Critical Hit: Johto Journey
Part 2: Finding True Power
"All right, Cynder! Are you ready for the next gym," asked an excited Lyra, looking at her Pokémon eagerly. The Typhlosion roared, the fire behind his neck flaring up energetically. The loud noise the two were making brought some attention to them from the others in the Pokémon Center, some chuckling and others sighing in annoyance.
"You sure are full of energy today, Lyra," laughed Ethan, amused by his peppy friend.
"I can't help it! After that Team Rocket stuff yesterday, I feel rejuvenated and more than ready to get my seventh badge!"
"Do you even know what type the gym leader uses here?"
"Yep! I checked it out yesterday, so I know that Cynder will be great at it. By the way, where's Leaf? I'm hoping that she'll wish me luck on this."
"Over there—" Ethan pointed at the girl sitting at the table on the opposite end of the room. "—She's really wrapped in finding out where Team Rocket is now."
Lyra walked over to where Leaf sat, watching as the girl stared very intently at the Pokégear in her hand. She was looking at the map of Johto, her concentration entirely focused on it.
"Um, Leaf? I'm going to challenge the gym leader now," spoke Lyra, watching for any sign of acknowledgement.
Leaf blinked before looking up Lyra, lowering the Pokégear.
"Already? You've been making a lot of progress lately," smiled Leaf, quietly wondering how long it'd take Lyra to get to the Pokémon League.
"I have my Pokémon to thank for that. I wouldn't have gotten this far without them."
"True, but they wouldn't have gotten this strong without you either. It goes hand-in-hand. Anyway, I'd wish you luck on battling the gym leader, but I'm confident that you'll do great."
Lyra couldn't stop herself from grinning, giving a small nod to Leaf before she headed out with Cynder. The pair made the short walk to the gym, which was neighboring the Pokémon Center. They stood outside for a moment, Lyra looking over at the sign. "Pryce: The Teacher of Winter's Harshness" it read. Slightly intimidating, but Lyra ignored it, taking a deep breath as she walked into the gym. That very breath hitched in her throat when the cold air made contact with her skin. Cynder noticed this and stood closer to her, the flames on his neck providing some warmth.
"Th-Thanks, Cynder," she said, walking ahead. She was caught off-guard when she suddenly slipped forward, almost falling over as she slid toward a block of ice. She brought her hands up quickly, stopping herself from crashing into the ice block. The impact still hurt her hands, but it also moved the block forward, which it crashed against another block. Cynder chased after her, sliding up carefully so he wouldn't bump into his trainer.
"Okay, I wasn't expecting the floor to be ice," commented Lyra, looking down to see a good portion of the floor covered in ice. The mist in the air had masked the icy floor cleverly – or from Lyra's recent experience, "annoyingly" would be the right word. She observed the rest of the room, noticing a way to slide to a door on the other side. Grabbing her Pokémon's hand, she led the way across the ice, being careful to not slip and fall. Back on normal floor, they entered the next room, meeting two trainers there. Lyra decided to battle against them so that her Pokémon could get more experience. The first one to battle was the Snowboarder on the left.
"The gym floor is slippery. It's fun, isn't it," he asked Lyra when the girl approached.
"Not, exactly, my idea of fun, though," she sighed, taking a step back to let her Typhlosion battle.
"Good news, then. It's not used for games!"
The boarder sent out a Swinub, which Lyra couldn't help but squeak out of adoration. She composed herself, trying not to let the small, furry Pokémon distract her.
"Flame Wheel, Cynder," she ordered. "Then use Lava Plume for the next one!"
Cynder nodded, running on all fours as the fire on his neck spread out so that it surrounded him. He charged at the Swinub, knocking out the Pokémon from power alone. The boarder switched out his Pokémon, sending out another Swinub. Using the fire of Flame Wheel, Cynder released it so that the flames spread out and hit the Swinub. With the battle over, Lyra waited a moment so that the boarder paid her the winning money before she moved on to the next trainer, who was a Skier.
"To get to Pryce, our gym leader," she began, pointing to her head. "You need to think before you skate."
"So there's a puzzle here," mused Lyra, peering over to the icy floor a few steps away.
The Pokémon the skier sent out was not one Lyra expected. It had blonde hair, seemed to be wearing a red dress, and had big, pink lips as if it was wearing a lot of lipstick.
"That's not cute at all," shuddered Lyra, watching Cynder prepare himself for the new opponent. "Use Lava Plume!"
Cynder concentrated and sent out a burst of flames at the Jynx. The Jynx was defeated, which surprised Lyra because she had no idea that it was an ice-type. At least she learned something new. Her eyes wandered to the ice blocks nearby, glancing over at the door on the other side. It didn't take long for her to realize that she had to line up the blocks so she can get to the door. With Cynder's help, they pushed the block as they slid across the ice, making it easier for them to get to the door.
The next room had more ice blocks and trainers, which was starting to annoy Lyra. Puzzles weren't all that bad, but sometimes she wished the gym leaders could be a little more straightforward. She inhaled deeply, relaxing herself. "Patience, Lyra," she thought to herself, walking toward the closest trainer. The boarder wasn't too difficult to defeat – her Ampharos proved to be stronger than his team of Seel and Dewgong. Now to figure out the ice block puzzle in this room…
To Lyra's surprise, this one was the last one before reaching Pryce. She assumed it was him since he was standing at the far side of the room with nothing else beyond that. All she had to do was find the way to him. Lyra took in the surroundings, staring at the placement of the rocks and ice blocks.
"I got it," she nearly yelled, startling Cynder. "C'mon, Cynder! We're going to get that seventh badge!"
The two pushed the ice block on the right into the one on the left, walking around and sliding across the ice to reach the same blocks. Since the blocks couldn't move, it was a straightway to Pryce. They slowly approached the gym leader, who looked very dignified in his long, blue coat, white scarf, and cane. He had a very serious look on his face, almost glaring at Lyra.
"Pokémon have many experiences in their lives, just like we do," he began, his voice strong and unwavering. "I, too, have seen and suffered much in my life."
