There were few grunts. That unnerved Dawn. In fact, she'd only seen three. One was actually taking a nap, while the other only told her to go see if a mysterious Professor Zager needed anything. She said she would ask him, but she had no clue who he even was.

She would get her answer shortly; soon, she reached a wide, open room. Platforms hung above and below the set that led into the room. Beneath it all, most horrifically, was a bright blue mass of electricity. In the center of it was Zapdos, quiet and nearly comatose, only twitching every now and then as a sign that it was not dead.

Dawn forced herself to hold in a gasp. Beside her, Houndoom's hackles rose. Dawn looked to where he did, spotting Petrel and who she could only assume was Zager. They looked down on Zapdos. Dawn began walking towards them, trying to think of how she could signal her friends that she'd discovered what was going on and that she'd found the source of the problem.

"Hey, get moving, the grunts outside fell asleep, I need you to-" came a voice behind Dawn. She immediately recognized it as Ariana's.

Worse yet, however, was that her walkie talkie went off.

"Dawn!" came Misty's voice over the radio. "We've been spotted! Get cover now!"

Ariana gasped. Dawn tried to dart ahead. Ariana reached out, trying to snatch the girl's neck but only grabbing her hat.

"You little rat!" the executive snarled as soon as Dawn's long blue hair cascaded around her.

In short order, Ariana's own walkie talkie went off, informing Zager and Petrel, who had seen from a distant Ariana accost what they assumed was a grunt.

"We have guests!" Archer seemed frenzied, not entirely kept together. He sounded both excited and anxious. "It's Ash Ketchum and Dawn. Two others are with them. What you do to the others is your business, but make sure Ash and Dawn die."

With that, the radio went silent.

"Oh!" Petrel hooped, marching over towards Dawn. "I'm so glad you've come back to my, my little contest star! I owe you one for the nasty burns that explosion of yours gave me!"

"I've got problems with her, too," Ariana sneered. "But, if she hurt you, I'm certainly willing to let you get first blow."

"Fat chance!" Dawn yelled, pushing past Ariana and away from Petrel.

The man gave chase, though, following Dawn off the platforms and into another room.

Ariana, meanwhile, calmly walked over to Zager.

"Won't you go after Ash?" the professor asked.

Ariana laughed. "What? No! There's two left. I assume Archer's hunting one or found it already, so that leaves one for me." She tilted her head up. "After all… I'm sure everyone's favorite rabid Rocket is going to come out thirsty for the boy's blood. And, I'm certainly not getting between him and what he wants."


"Ash, wait up!" Misty yelled, barely keeping up with the frantic boy and his Lucario. The metal under the platforms reached her ears just as she reached up with Ash. His white knuckled hands gripped the platform's rails. When she looked over, she spotted what Ash did. "Zapdos!"

"There!" Ariana announced. "My opponent!"

"Our opponents!" Misty corrected. "C'mon, Ash! Let's take her and the egghead out together!"

"Right! Rosa, let's-"

Ash was kicked off the platform and onto the one below, unable to finish his sentence. Leaping down after him and landing heavily, a blue haired man hunched over, breathing heavily. Rosa barked in horror, immediately jumping down after Ash.

"Get up!" Proton spat, spittle flying from his lips. "I'm here to rip you a new one, kid! Stand up! I don't like nothin' limp! Not 'til you've stopped breathin', at least!"

Above the oncoming blood match below, Professor Zager nodded before returning to his control panel. "Well, you were right, Ariana. He was very eager. I assume you'll take care of the girl. I can't help; I've got to finish the complacency programming. That electric field will only hold Zapdos back for so long, after all."

Ariana began walking towards Misty, who was still screaming for Ash to get up. "Oh, no hard feelings about being busy, Zager. Since I can't have the girl, I'll get the girl's friend."


Back with Dawn, the coordinator slammed into a locker, having taken her turn too quickly into the room. The entire room, in fact, was full of lockers. Houndoom's claws clicked against the floor as they scrambled to find a hiding spot in it, trying to think of a plan to escape Petrel.

The man, meanwhile, seemed content with the room.

"This is a dead end, you know," he called out. "Literally, I mean, as well as figuratively. This room doesn't go anywhere. It's the locker room, where the old workers used to keep their things. For you… Well, it can be the last game of hide and seek you'll ever play." Clicking every pokeball on his belt, Petrel released his whole team: two Weezing, a Koffing, an Electrode, and a Graveler. He looked to them. "Find her. Explode or Self-Destruct. I don't care. Make sure she takes the hit. Directly."

As his team fanned out, Petrel wandered after them, hoping to catch a glimpse of the show.

"You've embarrassed us, you know," he said aloud. "We're so desperate to regain some sense of authority that we had to go after Zapdos. That's so desperate looking for us. You know how it is, being a coordinator, don't you? You try too hard and you just don't look cool."

Houndoom's tail raised as he sat beside Dawn, teeth bared in a silent growl. A Koffing stumbled upon their hiding place, then. It grinned maliciously, beginning to release Poison Gas

Dawn and Houndoom, however, were wise to his game.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower," Dawn whispered.

The sound of fire jetting in the room alerted Petrel, even if he couldn't see her. He could, however, see where the room was lit, giving away Dawn's position.

"I said Self-Destruct!" the man snarled. "You better explode before she makes you explode!"

Whether Houndoom igniting the gas or Koffing Self-Destructing caused the explosion was unclear; all Dawn knew was that she and Houndoom were knocked back and several of the lockers were gone in a charred, black mess when she sat up. She could hear distant yelling, probably Petrel, but her head was swimming. Did she hit it? She thought she might have, especially since Houndoom was barking at her but she couldn't hear it, only a loud ringing.

She looked behind her. She scrambled to stand as an Electrode rolled into view through the smoke. Her hearing began to return and Houndoom's barks echoed off the bare walls of the room.

