Chapter 32 – Battle on the Viaduct
The Motorstoke Viaduct, Galar Region…
"Ashachu babe," said an exasperated Charizard. "When we get out of this. Promise me you won't tell any of Ash's other Pokémon about this, will you. Not Sylveon. Not Bayleef. Certainly, not Bulbasaur."
"Really Charizard! That's what's worrying you most right now," shrieked and almost hysterical Ashachu in response, as hugged close to Charizard's chest.
He kept his eyes closed to avoid looking down. The valley had fallen away far below and there was strong breeze causing the net to sway side to side beneath the balloon. To the right was the eastern wall of the City of Motorstoke. To the left a gaping abyss.
"Hey, I've got a reputation to keep as Ash's strongest battler," replied Charizard. "I'm the one Ash sends out to get rid of these losers, not the one who gets caught in the fucking net. How, after all this time, is Ash still getting caught in their silly traps?"
"I think that our lives and the fact we're being Pokénapped might be a little more important," snapped Ashachu.
Charizard just chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be such a drama Nidoqueen. We'll get out of here. We always do. Then I'm going to send these dweebs blasting off to the moon!"
Suddenly a strong breeze blew throwing the balloon sideways. Ashachu chanced opening his eyes and immediately regretted it. The wall of the city was flying out to meet them.
"Ahhhhhh. Charizard if we don't survive this. I LOVE YOU!"
"Ashachu. I promise you," Charizard begun before noticing what was coming. "WHHAAAA!"
In the basket above them, Jessie rapped Meowth hard over the head and snapped, "Meowth! Can you control this thing? We're about to crash."
"I'm tryin' I'm tryin'" that scratch cat yelled back, fiddling with the control. "Da winds too strong!"
Meanwhile, James was pleading with his Noibat to flee. "Go on Noibat. Save yourself." But Noibat just sat there happily in his arms, seemingly oblivious to the danger they were in.
And speaking of oblivious, Wobbuffet chose that moment to smile stupidly and say happily, "Wobbuffet!"
"Oh, give me that!" Jessie snatched the controls from Meowth and turned the dial. The balloon shot upwards away from the wall, causing everyone to breathe a collective sigh of relief…Ashachu and Charizard included.
"Phew. Dat was a close one." Meowth wiped his brow with his right paw.
Jessie kicked him. "Yeah, no thanks to you! Learn to fly!"
James, not interested in being part of his friend's tiff, moved to the other side of the basket and looked over the side. And what he saw was interested him greatly. "Say, look what's going on down there."
"What is it, Jimmy boy," asked Meowth, keen for any distraction that would stop Jessie kicking the crap out of him. He poked his head over the side of the basket and his jaw fell. "Hey…Ain't dat."
"A Darkrai." Jessie completed the sentence for him in amazement.
Sure enough. Just below them and to the right, floating in the air just before the viaduct was Shadow.
"Wait not the same one from Mossdeep City. EEK!" said a nervous James. He hugged Noibat a little tighter to him.
"Hey check dat out!" Meowth had suddenly spotted the train, and in particular the letter R pained in purple on the side of the carriages.
"One of ours?" queried Jessie.
Meanwhile….Onboard the train…
"There it is," said Cassidy – Shadow was no directly in front of the door to the carriage. "Get ready Hooch!"
Butch groaned. "Oh, come on. That doesn't even rhyme." He sighed.
The Darkrai glared at them with its singular red eye. "I offer you this one singular chance to relinquish Blade to me. Should you ignore me, or try anything more whilst threatening his life, I warn you, he needs but think it, and I'll derail this train here and now. If you wish to take that gamble, by all means do so. Should you still sufficiently value your lives and return him to me, I'll leave you unharmed, as there is someone far more deserving of my wrath
The two rockets ignored the warning.
"Now," Cassidy shouted. "Sylveon, come on out."
"You too Zacian," bellowed butch. "And both of you attack with Moon beam!"
The two rockets each tossed a Pokéball into the air…
Blade had to close his eyes. In the confined and dark space of the carriage, the light from the Pokéballs was blinding. When it faded and he was able to open them again, there were two new Pokémon standing beside Cassidy and Butch.
