Chapter 21

The Grass Snake Pokémon had a habit that she never could let go. After getting some distance from the Pokémon Center, Smugleaf's belly grumbled. She hadn't eaten breakfast this morning. At first Smugleaf thought about going back to the Pokémon Center to get a fresh meal, but remembered that Ash Ketchum was there. She was in no mood to get him all stirred up. His Pikachu knowing her was enough, she didn't want all of them to know about her just yet.

So Smugleaf looped around Carbondale and searched for spots in what she believed were free Pokémon buffets. There was a casual restaurant near the center of town. The air smelled greasy, and grease means yummy food. The food was sometimes so good that customers would order more than they could stomach down. They would get full sooner than they expected. The customer would pay their meal and sometimes won't take the food with them to eat later. All this wasted food gets thrown out, sealed in tight metal cans for trash pickup.

Smugleaf wandered into the alley next to the restaurant. She found the cans in question. They looked new, recently bought. The cans have yet to form rust. The Grass Snake Pokémon opened up one of these cans and peered inside. Her stomach rasped. Burgers, some fries, nachos and cheese, classic tomato and lettuce sandwiches tower on top of each other. Smugleaf couldn't help but jumped right in, the lid slamming itself close above her. She lay there for an hour, stuffing herself with wasted food. For a moment, she felt like a million bucks. This was a lot better than actually dining in the restaurant. In the restaurant she would get a limited set of food. But in the trash cans of a restaurant, it was almost infinite.

When she was stuffed, Smugleaf popped the lid open and climbed out. She checked herself to see if she got any food on her, then closed the lid and walked off like nothing even happened.

Smugleaf left Carbondale and made her way through the forest. She took the usual route, she knew her way around the forest. The Grass Snake Pokémon approached Fort Wernher. But instead of coming through the warehouse like she always do, she went through the stuck gate. She jogged parallel past the fence and made it back to the elite bunker. Smugleaf stepped in, walked to her bedroom and opened the door.

Bubbles was gone, but Smugleaf wasn't worried about her right now. She climbed back on the bed and stretched herself out, then took a short nap.

. . .

The inner circle regrouped back at the command center just around sundown. They sat down at the same spots as last night. Unlike last time there was no cooler, the drinks were just about nonexistent. Nobody complained. Part of the reason why they were here was the lack of drinks.

And the lack of everything else.

"So what have we got?" Tesla asked.

"We've gotten all the trash taken out," said Nobark. "All hauled off and burned."

"Good."

"I'm still feeling sore from it all," Tendon grumbled under her breath.

Tesla turned to Woody. "What did you find on your recon yesterday, Woody?"

"The transformer, alright," said Woody. "The substation connecting from the regional power plant to Springfield is a little old. They're using an old box Rhombus model, probably around thirty to forty years old. I don't think they make the Rhombus model anymore."

"What's your repair-time estimate?"

"If we blow a single fuse, it would be thirty minutes. If we wreck the entire transformer, a few weeks."

"We only need to overload one, correct?"

Woody nodded. "One will do the job, the others will fail and shut themselves down as a safety measure."

"And how long will the power company respond?" Tesla asked.

"They're not exactly up to date, so once the power goes out it would be a matter of time before the company starts receiving phone calls about a blackout. Once alerted, it's going to take them some time getting a technician team on site to fix the damage. If the damage is bad enough, however, then we have all night."

Tesla turned to Wotter. "Anything to report, Wotter?"

"Almost no activity," said Wotter. "I only saw one cop, and that was the Officer Jenny. I think there were more, but I don't think they're quite prominent."

"Just an Officer Jenny?"

"Just her, in terms of the local police. So for something as big as us, we're going to need to jam their radio communications or we'll have the Unova Regional Police on us before we even get started."

"Right," said Tesla. "So before we cut the power, we're going to need to disable the backup generators first. For a fast generator kill, we'll pour sugar and bleach in the fuel tanks. Do we have bleach on hand?"

"We do," said Tendon. "But it's expired."

"Even better."

"I think we have some sugar that started fermenting," said Woody. "Would yeast and alcohol ruin an engine?"

"The pluming will be clogged after the generator cools down."

"One thing I would like to add," said Nobark. "If we go in there and kill the generators, how can we signal you to cut the power?"

