After finally getting her Venonat to calm down, Addison spent the next several minutes brushing the bristles around it's body. The Bug Pokémon was certainly not happy about being groomed, but he relented as it meant he got to spend more time with his trainer. The Eevee atop her head watched on as she groomed Zura, somewhat jealous that the Bug Pokémon was getting so much attention. Sensing that her Eevee was a slightly miffed at the idea of another Pokémon taking her place, she let go of the Venonat, who trotted off to get rid of his trainer's grooming and revert back to his puffy purple self.
"Aw" Addison remarked. "Is someone a little jealous?" She took Ariel off of her head and reached into her bag, pulling out another brush to use for the Eevee. The small brown Pokémon sat contently in her trainer's lap, happily letting Addison groom her. As she brushed the Eevee's fur to make it shine more profoundly, she noticed the tuft of fur growing atop her Eevee's head.
"You're starting to get your own hair style" she told the Eevee, who yelped in her arms happily.
Zura, who had finally reverted back to his normal self, hurried over to his trainer and tried to get some pets in for himself. While Addison was too busy grooming the Eevee to notice him, he used his telekinetic powers to send the Eevee back onto Addison's head. As Addison watched her Pokémon being lifted onto her head and her Venonat as the culprit, she sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"
The Venonat moved under her hand and bounced up and down as if she were petting him. She sighed and continued petting him until she could sense the growing frustration from Ariel on her head. "Okay, I can take a hint." Picking up Venonat's Poké Ball, she recalled her Bug Pokémon and sighed. "I don't think I'll ever understand him." Realizing she hadn't done much bonding with her two newest Pokémon, the young coordinator decided to do so and called out her Ralts and her newly caught Chikorita. The Chikorita was at first nervous around her, but calmed down when her trainer gave her a Sitrus Berry to recover some health after Zura had drained much of it using Leech Life
"See? I'm not going to hurt you" she told her newest Pokémon. The Chikorita sat down contently next to her trainer. The Ralts on the other hand, was surprisingly quite clingy to her. The small Pokémon teleported onto her trainer's stomach and cooed up at her. Recalling how much her Ralts and Ryan's had cared for one another, Addison smiled pleasantly.
"You would have been proud of your friend" she told the Ralts. "He was so brave facing that Flygon. He never even flinched." The Ralts, seemingly understanding her, nodded and began to move it's feeler around, looking for Ryan's Ralts. "I don't think you'll find him at the moment, sweetie. They went into the woods a little while back." The Ralts sadly lowered her head and sat back down on Addison's belly.
Addison paused for a moment. Ryan and Holly have been gone a pretty long time. What the heck is taking them so long? She looked towards the woods, but could see no sign of either of her friends. She recalled her Pokémon, save for the Eevee atop her head. "Come on, Ariel. We need to find out what's going on in there." When her Eevee nodded in agreement, the two darted into the forest.
{Meanwhile}
Having incapacitated the trainers who were going to be a thorn in her side, Nadine made for her machine with all of the stolen Budews and Roselias she could catch. These will definitely help out with our plans. For trainers that might be too powerful to abduct so easily, one could assume that a weapon that shot either Stun Spore or regular Spore would make the job for the Syndicate's Snatchers all the easier. And what better way to do that than by wrangling the sweetest smelling Pokémon of them all in Budew and Roselia? She looked back at Ryan and Holly, who were still fast asleep in the once tranquil meadow her Parasect had knocked them out in, alongside the boy's Jolteon. Why do these brats always have to make things difficult?
Her Poké Gear began to buzz in her pocket. She rolled her eyes and pulled it out. And now I have to deal with these two? She answered the call quite reluctantly. "What do you two want now?"
"Nadine, Miss" Lily answered on the other line.
"This had better be important" she snapped at her underling. "I don't have all day to transport these Pokémon to the Base."
"But Miss" Lily replied, "one of the trainers you told us to-"
"You don't report to me about Snatching anymore, Lily" Nadine hissed. "That's Victor's department now. I'm doing things to help expedite the process of Snatching for everyone. If you have any updates, bring them up with him." With that she was about to hang up, but Lily pleaded with her not to.
"No, you don't understand" Lily told her. "The trainer you told us to trail should be headed your way, right now. He may be traveling with a couple of friends, but the one thing you need to look out for his a green bandanna and a Jolteon!"
Nadine looked back at the unconscious boy in the meadow. "A green bandanna and a Jolteon?"
"Yes. That boy is a Kingston. Ryan Kingston!"
Nadine's eyes widened in deep intrigue. "A Kingston, you say? That's interesting." She began to formulate a contingency plan for herself and the Syndicate should Michael Kingston or the Elite Four start to sniff around their plans again. "What about the girl? Is she a Kingston too?"