"What happened to you," asked Lyra, now concerned.
"Since I am your elder, let me show you what I mean."
He reached into his coat pocket, taking out a pokéball. The fire on Cynder's neck flared up, ready for battle.
"I have been training since before you were born," added Pryce, tossing the pokéball. "I do not lose easily. I, Pryce – the Winter Trainer – shall demonstrate my power!"
The Pokémon that appeared from the ball was a Seel, already giving a type advantage over Cynder.
"Stay down, Cynder," ordered Lyra, grabbing Voltage's pokéball. "Voltage can take care of this."
The Ampharos was released from her pokéball, already eager for battle.
"Thunderpunch," directed Lyra, she and Cynder taking a step back. Voltage nodded, electricity sparking up on her right flipper, and charged at the Seel. The Seel began to summon Ice Shard, sending the ice toward the advancing Ampharos. Voltage jumped out of the way, evading the shards until she was close enough to the Seel to uppercut it with Thunderpunch. Seel was sent flying back, flopping over on its back and unable to battle anymore thanks to the strength of Voltage's move. Voltage huffed, looking a little annoyed at the lack of a challenge. As Pryce prepared to send out his next Pokémon, Lyra called back Voltage, who stood next to her trainer and waited for the next move.
Pryce's next Pokémon was a large, brown Pokémon with short tusks. Its thick fur was long enough to cover its eyes. Lyra wasn't so sure what Pokémon that was, but she decided to have Cynder battle against it.
"Smokescreen, and then follow up with Lava Plume," said Lyra to Cynder. The Typhlosion took a deep breath, his chest puffing up, and breathed out a black smoke at the brown Pokémon. The Pokémon shook its head, obviously uncomfortable with the smoke in its face.
"Use Hail, Piloswine," ordered Pryce, surprisingly calm. Small, thin clouds formed at the ceiling, bits of ice falling down and pelting the two fighting Pokémon. Piloswine was perfectly fine with the weather, but Cynder gritted his teeth against the pelting hail. However, he ran at the Piloswine, the flames on his neck growing larger. He released the fire, using Lava Plume as his trainer instructed. Cynder quickly took a step back, watching the Piloswine waver back and forth from the attack. It finally collapsed on the ground, defeated.
"Good job, Cynder," praised Lyra, Voltage also looking quite impressed. "I need you to get back! Voltage, the rest is yours!"
Voltage stepped in, awaiting the next challenge. Pryce's last Pokémon was a Dewgong, the evolved form of Seel.
"All right, Voltage. Discharge!"
Voltage's body sparked with electricity, concentrating on building it up before releasing it. However, Dewgong took this opportunity to use Aurora Beam, sending the colorful beam at the Ampharos. Voltage took the hit and endured, now giving the Dewgong a glare for the nuisance. She didn't hesitate for a second to release the electricity, hitting the Dewgong with the full force of Discharge. Because of Dewgong's water-type, the attack was enough to knock it out, bringing the battle to an end.
"I am impressed by your prowess," commented Pryce, returning Dewgong to its pokéball as Lyra did the same for Voltage. "With your strong will, I know you will overcome all life's obstacles."
"Oh, um, thank you," blushed Lyra, happy to hear the praise.
"Therefore, you are worthy of this badge!"
Lyra immediately snapped out of her slight embarrassment to watch Pryce reach into his right coat pocket and take out a small badge. She eagerly walked over, offering her hand to accept the badge.
"This Glacier badge will raise the special attacks and defenses of your Pokémon," explained Pryce, handing Lyra the badge. "It will also allow your Pokémon to use Whirlpool to get across real whirlpools. Here's another gift from me—"
This time, he reached inside his coat, taking out a TM from an inner pocket. He gave it to Lyra, who put away the TM in her bag.
"That TM contains Hail," added Pryce, fixing up his coat. "It summons a hailstorm that lasts for a while, and it can damage every type except ice-types. Remember, Lyra, that when the ice and snow melt, spring arrives. I know that you and your Pokémon will be together for many years to come. Always cherish your time together."
"Thanks, Pryce. I will," smiled Lyra, gently petting her Typhlosion's back. "Cynder, let's head back to the Pokémon Center. You earned the break."
Cynder growled happily, following his trainer back to the front of the gym. For a short moment, Lyra felt like she was on cloud nine. She had earned her seventh badge, and all she needed now was to get one more badge to complete the gym challenge. Her Pokémon were getting stronger by the day, and it certainly made her happy that she was the reason they were like that. Back outside, Lyra really wanted to show Leaf her new badge and give her Pokémon some rest. The abrupt sound of her Pokégear ringing surprised her, and she pulled out the device from her bag and answered it.
"Lyra, how are things going," asked Professor Elm on the other line.
"Oh, hi, professor! Things are going great so far. I just got my seventh badge."
"Hm, I take it that you haven't noticed yet."
"Noticed what?"
"Well, I called because something strange is happening with the radio broadcasts. They were talking about Team Rocket."
Lyra froze in shock, unable to find the words to ask Elm for more information.
"Has Team Rocket returned? It can't be true, right? Lyra, you and Ethan stay safe out there. Bye!"
Elm hung up, leaving Lyra speechless on the other line. She slowly brought the Pokégear away from her ear, pressing the button to hear the radio.
"Testing! One, two, three," announced an unfamiliar voice. "We're the amazing Team Rocket! It's been three years but we've rebuilt the team and restructured! We're proud to announce that we're back! Giovanni! Can you hear this? We did it! Where could the boss be, I wonder? I wonder if he heard the announcement."
Lyra quickly shut the Pokégear and ran for the Pokémon Center, an alarmed Cynder chasing after her. She had to let Leaf know right away. However, as she entered the building and took in the situation, she realized she didn't have to do that.
"I knew it," yelled Leaf, her right hand balled into a fist. "I knew that they were regrouping somewhere else!"
"You heard the announcement, didn't you," asked Lyra cautiously as she approached the older girl and Ethan.
