"What do you mean, he activated a bomb?!" Misty yelled back, more frightened than confused.
"How are we gonna get all of the grunts out of here?!" Dawn said back, not bothering with Misty's rhetorical question. "I mean, they're bad, but they don't deserve this!"
Brock furrowed his brows, standing. Unfortunately, patching up Ash would have to wait. "I don't even know if we can! Between Archer using Earthquake and what I guess was yours and Petrel's battle, the basement's blocked off with rubble!"
Ash stood, quietly. He breathed deeply before walking forward, cap covering his eyes. He tried to hide the shaking in his knees. "Rosemary," he called out, "we gotta use some of our training."
The Lucario's jaw dropped, but she trailed after Ash.
Unsure of what Ash was about to do, but aware of the present danger, Meema rushed to pick up her cub, holding Rura tight.
Ash turned his hat, staining the brim with a bit of his own blood. "We're gonna wrap this thing in a layer of aura and hold it still while it goes off. Think you can do that?" he asked his daughter.
Rosa's tail was tucked between her legs. ~Papa… I'll try.~
Both aura users held their hands out, focusing. Soon, a soft blue orb began to form around the control panel. The top half of it was sliced off and the air lost some of its electric charge. They floated the bomb above them, thickening the shield.
Brock grabbed Chansey and Misty's hands. She, in turn, grabbed Dawn's. Dawn, noting that Heracross watched worriedly, reached out to him. As rough as things looked right now, no one needed to be alone. Heracross even held Starmie's limb, though the purple water pokemon didn't necessarily react emotionally.
Ash looked down at Rosa, smiling. "I'm so proud of you!" he said, fighting back tears. "You're growing up into a great girl!"
Breaking down, Rosa struggled to keep focus, dropping to her knees. ~Papa, I'm so scared!~
Ash felt her portion of the aura wavering. "I know you are. But, you're such a good girl, so freakin' strong, too! C'mon. Help me out, huh? We'll keep this thing pent up, and then we'll go get ice cream!"
Rosa stood back up. Though her ears were laid back in sorrow, she poured more of her energy into the ball, determined to protect her family.
Finally, the timer went off. A sudden expansion happened within the blue ball. White light was at first all that was visible, the pieces of metal that had once been in there all that were visible. Soon, the white light turned to black smoke. However, there was too much energy still contained. It had to go somewhere! The aura containing it began to crack.
Ash's eyes widened. He immediately let go of his supernatural grip, diving instead to shield Rosa with his body. The Lucario, seeing what was happening, used Detect.
In the distance, Rura realized was about to happen as well. He jumped out of Meema's arms, rushing ahead of his friends and throwing up a shield with Protect.
A smaller, safer explosion rocked the main platform. Aside from heat and the wave of dust and debris, Brock, Misty, and Dawn's end wasn't any worse for the wear. The explosion did, however, send Ash and Rosa skidding a few feet, bruises on their sides from the impact with the floor.
For the doctor in training, the time of waiting was over. As soon as the coast was clear, he began unzipping his bag again, rushing to Ash's side. "Ash! Rosa!" he yelled. "Chansey, c'mon!"
Misty remained by Starmie, though she anxiously watched. She had to keep an eye on Ariana until the authorities arrived.
Dawn, meanwhile, walked slowly over, Meema supporting her as Rura and Heracross rushed over with Brock and Chansey.
"Well, I think you guys have about eaten up all of my pain meds," Brock said with a laugh as Chansey offered a Softboiled egg to Rosa. He felt satisfaction when the blue pokemon eagerly wolfed it down; she couldn't be too hurt if her appetite was intact!
Ash, however, struggled with the pill. He blinked. Had it… slipped out of the side of his mouth? He wiggled his tongue, going white when he realized he could poke it out of his cheek. "Brock!" Ash yelped, horrified at his own injury.
"Crap, he really cut you. Be still. Mew, you're gonna need stitches. Lots of 'em." He only had bandages at the moment, so he set about cleaning and plugging the hole in Ash's cheek.
"He cut you?" Dawn asked, sitting down to watch Brock work. She coughed a little more.
"Dawn, there's some water in my bag," Brock offered. "You and Ash should take it easy for a bit. You two have awful luck. I guess me and Chansey are lucky we got off as easy as we did." As Brock ignored Ash's whining at how the antiseptic stung, as doctors are wont to do, he looked back at Misty. "How'd you do?"