"Not that we know" Lily said.
Nadine sighed. "A pity. Two hostages would have been more agreeable. But, I'll take the boy into my custody. You two can start chasing another target. I'll bring this one to Elezar, myself."
"Do you need backup?" Lily asked.
"Don't be an idiot, Lily" her superior snapped back. "He's a boy, not an army." With that, she hung up the call and turned back to the nosey trainers fast asleep nearby. It looks like today is your lucky day, boy. You get to come and meet an icon in Arcana's history in the great Elezar Aced. Pulling out a bag full of rope and duct tape, she made her way over to the unconscious trainer and his friend. "I should do something about her, too." She shrugged. "The more potential subjects for Cassius, the better off he'll feel." She picked Holly up onto her shoulder and brought her over towards her containment device. She quickly tied the girl up and brought her still past out body to the top of her containment pod and lowered her inside, among the rest of the petrified Grass Pokémon she'd captured.
"Now, for the kid" she said, heading over towards Ryan. Reaching for a Poké Ball on her belt, she sent out her prized Luxray. "Keep an eye out for any more suspicious people that want to snoop around." As her Electric Pokémon growled in approval, she took Ryan into her arms and brought him over towards her get away vehicle. With the girl all tied up in the containment pod, she would have to put this one in the backseat of her truck. She propped Ryan against her truck and used the roll of duct tape to tape his wrists behind his back. Once his wrists were secured, she lowered her back seat and thrust the boy into the back seat of her truck. She then taped his ankles together to ensure he couldn't kick his way to freedom.
Once this was accomplished, she heard her Luxray growling nearby. "Looks like I've got some company." She called to her Luxray. "Deal with whoever it is." Then, to finish her job, she ripped two pieces of tape off her roll and applied them over her Kingston hostage's mouth. Once Ryan was secure, she pushed her seat back up and turned on the ignition for her machine.
{Meanwhile}
Holly soon woke up from her Spore induced slumber, realizing quickly she wasn't capable of moving her arms. She found herself tied up and trapped in the same containment pod the Roselia and Budew were in. She looked at all the petrified Grass Pokémon and tried desperately to free herself and find a way out for them, but to no avail.
"Wait, where's Ryan?" she asked, nervously. She looked outside of the containment pod and into the truck's back windows, but could not see Ryan or the woman who might have abducted them. "That's it! I'm getting us out of here, right now!" She raced against the glass pod and kicked it, but she didn't even put a dent into the glass. "Come on, let us out!"
The Roselia, upon seeing that the trainer did not mean them harm, used the move Magical Leaf to cut through the ropes binding her. Holly smiled as the ropes fell from around her. "Thank you, Roselia." When she threw the ropes off of her, she continued to pound away at the glass as hard as she could, with the Budews and Roselia even joining in with her. But the group was still trapped in the glass sphere.
"Wait a minute!" Holly exclaimed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her Poké Gear. "I need to call Addy so she can come help us, or Ryan if he's only still knocked out."
{Meanwhile}
Addison scurried her way through the forest to try and find her friends. She looked in every part of the forest where Pokémon were supposed to be, but the forest was eerily quiet. Believing the only thing they could have done was hop the fence, she leaped over the small wooden fence and pursued her friends. To her shock, she found Sparks, slowly waking up in the meadow.
"Sparks?" she called to her friend's Pokémon. Her Eevee jumped off of her head to go and check on her sibling, but a huge blue and black lion-like creature swiped at her Eevee, sending it tumbling back to Addison. Addison looked in terror as the Luxray roared at her. Seeing the powerful electric Pokemon descending upon Addison and Eevee, Sparks jumped to his feet and tackled the Luxray. The two Electric Pokémon began a ferocious battle, with Sparks Headbutting and Biting the Luxray and Nadine's Pokémon pounding away at the Jolteon with huge swipes of it's paws. Sparks jumped in front of Addison and Eevee, bearing it's teeth at the much bigger and stronger lion.
"Are you finished over there?" Nadine's voice called out. The Luxray, upon hearing her trainer's call, raced over to her. Addison. Ariel and Sparks pursued the Luxray, until spotting the machine Nadine was piloting. with Holly trapped inside of it.
"Holly!" Addison cried out. She reached for her Pokémon Gear, which to her surprise was already ringing with an incoming call from her friend. She desperately answered the call. "Holly! Are you alright?"
"I'm trapped in this machine!" Holly called out, worriedly. "And I haven't been able to reach Ryan."
Addison looked at Nadine in the distance. She had clothes similar to those Lily and Lena wore. Could she be the boss of those two poachers?
"ADDY?!" Holly cried on the call.