"Pull the main switch in the buildings," said Tesla. "Once I see all three buildings go dark, I cut the power. Once Springfield goes dark, the PRA can have at it."

"We have to work fast," Smugleaf said in human speech.

"That we do, Smugleaf," said Tesla in return. "Bring your knife along, can you do stealthy takedowns?"

Smugleaf nodded. "I'm a pro at takedowns."

"We'll need to ambush the Officer Jenny and take her out, along with any Springfield PD officer. We must not let a single cop leave the town limits, we don't want the URP showing up and crashing our parade."

Woody said, "Take out the generators, the radios, and the cops. With those out of the picture, we just go raid crazy."

"Quietly, of course," said Tesla. "To speed things along, we can commandeer a pickup-truck or something and load the back up with supplies, then drive it back to Fort Wernher. We might need to make several return trips so we're going to need to hold onto the element of surprise for as long as we can. The Swoobats will come in handy in the skies. If they see something from above, they can take it out with a powerful blast from their sonar. A cop car will be disabled from a concentrated sound wave."

"Which is too high for a person to hear?" Smugleaf asked.

"Yes," said Tesla. "Really high, however it would be like a bomb blast to any Pokémon nearby."

"So when are we going to organize the PRA?" Wotter asked.

Tesla looked at him. "Right now, we'll do this tonight. The sooner we get this done, we'll have full bellies by morning."

The old Pikachu turned to Nobark and asked, "Does the PRA have a lot of experience on raids?"

"A lot," said Nobark. "They know a raid this big would need a vehicle or two. So we're going to need to get some cars."

Wotter got up from the couch. "I'll find a car, I know what to look for. If we're going to raid Springfield, then we should look for one in Carbondale. We can't afford to get Springfield spooked, even if they only have one police officer."

Tendon smiled. "I have a few Pokémon who owes me favors, I'm going to call them in and form a posse."

"I'll go with Wotter for the cars," said Woody. "Preferably we get a van, there might be a lot of guns in that police station and I wanna grab them all."

"Now don't get greedy, Woody," said Tesla. "Carry what you can, and if you suspect you have been caught red-handed you drive straight back to base. If you are followed, then get un-followed, if you catch my drift."

Woody nodded. "I know, a lot of resources are at stake. I had friends who were captured by the police. They won't tell sh*t to them, even if they have a translator. No one's ratting anybody out for this one."

Tendon got up from the couch and stretched her legs. "Let's go round up the PRA then, I'm tired of eating MREs every day."

. . .

Tesla, Nobark, and the PRA inner circle walked outside and approached the barracks. Everyone was called into attention. Pokémon poured out of the barracks in mass droves. Some were tripping over each other. They look scared, like they had done something wrong and were expected to be punished for it. Instead of a Scrafty spitting harsh orders, they got a more compassionate Scrafty with his mentor and elitist. But still, they were weary. Nobark can changed moods on the turn of a coin. They all stood in attention with the setting sun behind their backs. Woody lit a Kerosene lamp to bring up more light, then returned to the inner circle. For the first few seconds there was silence, nothing but the faint breeze flowing above.

"I've got something to tell you guys," said Nobark. "Remember the talks about the raid for new supplies?"

Many conscripts nodded and said yes.

"It's happening right here, right now. You're all going to be divided into groups for specific supplies. But before we get into the details, here's the basic rundown of the plan."

Tesla took over and explained to the PRA thoroughly of the plan. Everybody listened, and when they had a question, Tesla gave a brief and informative answer. The plan was simple: Disable emergency backup generators, cut power, raid places of interest, stash loot back at base, come back for a second or a third run for miscellaneous items, then party. Smiles started to form. Wotter and Woody gave the brief rundown of the cars they need and where to get them. They told the ground-types to step forward, and they stepped forward as they were told. Nobark then ordered the PRA to split up into several teams. Tendon called up the Pokémon who owed her "favors" and they stepped forward. They don't look to happy, but they don't look to scared either. More relieved actually, whatever Tendon had on them was finally getting off their backs.

The old Pikachu got Mark's Pokémon to come out and Smugleaf went and fetched Bubbles. The Grass Snake Pokémon kept her distance. Tesla shot a look at her and she stepped farther away, she even avoided eye-contact altogether.