"Oh, I whooped her good," Misty said without a hint of wavering in her confidence. "I thought I'd have trouble since I was using water types with all this static crap, but it was fine." She looked at Ash now that he was done hissing through gritted teeth about how much the cleanser hurt. "Now, what wasn't fine was that crap you pulled with your hat, Ash. Who turns around their hat before something like that!"
With a patch now on his cheek, Ash shrugged. "Hey, if it went bad, I'm not goin' down not looking cool. If it went well, and it did go well, guess who has a badass new story?" He finally ate the pain pill Brock had offered him, satisfied that it went down his throat instead of out of the side of his face.
A large thump gathered the group's attention. Sitting on the railing was a huge, bright yellow bird. Specifically, it was Zapdos. The group grew quiet. Zapdos cawed, sounding friendly enough. It lifted a wing to gesture towards the group, almost signaling them to come closer. Hesitantly, they did so.
"Ash, what's he saying?" Misty whispered.
Ash furrowed his brows, listening with his aura abilities. "Uh… Zapdos says he was free the moment me and Rosa broke off the… oh! The control panel. That's called a control panel, big guy. Anyways, he wanted to stay to make sure we got out okay." Ash grinned as wide as he could without hurting himself. "Hey, that was nice! I was sweatin' bullets about what might have happened if we failed…"
The electric type puffed out his chest, looking down at the young trainer. ~If brother mine hath not lied to me, tis my understanding that thou art fond of sport battle!~ Speaking in an airy manner, reflecting its long lifespan and perhaps theatric nature, Zapdos raised its beak high. ~Twas a few months ago when Moltres claimed thou bested him! Given thy eagerness then, am I wrong to assume my champion might enjoy a battle with the host of summer storms?~
"Champion?" Ash echoed. He liked the sound of that!
"What's he saying?!" Dawn whispered.
Ash waved her off, giving her a look that told her he'd explain more later. "He's offering to battle me." He looked back up to the bird. "I'll definitely take you up on that!"
~Excellent! I hope in thine party there lies a fresh contender? It would weigh heavy on my heart if I were to battle a weary opponent!~
Ash thought about it. "Nah, I got someone that hasn't been out yet!"
~Very well.~ Zapdos looked to the rest of the group. ~What say these three, my champion? I am indeed a powerful pokemon! It would be my pleasure to bestow unto them a favor for their bravery.~
Ash looked at his friends. "Hey, Zapdos wants to know if he can do you guys a favor."
Dawn shrugged, taking another sip of water. She honestly couldn't think straight right now. She wanted a nap, but Brock said she couldn't do that until she went to a hospital. "I'm okay."
"Well, you're not okay," Brock chimed in, "but I'm guessing you're saying you don't want anything."
"Right."
"Figured. Well… Honestly, I want a nap. So, whatever gets Ash his battle quickest is okay by me." Brock scratched the back of his head.
"Mew, on what planet am I going to get between Ash and a battle." Misty waved her hand. "C'mon, c'mon, I know you're biting at the bits to fight Zapdos. Go on, Ash."
A little concerned about the careful manner Brock had about Dawn and very grateful that his friends knew what he wanted, Ash fist pumped the air despite his sore sides. "Yes! Zapdos, let's battle!"
Zapdos cawed, slapping its large, jagged wings to take to the air, parallel to the higher platform. Surrounding it was their makeshift battlefield; a wide, open, long worn and rusted generator hall, with walkways, stairways, and concurring platforms to spare that lead to dusty old gadgets, hallways, and elevator shafts. A worn industrial scene, lit by several fluorescent lights, but most vibrantly by Zapdos, itself. It suited an encounter with the bird of lightning, to be sure.
"Ash," Brock intruded, clapping a hand on the trainer's shoulder. When he caught the trainer's sidelong gaze, he hurriedly explained. "Believe me, I'm not here to advise against this battle… I know you too well for that. But, be careful, alright? Yelling too much might not be the best thing for you, right now."
Ash paused, digesting the thought. "...You're right." He reached under his dirtied jacket, grabbing a pokeball. He tapped the button in the center, releasing his pokemon of choice.
"Glalie!" The Face pokemon growled, floating beside Ash. Given a moment to assess, though, the pokemon grew concerned, sending questioning looks at the group. This didn't feel like an ordinary battle scene at all. "...Glalie?"
Its distress was evident. "Don't worry," Ash assured. "Everything's fine… But, Glalie."
The pokemon cocked its head.