"We gotta go!" she yelled, jumping through the now-empty space between the lockers, Houndoom right at her side.

As soon as the jumped, though, Houndoom began snarling, alerting Dawn to the presence of another pokemon.

Knowing she was out numbered, Dawn fumbled to release Typhlosion. Hopefully, two fire types would be able to take explosive attacks better. It was her only hope! "Typhlosion, I need you!"

The fire type, immediately sensing Dawn's fear, hugged her mother figure, roaring in fury.

The three turned to face the oncoming danger. Dawn's heart sank when she saw what it was.

"You gotta… A Graveler?!" she asked, incredulous. "Gah… The fire won't…! We still gotta try! Typhlosion, Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"

The Graveler seemed to take this as a challenge, walking forward through the flames, beginning to glow a brighter and brighter white until the fire and its own budding Explosion caused it to ignite. Typhlosion moved quickly, wrapping her arms around Dawn again to shield her from the attack.

The coordinator and her pokemon were both tossed again, though Dawn didn't hit her head this time. When she sat up, she saw that both fire types were unconscious, but thankfully sustained no damage she knew couldn't be fixed with a trip to the Pokemon Center.

That is, at least, she hoped so.

Regardless, Dawn returned the both of them, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't call on Empoleon with Zapdos's electric pressure still filling the air with that horrible energy. Togekiss wasn't even here right now! Instead, the coordinator released her Absol and Rura.

Absol, immediately recognizing the danger of the situation, took a defensive position before Dawn and the Zorua. Dawn held Rura close, whispering to him.

"Are you still alive?" Petrel called, walking through the lines of lockers.

Dawn silently mounted Absol, sitting astride her white back with Rura in her arms. Without being ordered Absol used Detect, sensing the oncoming Electrode and running away from its attack, letting it Self-Destruct behind them in vain.

Petrel jerked his head, glee in his expression. "Oh, you aren't dead!" He looked to his two Weezing who had returned to his side after failing to find her. "I get to see you die, then!" He quickly ran towards the sound of Absol's claws clicking against the floor, turning to see…

Two Dawns and the Absol.

Petrel's smile dropped. "I don't know what game you're playing, but I'll end it without a worry. There's three of you, and I have two Weezing." He snapped his fingers. "You do the math."

As both of the poison types approached, one of the Dawns bolted, running down the hall.

"There's the real one! Weezing, after her! Do not let her escape!"

In short order, one of the Weezing followed while the other remained behind. Out of sight, there was an explosion. Absol and the remaining Dawn flinched.

The Rocket executive let out a bitter laugh. "Sorry, you two. Your trainer abandoned you. Don't worry; I punished her. Tell you what… Dark types are nice, and you're a very talented Ditto if you can hold that form for this long. Let me, your savior take you in. What do you say?"

"You can shove your offer!" the remaining Dawn snapped, revealing herself to be the real deal. Yelling and crying out of anger and worry, she pointed towards Petrel's final Weezing. "Night Slash!"

"You stupid girl!" Petrel yelled. "Explosion!"

Dawn was knocked down once more by the explosion, having it much closer to her than Petrel. That was, of course, fine by the man. When the smoke cleared, he saw the Absol unconscious right by his Weezing. He walked by both, headed for Dawn to finish the job.

~Don't touch her!~

Petrel jerked his head up, seeing a little black pokemon at the end of the hall. It was then that he realized that Dawn's last pokemon hadn't been a Ditto. Whatever that thing was, it knew Protect.

Which meant that Petrel was going to have to face it. On his own. Without a single pokemon to help him.

The man didn't say a word, shock silencing him.

Rura, on the other hand, didn't waste any time with words out of anger. He rushed forward, preparing a Foul Play attack. Using all of Petrel's strength against him, Rura slammed the man back, knocking him out. Satisfied to have sufficiently handled that ordeal, the little fox snorted.

~That'll teach you!~ He turned his attention to Dawn, running to her side. ~Dawn! Hey! Dawn, get up!~ he begged, shoving her a bit with his front paws.

Dawn roused, sitting up. "... You did it. Thank you, Rura." She hugged the Zorua. She stood up, breathing in a little sharply. Her ribs hurt. She returned Absol, headed out to see if she could meet up with her friends. It sounded busy out there.


Back in the basement with Brock, the doctor-in-training had just finished dealing with the last of the grunts. Deciding to conserve Steelix's remaining strength for the possible escape route he might need, Brock returned the big snake.

"Surely you don't think I'll let you go," Archer said aloud, walking towards Brock. He released his Tyranitar. The huge beast loomed behind the Rocket administrator. "You young gym leaders don't know about the good old days. Back then, your kind knew better than to stick your noses in Rocket business."

Brock, hesitating, lifted a pokeball. "What does that mean?"

There was no answer. Archer only smiled darkly.

"... Swampert, come on out!" Brock said instead. He looked above, noting the ceiling was crumbling a bit. He heard the distant sound of explosions, as well. Whatever was going on up there might bring the whole building down! He had to hurry.

"Use Screech," Archer ordered.

Tyranitar assaulted Swampert with a horrid wail. The Mud Fish flinched.

"Fight back with Water Gun!" Brock countered.

A jet was spat at the larger pokemon, sending it skidding back.

"Earthquake!"

The Armor pokemon roared, lifting a foot high. It was promptly slammed into the floor, rattling the basement. Desks, chairs, and fluorescent lights rattled, while Swampert endured the brunt of the attack, tightly gripping the floor for stability. "Swamp…." He growled, shaking his head.

Archer sneered. "You didn't really think you'd do Team Rocket in so easily, did you?"

"The right thing isn't always easy," Brock replied with a scowl. But, he tensed. Archer's face… He was horror-struck, his eyes turned up towards…

The Executive sprung back, barely missed by a chunk of the ceiling that crashed to the basement floor. Tyranitar had swatted cement aside with ease, only irritated.