With the teams split up, Tesla gave the final word. "Once the power goes out at Springfield, we begin. But don't make a sound, we need to hold on to the element of surprise for as long as possible. The longer we stay hidden, the more stuff we can have. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," the conscripts said in unison.

Tesla turned to Nobark. "You're ready for this, bud?"

Nobark chuckled. "I've been ready for this for a long time, it would be just like old times."

"Except it'll be much easier than old times. We're not in a city, you know."

Nobark smiled. "Aye, I love small towns. Easy pickings."

. . .

Tesla went back to the command center. He walked into his room and opened up his Red Cross backpack. Tesla pulled out Mark's knife and checked the blade. It gleamed under the ceiling lights, he tucked it back into the holster and placed the knife back into the backpack. Then closed the drawcord and put it on, then left

. . .

The inner circle got together with their specific teams. Tendon took her team and went to the outskirts of Springfield. Wotter and Woody gathered up the ground-types and head off to Carbondale for vehicles. Tesla rounded up Mark's Pokémon, Bubbles, Smugleaf, Cabot's Emolga, and the Joltik. Nobark rounded up the rest and they all went to Springfield.

By then the sun had went down and Tesla was feeling tired. While walking from Fort Wernher toward the town a part of him considered to turn back and sleep for the night. He was busy for the last four days. Barking orders at incompetent Pokémon and knocking some sense into those who misunderstood it had drained the old Pikachu of his energy.

That all changed when he saw the gleaming lights of Springfield.

The PRA stood at the edge of the forest and gazed at the town. Not many Pokémon showed much expression. They don't need to, they knew what was about to come. Tesla felt adrenaline surge through his veins. His heart-rate picked up, his lungs burning sharp. He knew that feeling all too well. In decades past he would get an adrenaline surge every time he would loot a convenience store or a warehouse. For a moment, he felt younger, sharper, and more determined. Nobark was feeling the same rush. His arm wasn't shaking, it was deathly still. Tesla smiled, on this night the Nobark he knew and respected was with him once more. The many personalities who liked and loathed each other had settled their differences on a temporary truce and joined the main one for this moment. Tesla had never seen anyone with multiple-personality disorder with total cooperation with himself as Nobark was.

"Remember the Faraday Riots, Tesla?" Nobark asked.

Tesla nodded. "Those were good times, we partied for days from that."

Nobark chuckled. "If the police eventually arrived in full-force, what should we do?"

"Wing it, of course. We create pandemonium to aid for our escape."

"But this time we will be the center of attention. You know that, right?"

Tesla nodded. "That I do," he turned to the PRA and spoke in Pokémon speech. "You hear that guys. If you see a convoy of comes heading this way, create major distractions and get out. Most cops are trained to maintain the peace, however they do not have experience on restoring peace. There will be confusion. If you are feeling scared, just remember that the police will be just as scared. Who will be foolish enough to challenge the Pokémon Resistance Army? They have guns, we have guns and powers. We are in control here, not them."

That earned a lot of smiles and soft cheering from the PRA.

Then Tesla frowned. "So don't f*ck up and be extra quiet. If there are lone pedestrians walking about, take them out quietly and hide them in the alleys. Remember, we must hold the element of surprise for as long as we can. The longer we go undetected, the more stuff we're going to get. Do I need to remind you guys more?"

"Not me," said Tendon. "I know the works of the Pokémon Center. I'll disable the generator and shut of the power to let you know."

"Wotter will do the same at the police station," added Nobark.

Tesla turned to his own group. "Let's loop around Springfield and find the transformer, I wanna get there before Wotter shuts down the police station."

Nobark turned to the rest of the PRA. "When the lights go out, go in to the stores with food and water. Raid them first. On the second trip, we raid everything."

The PRA nodded.

Tesla padded Nobark on the shoulder. "Let's go guys."

Tendon took her team down toward the Pokémon Center and Tesla led his group around Springfield, the rest of the PRA went back into the woods and hid in the foliage to wait for the signal.