"We're going to battle Zapdos, alright?" Noting the pokemon's eager expression, he continued. "But, as you can see, I'm pretty banged up right now, I'm not supposed to be running my big mouth a lot. So, I'm not gonna be leading you too loud. When you're out of earshot, I'm gonna reach you with aura, alright? I wouldn't wanna catch you off-guard with it."
The pokemon hummed a low growl. He still didn't quite get what this 'aura' stuff was about. But, he did trust Ash. "Gla!" He grinned, spinning about to face off against Zapdos. "Glalie!"
Sparks danced from Zapdos' hovering form, beckoning the first move.
Ash's brows furrowed. "Blizzard."
Glalie roared, unleashing a freezing burst of wind towards Zapdos.
The bird of lightning didn't budge; rather, it lit in a pervasive, golden crackling aura. Blizzard brushed over Zapdos and its electric aura, but neither seemed to budge in the face of the cold.
Ash's eyes grew wide. "What the… It didn't do anything? What kinda move is that?"
"That's Charge," Brock supplied. "An electric type move that powers up the next offensive electric type move the pokemon uses. The gathered electricity also provides a temporary boost to its special defense."
Well, that could be troubling. It was hardly, discouraging, though. "Gotcha… Glalie, Ice Beam. Right on a path to Zapdos!"
"Gla!" The Face pokemon roared, firing chilled rays that froze a sloping path towards the avian.
"Now, Gyro Ball."
Glalie spun into a sudden steep climb, riding the slippery, icy path until it came to a peak. With a silver coating and momentum to spare, he launched himself at Zapdos like a cannon ball.
Zapdos had been lying in wait. As its opponent came close, its intentions were clear. It dove to the right of Glalie, avoiding his assault entirely. It shrieked, turning to launch a vicious, blinding Thunder attack.
Ash swallowed. "Surround yourself with Blizzard," he'd instruct, this time speaking through his mind, along with his voice.
The mental prompt reached Glalie instantly. "Glalie!" He cried, spinning to spray a frosty cyclone around his body. He briefly hovered before he was jettisoned out of Thunder's reach.
The wild, spark-spraying Thunder went on to crash into the wall beyond where Glalie had been. A smoky explosion following the boom revealed a black, soot-ridden hole in the wall.
Witnessing the aftermath, Dawn clutched the railing closest to her. "What incredible power… Fitting for a legendary pokemon!"
Glalie, meanwhile, had been flung above, just above the guard rail to another elevation. Instinctively, it clamped down on the bar using Crunch.
"Grhl… Glalie," he grunted, flinging himself over the side to safety.
Misty's attention had been dead set on Glalie. "Ash," she started, awestruck. "How'd Glalie launch itself, just now?"
"I was wondering that, too," Dawn agreed. "It was gorgeous, but how?"
"It's a trick I found on Mt. Silver," Ash explained, eyes glued to the fray. He smiled to himself. "One time, Glalie'd fallen off a steep incline, and did something just like that out of instinct; it brought him right back up to the ledge, safe and sound. I asked Dexter about it, after; it said that Glalie float by puttin' out just a bit of cold air all of the time, automatically, to keep themselves floating. How that works, I'unno, but it does. So, we just gave that an upgrade!"
"Of course!" Brock chimed in. He coughed, realizing he hadn't explained himself, yet. "Hot air is always striving to rise above cold air, which can lift materials when their mass can be sustained; like a blimp, or a rocket! By isolating air that's relatively warm under its body with its own cold influence, Glalie acts on the same principle! Its body is built for that process to occur constantly, so it can sustain even greater heights with greater effort!" It all made sense now.
"Well, that makes sense… I think." Dawn held a hand to her chin. "Great job, both of you!"
Ash smiled to himself. "We try."
Zapdos' patience for their idling had grown thin. A formation of glowing stones were summoned around its body.
Ash's eyes flicked to Glalie. "Freeze a wall in front of you, with Ice Beam!"
Glalie froze the guard rails, and Ice Beam rose from them to climb higher, still. Before long, a solid guard had been summoned to obscure the ice type.
Just in time for Ancientpower to fire, blasting the barrier between the pokemon. Chunks of ice crumbled and caved, giving under the force of the hurled boulders. Frost and vapor dispersed.
However, the obstruction had given Zapdos no clear view of Glalie. Its sharp eye was short a target.
"Crunch."