Archer suppressed a sigh of relief. Not a chance in hell he was trying that again.

A grunt meanwhile, trembled, fear-struck and speechless. A block of industrial cement parted with the ceiling, moments from crushing him beneath its weight.

Brock gasped. "Swampert, guard him with protect!"

The water type dashed without hesitation, projecting a barrier around himself and the Rocket. The heavy material crashed against it, falling harmlessly to the side.

The grunt was still trembling. "Th-thanks, man…"

A glare from Proton shut him up. His superior turned to Swampert with a grin. "Rock Slide!"

The other man scrambled as heavy stones crashed into Swampert's bulky hide.

"Swampert…!" Brock grit his teeth. "What kind of lowlife… Using mercy against your own teammates as an opening. You should be ashamed to show your face to either of us."

"You should be ashamed of your naivete. A grown man, and you're still so gullible? Honestly, it's a wonder you or any of your friends are even still alive… But, I might be making too many assumptions." Archer laughed, shaking his head with a dismissive hand in the air.

Brock's jaw hung, his stomach tying itself in knots. "How dare you," he growled, his voice low and hoarse. "They are. You won't get your filthy hands on them." He would see to that, if nothing else. He'd stake his own life on it.

"Swamp!" Swampert roared, shrugging the jagged stones off of his body. A guttural hiss was directed at Archer, his webbed hands trembling. How dare he threaten Brock. How dare he threaten Ash, or the others!

The Mud Fish wretched, tilting his head back. His body trembled.

"Swampert…! What's wrong!?" Brock stepped forward, not at all mindful of the Tyranitar between them.

"Sorry. Looks like your pokemon will be the first to go."

"Swamp!" Swampert threw his head forward, and his body with it, spitting out a flood of Muddy Water.

Waves of muck crashed into Tyranitar, disheveling the bottom-heavy pokemon. It was left to the mercy of Muddy Water, washed up unconscious at Archer's feet.

"Hmph." Archer tutted, recalling Tyranitar without a word. He dropped another pokeball. "Persian, Feint Attack."

A shadow popped out of the capsule, whisking across the mucky, debris-laden floor.

Swampert crouched, defensive. However, a surprise swat across the face bypassed his guard.

"Slash!"

A gold glint shone in the midst of a fleeing shadow, startling Swampert. The water type lurched back, standing on his hind legs. "Swamp!"

A move that proved futile, when a vicious slash stung his side. He hissed, stomping a webbed foot down.

"Hang in there, Swampert," Brock urged. "Mud Bomb!"

A mass of muck smashed into Persian, toppling it with little trouble. The feline hissed, trying to blink the mud out of his eyes.

"Use Slash!"

Persian lunged at his target - at least, what he thought was his target. The cat was startled to find himself sliding across the wet floor, missing his target completely.

"Mud Bomb, again!"

Swampert launched another assault, hitting Persian a second time.

"Swift!"

The feline shook his head, turning to launch a barrage of stars at his opponent.

"Those won't miss," Brock muttered. "Protect!"

A green barrier formed around Swampert, guarding against the swarm of golden stars that pelted the guard.

Archer grinned. "Slash!"

Swampert's shield held out through the last of Swift with little trouble, but as always, a nigh-invincible barrier never lasted long. The green film flickered, and an ominous gleam replaced it.

Persian crossed Swampert with a Slash, swift and brutal. It skidded on past the injured pokemon, pleased with handiwork.

Swampert stumbled, his sturdy legs trembling. "Pert…." His sides had grown sore.

"Hang in there…" Brock whispered, throwing a hand out. "Use Mud Bomb, behind you!"

The Mud Fish stomped to his side, belching another round of mud at Persian.

"Power Gem," Archer commanded.

Persian turned, launching a brilliant, glimmering beam of crimson in return. The beautiful vanity of Persian's forehead jewel met the sturdy practicality of Swampert's earthy attacks.

Soon, mud splattered, and the prideful shine of Power Gem blasted through.

Inhaling, Brock shouted with urgency. "Swampert, Protect, now!"

The command gave Archer a devilish grin. "Feint Attack."

Persian's ray of energy smashed into Protect, held back by the reliable failsafe.

But, that failsafe was only so reliable.

A ghoulish figure slipped past the muck and debris, appearing briefly before Swampert.

Startled, the Mud Fish jolted back. His barrier flickered away.

A sharp pain struck Swampert's side. Persian had crashed into him, sending him tumbling.

With a croak, he collapsed.

"Swampert…!" Brock pursed his lips, holding his companion's pokeball out. "Thank you."

"Rock types usually aren't all too impressive," Archer sneered, "but you aren't even trying to hold to your brand! You should be grateful that this embarrassment won't reach the public eye."

Brock's brow twitch. With a deep breath, he bit his tongue. "...Toxicroak, Brick Break!"

As the pokeball opened, Archer spoke. "Persian, use-"

An unforgiving fist was promptly smashed into Persian's gut, sending the hacking feline flying with the

following uppercut. Toxicroak watched the pokemon roll limp, scoffing. "Croaaak."

'Don't think I didn't hear you.' His narrow pupils drifted in Archer's direction. The air sac on his throat inflated and deflated, slow enough to seem ominous.

"Hm. So, you're not as helpless as you look… Houndoom, Sunny Day!"

The hellhound appeared in a flash, firing a golden orb from its mouth towards the fractured ceiling. Scorching, brilliant rays flared down upon the fray, basking Brock and Toxicroak in uncomfortable heat.

Houndoom, however, reveled in it, its tail flicking and head turned upward.

"Not fun to adjust to after standing in the dark," Brock complained under his breath. He blinked uncomfortably, in the meantime, and Toxicroak guarded his own eyes.

Archer was happy to take advantage of that. "Use Flamethrower!"

Toxicroak was swarmed in roaring flames, shrieking even as they died down.

"Croa…." He whined, swiping away at the last of the embers on his skin.

