10
[6:03 PM. Ruins of Celadon City. Present Day.]
A girl was crying. Even through the haze of his semi consciousness, Blue could hear the blood curdling screech pierce through the sound of Mt. Silver's wind. His eyes flashed open and he sprung from the ground. The hypodermic needle in his arm fell at the feet of Garth.
"Mia!"
The professor surveyed the scene. Naomi was lazily seated on a piece of fallen concrete, kicking her legs into the air as her Talonflame and Mandibuzz flew over head. Harley had rushed over to Mia who was gripping her shoulder. Blood dripped from a deep wound and pooled on the ground. Naomi noticed the professor stand, and she righted herself on the slab. "Oh? I thought I already dealt with you?"
Blue ignored the harpy. "Harley, take Mia and have Garth treat her. Get out of here. Get to Vermillion. I'll meet you there. I can handle things here."
Even as she cried, Blue could see Mia's face light up. "But the others…" Harley asked, he voice trailing off.
"Go. I'll find them and send them your way."
Harley swallowed he pride and nodded. She shielded Mia as she ran to Garth. "Take care of them, Doctor," Blue said. The Mandibuzz cawed overhead.
Garth stared at Blue. "But…I'm just a doctor."
Blue laughed as he reached for a pokeball. "Nobody asks to be a hero. Get them out of the city. Head straight for Vermillion. Don't stop for anyone."
"Right," Garth said. "Uh…good luck, sir."
Blue made sure the three of them were gone before he turned to Naomi who had resumed her reclining on the slab. She tilted her head like a curious child and yawned. "You don't seem like much fun."
"I promise you'll enjoy this."
The Talonflame screeched towards the professor, but was intercepted by the hulking form of his Blastoise. The Cannon Pokemon roared and began laying anti-air coverage. Water streaked into the twilight as the Talonflame weaved through the torrent.
"You're a little slow, you old geezer," Naomi chided.
"I suppose I might be going about this rather child-like." The Blastoise launched a massive stream into the air. Thunder rumbled as grey clouds began to form. Blue smirked and it began to rain. The Talonflame shrieked as the rain struck its body. It dove for the Blastoise in a defiant charge. The Blastoise leapt to meet it, withdrawing and spinning in its shell until its cannons were pointed at the ground. It fired, and the massive jet of liquid rocketed it right into the fire bird as the collided mid air. The Talonflame dropped from the sky like a brick and Naomi returned it, attempting to hide her obvious disgust and surprise.
The Mandibuzz swooped down from overhead, but Blue was quicker, he tossed his Golem at the nearest building and the Golem set to work heaving huge slabs of Concrete at the bird. It tried to dodge, but, not as nimble as the Talonflame, eventually took a hunk of concrete dead on and collapsed to the ground. Blue stood triumphant.
"You're not through with me yet!" Naomi had now stood up, a bead of sweat ran down her face. She released her final pokemon, the small and wise Xatu, which stood silently on the ground. The Blastoise charged, but found itself frozen in place. The Golem leapt from the building to attack while the bird was distracted, but froze mid air. The Xatu hurled the Golem into the Blastoise, sending the two titans to the ground. Blue tried to move, but found he was also frozen. The Xatu began to sing a haunting atonal song that sent shivers down his spine.
A perish song.
Blue struggled to move, to do anything to get away from this bird, but the Xatu had him locked tight. Naomi laughed.
From the corner of his eye, Blue could see a faint orange glimmer. It grew until it was a large ball of fire. The Xatu broke eye contact and stopped singing just in time to dodge the fireball as it stuck the ground and cratered the spot where the Xatu had been standing.
Blue rushed to return his pokemon. The Golem disappeared in a red flash, but the Blastoise resisted. Blue stared at his oldest companion then heard the roar of a Charizard from above.
"No…"
The colossal dragon swooped down next to the Blastoise. The two acknowledged each other, and, in tandem, released a massive beam of fire and water. Naomi was too slow, and the beam connected, throwing her against the wall of a gutted building. The building shook and the vixen was buried in the rubble.