"Yeah, we heard it just a couple moments ago when Leaf wanted to listen to the radio," replied Ethan, sighing. "This is definitely not a good thing."
"The Radio Station," mused Leaf, biting her lower lip. "They hijacked the tower! Lyra, Ethan, we have to head there now!"
"But Leaf, I need to heal up my Pokémon first," said Lyra, running over to the nurse. "If you want, you and Ethan can go ahead. I'll catch up."
Leaf and Ethan looked to each other before nodding in agreement, heading outside. Lyra waited as patiently as she could for her Pokémon to be returned to her from the nurse. She knew that every second mattered against Team Rocket, but she wanted her Pokémon to be healthy before taking on that threat. With her pokemon now healed, she ran outside and released Zephyr from her ball.
"Hurry, Zephyr," rushed Lyra, climbing onto her Noctowl. "To Goldenrod City!"
Zephyr waited until Lyra was secure on her back before taking off. She was not going to risk her trainer falling off in midflight, no matter how impatient she was. The Noctowl did her best to fly as fast as possible to Goldenrod City, managing to make it there in about ten minutes. From a distance, Goldenrod looked the same as usual to Lyra. However, once they landed in front of the Pokémon Center, it became blatantly obvious that there was something wrong. She and Zephyr looked around, the streets unsettlingly empty of people. The once bustling metropolis had turned into a ghost town.
They walked down the main street, keeping an eye out for anyone. Lyra felt a sudden pull on her left hand, bringing her into an alley. To her surprise, Leaf was the one who pulled her, the older girl gesturing to her to stay silent.
"'Bout time you got here," commented Ethan, standing next to Leaf.
"Where is everybody," asked Lyra, Leaf letting go of her hand.
"They're staying in their homes," replied Leaf, looking back to the street. "Much safer there than it is out here. Anyway, Ethan and I did some investigating, and we figured out a way to get into the tower undetected."
"So, what's the plan then?"
"Joining Team Rocket, so to speak."
"What," yelled Lyra, both Ethan and Leaf shushing her.
"It's not what you think," explained Ethan, giving his friend reassurance. "We overheard some grunts by the tower to not let anyone in who isn't wearing a Rocket uniform. Now, where do you think we can get some uniforms in this city?"
Lyra thought for a moment, trying to figure out the answer. She then remembered taking a photo with her Pokémon in the underground tunnel in this very city.
"Oh! That photo place in Goldenrod's underground tunnel," answered Lyra, getting the idea of the plan.
"Right! So, we're going over there to get some uniforms, sneak past the guards at the tower, and then take them out from the inside."
"Whatever you do, Lyra," added Leaf, looking right into her junior's eyes. "Don't lose. This is something where success is really important. Also, don't be afraid to get a little rest. If you keep going on without rest for yourself or your Pokémon, you're going to end up in a lot of trouble."
"Okay, I got it," nodded Lyra, Zephyr hooting in agreement. "Let's go get those uniforms!"
"By the way, you should probably put your Noctowl in her pokéball. We'll be able to sneak into the underground tunnel easier that way, but once we get those uniforms, you can let any of your Pokémon out."
Lyra glanced at Zephyr, hoping she understood that she'd have to be in a ball for a bit. Zephyr stared at Lyra for a brief moment before giving a small nod, allowing to be drawn back into her pokéball. Now that it was just the three of them, they quietly made their way through the streets, being careful not to draw attention. They managed to get into the tunnel's southern entrance, which was also empty of people. All that was left was to go to the photography section. When they approached the small area, a Rocket grunt spotted them as he leaned against a wall. He was most likely guarding the place.
"What the hell are you kids doing here," he asked, meeting them halfway. "You got a lot of guts to come picking a fight!"
"Whoa there, man, you got it all wrong," explained Ethan, taking a step forward. "We're just here to get our uniforms."
"Your uniforms?"
"Yeah," added Leaf, smiling. "We recently joined Team Rocket, but we got moved here before we could get our uniforms."
"And we need those to get into the Radio Tower and provide backup for everyone there," chimed in Lyra. "We don't want to standby and do nothing, you know? Team Rocket needs everyone's support to make the plan successful."
"I see… Then you must be the new recruits for the Radio Tower mission," said the grunt. "All right, step this way."
He led them to the room nearby, handing them a uniform each.
"We actually ran out of uniforms, so you guys can, uh, 'borrow' these for the meantime," added the grunt, pointing inside the room. "There are stalls inside to get changed. Come talk to me once you're done."
The three went inside the room, each picking a random stall. Since Lyra had done this before, she was dressed into the uniform in less than five minutes. She decided to wait for the others outside, taking the chance to let the grunt know that she was ready for her "mission."
"Looking good there," complimented the grunt, giving her a thumbs-up. "Now head on over to the Radio Tower. I just got word that we need more grunts there. Right on time, eh?"
"Um, okay, I'll go now."
Lyra headed for the northern stairs, disappointed that she couldn't wait a little longer for Ethan and Leaf. She'll have to wait inside the Radio Tower before taking action. After all, "take them out from the inside" wasn't very specific on how they should go about doing that. When she was back outside, she figured it was time to let one of her Pokémon out. She grabbed Dusty's pokéball and released him, smiling at the rock-type Pokémon. The Pupitar looked a little confused as to why his trainer was dressed as Team Rocket, especially after the incident in Mahogany Town.
"It's a disguise," whispered Lyra, pointing at the uniform. "It's so we can get in the Radio Tower without any trouble."
Dusty blinked, seemingly understanding the situation. He loyally followed Lyra to the Radio Tower, keeping a careful watch on the other grunts should they threaten his trainer. They stepped inside the large building, walking toward the only Rocket grunt that stood by the stairs. The grunt noticed Lyra and grinned.
"You must be here to give us backup. Thank goodness we hired new recruits," he sighed with content. "Go on ahead and take your post on the third floor."
"Okay, thanks," smiled Lyra, finding it unbelievable how easy it was to infiltrate the criminal organization.
"Hey, Team Rocket," yelled a familiar voice, causing Lyra to freeze right when she had taken the first step on the stairs.