"Don't worry, Holly" Addison assured her friend. "I'll get you guys out of there, somehow." She then hung up the call and looked to Sparks for help, but the Jolteon was clearly winded from it's battle with the Luxray. This is insane. There's no way I could get to my friends without getting caught myself. Where's help when you need it? Help...help...HELP! THAT'S IT! She then quickly picked up her Poké Gear to call her emergency contact.
{Meanwhile}
Ryan finally awoke from his forced slumber and found himself taped up. He tried to move around to try and reach either his Poké Gear or one of the Poké Balls on his chest, but he was unable to reach them with his wrists taped up. As he tried to fidget around for something sharp to cut himself free with, he heard the engine of the machine he was trapped in igniting. The woman who had snatched up all of the Budews and Roselias was now preparing to drive the vehicle away. She eyed Ryan with her rearview mirror.
"Well well. Look who's awake?"
Ryan tried to speak, but the tape over his mouth prevented it.
"Save your breath, kid" Nadine snickered. "Besides, you should be flattered that I've taken an interest in your upbringing." She returned her attention to checking her mirrors. "Looks like you've got more than one girlfriend I had to worry about. No matter. We'll put enough distance between her and us very soon."
Ryan moved his head up and saw Holly trapped in the containment pod behind him and thought he could see someone giving chase far behind it. That was Addison. He bucked and tried his hardest to break the bonds of tape around him, but Nadine only laughed at his failures.
"It's not every day we bag ourselves a Kingston" Nadine remarked. "Maybe you'll end up being just as powerful as Michael is, once we give you the special treatment he got."
To hear her talk about Michael angered Ryan He realized he would only have one real chance to escape. He pulled his feet back into him and kicked her in the head. Her head slammed hard on the steering wheel. As she recovered, Ryan kicked her again. And again. He then kicked her seat over and pinned the Syndicate Agent between the steering wheel and her chair.
"YOU LITTLE-!" She snarled.
Ryan kept applying pressure on her until he knew she was trapped there. Once she was, he kicked her door open and began to worm his way out. He was just about out of the vehicle, when Nadine recovered and grabbed his arms.
"You're not going anywhere!" She hoisted him back into the vehicle and looked back and saw Addison and Sparks hurrying along after them. She pushed Ryan onto the seat next to her and pressed the gas pedal to push forward. This proved to be an error, as Ryan was able to finger the latched door handle and fall out of he vehicle. As the vehicle screeched to a halt, Ryan rolled out and onto the ground.
Ryan turned back and saw Holly pounding on the glass container, calling out to him. It made him feel a bit better when he knew at least she wasn't tied up like he was. He found a rock lying in the road and began to cut the tape binding his wrists on them as he saw Sparks charging into battle against Nadine's Luxray. As the two Electric Pokémon clashed, sparks flew everywhere. Ryan finally broke free of the bonds around his wrist and ripped the pieces off of his mouth.
"Ryan?" Addison's voice called out. "Ryan? Where are you?"
"Over here" he grunted, trying to rip the tape off of his ankles. As he finally finished, he grabbed the rock he had used to cut himself free and smashed it into the glass containment pod, which caused the huge dome to crack. He did so again and the glass dome shattered. The Roselia led the Budews out to escape their poacher, while Holly leaped out of the containment pod and rushed to Ryan's side, flinging her arms around him.
"Thanks goodness you're safe" Holly cried. "I was so worried about you."
Ryan sighed. "I'm fine."
"For now, maybe!" Nadine snarled. Ryan looked over by Addison and saw Sparks get flung toward her feet, with barely enough energy to fight left. Ryan and Holly rushed over to her side and saw the utter fury in their captor's eyes. "You insolent little brats have ruined everything! Now, you're all going to-"
A tremendous roar shook the entire route. The four looked for whoever was responsible for the roar. Nadine looked into the skies above her and gulped. "Oh no." She then recalled her Luxray and called out her Skarmory, an armored bird with a piercing beak. She turned back towards the kids and glared at them. "I'll get even with you meddling brats!" She then climbed onto the back of her Steel/Flying Pokémon and took off into the skies.
Another roar frightened the trio, who bunched up together as they saw Rhaegar descend from the skies above and blast the engine of Nadine's transport, making it effectively worthless. As Rhaegar landed on the ground nearby, Michael climbed off of it's back and turned to him. "Follow that Skarmory and track her down!" The Dragonite nodded proudly and took off into the skies.
"Mike?" Ryan asked, surprised to see his cousin again so soon after they had parted ways.
"I made it" Michael said in relief, falling to his knees in front of his cousin. "Are you guys alright?"
"We're fine" Ryan promised his cousin.
"Who was that?" Holly asked the Champion.
To Ryan's surprise, Michael flung his arms around his cousin. "Uh, Mike?"
Michael was breathing as if he'd had a heart attack. "I was so worried when Addy called me! Thank Arceus that you're safe."
