Chapter 5 – Two Minutes to Midnight
Butch glared down at the Cerulean City settlement, atop his Rapidash, from the ledge overlooking the town. The setting sun cast an unnerving orange glow across the visible rooftops.
Also riding a Rapidash, Cassidy trotted to a stop beside him, looking down with fascination.
"I don't think many people still live here." She said, still looking out over Cerulean. Butch shrugged with annoyance.
"Yeah, well someone came through Mount Moon and killed off that idiot scientist." He snapped, Cassidy was smart, Butch knew that, but sometimes she could be so air-headed, especially when she was uncertain. And now was definitely one of those time.
Cassidy frowned, her head tilted forwards, causing her golden bangs to dangle in her eyes. "But he was on our side." She whispered hopelessly to which Butch grunted.
"So that means we've got some enemies. Some idiot who thinks they can stand up to the power of Rocket." Butch laughed manically; his eyes glinted with horrid amusement. He loved the idea of some poor fool standing up to them, he craved the fight. He excelled in the art of war and torture was his specialty.
Cassidy smiled softly and glanced at her partner from behind her fringe. She knew what he was thinking as she had ridden every battle with him. A merciless killer and an adept one at that. During the first wave they had been unstoppable. Any rebel that had crossed them had been cut down. Cassidy was more for the swift kill, but Butch liked to play with his food.
"So, what do you suppose we do?" Cassidy asked him to which Butch grinned evilly.
"Watch."
The insides of the gym were dark and musty. The once vibrant displays of Sea Life were now empty, the glass fronts shattered and the shards crunched underfoot as the made their way to the main battle arena.
The room was filled with murky, late afternoon sunlight, which highlighted a despairing scene. The once full Olympic sized swimming pool was now just a layer of scum across the cracked tiles. The air held a heavy stench of urine and feces. The only thing visible in the otherwise empty room was a large boulder at the far end. Ash crinkled his nose in disgust and moved further into the area.
The eyes of what Ash had brushed off as a large rock suddenly opened. Deep red pupils ablaze with malicious intent. The Dark Blastoise uncoiled itself before them, roaring with anger at being disturbed. Eying its prey it began to amble towards them with its giant feet thundering against the flooring.
The walls of the Cerulean City Gym shuddered as the large tortoise shaped Pokémon stomped into the empty pool, sizing up the intruders to its lair. Pikachu jumped to the ground, landing before Ash in a defensive stance. Lightning crackled from its red checks. The Blastoise however, seemed oblivious as it continued lumbering forward.
"PikaCHU!" Pikachu shouted as it released a Thunderbolt towards the Blastoise. Even though it's aim was true, it seemed to be merely shrugged off by the gargantuan Pokémon.
Flashes of light burst around Ash as Misty and Brock released their Pokémon. Forming in front of Brock, his Onix and a Golem while for Misty her Starmie and a Gyarados joined the fray.
"Onix, Golem, aim for the legs. Try to trip it!" Brock commanded his Pokémon, who hastened to comply. Golem, choosing a rollout attack, while Onix favoured a headbutt. In union they slammed into the leg closest, but the Blastoise was unperturbed, leaning down and smacking the two rock Pokémon away with a massive hand.
Gyarados, Hyper beam, Starmie, Bubble beam. Aim for the head." Misty ordered. Starmie leapt before the Gyarados and released a white beam, made up of hundreds of tiny bubbles, to distract the Blastoise while Gyarados powered its own attack. The beam hit the Blastoise in the right eye, causing it to growl in anger.
Gyarados then unleashed its mighty hyper beam, its aim true, hitting the Blastoise square in the face. Misty and Brock cheered but Ash did not share their enthusiasm. His senses telling him to stay warily.
Another echoing roar cut through the air as the aftermath of the Hyper beam became clear. The Blastoise stood tall, now visible shaking with rage, the only damage was to its left ear, which had been torn from its skull. A vile black fluid, which Ash presumed was blood, spluttered outwards in a sickening fashion.