"No, no, not him," she thought with anguish, afraid to look back. "Please, Arceus, don't let him recognize me!"
"Stop going around in groups and troubling people, you cowards! Wait a minute…"
Lyra then felt a forceful tug as she was pulled from the stairs, being turned so that she was face-to-face with Silver.
"Aren't you Lyra," he asked, Lyra looking away to avoid eye contact.
"Nope, never heard of her," she replied, using the deepest voice she can manage.
"Stop fooling around! What the heck are you even doing here?"
"Um, uh…"
"No… You think you're strong now that you look like them?"
"Huh? That's not it!"
"That's foolish," he yelled, grabbing at her shirt. "You shouldn't wear those things!"
"Wait! What are you doing? Stop!"
He pulled the shirt so hard that the seams began to give, rips appearing on the front and sides. Lyra screamed, grabbing his hand to stop him while using her other hand to keep the material from completely ripping apart. Silver could have ripped that shirt to shreds, but he had forgotten one thing: a very angry Pupitar that was already holding a grudge against him. Dusty didn't waste another second to tackle Silver, pushing him about fifteen feet away from Lyra. The boy fell on his back, looking up with surprise at the glaring Dusty.
"Dusty, thanks a bunch," praised Lyra, holding up her shirt that could no longer stay intact on its own.
"Lyra! What's going on," asked Ethan, running toward her with Leaf. "We heard you scream outside the tower and – what happened to your shirt?"
"Silver tried to rip it off!"
"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you," shouted Ethan, glaring at Silver.
"Silver, you shouldn't be ripping clothes off of girls," scolded Leaf, standing in front of Lyra. "That's just not right!"
"Even you two are in Team Rocket," asked Silver, ignoring their comments.
"Well, um, of course we are!"
"That's bullshit," interrupted the grunt, now stepping in front of them. "This girl proved that the three of you were lying to get into the tower! I can't believe you were that close to getting through!"
"Your fault for not checking for proof, stupid," insulted Leaf, watching the grunt.
The grunt took out a pokéball, which Dusty noticed and quickly charged so that he was standing in front of Leaf and Lyra. Ethan took a few steps away, keeping an eye on Silver who had stood up. The grunt sent out a Raticate, bearing its teeth at Dusty.
"Rock Slide, Dusty," ordered Lyra, getting away from Leaf to direct her Pokémon.
Dusty summoned rocks above the Raticate, crashing them down upon the rat Pokémon. The rocks were strong enough to knock out the Raticate, forcing the grunt to send out another Raticate.
"Another Rock Slide should do it!"
As Lyra predicted, the move was enough to take out the remaining Raticate. With the battle over, the grunt looked worried, glancing at all three of them.
"You could spoil our plan," he muttered, returning Raticate to its pokéball. "I have to inform the others."
He made a mad dash up the stairs, barely managing to evade a tackle from Dusty. Both the Pupitar and Lyra glared at the grunt before turning their glares onto Silver.
"I see… So you three were trying to sneak by," he said in a low voice, a little unnerved by the glares.
"Yeah, but thanks to you, the plan's gone to shit," criticized Ethan, obviously angry.
"Hmph, a typical plan of the meek!"
"What? You actually think just barging through and using force will take them out easily?"
"Of course it'd be easy if you're prepared. No matter, if you all want to fight them so badly, then I'll let you handle this."
Silver began to walk away until Leaf stepped forward.
"Silver, are you really just going to leave us behind to deal with them on our own," she asked, her voice wavering a little.
"I've got other plans to take care of. I have to defeat that Dragon Tamer… Lance! After that, there's someone else I need to face."
Silver ran off, heading outside the building. Ethan glanced over at Leaf, noticing how dumbfounded she seemed by Silver's reply. Was she honestly expecting some other answer by him? His eyes then wandered over to Lyra, who was covering herself up with her arms. At first, he thought she would be crying or scared over what just happened to her. Her expression, however, was one of pure anger, and her Pupitar shared the emotion.
"Lyra, you should change back to your clothes," said Ethan, turning away. "But I don't get why you didn't wear the uniform over your clothes like Leaf and I did."
"I wasn't expecting for someone to rip the uniform off," seethed Lyra, walking by the stairs and changing in the corner. "Stupid Silver… I'm going to give him hell next time I see him!"
"Hey, Leaf, stop spacing out and give some cover for Lyra!"
Leaf snapped out of it and quickly walked over to Lyra, turning away and keeping a lookout for anyone who'll stumble by. Since their covers were blown, Ethan and Leaf also removed the Rocket uniforms, knowing they'll have to face the villainous team on their own. When Lyra finished changing, the three decided to head up, Leaf sending out her Charizard and Ethan releasing his Togekiss. All three Pokémon seemed prepared for what lied ahead, and the group headed up to the second floor. The three trainers could already see Rocket grunts on this floor, probably trying to secure it against them.
"All right, let's split up and battle them," explained Leaf to the others. "We'll be able to clear the floors easier that way."
"Got it," replied Lyra and Ethan, heading to the closest grunts. With four grunts on the current floor, it didn't take very long for the group to defeat them. Before heading up to the third floor, they checked on the hostages, who were thankfully unharmed. On the third floor, there were only three grunts guarding the floor. They didn't reveal much about the Executives' plans, but a hostage did tell them that the main Executive sealed himself away in a separate part of the building and that only the director can open the metal door. The director was on the fifth floor, though. Of course, with the progress the group was making, it didn't seem that far off.
The fourth floor didn't have many grunts – just like the third floor, there were only three. They didn't have many Pokémon either, which made it easier for them to get to the fifth floor. At the top floor, there was one man there, sitting behind his desk. The room was empty of grunts, potted plants and paintings seemed to be the only company of the man. He seemed surprisingly busy for someone who had their building taken over by Team Rocket. Of course, that made something feel "off" about him. The group walked toward him, assuming that he was the director. It was when they were standing right in front of his desk that Ethan felt something was wrong.