"He's burned…" Brock grimaced. "Brick Break!"

The amphibian sprung, quickly cornering Houndoom with a right hook. "Bite!"

Toxicroak's fist grazed Houndoom's muzzle, only to be swiftly caught in its grip. Sharp fangs kept
Toxicroak in place.

Brock gasped. "Poison Jab, the other hand!"

He raised his opposite arm, flooding it with venom.

"Flamethrower," Archer countered.

There was a malicious glint in Houndoom's eye. He released Toxicroak, only to blast him with heat at
point-blank range. The victim tumbled out of the smoke, trembling.

"This is looking bad… Hang in there, Toxicroak!" As Brock said so, even, sweat trickled down his cheek.

Whether it was his nerves or the heat, he wasn't sure. "Poison Jab!"

The biped scoffed, pushing himself onto his feet. As if he'd go down like that!

A glowing limb was swung, smashing cleanly into Houndoom's underbelly. The hound stumbled back
erratically, coughing and whimpering.

"Great shot," Brock cheered. "Now, if it'd just…" His brows lifted. "...It doesn't seem to be poisoned."

Archer chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, no. Lingering around toxins all day, and even knowing poisonous

attacks, this Houndoom's about as close to immune as non-poison types can get! But, you'd be a complete
fool to expect less from an Executive of Team Rocket."

Brock exhaled. 'I'm starting to run out of options… I'd better keep an eye open for an opening to run.'

"Use Flamethrower!"

A last bath of flames crossed the basement, scorching Toxicroak.

Brock coughed, an arm held over his face to fend from the smoke. A few swipes of his opposite handmade grey wisps dwindle, exposing Toxicroak. The Toxic Frog had collapsed, covered in singes.

Finally, Sunny Day's glow was beginning to die out.

"Thanks for fighting so hard… You rest, for now." Brock recalled him, and released another. "I need you,
Chansey!"

"Chansey~!" The Egg pokemon cooed, appearing with a spin… But, something didn't feel right. Heavy vibes of fright and animosity hung in the air; a Chansey's natural enemy. She pouted, adorable beady eyes growing narrow. She opposed Archer and Houndoom. "Chan-Chansey!"

"Hm. You must be getting desperate. Bite!"

Houndoom lunged, sinking his teeth into the rotund normal type before roughly tossing her aside.

As Chansey bounced, Brock threw an arm out, ignoring Archer. "Use Egg Bomb!"

Chansey rolled and rebounded, holding her tiny hands above her head. A glowing oval appeared, and was promptly chucked at Houndoom. It exploded upon contact, prompting a yelp from the smoky debris.

Archer's lips pursed. "Use Sunny Day, again!"

A golden light was shot out of the scattering smoke, heating the basement once more.

"Flamethrower!"

Chansey confronted the brunt of a curtain of flames, whimpering in pain. "Chans…. Chansey!" She wasn't going down, just yet!

"You can take it, Chansey! Softboiled, then, Secret Power!"

Glittering white orbs shooed off the flames, before gathering to Chansey's form. Her marks began to fade, and her vitality returned! Subsequently, she had plenty of strength to spare, launched in the form of a pink wave of energy that struck Houndoom.

"Hou-ou…." The fire type whined, shaking his head. Suddenly, he was feeling oddly disoriented.

"Don't lose focus," Archer ordered with a snap of his fingers. "Bite!"

Irritated, Houndoom uttered a low, guttural growl, barely a warning before he chopped down upon Chansey's arm.

The Egg pokemon yelped, awkwardly stumbling back. She was quickly preoccupied with nursing the bite on her arm.

"Oh no." Brock swallowed. "Chansey, watch out-!"

"Use Flamethrower!"

The flinching Chansey was bathed in yet another flash of fire.

Brock wiped sweat from his brow. "Talk about pressure… Use Softboiled!"

The normal type hoisted another glowing orb, bathing herself in rejuvenative energy. Even still, she breathed heavy, staring down the aggressive Houndoom.

"Honestly, what's the point of delaying the inevitable? You're only wasting Team Rocket's precious time." Archer laid a hand on his hip, sporting a scowl. "My amusement with this spectacle has run thin."

"It isn't inevitable," Brock barked back. "Chansey's job is to bring hope; to heal and provide tenderness to
anyone in need, just as that's my aspiration. Of course she's going to win against evil!"

Archer's face twisted. "You've reached far to try to sell me that load of crap. You've worn out my patience-"

The room trembled, Brock and Archer forced to regain their footing. The ceiling above them rattled,
near-deafening thuds heard from above. Fluorescent lights flickered, some dying out completely.

"Oh, no…!" Brock's head turned up, brows knitted down. 'The others…!'

Just hypothesizing what had gone on upstairs put his stomachs in knots.

Archer grinned, a gleam in his eye. "Careless… Tear him to shreds!"

"Hou!" Houndoom boomed, hunting down Brock with eager glee. By the time the man had caught on, he
was only moments from devilish fangs sinking into his flesh. Oh, and Houndoom couldn't wait until he-

The dark type squealed, violently yanked.

"Chansey!" The normal type gripped Houndoom by his arrow-tipped tail, her kind gaze replaced by a menacing glare. She held on, no matter how much Houndoom whined and pulled away. "Chan!" She violently yanked Houndoom about, chucking him directly into the wall on the opposite end of the room.

Grains and chunks of cement began to chip and fall, their rough, granular sounds perfectly heard over Archer's awed silence. Even as the basement had begun to rumble, he could only stare at the pokemon embedded in the solid surface. "What the-!?"

Huge chunks of ceiling plummeted, deafening the Executive's shrieks.

Brock's heart jumped into his throat. He lurched forward, yanking Chansey away from the fray, just in time to save her from more falling slabs. "Chansey, we've got to go!" He pulled the pokemon towards and up the stairs, far more roughly than he'd like. "Either he'll climb out, or the rest of the ceiling will crush us, with him!"