The first he recognised…Sylveon and Eevee evolution, just like Ash' – the Pokémon that had dragged him through the forest. Though, somehow and despite its feminine appearance, this Sylveon seemed mean and ferocious.
The other Pokémon he didn't recognise. It was tall and wolf like. A similar shaped body to an Arcanine. But, unlike an Arcanine, its fur was short, it's snout and ears pointy, and there were what looked like long ribbons running from its head to its flank.
The two Pokémon opened their mouths, Sylveon also raising her feelers and pink orbs of energy appeared between them. Blade's eyes opened widely. In spite of everything he tried to shout a pointless warning to Shadow.
"Shadow. Look…Ahhhh!" Mightyena sunk his teeth a little deeper into Blade's neck, making it difficult to speak.
Sylveon and Zacian fired their pink orbs – they struck Shadow directly in the chest stopping him in his track.
Blade's heart beat rapidly in his chest. How much damage had been done? He knew the moves were super effective, and it was double hit. Still, Shadow was strong.
"Alright, fire the laser cage," Cassidy ordered.
"You got it," Butch replied pressing a button on his controls.
From somewhere else on the train, a red laser beam was fired. Blade didn't see where it had come from, but was horrified to see a red sphere form around Shadow. Like a cage…
"Shadow. Please be okay."
And back outside…
"Hey, isn't that Cassidy and what's his name," said a disgruntled Jessie pointing at the train.
"It's Butch," said James. "He's a little sensitive about that."
"Looks liked dare tryin' to catch 'hemselves dat Darkrai," commented Meowth.
"Now Geyser. Use psychic attack. Pull that balloon down."
If the annoying sounds of the twerp's voice hadn't registered, Jessie, James and Meowth certainly felt it when the balloon suddenly pitched to the left, causing them to fall into the heap, and begun to loose height.
"Hey, what the," Jessie exclaimed angrily. She removed herself from James and Meowth…And Wobbuffet and glanced over the side. "Oh no it's the twerp. Meowth. Do something."
"On it." Meowth took the control in his paws and turned the blades to max. "Psychic this otter boy."
"Pikachu, Totodile take out those engines. Use hyper beam and water gun!"
KABOOM
No sooner had Meowth turned the dials then the engines exploded. Pretty much simultaneously.
The three rockets froze. "Uh oh."
"Now Geyser, pull them down. Full power. Totodile, you take out that Meowth head with your water gun."
"Whoa!" The balloon pitched again on its way to the ground. There was nothing to stop it now…
It all happened very quickly. One moment Team Rocket were still in the air. Next thing they knew, they were picking themselves up from the ground.
"Nahh." Charizard pushed himself up. His body was sore all over and he was still trapped in the net. He looked down and felt partly relieved, partly worried to find Ashachu lying under him. "Ashy. Are you hurt?" He hadn't crushed him had he?
Thankfully Ashachu opened his eyes and replied, "I-I don't think so."
"Thank Arceus. Now to get this stupid thing off us. He raised a claw and tugged. The net fell away.
Jessie, James and Meowth got to their feet.
"Ahh. I've got such a headache," Jessie complained.
"I t'ink I swallowed a furball," mumbled Meowth.
James just moaned…The three quickly recovered when they found Ash, Pikachu, Totodile and Geyser glaring at them.
"Alright twerps, you're going to pay for that," Jessie snapped taking out a Pokéball.
James did the same. "Prepare for battle."
"Ash. I'll take care of this," came a gruff voice from behind.
The trio spun around and gave a collective squeal when they found an extremely angry looking Charizard bearing over them.
"Eeek."
The flame Pokémon punched his right claw into the palm of his left, his face contorted with fury. A disgruntled Ashachu was sitting on his shoulder. The three rockets huddled together out of fear.
"Zarrd!" Charizard belched a yet of fire at them – just like he used to do to Ash except way hotter.
The trio were left standing there ashen faced and smouldering. "ahh. That's hot."
"That is for putting me in the net," Growled Charizard. "And this is for putting my boyfriend in danger!" He reared his neck backward and prepared to use a dragon breath attack.
But at that point he was distracted by the sound of an explosion from somewhere above his head…He and Ashachu looked up.
"Zarr?"
"Pika."