"Ahem, this is the director," began the man, speaking into a microphone. "We have decided to broadcast wonderful shows to praise Team Rocket! Everyone, I don't want to hear you complain. Just do a good job to—"
"It's you! I thought you looked familiar," interrupted Ethan, recognizing the man. "Trying to impersonate the director this time, Petrel?"
"Petrel," questioned Lyra and Leaf, now staring intently at the man.
"Ugh, you again," growled Petrel. He looked down at the microphone, noticing that it was still on.
"Damn it! Now I'll never be able to influence the entire region to support Team Rocket," he added, shutting off the mic. "That's it! This time I won't hold back! Give me all you've got, Ethan!"
Petrel sent out a Koffing as Togekiss flew in front of Ethan to fight. Leaf looked at the desk, noticing a card key among the mess of papers. She snatched it before Petrel realized what happened.
"Ah, the basement key," yelled Petrel, wanting to take the card away from Leaf.
"'For Goldenrod Tunnel use only,'" read Leaf, backing away as Lyra followed her. "Guess Lyra and I will head over then. The real director has to be in there somewhere. Ethan, you keep him busy!"
"Of course," assured Ethan, watching his Togekiss use Extrasensory to knock out the Koffing. The two girls made their way down the floors to get outside as soon as possible. As they ran to the underground tunnel, Lyra wondered where the other executives were at. So far, they had encountered Petrel, which meant that Ariana and Proton had to be around somewhere. Lyra decided to save that thought for later, what mattered now was to find and rescue the director. Now in the underground tunnel, Leaf and Lyra went directly for the only place that had been off-limits before. However, someone else was waiting there, a somewhat familiar person.
"A Kimono Girl? What are you doing here," asked Lyra to the older woman.
"Team Rocket has been running around," she replied, bowing in greeting. "I was wondering what was going on. So, you two are fighting against Team Rocket?"
"There's also our friend Ethan," added Leaf, basement key in hand. "We're all doing what we can to stop them."
"Impressive! Hm, you may be able to face the legendary— Ah! Never mind. I must go now. I wish you all the best for the upcoming battles."
The Kimono Girl bowed again before walking away, taking rhythmic steps as she did.
"Leaf, what do you think she was trying to say," asked Lyra when the Kimono Girl was gone.
"I'm not so sure. When this is all done, you can ask her about it later."
They walked the remaining steps to the locked door ahead, Leaf inserting the card key to unlock it. There was a click, and then the door shifted and slid open. The pair walked in, already seeing two grunts standing guard.
"I'll take the one on the left, you can get the other one," said Leaf, getting her pokéball ready for the next battle.
Leaf walked quickly ahead, leaving Lyra behind. Just as Lyra was about to walk over to the second grunt, she heard footsteps behind her. She and her Pupitar turned to see the last person they wanted to see at the moment.
"What do you want this time," demanded Lyra, Dusty glaring at Silver. "Came to rip up my cosplay, too?"
"First off, what I told you before was to deceive you," explained Silver, keeping a wary eye on the Pupitar. "I thought it would let me tail you, and it would lead me to Lance."
"And how did that turn out?"
"Well, he never showed up. No matter, I was planning to beat you after Lance, but since you are here, I will repay my debts!"
"What? Don't you think an apology is in order for what you did earlier?"
Silver had already sent out his Golbat, forcing Dusty to stand ahead of Lyra and battle.
"Dusty, Rock Slide," ordered Lyra, angry that Silver had not apologized. "And don't hold back!"
Dusty summoned large rocks over the Golbat, forcing them to crash down and knock out the Golbat with more power than usual. Silver actually seemed surprised, returning his Golbat and sending out a new Pokémon. This dark blue Pokémon had long claws and odd feather-like growths on its back. He definitely did not have this Pokémon last time they battled. Where did he find it? Lyra's eyes suddenly widened in shock, her memory reminding her of the stolen Pokémon in Cianwood City.
"That's… That's the Pokémon you stole," yelled Lyra, reaching a boiling point. "Stealing the Totodile that was supposed to go to Kris just wasn't enough for you!"
"And what are you going to do about it?"
His voice was mocking, Lyra gritting her teeth to keep her anger in check.
"Rock Slide," yelled Lyra, watching her Pupitar summon rocks again. The Sneasel, surprisingly, just walked up to Dusty, catching him off-guard. Dusty expected an attack, but the Sneasel merely smirked at him. Dusty figured he should just carry on with Rock Slide, focusing his attack. That was the moment the Sneasel chose to strike, slashing at Dusty and knocking him back. Faint Attack didn't hurt him very much, but it still annoyed the Pupitar that he fell for the trick. He finally unleashed the rocks on the Sneasel, which was knocked out from attack. Silver sent out his next pokemon, one Lyra was able to somewhat recognize. It was a Feraligatr, definitely the last evolution of Croconaw.
"Stand down, Dusty," ordered Lyra, sending out Voltage to fight. "Let Voltage take care of this!"
The Ampharos seemed eager, believing the opposing Pokémon in front of her would be a challenge.
"Voltage, use Discharge!"
At the enraged tone, Voltage couldn't help but look back at her trainer. The look on Lyra's face was all the answers she needed, recognizing this look as the same one she had back at the Slowpoke Well. Voltage smirked in content, feeling energized thanks to Lyra. If she could admit it, she would say that she actually liked when her trainer was like this. When she was angry at Proton back in Azalea Town, Lyra was obviously braver than usual, something Voltage wanted out of her.
Voltaged concentrated the electricity on her body, building it up and releasing it before the Feraligatr could strike. The attack momentarily stunned the Feraligatr before he fell forward, unable to battle further. Voltage snorted in annoyance, very disappointed that Feraligatr didn't give her the battle she wanted. The next Pokémon Silver sent out was a Haunter, Lyra switching out Voltage for Zephyr.
