore!" Jessie snapped. Dawn attempted to sit up, but felt Meowth on top of her, keeping her down.
"Keep ya head down, twoipette. Dis ain't for you," he said, a menacing grin on his face before he padded off to join his comrades, Wobbuffet going right with him. Once he had, and the smoke had completely cleared, Dawn could see the trio facing off almost smugly against Doctor Zager.
"Don't take orders? You are members of Team Rocket, on a mission to capture Ash Ketchum. Surely you located him!" James chuckled low under his voice, whipping out a rose and putting it between his teeth. "Well? !"
"You haven't figured out?" James asked of the doctor. "And here everyone would think we were the imbeciles. We're not here for Team Rocket!"
"We're here for one reason and one reason alone: ourselves. That's the best reason there is," Jessie cackled out. She and James moved closer to each other, almost posing back to back while Zager stared at them in utter disbelief. The room was tinged further orange from the flames and sunset outside. "Hah! My beauty has made him speechless."
"Yeah, dat's totally it, Jess," Meowth deadpanned.
"Shut it, Meowth. Don't decry my amazing popularity! It's what's made me such an effective agent all these years. Films! Showcases! Contests! I am the most perfect agent with striking, sparkling sexiness!" James looked ready to facepalm while Dawn looked to see Zager's face twitching. He seemed positively insulted, by Dawn's estimation.
"Effective? The only time you were truly effective was under my guidance," the doctor said, drawing the attention of the bickering trio. The Pokémon in front of Zager were coiling, as if preparing to strike. "After that muck-up in Unova, you were useful only when it came to gathering information."
"Oh, please, you don't know a thing, Doctor Zager! It's because of us that all those other organizations fell, you know," Jessie corrected him. Both she and James looked rather smug about it all, while Zager continued to stare in irritated disbelief. "But then the boss had to lose his marbles and start killing people. I'm a beautiful queen, not a savage."
"Dey're not mutually exclusive, ya know," Meowth said. Jessie looked ready to snap back at him, but the feline ignored her, extending his bright glowing claws with a grin. "Either way, consider dis our resignation from Team Rocket."
"So…that's what it is…you're just cowards running away at the cusp of our glory as we seem to be under attack? Why did you even come back here, then? You should have just run with your tails between your legs than come crawling here in disgrace!" Zager's questions and statement went unanswered as another explosion sounded off, and Dawn could swear she heard more screams through the base. James took his rose and tossed it off to the side, his Pokémon getting into battle stances.
"You still don't get it, old chum!" he announced, his voice echoing around the space while he flicked his blue hair. "We're not running! We came back to get our Pokémon so we can further help the organization that helped us, even if you seem to have blown them apart."
Jessie picked up the thread with a rather emphatic, "That's right, we're working for ARC!"
"And you bozos have been in da dark," Meowth finished. Dawn's own eyes widened; even after all the years of knowing those three, there was always a surprise with them. That the former thieves were actually working for a League-based organization was particularly mind-blowing, even if it made sense after all of the battles they'd fought in for peace. Zager was shaking.
"Not cowards, then…just traitors…After Giovanni gave you a chance…a home…you would betray us now? !" Zager roared, spit flying from his mouth in quaking anger as his monocle shook on his face. Jessie smirked, stepping forward and snapping her finger.
"A home? You're right, the boss gave us more than we could have ever asked for."
"But it was the twerps that gave us family," James said, folding his arms as he regarded Zager with the same smugness his partners held.
"And dat ain't sometin' we're letting you take away, ya dig?" Meowth said, crouching in a sort of battle stance. "Dey may have been enemies, but dey ain't never considered us trash. And dey wouldn't ask us to do sometin' like killin' our own comrades, just 'cause dey're useless or some nonsense like dat!"
"You see, we're rivals with them, tied forever, Team Rocket or no," Jessie proclaimed, now throwing her finger to point at Zager. "And that means you and your stupid thoughts of destroying the world that adores me have to go! Leech Seed!"
"Geist!" Gourgeist shouted, raising into the air and spitting seeds from her mouth. It was quick enough that Zager, still recovering from Team Rocket's earth-shattering revelation (Dawn really couldn't think of calling them anything else), was unable to react in time. The seeds pressed to the ground and sprouted, wrapping both Steelix and Weavile up in the thick roots, beginning to suck their health away. Meowth took the initiative, running forward with his shining claws.
"Now have some of my Fury Swipes!" he roared, aiming right for Weavile. Zager reached up, grabbing to his monocle and crushing it in his hands with anger. Yet another explosion went off, this one closer than the last.