And back on the train…
BOOM! The laser sphere around Darkrai shattered as though it were made of glass. The shock wave from the explosion was powerful enough that Butch and Cassidy and the Pokémon felt it inside the carriage.
Cassidy gritted her teeth. "That was Shadow's Dark pulse. Looks like we're going to have to hit much harder. Butch, attack them."
"I was just going to," snapped Butch before turning to the Pokémon. "Sylveon and Zacian. Use Moon Beam."
The two canines like Pokémon reared their heads and shot another purple sphere at Shadow again. Again, the attack struck him in the chest forcing him backwards.
"Now fire the cage again."
Butch pressed at his control. "Ugh. Not enough power!"
Shadow came speeding towards them…
"Ahh!"
A wide grin formed on Blade's face. This was it. These humans were toast…
Alas no. As Shadow reached the entrance to the door to the carriage there was a crackling sound and a flash of blue light. And Blade heard something he had not heard since those terrible days in the P2 Laboratory.
Shadow gave a cry of pain…
"Excellent," cheered Cassidy in triumph. "Professor Sumba was right."
"The shields are holding," said Butch.
Ring…ring…ring.
Cassidy felt her rocket communicator vibrate in her pocket. "Ugh, who could be calling me now," she muttered irritably as she took it out and brought it to her ear. "This had better not be Christopher again…Hello there!"
"IT'S NAMBA YOU IDIOT!"
Cassidy rolled her eyes and returned the communicator to her pocket.
Shadow begun to pound angrily on the invisible barrier protecting the trainer and the carriage begun to shake violently.
Cassidy let out a shrill laugh. "Bang all you like, Darkrai. You can't penetrate that shield."
Blade's heart sank…Perhaps he hadn't given Team Rocket enough credit. He had to do something. Shadow was right there, but couldn't get to him. If only there was something he could do to get to Shadow…
In the valley below…
"What on earth is going on up there," asked James pointing up.
"Don't look like Cassidy and buster are having much luck containing that Darkrai does it," mused Jessie.
"Pikapi," Pikachu whispered in his trainer's ear. "I think we should get out of here!"
Ash nodded in agreement. Seeing the Darkrai again was giving him an uneasy feeling. It was a feeling shared by the other Pokémon. Geyser and Totodile had huddled close to him and even Charizard seemed apprehensive. Ashachu was visibly shaking.
Onboard the train…
Blade knew it was a gamble….But he also knew he had to try. He gathered all his strength and managed to reach behind him and sink his claws into Mightyena's flesh. It had the effect he had thought it would.
Mightyena growled and bit down hard on Blade's neck and chest. Blade felt the fangs cut him open. The pain was excruciating but he fought for control. With all his might, he spun around and pushed Mightyena hard.
And, miraculously, he felt the jaws release him. He then unleashed a furry of attacks on Mightyena, punching him in the jaw and kicking him had in the chest. The bite Pokémon was thrown across the carriage floor.
Butch and Cassidy rounded on Blade like a pair of angry…Mightyena.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing," snapped Cassidy. "I'll deal with this Biff, go Raticate, get him."
"The name is Butch."
But Cassidy wasn't listening. She had brought out a second Pokéball. There was a flash of bright light and Blade found himself tackled to the floor again, this time being held down by a large rodent like creature with big teeth.
"Raticate!"
The rodent seized his claws and held them against his back before sinking its fangs into Blade's open wound. Blade let out a howl as agony exploded through his body.
At the same time Mightyena let out a shrill howl of fright, catching Butch and Cassidy's attention.
"Huh. What's going on?"
"Oh no, Mightyena!"
The shield prevented Shadow passing through it and onto the train, but apparently it did not stop Pokémon passing out of it and off the train. And after Blade had kicked it, Mightyena right hind leg had slip out of the door, his paw just beyond the shield enough for Shadow to grab it.
"Grrrrr." Mightyena gripped the floor with its claws, but it was no use. It was slowly being pulled out of the carriage.
"Don't just stand there Biff, do something," snapped Cassidy.
Butch turned to the to two Pokémon standing there. "You heard her. Sylveon, Zacian attack with…Hey, I didn't say to do that!"
For at that moment Zacian had leapt out of the carriage, and tackled Shadow. And just like that, Shadow, Zacian and Mightyena disappeared below the side of the viaduct…