"Use Confusion," commanded Lyra, Zephyr giving a small nod. With all the ghost-types she had battled, particularly Gastly and its evolutions, Zephyr was accustomed to using her psychic powers on them. So long as they have the poison-type as well, she should have no problem. Her mind focused on the Haunter, directing her attack on it. The Haunter took the attack, but it endured, countering with Confuse Ray. Unlike Confusion, this successfully confused Zephyr, who was teetering left and right. She did her best to keep her balance, her eyes seeing more than one Haunter now. She fell over and hurt herself, Haunter using this opportunity to use Mean Look to prevent escape.
Luckily, Zephyr snapped out of it, using Confusion again to finish off Haunter. Now down to his last Pokémon, Silver sent out his Magnemite. Lyra returned Zephyr to her pokéball, sending out Cascade to battle against Magnemite. Cascade waved happily at the Magnemite, seemingly unaware of the situation.
"Cascade, use Earthquake!"
The Quagsire glanced over at Lyra and then back at the Magnemite. She clapped her flippers together before jumping up and landing on her feet. Her landing triggered Earthquake, the building also shaking as Magnemite took the attack. Magnemite fell down to the floor, the battle now concluded.
"Why… Why do I lose," muttered Silver in frustration, returning Magnemite to its pokéball. "I've picked the strongest Pokémon. So why did I lose?"
"You're damn right you lost! That'll teach you to think twice before ripping my clothes and humiliating me," yelled Lyra, Dusty still glaring at Silver.
"I don't understand… Is what that Lance guy said true," asked Silver, gray eyes looking down. "That I don't treat Pokémon properly?"
At hearing this, Lyra's fury dampened, surprised to hear that he was starting to acknowledge his treatment of his Pokémon. Well, at least it seemed he was having doubts about his method.
"Love and trust – are they really what I lack? Are they keeping me from winning?"
Lyra honestly had no answer for that. Who's to say if that really was keeping him away from victory?
"I just don't understand. But it's not going to end here, not now. Not because of this," he continued, giving Lyra a determined look. "I won't give up my dream of becoming the world's best Pokémon trainer!"
Before Lyra could say a word, Silver turned and ran back up the stairs. She couldn't help but feel a little worried about him, even after the crap he put her through. The guy looked like he was having some kind of crisis, as if everything was flipped upside-down for him. Maybe all he needed was time to think. She sighed, focusing back on her current situation. To her surprise, Leaf had just finished battling against the grunt she was supposed to battle. Her Raichu looked up contently at his trainer, who smiled back.
"Don't worry, Lyra. I got you covered," assured Leaf as the younger girl approached. "You looked like you needed that battle against Silver so I took care of the grunts here while you did that."
"You battled them all?"
"Yeah, and that color-coded door puzzle they had there was no problem for me. It's definitely nothing compared to those annoying sliding tiles they had back then. Anyway, let's not waste any more time here."
Leaf and Lyra quickly moved on, Lyra following the older girl to a doorway on the southern part of the floor. The next room was a long hallway, only boxes cluttering it up. There didn't seem to be any grunts around, but they could be hiding behind the larger boxes or waiting further ahead. Footsteps approached them from behind, the two girls turning to see Ethan and his Togekiss joining them.
"Sorry that took a while," panted Ethan, gesturing behind him. "Petrel only had Koffing and Weezing. He also told me that the director is being kept somewhere down here for sure."
"I hope he's safe, wherever he is," worried Lyra, looking down the hall. The group warily walked down the hall, keeping an eye out for any grunts that could be around. They had only encountered one so far, who was waiting by the corner for any intruders. Leaf took care of him easily with Static the Raichu. The second grunt they met? Well, that was someone Ethan was familiar with.
"Hey, I remember you," laughed the grunt, the one with "hyuck" type of laugh. "You got me good at our hideout back in Mahogany!"
"Oh, uh, nice to see you again, I guess," greeted Ethan, unsure if this grunt was hostile or not. That changed when the grunt sent out a Grimer, Ethan's Togekiss flying ahead to battle. Thankfully, he had the same Pokémon as before, Togekiss winning the battle for Ethan. With the grunt defeated, they continued on down the hallway as they passed by a staircase. They passed by some boxes, only to find a grunt hiding behind a very large box.
"How did you get this far," he interrogated, looking both annoyed and surprised. "It can't be helped – I'll just have to dispose of you."
"I don't think so," retorted Leaf, sending out her Lapras as the grunt released his Koffing. Both of his Koffing didn't stand a chance against Rain's Psychic.
"Don't get too full of yourself! Team Rocket will keep going, waiting for Giovanni's return. We'll do whatever it takes."
They walked by him, Leaf trying not to think too much about his warning.
"Hello? Is somebody there," asked a voice further down the hall.
"Is that who I think it is," mused Ethan as the group ran the rest of the way. At the end of the hall, a man in a brown suit was sitting on the ground with his hands tied up. Leaf quickly went to him and began to undo the rope that kept his hands together. Lyra's eyes briefly set on the strange looking feathers in his hat, one giving a silvery shine and the other a bold red, white, and green.
"Thank goodness someone finally came to my rescue," sighed the director, standing up when Leaf untied the rope. "I thought Team Rocket was going to keep me here for as long as they wanted. Ah, that reminds me! The Radio Tower! What's going on there?"
"It's been overrun by Team Rocket," replied Lyra, watching the director's expression fall. "They're still there, but some of them are hiding in a separate part of the tower that we can't get to."
"I believe I know what part you're talking about."
The director opened his coat and took out a card from an inner pocket, handing it to Lyra.
"This card key should open that door. Please, you must stop them before they take control of the transmitter. From what I've heard, they plan to use it to control Pokémon with a special signal."
"Special signal," thought Leaf, wondering what that meant. "Hold on… The Lake of Rage! Lance said that the Magikarp there were being forced to evolve because of a radio signal. If they can do that… they'll figure out a way to control Pokémon."
"It's going to be okay," assured Lyra, snapping Leaf from her thoughts. "We'll make sure that that won't happen."
"Thank you. You should get going now. Time is of the essence now. I'll stay here because if they know that I'm gone, it's going to alarm them."