"Metal Claw…and Crunch," the doctor said in a low voice, one that sent a shiver up Dawn's spine. Piplup came close to her, keeping away from the battle. Weavile's claws glowed a bright silver and then slashed outwards, eliminating the roots as Meowth made contact, slashing at the creature. Their claws met, sending red sparks into the air. Steelix, meanwhile, gave a loud roar, opening its giant maw even wider and biting into the plants. "Your foolish sentiment is noted. And if that's how you feel, then I cannot allow you to oppose Team Rocket. This is for the glory of our new world!"
"Well, we can't allow our old comrades to destroy the world we live in, you know," James insisted to the doctor. "That's the whole thing. So, give our regards to the boss. Crabrawler, Carnivine, Bullet Beam!"
"Brawlah!" Crabrawler snapped, unclamping from James' head to open his claw. Carnivine also reared back and shot a thick stream of Bullet Seeds out for the form of Steelix, who now emerged from the vines to aim for them with his great, gaping jaw. Crabrawler fired the stream of bubbles out, mixing rapidly with the seeds to impact upon Steelix's face. It seemed to affect the beast some with its small, popping explosions, but the Steel type still dove downward, slamming into the two and chomping down.
"Iron Tail!" Zager said. From Dawn's ears, he definitely was no longer the cold and precise man that she had faced in the upper laboratories. He was a man incensed by everything spiraling out of his control, and most particularly by the three bumbling operatives turning on him and showing that, in the end, perhaps they weren't bumbling at all.
"Hagaaaaa!" Steelix roared loudly, its voice distorted as its tail slapped out with a fierce glow, right for Jessie's Pokémon. The ex-operative gave no order but looked to her group. They seemed to all know what to do, like a perfect team and family. Yanmega flitted up swiftly while Gourgeist joined her and Bewear stood her ground. The tail slammed into Bewear, but she wrapped her arms around it, gripping tightly despite obviously feeling the weight of the Mega Evolution's power.
"Brutal Swing! Yanmega, Steel Wing on that Weavile!" Yanmega nodded and then zipped down for where Meowth and Weavile were still locked in combat. She picked up speed as her wings glowed brightly, and just before she made contact, Meowth leapt away, slicing upwards once with his Fury Swipes. Then Yanmega slammed into the Sharp Claw Pokémon, driving it back.
"Icy Wind," Zager ordered. Dawn tried to sit up again, wanting to help the trio that had saved her life, but finding it difficult to breathe, let alone move. Weavile opened its mouth and sent a powdery wind, tinged with diamond dust, blasting outwards. Meowth managed to nimbly leap back, crying that it had been close, while Yanmega's right wing was hit by the attack, frosting it a bit.
"Payback, Crabrawler!" James ordered. Crabrawler seemed to shudder inside Steelix's mouth, firing one of the black orbs into it that sent the Iron Snake Pokémon reeling. Both he and Carnivine dropped down. Seeing they were okay, Dawn let herself lay back; this was their fight. It was the fight that would finally break them away from Team Rocket for good, and allow each of them to pursue their own path. Perhaps they had already started on it before, but now was the true moment for them to grasp their freedom, rejecting the doctrine they hadn't truly known they'd been following. Realizing this, as Crabrawler fired off a dark orb of power that slammed into Weavile and sent it skidding backwards, Dawn began to smile.
They had been enemies, but in the end, they were really family, finally moving forward on the right side.
"Rock Slide," Zager ordered. Steelix tossed its head up high, and bright portals appeared above, forming into the shape of rocks. Then they rained like a cascading waterfall upon the trio's Pokémon, with Jessie, James and Wobbuffet jumping back. Bewear, due to her height, was hit first. "You wish to leave Team Rocket, you say? To betray us when glory could have been yours? There's a high price for that."
"Yeah, we've paid enough prices," Jessie shouted. Yanmega, despite her frosted wing, zipped outwards, evading the large rocks and speeding up in the process. Her wing slowly thawed out as she got above. "I still don't remember the number of times we've blasted off, all on your orders, but that's ending today! Ancient Power! Seed Bomb!"
"Yan yan!" Yanmega cried, zipping straight back for Steelix and Weavile, both. Two bright orbs appeared near her mouth, just the same as Mamoswine used it. Dawn continued to smile, remembering the days she had no doubt battled against Jessie in Sinnoh. She had been cruel, and callous, and perhaps she still was, but there was a warmth and belief in her Pokémon and partners that could never be doubted. The former Team Rocket member had changed. Yanmega fired off the orbs, one for Weavile and the other for Steelix. Both collided with their opponents, while Gourgeist shot back from the force of her own glowing green seeds that slammed into Steelix's body and caused it to cry out.