"Mike" Addison asked, more worried than she was before. "Who was that?"
Michael finally let go of his cousin and rose back to his feet. "That was a Syndicate Snatcher. If you hadn't called me Addy, Ryan and Holly would be prisoners of the Syndicate right now."
"The Syndicate?" Holly asked. "Who are they?"
"Let's pray you kids never have to find out" Michael replied. He looked over his cousin one more time. "You're sure that you're okay?"
Ryan was now concerned. "Mike, what's going on?"
Michael looked at the boy sternly. "Ryan, I want you to promise me something." He looked towards the girls as well. "This goes the same for you as well. Under no circumstances are you kids to get involved with that woman or any of her colleagues ever again. Do I make myself clear?"
"But Mike-" Ryan began.
"RYAN!" Michael snarled. "I want you to promise me!"
Ryan fell back in shock. "Ye-yes. I promise."
Michael then eyed both Addison and Holly, neither willing to argue with the intense anger in the Champion's face.
"I promise" both said in unison.
Michael sighed. "I don't know why, but the Syndicate may be taking an interest in you kids because of this. And I can't sit idly by and let them sniff around for you kids. So, until you three are in Taghwan City, I'm going to be-" Before Michael could finish, his Poké Gear went off in his pocket. "Oh great, now what?" He reached into his pocket and walked a few paces away to talk with whoever called him.
Ryan looked towards Addison, who flung her arms around him. "You're okay. I was so worried."
Ryan, despite his clear feelings, did not hesitate to hug her back. "Yeah. I'm okay."
Holly stood by, watching the two embrace, slightly miffed.
Michael hung up the call, far angrier with whoever he just got off the call with than he was with them. "Change of plans" he called to the kids. "I was going to be the one who watched over you kids, but I need to be at Kingston Castle for a meeting. I want you three to camp outside of the Flower Sanctuary. Tomorrow morning, either Mark or Lizzie will be here to take you guys the rest of the way to Taghwan City."
"We don't need a babysitter, Mike" Ryan insisted, finally leaving his embrace with Addison.
"Either they take you kids the rest of the way" Michael threatened, "or you go home."
Ryan shrunk from his cousin's threat. "Sorry, Mike."
"Kingston Castle?" Addison asked the Champion. "Did something happen?"
Michael lowered his head. "It's better that you guys let me handle this. Focus on what you guys have to do." He whistled into the air and Rhaegar lowered down into the forest. "Any sign of her?" The Dragonite grumbled. Michael sighed. "Fine. I'll find her on my own time." He climbed onto his Pokémon's back and turned towards the kids. "Camp outside the Sanctuary and do not leave until Mark or Lizzie is there to come and bring you to Taghwan City. Do I make myself clear?"
Ryan nodded. He looked to his friends, who both nodded in agreement.
Michael hitched his Dragonite, who took off into the air above the young trainers.
After Michael was gone, Ryan fell to his Jolteon's side. "Are you alright, Sparks?" The Jolteon smiled weakly. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll take care of you." He took his frail Jolteon into his arms and began to make for their entry point on the route leading to Taghwan City. Addison and Holly followed close behind him, thankful that they had managed to avoid catastrophe.
Holly stopped when she saw one of the Budew's she had rescued coming back to her. It looked at her and gave her a bright smile.
"Is that right? You want to come along?"
The Budew nodded. Within a moment, Holly tossed her Poké Ball at the Budew and added the second member of her team.
"You coming, Holly? Ryan called back to her.
"I'm coming" she replied, her Budew's Poké Ball in her hand as she raced to catch up to her friends.
{Meanwhile}
"It should come as no surprise as to why you lost, Nadine" Cassius mocked the Snatcher upon her return to the base on Mt. Heatmor. In the Meeting Hall, with The Grand Master looming in the shadows, Cassius, Elezar and Claude sat in and ridiculed Nadine for her failure to not only obtain the Budews and the Roselias in the Meadow as well as failing to use Ryan Kingston as a hostage.
"I'd rather not hear about failure from a man who spent the last two weeks in police custody" Nadine snapped.
"That's enough" Claude spoke bluntly. "The two of you both have success and failures on your resumes."
I will tolerate insurrection among the ranks the voice of the Grand Master echoed, prompting both the Snatcher and Scientist to shut up.
"Nadine failed because Michael Kingston intervened" Elezar spoke up. "Had the Champion been held in check by what Courtney was supposed to be doing, we wouldn't have had any problems."
Courtney has already done a significant job in weakening the resolve of the Champion. And, if your plan truly works, Elezar, the Kingston Family will do the rest.
"I'll get those brats next time" Nadine insisted.
"We will all have our opportunities at revenge soon" Elezar assured his colleague. "Very soon..."