As Tesla and his team looped around the town. He looked for signs of second thoughts. His great-granddaughter seemed determined, and the Cheering Pokémon duo was not showing much reaction. Mark's Emolga appeared doubtful, but that was probably a moral issue about what she can or can't do. Both Smugleaf and Bubbles appeared uncertain. Smugleaf's reasons might be because of him, not that she was questioning her own abilities but rather why she was doing it. For Bubbles, again, a moral issue, much like Emolga's. But Tesla made sure she won't complain. She was trained to do what they were told. Heck, all the Pokémon here were trained to do what they were told. Nobark was the only Pokémon to have a big smile on his face. But that was understandable, he used to do raids for a living in the Westinghouse years.

So it was a big ass maybe. It would go well, and yet it might not.

But Tesla wasn't expecting it to go well. Truth was, raids never had. Almost all the time there would be cops appearing at the last minute, and a getaway would wound up taking up a rush of adrenaline. One time while Tesla, Nobark, and their WA friends were raiding a convenience store, the cops showed up sooner than they had expected. Tesla acted fast and got everyone to hide in a moving van that was sitting just across the street. The cops looked everywhere for them but not the van. By luck, the driver got in while they were doing their search and drove away to the next town. It was a close call, and his friends praised him for it.

"Remember hiding in that moving van thirty-five years back, Nobark?" Tesla asked.

"I nearly voided my bowels over it," he said.

"Supposing there was no escape, where would we hide?"

"How about on the roof of the police station itself? We can hide in the AC units and sit there till morning. Pokémon psychology would say to move away from the trouble as far as possible. That was how they get caught so easily. No cop would give a second thought about looking on their roof."

"The solution is to move toward trouble."

Nobark nodded. "Yes, move toward it. But our group is too big for all of us to fit in an AC vent."

"We don't need to."

Then Smugleaf started to speak, "Fifteen years ago, when the PRA was raiding Soho for the first time. The first thing we did was raid the police department. We got a lot of guns from them, and just to make sure they won't come after us we set fire to the police station and disabled all the Crown Victorias they had in the parking lot. We took out whatever law enforcement officer we could find that night, it was chaos."

"How many Pokémon did you lose?" Tesla asked.

"Five," said Nobark. "All of them from their own stupidity, but we gained three times more members that night. Tendon was one of them, I had contact with her for weeks. She was eager to join in our cause."

"Why?"

Nobark chuckled. "She wanted out of the institution she was in. She was tired of being told what to eat, what to do, when to sleep and when to take a vacation. One Audino from the Soho Pokémon Center was badgering her about it more than the Nurse Joy had. Before the raid, we instructed her to gather as much medical supplies as she can and leave during the confusion. To aid in the distraction, we cut the power. Tendon was smart enough to disable the backup generator beforehand, so the Pokémon Center remained dark when she came out with the goods."

"What was she feeling then?" Tesla asked.

"She had a smile on her face. Not much of a smile, but she was cheering 'I'm free' when she crossed the town line."

Smugleaf added. "Before she left, she killed one of the Audinos. The one who was badgering her about Pokémon Center rules and regulations. I think Tendon had a grudge about her."

"She did," said Nobark. "Tendon hated that particular Audino a lot."

Tesla thought back at Pinki's story about how Tendon had killed her sister. She didn't know why, and the old Pikachu could tell she wasn't lying. So how did she not know?

The conversation soon changed when Mark's Pikachu started chirping. "My cousins and I would love to break into restaurants for food. We would storm into a random restaurant in the middle of the day and gorge ourselves on everything they had. You know what a Mice Pokémon infestation is like?"

"No," Scrafty said in Pokémon speech.

"A mess. We would defecate on the floor and urinate on the walls, then fling our feces on the ceiling for the fun of it. Then we would mate in the open, sometimes at the display windows for the spectators to see. We didn't have to worry about the police. It's a small town, only a couple dozen people. We had strength in numbers."

"You ever participated, Pikachu?" Tesla asked.

"Sometimes, sometimes not. I was mostly wandering around in the woods and away from the politics of the Dixierats."

"Doing what?"

Mark's Pikachu paused and thought for a moment. "Looking for a mate, I never actually found one so I was a bit distraught from that."

"Until you got your ass stuck in a Pikachu trap and Mark came in to save the day," Tesla added.

Smugleaf asked, "A Pikachu trap, what's that?"