"Now, let's make that thing cry for its mother! Baby Doll Eyes!" Bewear suddenly emerged from the pile of stones that had buried it and James' partners, eyes gleaming with a strange expression at Steelix, who recoiled.
"Okay, Inkay! Psybeam!" James called. Bewear let go of her comrades and Inkay flipped around in midair, aiming right for Steelix. For a Mega Evolution, Dawn felt it wasn't seeming all that strong. She further felt this as Inkay's multi-colored Psybeam cut along Steelix's figure, all the way down to its tail. Weavile was now running back towards the battle.
"Frustration!" Zager called, the enraged lines on his face all the more prominent now that his monocle was no longer there. Weavile glowed red, white smoke puffing from its body, and Dawn understood why Steelix didn't seem as strong. Carnivine and Crabrawler had recovered, just in time for Weavile to slash down on both of them, sending them flying backwards.
"Vine Whip, old chap!" James cried. As Carnivine flew back, its vines whipped outward, slamming against Weavile and knocking it back to the ground.
It's teamwork…Dawn thought to herself. Steelix gave a loud roar that drowned out Zager's command, but it was very obvious what it was. The gigantic Pokémon arced through the air and suddenly burrowed into the metal floor, disappearing into the hole there. Dawn felt the floor shudder, but continued to watch the battle. Team Rocket…no…Jessie, James, Meowth…they're all working as a perfect team for their future, but Steelix is just another puppet…
"It can't pull out its own true potential…" Dawn breathed down to Piplup, who looked at her with a light confusion. "And that means, there's no need to worry."
"Of course not, twerpette! You think we came here wanting to get blasted off?" Jessie yelled out. "Leech Seed, into the hole! And Yanmega, Steel Wing!"
"Crabrawler, Power-Up Punch!" James ordered. Meowth seemed to be staying out of it for a moment, but neither of the Pokémon hesitated in their orders. Already bruised from the initial tussle with Steelix, they acted unflinchingly. Gourgeist moved to float over the hole and sent the seeds cascading down below, all while Yanmega whipped around and zipped straight for Weavile, who anticipated the strike with its own glowing claws. "Today, we'll be the ones giving the blasting off!"
"Crabah!" Crabrawler agreed, leaping over the rocks with an orange glowing fist. Yanmega zipped right for Weavile, who slashed down, the appendages meeting and colliding with each other for just a brief moment. Yanmega zipped around again, diving and colliding with the claw before they were locked in place, straining against one another. It was the perfect moment for Crabrawler, who slid in, and with a fierce uppercut, slammed his fist into Weavile, sending it flying into the air.
"And dat means we win, doctor!" Meowth shouted, now leaping high into the air, his claws gleaming. Weavile's eyes widened, but Meowth ended up being faster, slicing right down upon the Sharp Claw Pokémon and sending it careening into the ground where it slammed down, the device around its neck breaking. "Do ya dig it, yet? We got nine lives, but you only got one."
"Then I'll take all nine lives of yours," Zager said with a cold growl. "Steelix, emerge!"
"Ganaaaah!" came the loud roaring and the ground shuddered yet again. Dawn reached with her good arm and gripped to Piplup tightly. From beneath the operatives, Steelix emerged, slamming up through the ground and scattering all of them. The only one standing its ground was Bewear, who moved to intercept Steelix. The Iron Snake collided with Bewear, who held it fast by its jaw, and Dawn could see the vines encapsulating the Steel type's body.
"Low Sweep, and Shadow Ball!" Gourgeist rotated like a turret and a crackling orb formed near her mouth before firing out. Then, she fired another and another to slam upon each link of Steelix's body, the rings around its body flickering from the pain. As Bewear held Steelix fast, her leg swept out, kicking into its very large body and sending it off to the side.
"Crunch. Bite that Bewear to nothing." There was another loud explosion, and Zager seemed distracted by it. It was a momentary one that James took advantage of. Carnivine, staying in its position, sent its vines snapping outward for Steelix and wrapped itself tightly around its jaw. Their opponent roared, still diving for Bewear, but unable to open its jaw from Carnivine holding fast. Zager turned back, his eye twitching with the monocle removed. "Iron Tail."