Out of the mist came Glalie, hurling himself at Zapdos. Sharp incisors and a strong jaw gnashed down upon Zapdos' wing, making the legendary cry in pain. Irritated, it cawed, shaking its wing.
Glalie persisted, spinning once to roughly toss it away.
Ash grinned.
"A direct hit," Misty thought aloud. "Ash and Glalie are off to a good start!"
Perhaps she'd spoken too soon. Zapdos shrieked, launching a booming Thunder with a flap of its wings.
Glalie roared in pain, blasted by many, many shimmering volts. Overwhelmed, he was blasted back to his higher platform, smashing through the guard rail. He rolled, wincing in pain.
"Glalie…!" Ash's eyes grew wide.
"They both took damage," Brock observed, "but it looks like Glalie took more." He watched Zapdos, who briefly nipped at its wing to nurse it. It wasn't occupied for long.
"We'll have to fix that," Ash decided.
Zapdos cried, launching another round of Ancientpower.
"Gyro Ball," Ash countered.
Glalie launched into a spin, surrounded by a gleaming silver ring. He smashed through one of the boulders, and then through a second. The third slowed his momentum, and the fourth blasted him away with a groan. He landed on the next level down, shaking his head.
Ash grimaced. "I guess Zapdos is too powerful for conventional attacks… Our usual tactics ain't gonna cut it."
Rosa stood by Ash, reaching for his hand. ~Then, what're ya gonna do, now?~
"Ash'll come up with some strategy that no one else'd think of!" Dawn winked. "Just like he always does."
"Someone's got a lot of faith," Misty teased.
Dawn shrugged with a smile, brushing a bang to the side. "I don't have the cheerleader outfit on me, so that'll have to do."
"The what…?" Misty blinked, not even bothering to process that. She turned back to Ash with a smirk. "...Anyway. I want to see what he comes up with. Whatever it is will be interesting, without a doubt."
"Cawww!" Zapdos cried, making a straight beeline for Glalie, wings tucked in. It began to barrel roll on its way down, the sharp end of its beak gleaming.
"Drill Peck…" Ash tightened a fist. "Hold it off with Ice Beam."
Glalie fired one cold burst after the next, but to no avail. Zapdos ducked and rolled around each one, quickly cornering the Face Pokemon. With plenty of momentum, it stabbed Glalie, knocking him brutally into the wall behind him.
Glalie groaned, rocked by the attack. Before he could recover, a wing struck him, knocking him skyward.
Ash's breath was caught in his throat, eyes wide with horror. Glalie was falling from a dangerous height, with no platforms below it at all. This could only end badly. He panicked. "Ice Beam!"
The ice type was hardly aware, until Ash called out. He quickly shot an Ice Beam before him, icing a path that he would glide down with ease. When he was finished, he slid to an elevation far closer to the ground, safe and sound. No longer in danger, Glalie chortled. He'd done it!
"Close call," Brock exhaled.
Ash smirked to himself. There was a glint in his eye. "Hey, Zapdos," he reached out, goading it with a taunting beckoning of his hand. "Come 'n get us!"
The bird of lightning grunted. Was the boy getting cocky, already!? It would be sure to remind them of its place on the pecking order, and it did so by circling in for another Drill Peck.
"Another round of Ice Beams," Ash ordered.
"Again?" Brock grimaced, folding his arms. Ash did remember how that went, last time, didn't he? He paused, humming to himself. There had to be something more to this.
"He's up to something," Dawn beamed.
"Even still, what about Glalie?" Misty watched the Face pokemon from their safe distance.
The pokemon in questioned fired another barrage, assaulting Zapdos with Ice Beams.
The Thunder pokemon surrounded himself in crackling energy, making use of Charge. The move was only so helpful when an Ice Beam managed to blast its wing, and then another struck its belly. Zapdos winced, beginning to succumb to a chill. It shrieked, diving under the next beam.
"Now!" Ash ordered.
The legendary pokemon squawked, caught off-guard by the displeasure of Glalie latching to its wing again with Crunch. He shot to the air, irritated. His wings flapped to shake the pokemon free.
"Hang on tight," Ash urged, with baited breath. A fist was clenched by his chest. His eyes followed the climb.
Zapdos squawked, haphazardly flapping its wings. It'd begun to near the ceiling, with no escape in sight.
Ash grinned. "Let go, now!"
Just as he was yanked for yet another nauseating lurch, Glalie surrendered, flung high by Zapdos' wing. He soared, landing on the highest elevation the hall offered, barely below a ceiling valve.