"A simple box with a hole on the side. Pikachus climb inside and get wedged in because they're fat as f*ck. According to Mice Pokémon rules, wherever we fit our heads, the body will follow. But Pikachu traps broke that rule, and Mark's Pikachu here learned that the hard way."

Nobark turned toward Mark's Pikachu and asked, "So that was how you met Mark?"

"I never felt so grateful," she said. "Truth is I fell in love with him some time ago. I was following him around wondering whether or not I should make a move."

Tesla chuckled. "How fortunate it was for Mark to wander into the area to look for a Pikachu. The only reason he was there was because he wanted to piss me off by owning one of my descendants. Particularly one who can trace their ancestry back to Polly." Then he said in Pokémon speech, "You got lucky that day, just hope you have enough luck for tonight."

Mark's Pikachu said nothing, but nodded.

The power sub-station Woody had talked about was up ahead. It looked pretty standard. A lot of galvanized metal surrounded by a chain-linked fence. Towers and boxes were lined up neatly, wires stringing in and out of the machines like a network. Big industrial wires came in from an outside source, then snaked into the sub-station to deliver their electricity. Power was then transferred to much smaller wires, which seemed to be buried. Below-ground wires were not a problem, it was becoming the norm throughout the world.

The problem was in the location of the sub-station.

There was a huge wide open space, nothing but grass for a hundred meters. Though it was dark, it wasn't dark enough to hide Tesla's bright yellow fur. He swore and turned to the group. "You guys get down, I'm going to run over there and get into position. High-voltage is dangerous to be around and I don't want you guys getting electrocuted."

"Don't get Overcharge, Tesla," said Smugleaf. "That would be bad."

"I can handle Overcharge. However, I'm not extracting electricity, I'm putting electricity in. It's Undercharge that I'm worried about."

"Be careful, Tesla," said Nobark. "I don't want to see you go after all these years."

He definitely still cares about me, Tesla thought. Like the Scrafty I always knew.

Tesla nodded. "I'll be fine, just sit tight and watch the fireworks."

Everyone got down on the ground as Tesla sprinted toward the sub-station. He was a yellow blur to those who was not paying much attention. Nobody was going to raise an alarm over it, there was always strange things going on after dark. He rushed up to the fence and climbed up, then carefully climbed over the barbed wire. One of the barbs grazed him, but didn't cut the skin. He rubbed the scratch for a brief moment, then jumped down into the station.

Before him were the old transformers. Tesla could sense the electricity humming inside. All that power was buzzing around him. Being an electric-type, he was attracted to the intense energy. He wanted it, craved it. It was a natural feeling he always get, even during his early Pichu years. His rodent instincts urged him to extract the power, but his conscious reminded him what was at stake. He took a deep breath and held it for half a minute.

Soon, he thought. I'll get a taste of voltage soon enough.

Tesla exhaled and refocused himself.

He crawled up to one of the transformers and hopped on the electric box. It felt warm, really warm. He felt his fur flutter on his skin, Tesla had to resist the urge to lick the box. Again, his conscious wins out.

Tesla turned toward the town. He wasn't high enough. He could see the police station just fine, but not the Pokémon Center. He needed to get higher. The old Pikachu climbed down and crept up to one of the wire towers of the sub-station. It must be ten meters tall, too high for the fall to be survivable. Risk comes with the reward, he thought.

The old Pikachu started up the tower. He clenched his teeth, his tiny hands grabbed on to the wrought iron as he pulled himself up its support beams. Sweat trailed down his forehead. The rodent instincts urged him along, bringing him closer and closer to the top. Around mid-way it reminded him of his uncle back in Kanto, how he climbed up a sub-station tower, how he bit into the wires and got fried, before falling ten meters to his demise. At the time Tesla never thought much about it. Death was natural in the family. Thinking about it now, he realized how stupid it was for him to be doing this. He wouldn't be making that same mistake his uncle did.

He reached the top without problems. Tesla sat down and looked out over Springfield. He could see the entire town now. The Pokémon Center was visible, its lights burning bright as day. The fire station was also visible. It was already dark, the firefighters must have gone to bed.

So that now only makes two.

Tesla saw his group in the bushes. They were watching him, nervously. He smiled and casually waved at them. Nobark had the nerve to wave back. The others just stared at him, probably thinking what he was doing.