"Carnivine, get ba-" James' order was just a second too late. The tail slammed into Carnivine, sending it through the remaining flames and across the room. James returned his Pokémon as the vines completely slackened, while Steelix continued its assault, jaw wide. Bewear turned to Jessie and nodded. The magenta-haired woman sighed.
"I know. Hidden Power!" she shouted. Bewear, emboldened, formed a large silver orb in her hands, and as Steelix bore down upon her, she fired. The attack burst upon it, but Steelix didn't stop. With its mouth freed, the Iron Snake chomped down upon Bewear and tossed her to the wall with little effort. She smacked against it and slid down, with Jessie returning her moments later. "Yanmega, for hurting our darling Bewear…take that freaky piece of scrap metal down! Silver Wind!"
"A pointless effort! You're against a Mega Evolution, a power we've studied long enough to bring out full potential, even without a so-called 'bond'," Zager called to the group of them. Yanmega blasted forward, sending the silvery wind flying out from her wings. It blasted against Steelix, but seemed only to tickle it, and not much else. "That is power, as you should well know. Team Rocket's power! Rock Slide!"
"Gooorahhhh!" Steelix roared with what seemed to be a cry of victory. The rocks all appeared in the air once again, and then rained down upon the remaining Pokémon of Jessie and James. The rubble seemed to just miss the two humans, but the dust billowed into Dawn's vision, and she couldn't see much, only hear the groans of both Yanmega and Crabrawler, both taken down, no doubt. Once more, Dawn tried to move, but could only cough. Zager seemed to scoff, as if pleased.
"Power, schmower," Jessie snapped through the dust, tacking on a cough at the end. "Trust me, bub, this is nothing."
"After all the Mega Evolutions and Legendaries we've faced, your Steelix is just a paltry puppet!" James proclaimed loudly. The dust from the rocks disappeared, a red light shining as the two returned their fallen Pokémon. Yet remaining, however, were Inkay and Gourgeist, floating and looking fierce in front of Wobbuffet. "Why, even we've used Mega Evolution. It really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Not against the twerp's way more powerful Pikachu, and definitely not against us!"
"Is that what you think?" Zager asked. Steelix gave another loud roar, its body pulsing with the orange aura of the Totem Pokémon. Dawn shut her eyes, not wanting to watch the fight that was taking a turn. However, she was forced to open them when she heard Jessie laughing maniacally.
"We're not scared of your silly inventions, doctor! We came here to help the twerps, and that's just what we're gonna do!"
"If beating your pants off by defeating your Mega Evolution is the way to do it…"
"Den meet ya maker!" Meowth agreed. Zager's twitching increased. "Jessie, James, let's give one final farewell to dese bozos once and for all. I'm a free Meowth!"
"Dark Pulse!" Jessie cried, a giddy smile on her face. Gourgeist and Inkay both looked roughed up from the Rock Slide, but like their ever-tenacious trainers, neither was giving up. Gourgeist floated back and fired off the inky swirl of energy that snapped into Steelix's midsection. The Iron Snake Pokémon cried out but soon dove forward, jaw gleaming with the intensity of Crunch.
"Inkay, Foul Play!" Steelix continued barreling for James' smaller Pokémon. Just as it was about to make contact, the flippers extended out, grabbing ahold of Steelix. In seconds, Dawn's eyes stared with shock while Inkay lifted the heavy Steelix into the air and brought it whirling around to slam right down on to the ground next to Doctor Zager, where the flames licked at it and the vines of the earlier Leech Seed continued to pulse around its figure, shriveling off slowly.
"Iron Tail! End them! Show them the power of Team Rocket!" Zager roared in desperation, more spit flying from his mouth. Seeing his Mega Evolution so manhandled had to have snapped something inside him, Dawn figured. Steelix's tail shot out from where it was, aiming for their entire group.
"Wobaaaaaaaaa…" Wobbuffet suddenly cried, leaping forward. He landed, just as the tail slammed into him. He endured it for a moment, glowing brightly. "…FETTTTTTTTT!"
"Now, Gourgeist, Dark Pulse, one more time!"
"And Inkay! Psybeam!" The attack was grander than Dawn ever would have expected. Inkay fired his multi-colored beam; Gourgeist sent her dark energy out; Wobbuffet simply stood there with a grin, and the beam of Counter fired on a straight collision course for Doctor Zager and his Mega Steelix. "Power, doctor? That's what we have on our side because of the twerps and world we're fighting to save from delusions of diabolical grandeur!"