"Bingo." Ash snapped his fingers. "Now, back to using Ice Beam."
Zapdos hung below, stalking its pesky opponent. When another round of blue rays followed, it swerved, flying about the wide-open space. Spins, dives, and climbs dodged one beam after the next. None of the attacks did more than briefly clip one of its wings, outdone by Zapdos' agility.
"This isn't looking good." Brock wiped sweat from his brow. "Even from that strategic high point, Glalie isn't landing any attacks… The pressure might be getting to Ash and Glalie."
Dawn looked smug, watching with her hands on her hips. "I see exactly what Ash is up to."
Misty looked to Dawn, humming in thought. Her eyes flicked up, and she gasped.
Nary an Ice Beam had hit what everyone, including Zapdos, had assumed to be its intended target. Each one of them, however, had paved frozen paths and slopes spanning between floors, platforms, and staircases, essentially turning the plant into a showcase of ice sculptures.
"Pretty nifty, huh?" Ash put his hands on his hips, proud of their handiwork.
"Now, that's something I wouldn't have thought of," Misty admitted.
"It's a lot like my Ice Slide from my first Grand Festival," Dawn noted, a hand held to her collar in pride. "Did we inspire you?"
"That's exactly where I got the idea," Ash affirmed, looking back to the coordinator. He flashed a smile her way. "Thanks for the spark!"
Brock and Misty's faces fell at the prolonged silence that followed.
"Will you two stop making eyes at each other!? Ash has a battle to focus on!" Misty barked.
Brock mouthed a 'thank you' to the redhead.
The duo chuckled, each sporting a blush, and Ash had looked back just in time.
Another crackling Thunder fired from Zapdos' body, aimed at Glalie.
"Slide on down!"
Glalie glided onto the slope, sliding safely out of Thunder's path.
"Take a turn, with Gyro Ball."
The ice type quickly downed a dip in the slope, nearing a branching path of ice. "Glalie!" He cried, spinning like a top into a sharp turn. The spin launched him down a steep stope, ending with a ramp towards Zapdos.
The dip gave Glalie momentum, launching him up and off of a climb. He launched right towards Zapdos.
The legendary cried out, sore and startled when Gyro Ball smashed into its chest. Zapdos spun and flailed for balance, knocked out of Glalie's path.
The Face pokemon soared on past, falling onto a ramp on the other end of the hall.
"Solid hit," Ash relayed, pumping a fist with a grin. "Now, watch out for Ancientpower."
Zapdos summoned another round of supernatural slabs, chucking them towards the platform Glalie had boarded. Simultaneously, a glow captured the legendary. Whatever mythic power summoned the move fueled its attributes.
Glalie burst through the guard rails, gliding just under a boulder that smashed the rail to bits.
"Ice Beam," Ash ordered, still relaying commands to Glalie's mind.
This particular ride scaled along the walls, allowing Glalie a clean shot with Ice Beam as he went.
A painful chill ran through Zapdos wing. It shrieked, surrounding itself with Charge.
Even still, a persistent stream of Ice Beam blasted it until Glalie reached a lower level.
"It's still using Charge…" Ash frowned, watching the sparks flicker. After a moment, his eyes grew wide.
"Ash!" Brock called out. "You might want to take a closer look at Zapdos."
"I know." The trainer smiled. It didn't look particularly injured yet. Though, its flight pattern was labored. It was nipping at its static-charged wings. Frost clung to them, despite its boosted defenses. "We're gettin' there, slow and steady. Glalie, keep your chin… Keep your head up! We've got this."
"Glalie!" The Face pokemon roared, spinning in place. The thrill of the battle kept his spirits high.
"Time to seize the moment." Ash grinned, closing a fist. "Use Crunch!"
Zapdos pecked away at the last of the frost, looking sidelong to Glalie. Suddenly, the ice type was upon it.
Once again, its teeth had crunched down upon its wing, this time, much closer to its shoulder. Zapdos howled. This pattern was getting extremely irritating. Enough to deserve punishment, it thought, hints of Thunder flaring to the surface.
Ash threw a hand out. "Blizzard!"
Glalie parted its wide, black void of a maw to unleash a frozen storm with a gurgling roar.
The hot, protective electricity coating Zapdos was its only refuge from Blizzard, crackling away as Zapdos was blasted back by the point-range attack.
The billowing winds blasted Glalie back to his previous perch.