The group left the director behind, a little uncertain if that really was a wise choice. But, it was better to not attract any more attention from Team Rocket. They went to the staircase they passed by earlier, heading upstairs. They ended up in a basement of some kind, which was full of boxes and even had an elevator. Once they entered the elevator to leave, they found out where they were out.
"Thanks for shopping with us at the Goldenrod Department Store," said the woman inside, smiling politely at them. "Which floor would you like to go to?"
"First floor, please," said Leaf as they stepped inside.
"Certainly. Elevator going up."
The elevator shifted and moved, Togekiss and Dusty very uncomfortable with the small space and movement. A bell chimed when they reached the first floor, the doors opening up.
"First floor: service counter and main entrance," explained the woman as everyone walked out. Once they were outside, that walk changed into a dash to the Radio Tower. They ran up the floors in the tower to the third floor, where the secure door was at. Out of breath, Lyra swiped the card in the device next to the door. A green light lit up on it as the doors opened, revealing a small room with another staircase and a Rocket grunt. The grunt turned and spotted them, heading straight for Lyra.
"Did the door open because of you," he demanded, sending out a Raticate.
"Yeah, but that should have been obvious," replied Lyra, Dusty starting off with Rock Slide. Raticate, being quicker, attacked with Super Fang first, but the attack didn't hurt Dusty much. Rock Slide, on the other hand, successfully knocked out the Raticate. The next Pokémon the grunt sent out was a Koffing, Lyra sending out Voltage to battle it.
"Use Thunderpunch," ordered Lyra, watching Voltage's flipper spark up. The Ampharos charged at the Koffing and hit it with a right swing. Koffing was knocked back, unable to continue battling. With the grunt defeated, they went upstairs, meeting a familiar face.
"P-Proton," gasped Lyra, surprised to see him again.
"It's you," yelled Proton, advancing toward them with his eyes on Lyra. "You're the one who got in our way at the Slowpoke Well! Now you're doing all this to make me angry? But since you seem to wish it, I'll show you the full extent of a Team Rocket Executive's wrath!"
"Not if I got something to say about it," interrupted Ethan, stepping forward. "If you're going to get to Lyra, you'll have to get through me first."
"Ethan? Are you sure," asked Lyra, giving a worried look.
"Don't worry, I got this under control. Besides, we can't have this guy slowing us down, right? You and Leaf have to go on ahead. I bet there's more ahead anyway."
As Proton and Ethan began to battle, Leaf and Lyra hurried up the stairs. Just as Ethan predicted, there was someone there standing guard. It was Ariana, who seemed very aggravated at seeing Leaf again.
"Don't think I've forgotten what you did back in Mahogany Town," she said, glaring at Leaf as they approached. "This time… It's just going to be me and you, Leaf."
"So you actually know my name," commented Leaf, getting her pokéball in hand.
"Of course, I can't forget the person who disbanded Team Rocket three years ago. Even if you beat me again, which I doubt, you'll stand no chance against the last Executive. He's the strongest of us all! Now, let's finish this!"
Ariana tossed a pokéball, an Arbok emerging from it.
"Lyra, go on and find the last Executive while I deal with Ariana," instructed Leaf, sending out her Dugtrio. "It's up to you."
"What? But shouldn't you be the one to do it," asked Lyra, surprised by the sudden demand. "You and Red were the ones to defeat Team Rocket last time!"
"It's true – Red and I were the heroes back then. Kanto already has its heroes; it's time for Johto to have some."
"But, I don't think I can—"
"Lyra, I know you can do it. I've seen the way you battle, and you're a natural at it. If you can't take my word for it, then look at your badges. Isn't that enough proof that you have what it takes? You have more strength in you than you know."
Lyra stood silent, thinking back at all her battles with the gym leaders in Johto. Cynder, Zephyr, Voltage, Cascade, and Dusty… They were all there to help her through. They've grown strong together, and it was time to show just how strong they are.
"Okay, Leaf. I'll go ahead. Be careful," said Lyra, running toward the elevator. She could hear the sounds of Ariana's Arbok and Leaf's Dugtio battling as they entered the elevator. Inside, Lyra pressed the button to go up, her heart beating rapidly as the elevator moved. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous about the last Executive. She felt a nudge at her legs, and she looked down to see Dusty staring up at her. It was a hard gaze, showing that he was determined to help her in any way he can. The elevator stopped and the doors opened, the two stepping out. The large, circular room seemed to be empty. At least until Lyra walked to the back of the room and saw a blue-haired man looking out the window. He was wearing a white suit, somewhat similar to Ariana's. There was no doubt that he was the last Executive.
Lyra's Pokégear took this opportunity to ring, causing the man to turn around, a dull surprise on his face. Lyra quickly checked it, the caller ID reading "Joey."
"Sorry, Joey, you'll have to tell me about your super-cool Rattata later," thought Lyra, making her Pokégear hang up. She looked up at the man, returning his gaze.
"Oh? You managed to get this far," he asked calmly, looking straight into Lyra's eyes. "You must be quite the trainer."
"So, is it true," began Lyra, raising her voice. "You wanted this tower to control Pokémon?"
"Well, that's the secondary plan. What we intended from taking over the Radio Tower was to announce our comeback to our boss Giovanni. That should bring him back from his solitary training."
There was a spark of delight in his eyes, welcoming the idea of seeing his former boss again. That spark quickly faded, suddenly turning into a glare as he reached for a pokéball.
"I, Archer, will not allow you to interfere with our meticulous plans," he said in a loud voice. Dusty immediately got in front of Lyra, ready to protect her from Archer and his Pokémon. Archer threw a pokéball and sent out a Houndour, a black dog-like Pokémon.
"Dusty, Rock Slide," ordered Lyra, carefully watching Archer. Dusty summoned rocks to crash down on the Houndour, which proved to be effective because of Houndour's fire-type. With the Houndour knocked out, Archer sent out a Koffing next.
"Stand down, Dusty! Zephyr will take care of this," commanded Lyra, grabbing her Noctowl's pokéball and tossing it. "Zephyr, use Confusion!"