"Impos-" Zager couldn't get the words out. The beams joined together, barreling towards him, and they blasted through, eclipsing his entire figure and that of Steelix's. The blast of wind was so great that Dawn felt it, even though she was behind them. From the great wrenching sound, it clearly impacted with the wall, exploding through until the bright light ended. "Ah…ah…"
Zager was still standing, smoking from the attacks on him, while Steelix had reverted form, its own control device shattering into pieces. Jessie and James turned to look at each other, scoffing with victory while Meowth smirked. It was a positive moment for them before they finally seemed to nearly collapse to their knees, gripping to each other.
"We've really done it now!" Jessie screamed out. "We've left Team Rocket for good!"
"I hope the boss takes it well, but somehow I doubt it," James admitted with a nervous chuckle that didn't hide how freaked out he was.
"Where is da boss anyway?"
"Better question…" Dawn gasped out, finally managing to sit up with all of her pain, "is how did you get here and why?" The trio blinked, as if they hadn't expected her to ask such a question (or, more likely, they'd forgotten she was still there). They turned, looking at her.
"Well, he asked us to," was James' simple answer. Dawn's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. Who had asked them to? "And besides, by that point we already knew what had happened, so-"
BOOM!
The loud sound interrupted, as a fiery inferno blasted through the open door and all the way to the exterior wall, blowing yet another hole in it. It wasn't as powerful as the one before, like it was controlled to not kill everyone off. What it did do, though, was fill the room with smoke that caused all of them to cough. Jessie was the first to yell out.
"Who the heck did that? !" she screeched, but received no answer for a second. There was another loud thud, and then Dawn heard the sound she dreaded most in that moment: buzzing.
"Well, you made short work of this place…" Dawn's body shivered, and her broken arm twitched with pain. "But I'm surprised you're not dead yet, girl. You all are so tenacious."
"But they're not," said a different voice, one that Dawn didn't recognize. The only one she did was one that suddenly cried out as the smoke cleared. Piplup snuggled in, as if frightened, while Team Rocket (or rather, the trio formerly known as Team Rocket) struggled to stand. Two figures stood there now, and Dawn could instantly see the form of Louise, and that of a blond man, holding to Zager's head while his Camerupt and a Darmanitan surrounded him. "This has been too easy, Louise. They never saw it coming."
"T-Tolbert…Louise…" Zager gasped out from his grasp in the man's hands. "It…it was you? You're the one…killing our comrades…?"
"Our comrades," Tolbert said, and Dawn saw something snap in the blond's disposition. "I would never be comrades with the likes of sinners like you. You were just tools…tools so easily disposed of it proved that we were right all along."
Dawn couldn't say anything, no words coming to her lips in that moment. Nothing but fear bubbled up in her chest, and even Team Rocket appeared to be shaking. They had nothing left to fight with, and they knew it.
"Toll, stop dragging it out. I'm sure there's a number of operatives left, and we still need to get to Lanakila before Deirdre chews us out," Louise spoke. Toll grinned, seeming to agree with the woman.
"You're right…I'm not one to stand on ceremony. Farewell, Doctor Zager."
"No! Please, don't!" Zager shouted, his voice going up a pitch. Toll's mouth widened into a grin, as though he was now officially taking pleasure in the act. "The glory! For the glory of Team Rocket! Didn't you help us to…?"
"The only glory you'll see…is hell," Toll spoke. Dawn closed her eyes, praying desperately as her legs refused to move. "Now, say goodbye. Team Rocket dies today."
Someone, please help us.
Then Toll tossed Zager to the side, towards Camerupt, and once more the room exploded with a great volcanic fury that consumed the last remaining scientist.
"Primarina, Sparkling Aria!" Serena screamed out, flipping back a bit to gain distance from both of her foes. As Primarina formed the orb of water between her flippers, both Deirdre and Giovanni seemed to face each other off, the leader of Team Rocket placing his hands in his pockets with great assurance. Primarina spun on the ground and flung the orb of water towards Persian.
"Shadow Claw." Giovanni's command was so blunt, Serena wondered if he had anticipated the move from the beginning. Persian pounced into the air, its claw glowing a deep black hue. The orb of water reached it, but before it exploded, Persian had slashed through it, completely obliterating the attack. Serena's lip twitched. With two high caliber opponents before her, she knew it would only be a matter of time before they sought to take her out.
"Dragon Pulse, Altaria," Deirdre commended. Serena snapped a look to her. Altaria was flying forward, beak open and grazing the ground with the purple, draconic beam, but the auburn-haired woman kept her sights on Serena. Persian leapt back, barely avoiding the blow, the side of its leg nicked by the attack. "Can I ask you, Serena, what did happen to my son?"