"Chansey!" The pokemon stumbled, finally keeping up as they scaled the stairs.

"Now, let's catch up with our friends."

Muffled, frenzied threats were shouted from under the rubble.


"Ash…!" Misty had clutched the cold railing, heart racing. "You coward," she hissed at Proton. A louder, quite literal hiss caught her attention, though, emerald eyes turning to the Arbok that Ariana had released.

There was, unfortunately, no time to worry about her best friend. Misty reached for a pokeball, hesitating.
'With what happened to Dawn's Empoleon, I ought to be careful… But, I don't have much of a choice!'

Brows furrowed, she chucked a pokeball. "I need you, Gyarados!"

Arianna quickly found herself in the shadow of a towering, uncoiling Gyarados. The heat from its breath
Could be felt all the way from the platform, and its intimidating gaze made her a bit less comfortable than
She'd like to admit.

"Sorry, but mine's bigger," Misty boasted with a smirk.

"That alone won't get you anywhere." Arianna threw a hand out. "Sludge Bomb!"

Arbok spat up a hunk of venom, pummeling Gyarados.

The Atrocious pokemon recoiled briefly. Likely to their horror, he shook his head, nonchalant. There was no sign of poison in its body language, and his angry gaze hadn't wavered.

"Hydro Pump!"

With a toss of his head, Gyarados blasted Arbok with a deafening torrent.

The serpent washed up at Arianna's feet, knocked out in one blow.

The executive was silent, barely mustering a breath in her wide-eyed stare. Only her pride willed her not to tremble. "...Drowzee, use Disable!"

The psychic type appeared, glowering cyan eyes unafraid to stare down Gyarados. "Drowzee~"

Briefly surrounded in a similar glow, Gyarados roared, irritated. The mental block was enigmatic and irritating, willing him to thrash out. His long, finned tail began to thrash, leaving a huge dent in the railing.

Misty scowled. That aggression needed to be taken care of, quickly. "Gyarados, Hyper Beam!"

The serpent's rage was unleashed with a violent blast of energy, completely engulfing Drowzee.

Its limp body flew out of the smoky explosion, tumbling towards Arianna. She held up its pokeball, regretfully returning it. "Even for a Gym Leader, this is unusual."

"If you had half a brain, you wouldn't underestimate us," Misty bit back. Even as she boasted, though, her eyes stayed glued to Gyarados. He was hunched over, lacking his usual vigor. He'd need a moment to recover from Hyper Beam… Now, if they could only be that lucky.

"...I'll keep that in mind. Vileplume!" Arianna tossed yet another pokeball.

"Plume!" The flower sprayed a bit of poisonous pollen from its flower, eyeing Gyarados.

"Sweet Scent!"

Vileplume spun about, dousing the huffing serpent in a calming fragrance.

Gyarados' eyes fell, half-lidded. He barely held his body above the platform.

Arianna's lips tugged upward. This was her chance. "Sleep Powder!"

"Vileplume!" The grass-type shrieked, unleashing another round of spores.

Gyarados collapsed with a thud, unconscious.

"Gyarados…!" Misty grit her teeth. "Come on, wake up!"

"Petal Dance!"

The grass type spun about, pummeling Gyarados with a storm of sharp petals.

"Gyarados…!" Misty growled, frustrated. "Come on, you're tougher than that!"

As the assault continued, though, no movement was seen in the Atrocious pokemon's body.

That was, until it rolled over, swirls in its eyes.

"Crap," Misty muttered, recalling her pokemon. "Thank you, Gyarados. Return!"

Arianna's smarmy smirk made the Gym Leader nauseous. "Not a word," she hissed. "Kingdra, Smokescreen!"

Barely a flicker was seen before thick, black smoke surrounded the pokeball, and soon, Misty's entire end of the fray.

"Now, Dragon Dance!"

In the depths of the smog, Kingdra began twirling and dancing about, quickly boosting his performance.

Arianna squinted. Flickers of red light escaped from the smoke. "There! Frustration!"

Vileplume shrieked, dashing into the veil. It jumped up, brutally kicking Kingdra with both of its legs.

The seahorse was knocked back, crashing into the railing.

"Kingdra!" Misty called out, nervous. Her eyes flicked up to Arianna and Vileplume. "That Frustration…" It had worked disturbingly well. "Do your pokemon even like you!?"

"As long as they battle well, that's hardly important."

"You're despicable," Misty spat. "I'm glad I'm here to stomp out scum like you! Dragon Pulse!"

Kingdra righted himself, firing a violet blast from his snout.

"Dodge that," the Rocket ordered.

Vileplume spun to the side, dodging the attack.

"Sweet Scent!"

Pleasant scents began flooding the platform.

"Another Dragon Pulse!"

This time, Dragon Pulse hit its mark. Vileplume cried, tumbling towards Arianna's feet.

Arianna grimaced, recalling it. "Take care of them, Persian! Fake-out!"

Straight out of its capsule, Persian lurched for Kingdra, making the water type recoil.

Stopping just short of a swipe, Persian grinned, holding its paws outward. A loud smack unleashed a shockwave that sent Kingdra tumbling.

"Kingdra, Bubblebeam!"

Kingdra righted himself, firing a swarm of foam.

"Pay Day!"

The feline's jewel shimmered, and golden coins were summoned to collide with Bubblebeam.

The bubbles exploded, showering the arena with glimmering coins.

"Use Dragon Pulse!"

"Let's obscure their aim, shall we?" There was a gleam in Arianna's eye.

Persian sported the same, turning to kick a pile of coins at Persian, obscuring its shot.

Thrown off by the shimmering fragments, Kingdra squinted, searching for his target once more.

Just as a light began to gather, Persian interrupted Kingdra once more.

Pelted by coins, Kingdra squealed, irritated.

"Slash!"