Zephyr stared very intently at the Koffing, focusing her mind to release Confusion. The psychic attack greatly weakened Koffing, but it was still able to battle. Koffing retaliated with Smokescreen, the thick smoke hurting Zephyr's eyes.
"Another Confusion should be enough," shouted Lyra to her Pokémon. Noctowl gave a small nod, doing her best to focus on the Koffing. Smokescreen had made it a little difficult to focus, but Zephyr successfully attacked with Confusion, defeating the Koffing. Down to his last Pokémon, Archer looked more determined than before to win.
"I can't have you getting in the way before news of our resurgence reaches Giovanni," he said loudly as he sent out a Houndoom. Lyra switched out Zephyr and sent out Cascade to battle the Houndoom. Cascade momentarily looked around before realizing the intensity of the situation, holding her ground against the opposing Pokémon.
"All right, Cascade! Use Earthquake," directed Lyra, preparing herself for the magnitude of the attack. The Houndoom suddenly rushed forward, using Faint Attack to hurt Cascade a bit. With Houndoom now close to her, Cascade lifted her right foot and stomped, the room beginning to shake violently. Houndoom then fell to the ground, unable to get up after taking the full force of Earthquake.
"No! Forgive me, Giovanni," shouted Archer, returning his faint Pokémon back to its ball. "How could this be…?"
"Lyra," called out voices from behind, Lyra looking over her shoulder to see Ethan and Leaf running toward her. When they saw Archer, they slowed down and watched him carefully.
"It's okay, guys," said Lyra, Cascade and Dusty standing close to her. "He's not going to do anything."
"It seems our dreams have come to naught," said Archer to Lyra. "I was not up to the task after all. Like Giovanni has done before me, I will disband Team Rocket here today. Farewell!"
Archer threw down a smoke bomb, filling the room with smoke. Everyone tried to search for him to keep him from escaping, but he was already gone by the time the smoke cleared.
"He got away," stated Ethan, sighing. "And knowing how crappy the police of Johto are, he's not going to see any jail time."
"At least Team Rocket is disbanded for good, though," added Leaf. "It's all thanks to you two."
"And thanks for helping us out, Leaf," thanked Lyra with a smile. "It would have been really difficult without you around."
They heard someone approaching and looked to see the director again.
"You've defeated them! Thank you," he said sincerely. "Your courageous actions have saved Pokémon nationwide. Please, I'd like you to have these."
He took off his hat and plucked the feathers in it, giving the silver feather to Lyra and the multicolored feather to Ethan.
"I'm sorry that I don't have anything to give you," he told Leaf. "But I do recognize you. You saved the Silph Company from Team Rocket and you came here to save the Radio Tower. Leaf, you really are a hero."
Leaf shook her head, a gentle smile on her face, and added, "No, the real heroes are Ethan and Lyra. I only helped this time around."
"But you still did the right thing. On Goldenrod's behalf, I'd like to thank you all for saving the Radio Tower from Team Rocket."
"Um, Mr. Director? Where did you get this feather," asked Lyra, holding the feather up to see the light reflect off it. "It has a weird silver shine. I've never seen anything like it."
At that, Leaf looked at both Lyra's and Ethan's feathers, filled with curiosity and fascination of the strange feathers.
"There used to be a different tower here," explained the director. "When the tower was replaced with the Radio Tower, that silver feather was found at the top. The rainbow feather I found on a trip to Ecruteak City. A friend from Cianwood told me that the silver feather should be taken to the Whirl Islands, and the rainbow feather to the Bell Tower of Ecruteak."
"Do you think they belong to a rare Pokémon," asked Leaf excitedly. "I've never seen a Pokémon with that kind of color before. It'd be a major discovery to find them!"
The director chuckled at Leaf's enthusiasm and said, "I'm afraid I can't stay much longer to chat. I need to get back to my office and set things back to normal. You're welcome to visit anytime!"
He walked away but stopped after taking about ten steps.
"Oh, I almost forgot," he added, turning around to face everyone. "My friend also mentioned that a legendary Pokémon will appear if you go to the places I said before. But, they will only appear if you have the feather and another special item. I can't remember what that special item is, though."
"A legendary Pokémon," asked Leaf, almost yelling from excitement. "We have to find out what that special item is! Oh, my Arceus, I can already imagine the breakthrough it'll have for the professor's research once we discover the legendary Pokémon."
"In that case, you should visit my friend in Cianwood. She lives on the northern part of it, and I'm sure she knows what you'll need. Anyway, I really must go now. I'll see you around!"
After the director left, the group finally went on to leave the tower, Leaf going on about researching the behavior of the legendary Pokémon as Ethan listened to her. Lyra sighed happily as they stepped into the elevator, glad that Team Rocket was officially disbanded. Perhaps she should reward herself with some Voltorb Flip later. When the group reached the third floor, they didn't expect the scene before them. Those working on the floor were huddled by the windows, looking outside.
"Why did the sky get dark all of a sudden," asked a woman in the middle of the crowd. "Especially now after Team Rocket is gone."
"Maybe it's a storm," suggested a man.
"No, that can't be right. It was clear just moments ago."
The group walked up to the closest window, checking to see what the employees were seeing. The sky was an odd deep violet, almost like night. Leaf took out her Pokégear to check the time, which read half past five.
"That's impossible," she thought, staring intently at the sky. "It can't be this dark already, not on a summer day. And it's definitely not a solar eclipse."
"What do you think is going on," asked Ethan to Leaf, noticing her thoughtful gaze.
"I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it isn't natural," she replied, feeling uneasy.
A/N: Here's the much anticipated Radio Tower chapter! Sorry if I hadn't updated in a while. All I've mostly been doing is work and not doing much on my days off. But I did get a driver's license so there's some accomplishment. Anyway, I took a little longer writing this because the battles got really repetitive for me to write. It's just fighting grunts over and over again, and you can see that I left out those battles. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to writing the next chapter, so just bear with me, everyone. And I'd like to thank everyone who's been patiently waiting for updates. You guys rock!