"Disarming Voice!" Serena now called, ignoring the question that was posed. Deirdre sighed, while Primarina opened her mouth. The sound blasted out in its heart-shaped vibrations, reverberating around the canyon and drowning out both the sound of the explosions below and the departure of the ship up above. The heart-shaped soundwaves continued to rattle around the area, breaking stones off. Persian growled angrily, though Giovanni looked unfettered, hands still in his pockets. The man clearly had no interest in interrogation.
"Sky Attack," Deirdre said in response. Altaria clipped along the air, making a tight circle and beginning to aim for Primarina, body glowing a golden color. It collided with the soundwaves and pushed on through them. There was a slight struggle there, but not enough to deter its approach. "I'm only asking because I never did find out. Only that he died."
"He died because he…" Serena stopped herself from answering. Deep down, the truth was that Travis had died protecting Seamus, but it had only led there from his own cruel actions up to that point. "Why do you care? Maybe if you had been around he wouldn't have turned out the way he did before he died!"
"Hm, I doubt that." Altaria slammed into Primarina, pushing her back, though the Soloist Pokémon shook her head, glancing back at Serena to tell her that she was okay. "Didn't I just tell you before? I was the one that gave my son that scar he wore so proudly. Uppity little brat. He was asking for it, always spending time wanting to grow stronger. A bit like you, Giovanni."
"There is none like me," Giovanni countered with, his smirk slipping into sternness. "Bite, Persian."
"Merowr!" Persian hissed out, and it ran along the canyon top. It leapt upwards, jaws gleaming brightly, and clasped upon one of Altaria's cotton tufts. Altaria cried out in pain before Persian whipped the Humming Pokémon and tossed it right towards Deirdre. The woman stepped back, making sure her Pokémon wouldn't collide with her. A loud noise was heard up above, and Serena looked to see that the second transport was already away, with just one more left to take off. Giovanni didn't give a second command, but Persian landed on the ground before bounding off with a white shining claw for Deirdre herself.
"Hmph," came the scoff, and the auburn-haired woman gracefully sidestepped the attacking cat. Yet again, Persian landed and bounded for her, but another time she used perfect steps to avoid the attack, a maddening smirk on her lips as their shadows danced on the canyon's surface. "Travis was an adorably dumb child. He wanted to be just like mama and papa for no real reason. Nothing like Seamus, who aspired to be like your husband, or those other people with real meat to their dreams. I let him spend time with that Dalton in the hopes it would turn him into a visionary, but he cared nothing for the woes of the world. Hyper Beam."
"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" Serena shouted. Altaria took no time at all to prepare the attack, flapping upwards as the dark purple beam coalesced in its mouth and fired. Persian was too slow, slammed by the attack, but Primarina veiled herself in water and shot straight off towards the sky, avoiding injury completely. The beam blasted into the illuminated canyon, chipping away the stone. "Are you saying you do? Because working with Team Rocket to hurt people-"
"Working with them? Ha ha, you're adorable," Deirdre laughed out, right before she looked straight at Giovanni. "We used them."
"Is that what you thought?" Giovanni asked with his own menacing chuckle. In the air above, Primarina spun out of her Aqua Jet. She looked to Serena, who nodded. At the silent command, Primarina aimed downward and shot a bevy of high-powered bubbles for both Persian and Altaria. They collided with Altaria, but Persian sidestepped rather nimbly. "I anticipated betrayal from you since day one. When you let Ketchum get away despite explicitly saying we'd need him, I knew then that you were planning to betray me. I just never thought it was in this fashion, or this soon, I suppose. Power Gem."
Serena grimaced as Persian skidded along the rocks, firing a red beam straight from its jewel and into the Bubblebeam. It exploded as the third transport above began making its way out. A bit closer to them, Giovanni's helicopter remained hovering, his assistant watching with what appeared to be nervous anticipation. Deirdre didn't seem perturbed by any of it whatsoever. She just looked at Giovanni with an expression that said nothing on her lips, though all of their murderous intents appeared to flare greater, making Serena swallow. "Congratulations, then. You have me all figured out…I'm a liar through and through. But believe me when I say that one can't live in this world without a vision. Draco Meteor."
"Oh, I have vision," Giovanni spoke, the look on his face showing that he was now beginning to have some vested interest in the conversation. It made Serena feel in over her head, but Primarina was still standing, landing back atop the rocks without injury. "A vision where we use the meteonite, and the blood of all those spilt, to rebuild the world for Team Rocket, with myself as its lord and master."