Before the sea horse had a chance to recuperate, Persian was upon him. A vicious slash to his belly grounded him.

"Kingdra…!" Misty's brows furrowed. Her poor prince, slashed down… She frowned, recalling him. "Thank you for fighting… You were great."

Arianna scoffed, wiping sweat from her brow with as much subtlety as she could manage, before grabbing her last two pokeballs. Her pride was hurt, but losing was absolutely not an option. She released her Murkrow and Golbat at once.

"I should've known a Rocket would be a dirty cheat," Misty spat.

"Corsola, Starmie, I need you!"

The two water types were summoned together, opposite of Murkrow and Golbat.

Meanwhile, a soot-marked hand clung to the railing. Dawn had stumbled in from the nearest walkway, holding Rura snugly with one arm. Her hues grew wide. "...Misty!" Spotting Arianna, she reached to cover her mouth. "...And, the last face I ever wanted to see again."

"Starmie, Camouflage! Corsola, Spike Cannon!" Misty ordered. Starmie adopted the steel type in the form of a silver sheen on its body, and Corsola launched a barrage of spines at both of their opponents.

"Dawn!" The Gym Leader gasped, turning to the girl.

"Murkrow, Astonish! Golbat, Frustration!" Arianna hissed, her red brows falling low in disgust. "You… Petrel didn't finish you off!?" She spat. "Total incompetence… You should be in a gutter." The irony was lost on the Executive.

Meanwhile, both of Misty's pokemon suffered the assault after Corosla's attack had struck them both. She and Starmie resisted both attacks, however, only skidding back a marginal distance.

"Wait there, Dawn! I'll be with you in a minute!" Misty called, turning back to the battle. "Corsola, Recover! Starmie, use Psychic on Golbat!"

Corsola surrounded herself in a glow, healing her minor injuries.

Starmie, meanwhile, chucked Golbat brutally against the wall. Golbat fell to the platform, limp.

"...Murkrow, Pursuit!"

Knowing now that it was alone, Murkrow squawked, chasing down Corsola.

"Starmie, Rapid Spin!"

The steel-coated star chucked itself at Murkrow, crashing into it without mercy.

"Spike Cannon!"

The falling crow was ambushed with explosive needles. It fell from the impact point, unconscious.

Misty glowered at the cornered Executive. "Starmie, Psychic!"

Suddenly, Arianna found herself paralyzed, restrained in a telekinetic grip. Muttered curses were all she could muster.

"Misty… Dawn! Ash…!" Brock huffed, stumbling into the room, out of breath. Thankfully, when he absorbed the scene, his worst fears were put to rest, for the moment. "Thank goodness."

"Brock!" Misty turned to the eldest of the group. "Please, check on Dawn!"

The man swallowed. "Of course." He approached the coordinator. "You look like you've seen better days."

"That's putting it mildly," she huffed, allowing Brock to get a closer look. "...You think it's anything serious?"

Brock squinted. Her speech was slightly slurred, and her coordination was sloppy. Ashes specked her outfit and her knees, and her hair was a ruffled mess. "...I think you're just a bit woozy from smoke inhalation and getting tossed around. But, from what I can see, you should be fine, otherwise."

"Well, that's a relief…"

Then, Misty looked over the railing, sharply inhaling. Her irises trembled.


"Get up!" Proton spat, spittle flying from his lips. "I'm here to rip you a new one, kid! Stand up! I don't like nothin' limp! Not 'til you've stopped breathin', at least!"

Ash hissed, a hand clutching his knee. He was pretty sure he'd scraped it upon impact. He admittedly felt a bit dizzy, his head throbbing from the fall. He shook it, trying to psyche himself up. "In your dreams," the trainer spat, pushing himself to his feet. He was going to feel that in the morning.

Upon standing, the silver gleam caught his eye; sharp metal shone in Proton's grip, quickly drawing close.

Proton was charging at him with a knife, moments from swinging the blade.

Ash's brows tightened. A fleeting intuition visited him, and he jumped back, barely avoiding a stab in the gut.

"Come on," Ash huffed, leaning back before throwing a right hook for the man's jaw. "Y'build yourself up with that entrance, and you're gonna bring a knife to a fist fight?" The first punch missed, and he went for another.

The fist was caught in Proton's gloved hand, squeezing Ash's knuckles. "I could… Beat you to a pulp…!" The man hissed through grit teeth, yanking Ash in. "But slicing you up would be oh-so sweeter!"

Ash saw another gleam, and his heart pounded. Proton's armed hand was knocked off by a swing of Ash's opposite fist. "Sounds like an edgy way to call yourself a chicken!" Meanwhile, he struggled through a snarl to hold back the taller man's wrists. Trickling sweat told a whole story.

If Ash slipped up once, he was mincemeat.

The Rocket gleefully stomped on Ash's foot, prompting a shout that would be his undoing. The knife was jabbed right towards the irritating boy's throat.

That was, until a booming burst of light flew between them both, exploding against the railing nearby.

Rosa marched toward the two, snarling at the man through bared canines. Her paw was outstretched, glimmering. ~Put one more hand on Papa, and yer gonna be sorry!~

Proton turned his head with a glowering grin. "You wanna fight too, mutt? You'll make a nice throw ru-"

He tasted blood when his taunts were rewarded with a fierce punch to the jaw.

Ash's fist trembled. "I didn't catch that. You feelin' up to repeating it?"

The man smacked his lips, wiping his chin with his glove. "Still got a lotta spunk in you… Alright, I'll play along. I do love playing with my food." He reached for his belt, tossing three pokeballs.

A Beedrill, Tentacruel, and Gengar appeared.

"That's how we're doin' this? Alright." Ash reached under his jacket. "Meema, Heracross! Back Rosa up!"

The Stag Beetle and Illusion Fox were summoned alongside their teammate, opposing Proton's pokemon.