"Ash, Misty! The support column, I'm going to drop it!" Brock shouted across the room, pointing to a pillar near where the Blastoise was making it's stand.
"It won't kill it, remember the Clefable!" Misty argued, looking at Brock aghast, but Brock just raised his hand and waved her off.
"Just let me try it, Misty!" He spat back, "It's better than nothing."
"Onix, Golem. Weaken the pillar, Bring the house down!"
Golem and Onix, who both had been listening closely, nodded in unison and leapt into action, attacking the supporting pillar with all their might. With the strength of the two Pokémon combined the pillar snapped as easily as a twig. Without the strength of the pillar to hold it, the celling and roofing above it came loose and came crashing down onto the Tortoise Pokémon.
Though the Blastoise was large, it lacked the speed needed to escape. With a shuddering cry the Blastoise was buried underneath the collapsing building. Acting quickly Misty and Ash prepared their next attack, knowing it was a matter of seconds before the Blastoise shook off the rubble and overcame the surprise.
"Okay, Gyarados, Hydro pump!" Misty ordered her Draconic Pokémon
"Pikachu, electrify the water!" Ash commanded.
A powerful beam of pressurised water burst from the Gyarados' mouth, Pikachu took aim and sent a bolt of electricity towards the attack. It met the water beam with a loud crackling and the Gyarados focused the energized water towards the enemy.
The Blastoise, shaken by the collapse was hit with the full brunt of the combined attack. With the force of the Hydro Pump amplified by the electricity it was unable to shake it off. It screamed, first in outrage but that was quickly turned to horror as the smell of roasting flesh tainted the air.
The high-pitched screams pierced Ash's eardrums causing him to physically cringe and look away as the Blastoise was cooked alive before him. As the attack finally relented, he chanced a glance towards the Blastoise, which was now keeled over, smouldering.
Misty was the first to step towards the dead Pokémon. She held the collar of her shirt over her nose to try and block out the rancid smell of cooked flesh, her eyes displaying an unfathomable emotion. As she neared the body began to glow, not unlike how the Rhydon had in Pewter City. Rising from the glowing body a clear orb, inside of which, the cascade badge. Misty touched the orb which dissipated, allowing the badge to fall freely. It hit the shell of the dead Blastoise and bounced once before clattering to the floor.
Bending down Misty picked it up and turned to Ash, pushing the badge into his hand.
"And then there were two." Brock said shakily. Trying to lighten the mood, however failing badly.
A glass window to the left of the room shattered as a woman jumped through it. Ash spun round, ready to direct Pikachu to attack the new threat, however the words got caught in his mouth as he realised it was a woman. She had long, flowing blue hair and was dressed in a skin-tight purple jumpsuit. In one of her hands, she gripped a pokeball, enlarged and at the ready.
"Violet!" Misty heard herself say, eyes wide, unbelieving. The woman stopped at the sound and blinked, clearly taken aback.
"Misty?" She stuttered warily. "But you're not..."
She stopped and lifted her head, as if listening to something. The trio stood I stunned silence, watching in utter bewilderment.
"Hurry!" Violet urged suddenly. "They're coming"
"Who -" Ash started but Violet cut across him.
"Just get your Pokémon and get out of her!" She yelled at him before turning on heel and racing towards the broken window from wince she came.
Too bamboozled by what was happening, Ash placed the Cascade badge in his pocket and did as he was told; and from the sounds of Brock and Misty recalling their Pokémon, he gathered that they had also obeyed without question. He followed the purple clad woman through the broken glass window, which fortunately was at chest height and easy to climb, and into an alleyway that ran outside of the gym. Ash was surprised to see that it was getting dark out, he had not realised the battle with Blastoise had taken so long.
"This way!" Violet cried out from the mouth of the alleyway. Ash felt Pikachu run past him, urged on by the desperation in Violet's voice. Deciding there and then if it was good enough for Pikachu, it was good enough for him, he hastened to follow.
