Twenty-Five
Pikachu was quivering with exhaustion, barely able to stand, yet it was the Team Rocket member who fell first. The mouse managed a small cry of victory before it collapsed. Ash regarded the fainted Pokemon with a grim demeanor. There was no helping it now. Silently he produced the marked pokeball and returned the creature. Without another thought, he shoved the shrunken ball in his pocket and braced himself.
Five more Rocket members were still standing, though Paul had a growing pile of unconscious (or dead) bodies surrounding him. His Magmortar was still going strong, its cannon arm smoking slightly. Ash looked around and saw Misty, lashing out at one of the remaining Rockets while her Magikarp flailed helplessly behind her. Dawn and her Piplup were somewhat behind Paul, safe because of him.
Drew was fighting with a Machoke, something Ash would have to congratulate him on later. He was just about to look for May when she grabbed him from behind.
"Ash!" May screamed.
Ash reeled back, shocked at her tear streaked face and swollen eyes. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. Now that he was turned, one of the Rocket members came up behind him. He took a moment to kick her before responding. "What, May?"
"My dad," she gasped, terrified. Her hands clutched his jacket in fear. "My dad, he's… he's part of all this!"
"What are you—" Ash paused to kick the girl away again, "talking about?"
"He's with Cynthia!" May shrieked.
Ash was about to question her further when a loud thudding reached his ears. Everyone halted in what they were doing to look back, wondering what could be so loud. A thunderous roar tore the air, and Ash suddenly knew what it was.
"Charizard!" he yelled happily, and the same instant the beast came charging around the corner, half flying to keep speed. Misty and the Rocket she was fighting screamed together and clutched each other in fright. May clung to Ash, forcing him in front of her, while Dawn shrank behind Paul with her penguin.
The great orange monster roared down the hall, its feet occasionally touching the ground. It approached Ash with frightening speed, and showed no signs of slowing down. Suddenly, when it was mere feet from the Trainer, it swooped its wings up to catch all the wind and stopped. The dragon's feet came down on the floor with a thump that shook the building.
To everyone's utmost shock, Ash jumped up and hugged it.
"Charizard!" he said again. "Oh, I missed you, buddy! I've been looking all over for you!" Ash blinked and looked up at the monster. "But where's—?"
Another cry rang through the halls as something came slipping and crashing down them. Ash let go of his beloved dragon and peered around its great form. "There she is!" he exclaimed.
The giant green thing came stampeding through the halls at full tilt towards Ash and barreled right into him, tackling him to the ground. "Bayleef!" it said happily.
Misty realized she was hugging the enemy and shoved her away. "What are those?" she demanded. She thought she had understood the Pokemon thing, but these were completely different.
"My Pokemon!" exclaimed Ash, pushing the green one off of him. "Charizard and Bayleef."
"There's blood on their claws," May gasped, staring in horror.
"Come on!" cried one of the Rockets to his fellows. "Let's get the hell out of here!"
"Deserter!" another jeered.
The girl Ash had kicked followed the one running. "Fine, you face the dragon then!"
Charizard jumped and landed just in front of the remaining Rocket. It let out a vicious roar, smoke rising from its nostrils. The man was left shaking, while Charizard stared him down. The two held eye contact for a moment before the Team Rocket member bolted. Charizard let out a snort of smoke to show how easy the task had been.
"Thanks buddy," Ash said. He patted the dragon on the shoulder as he passed, making his way to the door marked L17. Without hesitation, the strange knob was broken off, allowing the door to swing freely on its hinges. "Let's go."
Drew pushed past Ash and made a beeline for the portal. He ripped the sheet down unceremoniously, not wasting even a moment to stare at the glory of the machine. "May, get over here."
"What for?" May demanded, still shaking.
A smirk played on Drew's lips as he turned to look at her. "Because you know machines. I could really use your help."
May blinked at him incredulously. Slowly, she padded over. "What do you want me to do?" Her voice had grown a bit stronger with the knowledge that she was useful.
"Misty," Ash summoned, "help me search the room. Drew might need whatever we can find."
"Shouldn't Gary be doing the nerd stuff?" Misty asked. She closed the door after Ash's Pokemon had squeezed through, locking it.
"If he was here, it would be done already," snapped Paul. He was toying with Magmortar's pokeball, his eyes glaring.
Misty scowled back with just as much vigor before heading to filing cabinet to search it. Dawn had sat down on one of the lab stools. Her penguin stood before her on the desk, and she scratched its head absently as she looked around. "Hi Piplup," she greeted. Her eyes wandered back to the animal, and she gave it a small smile. "My name is Dawn."
"Pip," the penguin replied.
Dawn's gaze slid away, taking in the room again. The walls were gray and boring, like the rest of the Company. The floor was covered in a thick layer of dust, unperfected by the footsteps they had left. She felt Paul's cold eyes on her, making her heart race. A wave of regret overcame her as she recalled her behavior. She should not have kissed him. It had probably ruined everything.
Paul, on the other hand, was analyzing the blunette studiously. Why did she look so familiar all of a sudden? It was as if her emotions were bringing out some memory of Paul's… something he had seen years ago. The eyes were the same, he knew, but he could not connect her to anyone in his brain.