Blue stood still for a moment, and then approached the Charizard. He reached out in an attempt to convince himself that it was real. He placed an old hand on the warm skin. It regarded the professor. He saw a deep gash run along the right eye, which seemed permanently closed. The skin around the wound seemed deep into necrosis.
"Of course not. Whoever you belong to, tell them I said thank you." The Charizard nodded the flew up into the air.
[4:23 PM. Another part of the ruins of Celadon City. Earlier the dame day.]
Gaap and her Machamp posed atop the ruined body of Aggron.
Gillian glared as he returned his comrade. "Ah, Mistress Gaap. We finally meet. I had hoped I would be the one to take you down. Heavens know it's all Naomi could talk about."
She scoffed. "Hmph. I guess you're pretty strong, and I do need a work out. Alright, old man. I'll humor you."
The steel clad warrior tossed out his Doublade as Machamp launched forward. Gillian smirked as the Superpower pokemon phased through.
"A ghost, huh? Neat."
The Machamp turned on its heels, finding the largest chunk of dislodged concrete it could hurl and swung it at the ghostly swords, sending them reeling into the air.
"Now's your chance, Huck!" Gaap shouted.
"Right!" From atop a building, Huck and Machoke stared intently. The Machoke leapt from the building and barreled into the dazed ghost, and they both careened into the ground.
"Yes! Excellent! Flawlessly executed, Machoke. Out teamwork is unrivaled!"
"Well done, kid, but don't get too excited," Gaap reprimanded.
"What? Kid! I'm older than you!"
Machamp launched itself toward Gillian, but was swatted back as he called forth his Empoleon. The emperor penguin raised a fin and swatted the Machamp back. The fading sunlight gleamed of the trident crown.
"Two against one, tsk," chided Gillian. "I had hoped the forces of good to be more honorable."
The Doublade had managed to unpin itself from beneath the Machoke. "Mistress! Deal with this crook! I will hold this one off!"
Gaap shook her head. Always the dramatic one, Huck. Her Machamp launched a slab towards the Empoleon, but it merely cut cleanly through with its wing.
"You will mind, Mistress Gaap, that I do not fall for such tricks as easily the second time."
"We'll see about that, old man."
The Empoleon charged, water forming beneath its wings as it jet towards the Machamp. The Machamp crossed its four arms and stood its ground as the steel bird crashed against him with the force of a Tsunami. Machamp took a single step back and the Empoleon could make no more progress.
The Empoleon used the force of the impact to jump back and blast a torrential force of water at the Machamp, sending it backwards a step further.
The Machamp ran toward the Empoleon, jumped into the air and disappeared as it eclipsed the sun. It struck the Empoleon with such force that the buildings to the side began to crumble from the shockwave. Gillian steeled himself. Dynamic Punch—Chuck's secret technique. It was fitting, Gillian thought, that Chuck's granddaughter had mastered such a devastating move.
Huck's building began to crumble. He jumped from fallen debris to fallen debris like stones in a river. Below, his Machoke was going toe to toe with the Doublade. "Perfection, Mistress! Such an earth shattering move will seal this match in our favor!"
The Empoleon reeled and righted itself. It attempted to throw a wind at the Machamp. Machamps eye gleamed as it detected the attack, mid thrust. Its powerful arm grabbed the Empoleon and tossed it straight into the atmosphere. The penguin rocketed through the cloud line and disappeared.
Gillian knew he was beat. He raised his arms in surrender, but Gaap did not accept. She ran at superhuman speed into the arms of her Machamp. The duo locked arms and it swung its master toward the steel master. Her foot connecting against his jaw in a bone-crunching kick. Gillian howled and gurgled as the jaw broke from his face. He fell to the ground writhing in agony.
"I never liked the look on your face," Gaap said as she stood over the broken and sobbing man. "This can only be an improvement."