Chapter 25:

"What, someone's taken my father, what do you mean?" Lauren shrieked.

"I went to the Gym to challenge him when I was met by another challenger who had been tied up by team Plasma. He told me that they had taken your father during a battle, they said something about his art gallery." Melissa explained, worried.

"What would they want with a gallery?" Grasselle questioned.

"My father's gallery is full of very expensive paintings, which is only opened by the sound of my father's voice," Lauren exclaimed. "That must be why they took him there, they want to steal his art!"

"That's terrible!" Grasselle and Melissa yelled simultaneously.

"We have to go and help him, now!" Lauren immediately ran off into the City. It buzzed with life, the passers-by ignored Lauren, who was now ecstatically sprinting towards her father's gallery.

Grasselle and Melissa ran a distance away, attempting to keep up with Lauren but failing. "I'm going to get Nurse Joy to contact Officer Jenny for help!" Melissa yelled as she ran towards the Pokémon Center.

Lauren skidded around the corner and then froze in the spot. Grasselle, unable to stop, charged into her back. The two girls were stunned by what they were seeing…

Who's That Pokémon?... RRCKDLEONU.

Ghetsis laughed as three plasma grunts tied up Lauren's father from head to toe in rope. Burgh struggled like a bug but to no avail, the rope held him tightly.

"It's simple; you agree to speak into the tannoy and let us into the building and we'll let you go." Burgh spun to release the grunts' grasp but they immediately grabbed back on. "Well I offered you an easy way out." Ghetsis smugly giggled."

Lauren grabbed for the poké ball containing Tepig but Grasselle stopped her.

"We can't go in all guns blazing, we need to think of a plan."

Lauren took the lean hand and pushed it away. "I have to help my father, he would help me without thinking." Lauren assured.

She threw the Tepig's poké ball, along with the ball holding Gothita into the air, releasing her two Pokémon.

The grunts and Ghetsis took their attention off Burgh to look at Lauren. "You again?" Ghetsis asserted, unknowing that Burgh was sneaking away. "Deal with her, Conkeldurr!" Ghetsis released the powerhouse.

Conkeldurr is the Muscular Pokémon, its ability is sheer force. It is the evolved form of Gurdurr. Rather than rely on force, they master moves that utilize the centrifugal force of spinning concrete.

"Woobat!" The three grunts screamed in unison, releasing their bat Pokémon. They hovered over Conkeldurr like a comfort blanket.

"Hey, Lauren deal with Conkeldurr, I'll get the Woobat." Lauren nodded in agreement. Lauren released her Petilil who looked ready for a good battle. "Let's go Petilil."

"Gothita, psybeam; Tepig, flame charge!" Lauren bellowed. Her two Pokémon sent out their strong attacks.

"Conkeldurr, use rock throw." The giant Pokémon created a ball of rock above its head and then threw it at Lauren's attacking Pokémon. They both flew back to where they started, now panting for breath.

"I think we need a bit more help Lillipup!" Lauren brought out her baby Pokémon. She had worries over whether it was safe for her newly hatched Pokémon but she had faith in Lillipup.

"Lillipup, take down!" Lillipup charged towards Conkeldurr with streaks of light flashing behind him."

"I'll almost feel sorry for hurting this little guy, Conkeldurr, use low kick!" Conkeldurr raised its foot into the air ready for attack."

"Gothita go and help Lillipup using teleport and Tepig, you use heat crash." Lauren screamed, this being her plan all along.

Gothita disappeared in a flash of pink light, appeared to wrap its arms around Lillipup and then disappeared again, transporting back to Lauren's feet. Conkeldurr looked confused and slammed its foot on the ground. Unaware that Tepig was preparing attack above its head.

"Go Tepig." Conkeldurr said its name, confused, then was slammed to the ground by Tepig's flaming body, its body hit the ground hard.

"Conkeldurr, get up, now!" Ghetsis demanded.

"Oh no you don't, Gothita; use psychic to keep it grounded." Gothita had a pink aura which emanated from Conkeldurr which pushed it towards the ground.

"Fight it Conkeldurr." The Pokémon strained and struggled, attempting to release itself from Gothita's mental constriction.

Conkeldurr began to steady itself to its feet, Lauren had to think fast.

Lillipup made the thoughts easier for Lauren, he leaped onto Tepig's head and into the air. He then summoned a purple ball of power and shot it towards Conkeldurr, which sent it back to the ground.

"Well done Lillipup, you learnt shadow ball; now let's finish this off, Gothita hypnosis." Gothita let go off its telekinetic grasp and began to wiggle its finger, then let a pink beam over to Conkeldurr, which sent it into a slumber.

"No, Conkeldurr!" Ghetsis screamed, knowing that Lauren had the advantage.

"Come on Tepig, flame charge, Gothita use psybeam and Lillipup use shadow ball!"

Tepig summoned flames around it and then shot towards its sleeping target, Gothita then sent a psybeam which changed the flame charge into a powerful black colour. Lillipup's shadow ball finally added power to the attack by adding the shadow balls which circled the black flame.

The move struck Conkeldurr into the air and knocked it unconscious. Ghetsis turned its head, ashamed. He returned his Pokémon into its poké ball and then noticed that the Grunts' Pokémon had fainted. SO he threw a smoke bomb onto the ground which surrounded the area in a thick black.

The Pokémon and their trainers coughed from the suffocating fog. When it cleared, Ghetsis and the grunts had disappeared.

"Well at least they've gone for now; well done Petilil." The happy Pokémon jumped into Grasselle's arms.

"Guys, I'm so proud of the three of you, this next gym battle is going to be an easy win." Then Lauren remembered who her battle would be against. "Dad!" Lauren screamed.

Lauren returned her Pokémon and ran over to the alleyway where she saw her father struggle off to. They she was met with Burgh, still trapped in rope.

"Petilil, use razor leaf to cut the rope." Grasselle asked her Pokémon, who then released Burgh from the trap."

Burgh gasped for air as the rope jumped from his mouth. Lauren dove down and hugged her father.

"Dad… I was so scared that something would happen to you."

"I wasn't worried one bit, as soon as I saw you I knew you would rescue me. Anyway, I guess you want to battle with me?" Lauren nodded.

Then the sounds of a motorbike approached, in the form of Officer Jenny, along with Melissa. "Herdier go!"

Jenny's Herdier pinned Lauren to the ground and sniffed her body. "What's all this trouble I've heard about?" Burgh rose to the sound of Jenny's voice.

"There's no more trouble Officer Jenny, my daughter here, and her friend sorted out Ghetsis and some team plasma members who tried to hurt me." Burgh assured.

"Herdier heal… So, you faced off with one of the seven sages? They are very powerful trainers who are very dangerous, you must be very strong."

"She follows after her father." Burgh smiled.

The Pokémon is… CONKELDURR.