"I won't let that happen!" Serena called, but Giovanni had no interest in her. Altaria rose to the sky, glowing orange as a projectile shot outward from its beak and exploded everywhere in falling comets. Below, the same manner of explosions was happening to the base. Serena crossed her wrists, beginning the motions for yet another Z-Move. "That makes you just like AZ in the past when he wouldn't spare the Draconids, and Lusamine, and Michael: people whose mistakes ruined the world we lived in."
"And what do I care about other people? They're expendable tools, just as Deirdre has said. Work well for me, and I'll keep you. Fail me and I'll dispose of you, like those three fools that always ran after Ketchum," Giovanni sneered out. The meteor reached its apex and split apart fully, raining more of the comets down in every possible direction. Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she looked to Deirdre, who stared right back, as if saying "Isn't he just like my son?".
"No one should ever throw anyone else's future away! You don't get to decide that! Oceanic Operetta!" Serena yelled out. Blue light burst from her Z-Ring, surrounding Primarina, who created an even larger orb of water. The meteors were coming to crash down and Primarina threw the water. The streaking projectiles slammed into the surface of the water, caught within its aqueous grip and protecting all those on the canyon's surface.
"But I will. Your naivete is no obstacle. Persian, Shadow Claw." Persian hissed again, leaping up with the claw that brimmed with ghostly influence. It dove into the Z-Move, both claws now pulsing with shadows before it slashed them in a crosswise fashion. The giant bubble broke apart, exploding with water that fell down upon the combatants. Persian, however, didn't catch a break. Altaria was already on the move again, glowing golden as it rammed into Persian.
"Aqua Jet!" Serena yelled, her face settling into one of pure fury. To hear that there were still so many people steeped in their cruelty and selfishness, even long after those who seemed to have influenced them were gone…Primarina shot up, aiming right for both Altaria and Persian. In no time, she reached them, ramming them both. "Toss them and use Disarming Voice!"
"Bite," Giovanni ordered. The sound above was even louder now, and Serena flicked her vision upwards. The transport was almost away. There was no time left. Primarina tossed both Altaria and Persian down to the floor of the canyon's top, but Persian didn't let go, bending its body to bite into Primarina's tail.
"Primaaaaa!" she cried out in pain, writhing to get Persian off her. Even so, that cry of pain turned into her Disarming Voice, the hearts firing down upon Altaria. It didn't last long, though, as Persian spun and tossed Primarina right to the ground. Thankfully, she looked fine, just as Persian began dropping.
"Hyper Beam." Deirdre's command nearly caught Serena off guard. From the ground, Altaria raised its neck and fired the beam. Persian was engulfed by it, but what surprised Serena all the more was its range, the attack firing all the way to the hangar and slamming into it. The room shuddered, moving a bit in the air and hitting part of the final transport. That proved ineffectual, regardless, as seconds later, the third transport was away, only the hanger showing light damage as the shadows of sunset began to conceal it and any movement inside it, regardless. "Your vision? Hm…It's your vision that's proven the most poisonous of all, Giovanni."
"Has it? I couldn't care less," Giovanni spoke. He didn't even seem to be watching them anymore, merely patting his leg. Persian meowed a moment and then returned quickly to the man's side. Up above, Matori dropped a rope ladder for him to climb. "You were useful to me, while you obeyed, Deirdre. But I now have everything I need for my new world, thanks to you. The research Zager did without your guidance proved most useful. I'd stay to eliminate you, myself, but I've no time, nor a want to waste energy I'll need. However, if I see your face again, your life will be forfeit."
"That's a shame…My life is irrelevant to me, but I wanted to hold on to my post a little longer," Deirdre spoke. Giovanni scoffed, grabbing ahold of the ladder.
"Matori, take us up! Now!" His assistant didn't reply verbally, merely nodding her head with just one more look of pursed lips to the auburn-haired woman below. Soon after, the rotors of the helicopter above beat a little faster, and the leader of Team Rocket began to rise, slipping out of their reach, Persian curled around his shoulders. He said nothing more, but it didn't stop Serena. She ran forward, right for Primarina.
"You're all right?" she asked. Primarina nodded and, as if she could sense what Serena wanted, lowered herself. Serena instantly moved to mount her Pokémon, and Primarina burst forward with water. She felt her legs get cold, but Serena held on; there was no way she would let Giovanni get away. The two went sailing into the air, right over the canyon and for the retreating helicopter. A sharp cry was heard behind her, and Serena looked back to see Deirdre also giving chase atop Altaria, flying like it was weightless.