Meema eyed Gengar; she recalled this one. The one from the 'gym.' All the incentive needed to lunge at the specter, assaulting it with a violet-tinted Night Slash.

"Gen!" Gengar bounced out of harm's way. Happy to act on his own, he surrounded himself in a dark, eerie glow before recoiling in pain. "Gen… Gar…!" He hacked, staring down the Zoroark with a malicious grin.

Suddenly, the fox clutched her chest, suffering the mysterious assault of Curse. What sort of attack was this!?

Not one that would deter a protective mother. She tackled Gengar with Pursuit, brutally smacking him to the floor.

Gengar bounced, shaking his head, eyes and mouth flinging about with it. "Gen… Gar!" His claws were thrown outward, casting several dark rings towards Meema.

The dark type instinctively scrambled to the side, and Hypnosis missed.

Gengar stood stiff, the unfamiliar sensation of fear setting in. But, he was supposed to be the one doing the terrorizing! Alas, he'd spent a huge chunk of his stamina on Curse, and the furball was stubborn not to sleep.

With those thoughts in mind, Gengar scrambled to flee.

In the midst of this, Beedrill opened its assault with Twinneedle, chasing Heracross with relentless jabs of his stingers. The beetle did a remarkably good job of sidestepping the venom, but eventually, the former hit its mark. Several venomous jabs struck Heracross' torso, seeping it with poison.

"Cross!" Heracross croaked in pain, fluttering back with his buzzing wings. Hunched over, he rode the first wave of toxins nipping at his stamina. "Her…" He'd seen worse days. In fact…

Judging by the red gleam in his eyes, he was feeling more pumped than ever. Thanks to Guts, that was.

He took out his newfound vigor on Beedrill, smashing into its belly with a brutal Megahorn. The insect was flung ruthlessly into the air, whining to the tune of a high-pitched buzz. It retaliated, aiming a stinger at Heracross to fire a blast of green acid.

Venoshock doused Heracross, assaulting his body in sizzling pain. "Cross!" He cried, buzzing his wings to free himself of the goo to the best of his ability. Oh, Beedrill had gone and done it now…

Heracross took flight, launching himself at Beedrill. His adversary jabbed at him with Twinneedle, but missed its target when he swerved under it, returning upside-down to hook his horn around what passed for a neck.

Heracross dove for the platform, yanking Beedrill with him. Hoisting it by his horn, Heracross threw his head down with a roar, clotheslining Beedrill with a remarkable display of Reversal.

"Cruel…." Tentacruel slowly approached Rosa, cornering towards the railing like helpless prey.

Rosa swallowed, stepping from side to side in vain. Tentacruel was only drawing closer, and she wasn't looking to get close to that thing! With that in mind, she drew a paw back, charging an Aura Sphere.

It was flung at Tentacruel, exploding upon one of its large red jewels. The pokemon retaliated, reaching to ensnare the Lucario in its many tentacles. Wring Out mercilessly squeezed her torso, goading a pained whimper.

~I'm… I'm not… Losin'...!~ Rosa squeaked, wriggling her arms free from the sea creature's grip. Her paws were held above her head, forming another brilliant orb. Aura Sphere was smashed into Tentacruel with an overhead throw.

It groaned in pain, quickly releasing Rosa to retreat. "Tentacruel…" Its tendrils lifted to summon Water Pulse, flicked forward to launch the attack at the Aura pokemon.

The water was summoned, and Rosa's eyes flickered blue. Detect gave her a clear prediction of its path, and she jumped over it with ease.

Gengar, meanwhile, scuttled backwards in terror, confidence completely undone by the encroaching Zoroark's gaze. "Gen…!" He swallowed. His opponent's forelegs were bathed in violet, and her teal eyes lit like wispy flames. Hunched over, she looked ready to go for the kill.

"Ghar!" the ghost squealed, casting Dream Eater in vain. Nightmare followed, likewise having no effect.

Meema howled, smashing her paws down upon the platform. An explosive dome of red engulfed Gengar.

"Hera… Cross!" Heracross unleashed a booming blast of orange energy, getting a direct shot on Beedrill.

The Poison Bee buzzed pathetically, just above ground. Bruised and charred, it hummed, loud and alert.

The Stag Beetle, meanwhile, hunched over, exhausted. "Her…" He huffed, staring down Beedrill.

Beedrill lunged, launching a single poisonous needle from his stinger. This would finish it off!

Fell Stinger struck a crying Heracross. Toxins bubbled in the pokemon's system for good measure, nearly crippling his ability to stand. Nonetheless, he did. They were dreaming if they thought that he'd fail Ash, here.

Rosa continued to bound and dodge attacks, occasionally scampering out of the way of Tentacruel's grip.
Her agility served her, but finally, she stumbled. Consecutively, she was struck with a Water Pulse.

She howled, tumbling backwards. ~Ergh…~ She whined, shaking her head to right her vision. But, tried as
she may to regain her sense of balance, the Lucario found herself dazed and confused. Too disoriented to
stand. A sensation that only grew worse when two extremities tightened around her body.

Hoisted up again by Wring Out, she squeaked, struggling to wriggle her arms. This time, to no avail.

Proton grinned, stalking over to his one triumphant pokemon. "Let 'er go."

Tentacruel hummed, dropping its prey carelessly at the Rocket's feet.

"If I can't get Ash yet, I'll just settle for the Lucario." He cackled, reaching for the dazed biped.

Amongst the chaos, Ash heard this. Color left his face, replaced by a cold sweat. "No…." He sprinted for Proton.

The villain in question yanked Rosa up by her aura bundles, ignoring her whines in protest.

"I hate to do this to you, mutt… Oh, who'm I kidding? I love doing this! I'll just- ack!"

A bright, blue explosion crashed into his chest, forcing him to cough and hack painfully for breath. Offset
by the blast, he stumbled back towards the edge of the platform, forced to drop the Lucario.

"Ach… What…!" Proton looked ahead, and Ash was already upon him.