Was this his mind's way of telling him he had feelings for her? Paul almost laughed. Feelings for the mindless, troublesome girl? No. Not a chance.
And yet…
"No, no," Drew was saying, "that's not right."
"Of course it's right, Drew, now stop questioning me!" May argued.
"What, you're going to disagree with the guy who knows how to diffuse bombs?"
"You said you needed my help!"
"Arcanine, Fire Blast."
Ash paused. Who had an Arcanine…?
"Get down!" Ash shouted suddenly. He leapt up and grabbed Misty, pinning her to the ground just as the wall exploded inwards. A great rush of heat followed, and a giant creature bowled into the room. It barked once, standing majestically amongst the flames it had created, then looked back for its master.
A man appeared from the smoke, a small smile on his face. "Hey Ash," he greeted, scratching the great orange dog between the ears. He held a gun in his other hand. "Recognize me?"
Ash rolled off of Misty and pulled her to her feet. His expression was tensely sarcastic. "Wow, gee, um, I don't know, are you… Harry Potter?"
"Still laughing in the face of danger, son?" teased Alexander.
Ash grinned. "I never stopped."
His father gave him the same grin. "Who's your friend?" he asked, gesturing with his gun to Misty.
"Someone who pays me to keep her day interesting," Ash replied. He ignored the obvious glare Misty gave him.
"Hope you're getting extra for this, then," chuckled Alex. He twisted around, gazing through the hole his Arcanine had made. "Coming, Giovanni?"
The mob boss came through the hole, easily dodging rubble. His left arm seemed stiff, something that made Paul smirk. "Having a nice family reunion?" he queried, carrying the same lofty tone.
Drew caught Paul's eye. "Family?" he mouthed.
"Giovanni!" someone shouted.
Giovanni did not turn around. "Looks like he's alive after all," he muttered.
"Gotta love that loyalty blanking," laughed Alex.
Brock appeared in the blast in the wall, grinning triumphantly. "Oak is dead," he said. "But—."
"What do you mean, Oak is dead!" snapped Giovanni. He whipped around to glare at Brock, his expression livid.
However, Brock seemed unfazed. "I found his body," he explained. "But I got the next best thing." With a rough shove, Gary was thrown into view, a panicking Leaf in his arms. A bloody stain was fresh on the leg of her jeans.
Giovanni jerked his gun to the space in front of him. Brock yanked Gary and Leaf up again and forced them into the room. Dawn and Misty hurried to Leaf's side, speaking only with their eyes.
Ash met Gary's gaze with his face carefully calm. "Oak is dead?" he asked.
Gary's face set in glare as he looked away. "He deserved it."
"May," Drew whispered, "can you hear people? On the other side of the wall?" They were still by the portal, but their hands were frozen with fear.
Frowning, May leaned a little closer to the wall. If she strained her hearing, then maybe there was someone there. She could not tell. And it seemed they had worse problems at hand.
That is, until that wall shattered open too.
Pieces of drywall went soaring through the air, all the way to Giovanni's pile of rubble. He rolled his eyes and trained his gun on the hole.
As the dust cleared, the small click of heels was the only sound heard, and who could it be but the reigning Sinnoh Company Champion?
Cynthia appeared like a ghost out of the dust, her hair swishing as it always did. She flipped her bangs out of her eye with her hand, only to have them fall right back again. "Giovanni," she greeted, smiling. "Hasn't been long enough, has it?"
Behind the beautiful Champion, a giant blue dragon materialized, its head low and its gaze deadly. Following that came an old man whose mustache completely hid his mouth, and finally, Norman appeared.
May tried to back away from her father, but Cynthia noticed her. And then noticed Drew. And finally the portal. "What are you two doing?" she wondered. She moved her cape aside to reveal a gun in its holster, which she pulled out easily. "Up you get."
Drew and May stood obediently, Drew glaring at her defiantly while May shook and stared at her shoes. Cynthia gestured with the gun for them to move over, clicking her tongue impatiently. Carefully, Drew ushered May across the room to stand with the others.
With practiced confidence, Cynthia strode forward, twirling her gun. "Didn't I kill you already?" she asked, pointing at Paul.
Paul glowered and did not reply.
Cynthia made disapproving tut-tut sounds. She had reached the group, flanked by her Garchomp, so no one dared make a move, not even Giovanni and Alex. The Champion, to everyone's surprise, stopped by Dawn. She reached down and grabbed the blunette's head, a frown playing her features. "Hm," she said. "Small world."
Dawn shrank away from her, her eyes wide. She kept silent though, and Ash was grateful for that.
"We were here first, Cynthia," growled Giovanni.
"And that makes you the rightful owners of our portal?" she queried, her one visible eye glinting with fury. A growling to her right made everyone turn to see Garchomp and Charizard standing off, their heads low as if ready to attack. "Leave it alone," Cynthia ordered aloofly. "You can rip it to pieces later."
Garchomp sat up, but did not take its eyes off the other dragon.
"You want to waste our time with talk?" snapped Alex. The Arcanine remained faithfully at his side, its fiery eyes locked on Cynthia warily.