"Dragon Pulse!" the auburn-haired woman called, her voice echoing over the canyon space. Altaria continued soaring forward, beak opening wide to fire the ever-familiar draconic beam.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Serena shouted. The rush of water around Primarina's body increased, and she shot off. It may have been ineffective against Primarina, but Serena wasn't about to let herself be hit by that force. Nevertheless, the dragon pursued, giving surprising chase as they traveled out, further away from the base, and more over the canyon. The helicopter was slipping far out of their reach at this point, but Serena had to concern herself more with staying level. Primarina slipped to the side and the dragon lost its height, falling to slam into the canyon top. "Sparkling Aria!"
"Riiiiinaaaa!" Primarina cried, swiping her body through the air and creating a bubble of fresh water that she fired at Altaria. From atop Altaria, Deirdre smirked, and like the madwoman Serena supposed she was, jumped off. Altaria blitzed forward, glowing golden. The Sparkling Aria collided with Altaria, but it didn't stop the attack, and the Humming Pokémon slammed into Primarina.
The water broke, all manner of giving chase lost. Primarina jerked, and Serena's hands were thrown from her beloved partner in the shuddering force. Primarina cried out for her as she slipped. A brief look down told her just how deep and twisting this part of the canyon was…and how many sharp rocks were below, as well. Altaria was circling back around, quickly catching up with Dierdre before she could hit the bottom. It was a mastery of coordination. The second it reached its trainer, Altaria glowed orange, preparing a Draco Meteor. Serena whipped her pokeball out, sending the red beam over to the wincing Primarina and returning her before more damage could be done. Her body fell faster as she gripped it tight.
"Kuuuuuuu!" Serena opened her eyes, gaze going between above and below. Perhaps Sylveon could slow her fall, but the rocks were still a contender for impaling her. The meteors split, a few of them falling towards the canyon, leaving Serena little time to think of a solution for her sudden situation. Then she recognized the cry. A large, white orb flashed through the sky. Serena didn't blink, knowing she'd miss it if she did. The meteors all exploded and Altaria rocked back while Deirdre remained steady. Then sharp purple streaks flashed out, forcing Altaria to break off its attack entirely and instead partake in pursuit of the original target. One of the purple streaks grazed by Deirdre's head, but she looked unaffected, even her expression unchanging.
A black shape flitted across the sky, giving chase to the woman. Serena decided to go for broke. Dead or not, at least she knew she'd tried. Her hand reached for her pokeball, and before she completely passed the tops of the canyon, she saw that black shape flit near the base, another falling from it before it turned around to give further pursuit to Deirdre as the sunset sky turned dark.
"Frenzy Plant!" a voice yelled, and Serena stopped in her reaching of her pokeball. Great roots emerged beneath her, and she felt her back slam into them, slowing her descent rapidly, though it wasn't changing her destination. Those falling above her did, though. "Decidueye, let's go!"
"Kooroo!" the hooting of Decidueye called as Serena was about to reach the jagged portion of the canyon floor. Then she felt herself encapsulated by a flitting shape, wings around her, before it let go and that which surrounded her turned into a pair of arms instead. She looked up, and even as she fell to a far less jagged part of the canyon with the person encapsulating her body, her heart felt full and complete again.
"Sorry I'm late Serena, but boy did it take a while," Ash said, rubbing at his nose. But Serena didn't care, and the second they touched down to the canyon floor, cut off from everyone else, she embraced her husband and kissed him, reunited at last.
Author's Note: Well, action packed moments abound and a bit more about Deirdre was revealed while Giovanni moves to enact his final plan! More importantly, Ash is back! And TRio! So you know things are just going to get better here as the battle continues on in a brutal fashion. Hopefully you enjoyed this action packed chapter!
But that's all I have for you other than these thanks, which is a big one to Amourshiper35, gamer212, ScytherNoSwiping, ultimateCCC, FantasyLover88, Tenzalucard123, Rajiv A. Rajaram, Omegaz, StacheKing, potat lasaro, M, Alexandria Prime, AdvancedAlto, The Aura Gardian, aliensinnoh, Dragon King Rouga, Dark Hero12, ChE clarinetist, XDiamondX90, AmourshippingCanon and thatsmybusiness43 for reviewing. This is all pretty big stuff, and now that Ash is back, the story should really ramp up. Until that next chapter, please do Review and Dare to Be Silly.