He sat back on the tower and turned back to Springfield, then wait for Tendon and Wotter to make their move.

. . .

Wotter managed to find a vehicle in the back of a storage facility. It was a large white moving van. It looked relatively new, no mold was growing on the sides. There was no writing on the sides, nothing to say who it belonged to. Wotter didn't care who it belonged to. A moving van does the same job for everybody. Woody went around and inspected it to see if it was drive-worthy. No flat tires, no signs it hadn't been used in a long time. Wotter climbed up onto the driver-side door and picked the lock with a wire hanger. He felt around for the door lock, when he thought he snagged it he yanked up and the door lock disengaged.

Now the only thing to worry about if it had an alarm.

Only one way to find out.

Wotter grabbed the door handle and yanked it open. The moving van's horn stayed silent, its lights stayed off save for the ones inside the cab. Wotter got behind the wheel and muscled off the steering column cover, then ripped out its wires and twisted them. The electric ignition spurred and the engine roared.

Woody hopped into the passenger seat and buckled himself in. "Everything working okay?" he asked.

"Everything's working fine," said Wotter. "Just keep your eyes open."

Wotter shut the driver-side door and locked them, he shifted the car into gear and pressed the gas pedal. His foot barely grazed it. He swore and shift the truck back in park. He adjusted the seat higher, then adjusted the pedals more closer. Once all the mirrors were repositioned, he shifted the truck into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. Woody craned his neck and scanned for pedestrians, he saw none. Carbondale's streets were quiet.

"Oh, almost forgot."

Wotter switched on the headlights and the road in front of them lit up.

The Discipline Pokémon kept the van at a steady fifty-five kilometers per hour. His hands were clamped tight to the steering wheel, his nerves remained calm. Woody saw this, he was about to say something but decided against it. The Timburr simply turned his attention back out on the street, checking for potential watchers.

So far the coast was clear.

Wotter pulled out of Carbondale within minutes. When he was unable to see the town in his mirrors, he pulled off the side of the road and parked it out of sight. He killed the engine and got out. "Stay in the cab, I'm going to open up the back."

"Yes, sir."

The Dewott climbed down from the van and jogged around to the trunk. He picked the lock on the door and muscled the door open.

Inside were a couple of boxes strapped to the walls with duct tape. Wotter climbed inside and opened one of them up. Inside was junk. Useless junk. Wotter didn't bother moving it, they don't need all that space to haul weapons. Wotter climbed out the back and slid the door shut and got back behind the wheel. "We're good to go," he said.

He shifted the moving van back into gear and drove back onto the road, then turned toward Springfield.

They were at the town line within minutes. Wotter pulled the van into a secluded parking lot and shift it into park, he shut of the engine and turned to Woody. "We'll have to go by foot," said Wotter. "Stay close to me until we reach the police station. We'll break in through the back and kill the generator, then take out whoever is there and smash the radios."

Woody nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Wotter and Woody got out and jogged toward the nearest alley. They stuck to the shadows, keeping their heads down and their arms straight out. They kept their ears tuned for any passerby, so far no one. The duo moved fast, but quietly. Tendon got a head start on the Pokémon Center but he needed to hurry on his part. The duo rushed across streets paused a few times to listen for anyone following them. Springfield was quiet. It was definitely a sleepy town. This fact might make things easier than it seemed.

When they got to the street the police station was at, they stopped. "We'll loop around the back," Wotter whispered. "We gotta work fast on this."

Woody nodded, but said nothing.

The duo looked both ways for anybody walking down the street, they saw none. They crossed the street and crept their way across the backs of the buildings. When they saw the police station, they noticed the Officer Jenny's motorcycle was there.

Now things just got a little harder, Wotter thought.

He crept up to the backdoor and picked the lock. The lock was defeated within minutes, but Wotter didn't open it yet. There might be an alarm. So he pushed the door in a centimeter, then ran his fingers through across the edge to find a sensor.

And there was, a thin piece of plastic with wires in it.

Wotter turned to Woody, "We need a-"

Woody smiled a toothy grin and held up a magnet. It looked like something bought from a hardware store. Not a kitchen magnet, but a heavy-duty one. Wotter chuckled. "Smart boy."

"The Officer Jenny might be on the other side," Woody warned.