"Fire blast!" Butch commanded his Rapidash, directing it to aim at the nearby buildings. Flames formed at the open mouth of the Horse Pokémon and it launched the attack at the house closest to it. The blast hit the weatherboard outer walls, igniting the highly flammable solvent-based paint coating it. The flashover was almost instantaneous and before long the house was fully involved.
Cassidy came to a halt besides Butch and jumped down from her mount. Her eyes, filled with glee, reflected the leaping flames, which were now licking at the neighbouring property, hungry for more fuel.
"If there are any little rats hiding here, we'll find them soon." Said Butch to no one in particular. Cassidy let out a girlish squeal of excitement.
"That's always the best part." She agreed eagerly.
Acrid smoke bellowed into the air, enveloping the dusk sky as the second building caught, adding its fuel to the fire's belly. Butch gave a satisfied smirk before climbing atop his own mount.
"Come on Cassidy, lets smoke the little rats out."
Violet raced through the twisting and turning laneways of Cerulean City. Ash, with Pikachu in the lead and Misty and Brock somewhere behind him, tried his hardest to keep up. But he had never been a good runner and he could feel the painful twinge of a stitch beginning in his abdomen.
"Can you smell smoke?" Misty called from somewhere behind him and he was suddenly aware of how thick the air was with the vile smile. He coughed slighted and slowed to a jog until his stitch was too much to endure. He stopped and put his hand on his knees and panted. He didn't realise he was so unfit.
"Ash, don't stop." Brock told him as he passed, groping Ash by the arm, trying to pull him along. Ash easily shook Brock's hand off.
"Why are we even running!" he called to Brock's back as he continued after Violet. However, it was not long until his question was answered as a rotten wooden fence crashed down behind him and Cassidy appeared on her Rapidash at Ash's back. Ash spun around so quickly that he almost upset himself to face the new arrival.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Cassidy sneered as she guided her Rapidash to a stop.
"Cassidy" Ash spat in disgust while Cassidy's eyes lit up with malicious intent.
"Ash, Ash, Ash." She repeated slowly, a horrible smile contorted on her face as she regarded him. "I never expected to see your face in Kanto again." She jeered, licking her lips like a hungry animal.
The source of the thickening smoke suddenly became painfully obvious to Ash as a flickering glow became clearer behind Cassidy, flames now visibly leaping skyward. He quickly put two and two together and readied himself for a fight.
"So, where's little Pikachu?" Cassidy emphasised in a sing-song tone which made Ash's hair stick up on his neck as a cold sweat dribbled downwards. Pikachu was still ahead with Violet; he was alone and unprotected. He made an involuntary jerking movement, knowing he would have no chance to collect his knife from his backpack before Cassidy cut him down.
Cassidy watched him with great interest, smiling her sickly smile down at him. Ash slowly stepped backwards, knowing full well he was trapped. There was no way he could run, and brick walls lined each side of the laneway. He had never taken on a Pokémon bare handed but today he had no choice.
"Pikachu!" The shout behind him made his heart jump painfully in his chest, turning his head ever so slightly as to not take both his eyes off of Cassidy, he spied Pikachu sprinting back towards him. He breathed a sigh of relief; his Pikachu had sensed something was wrong and ran back for him.
Cassidy's face dropped and an ugly expression marred her features.
"There's the little rat." She spat and slid from her Rapidash. "Fry it!" She told the flaming horse which snorted in acknowledgement. Loosening off a beam of flame towards its two opponents.
Ash felt the hairs on his forearms singe as he leapt to dodge the Flamethrower. Throwing himself to the side he landed on the ground and rolled back to his feet. "Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted and sent its own elemental attack at the Rapidash, the electrical bolts dodged easily by the agile Pokémon.
"Chu!" Pikachu snarled stopping to face the Rapidash, quivering with determination.
"Pikachu, quick attack."
"Rapidash, fire blast! Roast that rat."
Pikachu darted towards the Rapidash with amazing speed, closing the gap between the two Pokémon before the Rapidash even had time to power its next fire blast. Pikachu leapt and launched into the Rapidash's chest, hitting it with enough force to cause it to stumble backwards and break its focus. The flames that had been building, dissipating into thin air.