He threw a vicious punch, leaving the man with an overwhelming dull pain. Before he could register
anything else, Proton have been tackled to the ground, pinned by Ash's arms and legs.

Through Ash's tunnel vision, Proton's nose had already been busted, a trickle of red crossing his lip.
Burning tears cascaded down his cheeks, hissed breaths crossing the other man's face. His pupils were
barely the size of a pin point. He slugged him in the face again, and once more. "I'm sick of it!"

Through tears, he violently shook the dazed Rocket. "I'm… So damn tired of you! All of you, threatening everything I love!" His heart pounded painfully in his rib cage, for every dreaded memory. Every terrified face.

A gloved hand feebly reached for Ash's face.

"Why're you such a lowlife, huh!?" The hand had barely gripped his cheek, and a punch to the chest left it limp. "Going after kids…" Pikachu flashed in his mind; the amount of times he'd truly feared they'd been separated. From when they were just beginning, they were just another buck. Just another pest to be squashed. To rot in some basement for getting in their way.

A punch to the eye followed, gloves stained with salty tears. "Why'd you threaten me and my friends!? My pokemon!?" Snarling, he drew his fist back again. "No one hurts Pikachu… No one hurts my little girl!"

"Ash!"

He hesitated, still gripping Proton's jumpsuit. Misty was calling out to him.

The leader's hands gripped the railing above. "If you keep this up, you might kill him!"

His fist fell loose, face falling in horror. His eyes fell to the sadist below him. Bruised, bloodied, and black-eyed, Proton hacked for breath.

The brim of Ash's cap hung over his eyes, and his arms fell limp. His heart still raced, and his blood still boiled. It didn't boil that hot.

Worse than hot blood, though, was that which was icy cold as the grave.

Sinking his proverbial teeth into this golden opportunity, Proton shoved Ash back, causing the teen to stumble back. Proton quickly threw down a smoke bomb, standing to his feet. Ash's eyes widened as the Rocket executive disappeared in the cloud of smoke.

Suddenly, his senses were screaming, the ghostly blue of predictive aura abilities floating at him from his left. A future phantom pain ran across his throat. But, that was all illusions of what might have been. As Ash jerked back thanks to his aura senses, instead, a real ripping, searing pain tore up from his jawline to just under the apple of his cheek.

"Gah!"

Ash stumbled out of the smoke, clutching his cheek. Above the platforms, Misty watched with baited breath. By now, Brock had finished his check-up on Dawn and both of them had joined her in watching. Ash pulled his hand back from his face, looking on it as if it were some alien attachment to the end of his arm.

He screamed.

"SHIT! SHIT! I'M BLEEDING!"

His hand, covered in blood, shook. He gripped the railing, feeling an uncomfortable warmth all over his face and a concerning metallic tinge within his own mouth. He barely processed Meema darting by. He looked up at her, watching in quiet, confused horror as she ran into the smoke. He looked back at where she had been. There, knocked out, laid the Gengar she had been battling. It was only then that he realized he was being called out to by his friends. He looked up at them, not yet able to answer.

He realized the metallic taste was from his cut. It'd gone through his cheek.

Heracross looked up from the Beedrill he had used a last, triumphant Megahorn on, decisively driving it into the ground. The Tentacruel lingered, unsure of who to attack between the confused Lucario and the shaking human. Heracross didn't give him the chance to decide, firing off a blindly bright Hyper Beam. Fatigued, but satisfied with the now knocked out Tentacruel, the bug landed, waddling over to Rosa and Ash.

The clattering of the Tentacruel falling down seemed to snap Rosa out of her confusion. Giving her head one last shake, she gasped.

~Papa!~

She ran to Ash's side, looking up at him with worry in her eyes. She touched him. He looked down at her, opening his mouth and then shutting it before putting his hand back over his cheek, keeping her from seeing the gore. She whined, hugging him close.

"Rosa! Is Ash okay?!" Misty practically screamed. With Dawn's throat too raw from the smoke and Brock wondering if he should jump down to first aid, she was the fastest to yell again.

Rosa spoke back without looking at anyone but Ash. ~He won't answer me, but he's… okay, I think.~ Tears streamed down her face. Why had this happened?

Walking back out of the dark corridor at the end of the lowest platform, Meema stalked back to Ash. The garish light of Zapdos, still caged and nearly comatose, reflected off her dark fur. In her mouth was a long black belt, and a patch of equally dark cloth.

~Meema… What's that?~ Rosa asked.

The fox raised her head. ~Leader… Forgive me. I had every intention of tearing the cur apart. When I bit him, he unbuckled his belt. He is slippery, like a worm.~

Ash looked to Meema then, blinking. He finally spoke, reaching out to pet her behind her ears. "No… Thank you for…" Protecting him? Avenging him? He wasn't sure; he was just glad that she had made sure Proton was gone. He looked up. "... Let's get to the others."

~Okay, Papa.~

~Yes, Leader.~

After a precarious climb up a ladder with Rosa and Meema waiting to catch Ash, and Heracross hovering after the trainer, Ash soon found himself in the concerned embraces of his friends. As Brock began instructing Ash to get seated so he could check on his cheek and Ash's pokemon joined them on the main platform, Dawn looked to Dr. Zager.

"Hey, why are you still here?" she asked. "Release Zapdos."

The man only flicked his eyes at her. He released his Kadabra. "I just wanted to see how this played out." He pressed a button on the control panel that had long since had his attention. "Teleport."

With that, the scientist and the psychic type both winked away.

When Zager disappeared, Ariana laughed darkly from where Misty's Starmie held a now slightly looser grasp on her. "Good! This whole place is going down, you little brats! If it's for the glory of Team Rocket, I don't even mind going down with you!"

The pieces clicking together in her head, Dawn whipped her head around, blue eyes wide with fear as she gawked at her friends. "He activated a bomb!"