"Then we'll do this fast."

Wotter took the magnet, then reached up and stuck it on the sensor. He pushed the door open and the alarm remained silent. "Okay," said Wotter. "Let's peak inside."

He pushed the door open and looked inside. It looked like a utility room. It was pitch-black. Wotter pushed the door wider to let more light in. He waited for a second, then stepped inside.

The backup generator in question was right there next to him. It was spray-painted yellow, it practically glowed out of the darkness. It was a large diesel generator. Not old, but not new either. A fine layer of dust had coated the dynamo and hull, it looked like it hadn't been used in a while. Maybe it wouldn't even run at all, but Wotter wasn't taking any chances.

Wotter searched the rest of the room. Mostly tools and canisters of lubricants and anti-freeze. Woody's jaw dropped. A lot of the supplies here were brand new, he hadn't seen the latest gear until now.

"Wait a little longer, Woody," said Wotter. "The task at hand?"

Woody blinked, then nodded. "Right, the task at hand."

Wotter found the door leading to the rest of the station, light was glowing through the gaps. The Discipline Pokémon twisted the door knob, then poked his head through.

He heard only one person inside, the Officer Jenny no doubt. She was on a computer, clicking away with a mouse and typing on her keyboard. Wotter closed the door and turned to Woody. "We need a distraction."

Woody nodded. "I'm on it."

The Muscular Pokémon ran out the back and disappeared into the night. Wotter reached for one of his scalchops and drew it. A long sky-blue plasma blade jetted out. Wotter flipped it downward and quietly stepped through the door.

He walked toward the edge of the wall. Even though the floor was concrete, he wasn't taking any chances on creaking. Sometimes the carpet creaks if the measurement is a little more than the room it was intended for. It might even shift furniture around. Tipping off the Officer Jenny that there was a problem wouldn't be good. He can't afford any noise, not a single peep.

When he reached the reception desk, Wotter paused. He pressed his back against the wall and waited.

The Officer Jenny kept typing away, occasionally grumbling to herself. It must be one of those boring nights for her.

Wotter held his breath and waited.

The front window exploded and a solid object arched into the room. The Officer Jenny jumped, actually falling off her chair. The object smashed against the wall and bounced off the floor.

High-pitched laughter ensued outside.

Wotter checked to see what it was. It was a brick. Bright red with sharp corners. It left a dent in the dry wall, big enough to be replaced. "Sh*t," the Officer Jenny swore. "Damn kids!"

She climbed back up to her feet and stood her chair back up, then she walked around the corner. If she had turned left, she would had seen Wotter. But no, she turned right, toward the broken window.

Wotter moved fast. Just as the Officer Jenny peaked out the window, he leaped up and sank his Razor Shell into the back of her skull.

Her medulla was lacerated instantly, as she dropped like a stone. Wotter hanged on tight as she hit the ground. Her hat fell off and rolled to the side. Wotter held it for a moment, then pulled out the Razor Shell. Blood was starting to ooze out of the fatal wound and started to pool around the carpet. Wotter held up his Razor Shell, the tip was coated with blood. He went back to the utility room where Woody ran back into the door. He was giggling to himself, actually dancing. Then he saw Woody's Razor Shell and froze.

"That quick?" he asked.

Wotter nodded. "I leaped up and took her out seconds after you threw that brick," then he added. "Clever of you Woody, but you went a little too far from the laughter."

"Did she knew it was a teenager?"

"She did, so I guess it paid off."

Wotter went up to the generator and examined it. "Where's the battery?"

Woody opened a panel and pulled out a twelve-volt car battery out of the slot. "Here it is!"

The Muscular Pokémon pulled out the terminals and sat the battery aside. "There, it's disabled."

Wotter walked up to the breaker box and opened up the panel, he found a green button that suggested it was the generator. He reached up and pressed it with the tip of his Razor Shell.

Nothing, the generator stayed dead.

"We're in business," he said.

Wotter planted his Razor Shell on the floor. He then jumped up on the circuit breaker box and reached for the main switch. He pulled it, the lights coming from the rest of the police station went dark."

"That f*cking easy?" Woody asked.

Wotter shrugged. "This is a small town, where zero crime happens every day. How do you think it was so easy?"

TO BE CONTINUED…