Pikachu landed on all fours, electricity sparking from its cheeks. Without waiting for Ash to give a command, Pikachu released a powerful thunderbolt, hitting it target squarely.
The Rapidash neighed in pain as the lightning energy wrapped around it. But the shock was short lived. A ball of flame burst from the horse Pokemon, surrounding it and breaking through Pikachu's attack.
Now the Rapidash had the upper hand, galloping forwards towards Pikachu with flames circling its body. For where Pikachu had attacked only to stun, the Rapidash was going for the kill.
"Dodge it!" Ash screamed, panicked. Pikachu hurried to roll away, barely avoiding the Rapidash's hooves.
While Ash was distracted with the battle before him, Cassidy had been edging ever closer regarding him hungrily with a deranged expression. Ash, now noticed Cassidy stalking towards him and he turned his body to her, eyes narrowed; wary.
Cassidy then lurched towards him. slashing at him with a blade. She sliced him across the chest and cut through his shirt. Although the attack was true, it was shallow and only a thin line of blood leaked to the surface. Ash growled in anger and aimed a roundhouse kick at Cassidy, causing her to lose her balance and trip as she tried to avoid the full brunt of Ash's shoe. The small bladed weapon bounced away as she used her hands to break her fall.
Rapidash, seeing its master under attack abandoned its fight with Pikachu to engage Ash, as he pounced on Cassidy, wrapping his hands around her neck. It lowered its head and aimed at Ash with its horn before charging towards him.
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, trying to alert Ash to the oncoming Horn Attack.
Ash jolted his head to were the sound echoed from, seeing the Rapidash at the last minute. He threw himself backwards, feeling the heat radiating from the Pokémon as it passed.
He sprawled backwards, his back slamming hard against a brick wall which knocked the air from his lungs and momentarily stunned him. This was all the time the Rapidash needed to re-adjust its line and advance towards him at speed.
The Ice beam caught Ash off guard as it blasted Rapidash with frozen water. The Rapidash shrieked as the ice reacted with its flaming body, causing it to steam. Ash looked back to see a Dewgong, its horn bright, powering another ice beam. Behind it stood Violet, framed by Misty and Brock.
"Move!" Violet demanded of Ash who swallowed heavily before pushing himself from the wall towards them. Once Ash was out of the way, the Dewgong released another ice beam towards Cassidy and her Pokémon, sweeping it across the both of them, freezing them in place.
"This time keep up!" Misty chided Ash as he passed the group, racing towards the exit to the lane way, Pikachu hot on his heels.
Misty grunted in annoyance before taking off after him. Brock waited with Violet while she retreated her Pokémon.
"It won't hold them." He noted darkly to which Violet rolled her eyes.
"I know that, it's just to give us a head start at least."
With that, they turned simultaneously and raced to catch up to the others.
"Here, Violet" Lilly yelled, waving frantically to her sister.
Dressed in an orange similar jumpsuit to Violet's, with bright pink hair cascading down her back, she lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow as she saw who accompanied her sister.
"Misty?" She said in a surprised tone.
"This isn't really a good time for 'Hi, how are yous?'" Misty panted, clutching her sides.
"Yeah, Misty you're totally right, for a change." Violet agreed with a back handed compliment, "We should get out of here. Where is Daisy?"
"I'm here." Daisy replied from the bushes that lined the side of the roadway leading to Nugget Bridge. "Nature calls after all." She giggled, blushing. Her cheeks a bright red, clashing with her vibrant blonde hair and green jumpsuit.
"Just go, we can handle them!" Daisy shouted at Misty, thrusting her hands at her in a shoving motion. Ash roughly pushed Misty and Brock in front of him, forcing them to move across the Nugget bridge and into the woodlands beyond while the Sensational Sisters made a stand against Butch and Cassidy, backdropped by the flaming pyres which was once Cerulean City.