Cynthia cocked her head to the side. "You don't want to talk?" she wondered, puzzled. "Fine then." Her expression did not change as she raised her gun and fired two shots.
One hit Alex's hand, and his gun went flying from his grip.
The other hit Giovanni dead between the eyes.
Arcanine recoiled with a yelp, its ears pressed back against its skull. Alex gripped his wrist painfully and glared at Cynthia. "Still don't want to talk?" asked the Champion.
Professor Rowan spoke up. "Cynthia, what are you—?"
"Shut up," she snapped. Cynthia was fixed on Alex, a lust for blood clear in her glimmering eyes. She gestured to the group of teenagers in the center of the room.
Alex continued to glare at her. His eyes did not leave the blond woman as he clicked his tongue for his Pokemon to follow him.
"Hey Dad," Ash greeted as his father came to stand next to him.
"She's a bit of a bitch, isn't she?" Alex stated.
"Tell me about it," replied Ash.
"She just killed Giovanni," whispered Drew. "She killed Giovanni."
"You too, Brock," Cynthia ordered.
Brock obeyed without question. He joined the cluster of scared and angry people, looking to Alex for help.
"Now," said Cynthia coldly. She stepped up to Drew and pressed the gun to his skull while her Garchomp kept the others from attacking her. "What were you doing to my portal?"
Drew leaned away from the weapon, but his only reply was a stubborn expression.
Cynthia sighed with disappointment. "Shame," she said, and she cocked the gun.
"Cynthia, I really don't think—," Professor Rowan began again.
"Shut up!" screeched the Champion. In a heartbeat she had flicked the gun towards him and shot him in the chest.
Norman jumped back, his expression shocked, and looked between Cynthia and the body of Rowan. "What did he do?" cried Norman.
"What were you doing to my portal?" Cynthia asked again, pressing the gun even deeper into Drew's head. Drew, however, remained stubbornly silent. Cynthia took a breath that made her chest heave. "Fine," she conceded.
And she turned the gun on May.
"What were you doing to my portal, Drew?" she demanded in a low, dangerous tone.
Drew did not think. He lunged at Cynthia's hand, yanked her down, and tore the gun from her. A shot rang through the air, and all hell seemed to break loose. May kicked away from the blond woman as Drew wrestled with her. Cynthia attacked Drew viciously, utilizing her nails and heeled boots to their full potential.
Alex shouted something to his Arcanine, and as it bolted from the room, Ash jumped on him. He wrapped his arm around his father's neck and squeezed.
Cynthia's Garchomp leapt into a fight with Charizard and Bayleef. It was strong enough to take on the both of them, and it even seemed to be winning.
Gary dove for the portal, ripped open the paneling, and started working on it. Paul unleashed the Luxray he had taken from Cassidy and sent it to help Bayleef and Charizard. He rushed over to Gary and leaned down to him. "What do you need?" he asked, loud so as to be heard over the noise.
Gary reached into his pocket and pulled out two pokeballs. "Give these to Ash when you can," he yelled. "And make sure Leaf stays safe."
Paul nodded once and turned back to the fight. Norman looked confused, unsure of what to do, while the girls huddled together in an attempt to stay out of the way. Well, three of them huddled; Misty was on her feet and cheering Ash on, shouting out fighting moves he should use and when to look out. Paul went behind her to the cluster of girls and knelt beside them. "As soon as Gary gets the portal working," he explained, "we're going through. If we don't, more people will show up and we'll be killed."
May and Leaf just looked at him dumbly. Dawn, however, straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "Alright," she stated. She gave Paul a serious look. "I heard Ash's dad tell his dog to get the recruits. We're going to have to fight."
Paul stared at her. "No, you are not fighting." As he spoke, he saw more of Team Rocket appear from the hole in the wall, led by the Arcanine.
Dawn had never appeared more offended. "I," she began grandly, "am Dawn Berlitz. No one, not even you, can order me around when my friends' safety and my own is in jeopardy." And Dawn stood up, grabbed the nearest chunk of rubble, and raced into the brawl.
A cold chill ran down Paul's spine, and he could not move. "Berlitz?" he whispered. Slowly, Paul turned. Reggie was behind him, leaning against the wall as Paul knew he would be. His dead brother offered him a pitiful shrug, and said nothing. It was with fear that Paul dared to look back at Dawn. She was clobbering a Rocket with her chunk of rubble. Now he knew why the eyes were so familiar. It was her. Logan Berlitz's daughter.
*AN: Remember when I used to update every three days? Yeah, I miss those times too. I blame my inconceivably late update on my new addiction to Prince of Tennis, which is a curse and a blessing. The curse is that updates will remain slow. The blessing is I can feel a fanfic coming on for it! So you folks can look forward to that, if you like that anime. Also, there has been chatter of a sequel for this lovely story. Rather... serious chatter. But it IS only chatter.
Everyone, thank azure blue espeon for this update. She deserves lots of cookies. Giant ones. Someone get on that, stat. Oh, and happy Fourth of July (if you're American. If you're not then... happy Monday?)!*