"Yes," Ash beamed, brushing a finger over the edge of his nose. "A direct hit!"
"That ought to slow down Zapdos!" Dawn clapped her hands together.
"Maybe…" Misty hummed. Her brows clung low. "Ash, you might want to have another look at Zapdos."
"Eh?" Ash looked to Misty before turning back to the legendary. It hung in the center of the room, golden lightning hissing around its body. Gold wisps rose from its pin-point eyes, a low, angry hum breaking the hall's silence.
Static began to play at the atmosphere, frizzing hair and fur alike. Rosa felt her spikes buzz, and instinctively clung to Ash's arm. Ash pulled her in protectively. Sweat rolled down his brow.
"Gyao!" Zapdos' wings fanned, a shrill cry deafened by many wild flashes of Thunder.
Dutifully sculpted paths of frost burst, shards of ice twisting around crashing bolts. In but an instant, they were blasted into vapor that hissed into the air above. They went unheard in favor of the deafening bolts that blasted ice and steel.
Ash was pained to cover his own ears, but instead, he guarded the Lucario's. Dawn, Misty, and Brock were able to do so, wincing at the awesome storm that raged about before their very eyes. Meema crouched, goading Rura to remain insulated in her frizzing mane.
Seconds that had felt like minutes lapsed, bright colored spots harassed even eyes that were tightly shut, and ears rang, before the storm showed mercy.
~I-issit over!?~ Rosa whined, attempting to rub the spots out of her eyes. She was shivering. All of the excess noise and lights had struck her nerves, just as Thunder had sizzled the room.
Ash blinked, irritated by the light. He gently stroked the pokemon's fur atop her head. "I think so… It seems like it's…" His face went pale. "Shoot… Glalie!"
Brock massaged his temples. "I hate to be a downer, but it'd be a miracle if it was still conscious after that. Zapdos must have been desperate."
"Would've been nice if it didn't throw a desperate hissy-fit," Misty deadpanned. She quickly covered her mouth. She could go without Zapdos hearing the peanut gallery.
"Do you remember Shamouti Island?" Ash shot back dryly, blinking his eyes while he scanned the room for his trusted pokemon.
"Please, don't tell me we're getting an encore."
"Shamouti, what-now?" Dawn tilted her head. "I'm missing something, but I'm guessing it wasn't a good thing."
"We'll fill you in later."
"Now, I've just gotta… Holy cow." Ash's irises trembled, finally taking the scene in. While Zapdos huffed and puffed center stage, its handiwork stood as a monument. Smoke and mist hovered about, barely obscuring the damage that had been done.
The ice ramps that Glalie had worked so hard to forge had been vaporized on all ends, leaving only puddles, icicles, and small chunks of frost that still clung to platforms and railings. Ash and Glalie's strategy had been snuffed out, just as the fruits of their labor.
"Zapdos must've been tired of that strategy." Misty brushed a bang aside. "And, it sure let us know it."
"And, Glalie worked so hard on it, too," Dawn pouted, crossing her arms.
"He'll be fine, just as long as he… Aha," Ash snapped his fingers. When Rosa whined, he hesitated. "Sorry… But, hey, there he is! Way to hang in there, tough guy."
Above, where he'd stood, the Face pokemon had sunk below a mangled, melted mess of iron that had once been a guard rail. He shuddered, shaking his head. The coast was clear, and he floated once more. "Gla… Glalie!" He hadn't been done in, just yet!
"Good work, Glalie," Ash relayed his thoughts. "We may've lost the ramps, but that means that we're getting close! Think you can hang in there, a little while longer?"
From the other end, the pokemon roared, and Ash felt his positivity, fueled to try harder, himself.
Another roar from Zapdos interrupted them. Glalie turned back, staring like a Stantler in headlights. Another blinding flash of gold was quickly encroaching upon him.
Ash swallowed. "Jump!"
Glalie launched himself over the mangled metal, soaring through open space. With a quick mental note from Ash, he fired Ice Beam again, drawing a path to a parallel level.
But, the ice bridge told another story. What started as a quick save from a fall was quickly deteriorating; tried as Glalie may to continue freezing a path, only crumbling frost came out of his mouth. He struggled, forcing out a beam. It flickered and dwindled. "Gla!" He yelped, plummeting for a fall.
Ash's heart was caught in his throat. "Glalie!" He reached for his belt, fumbling for Glalie's pokeball.
The ground was quickly drawing near, and the ice type braced for impact. That was, until he noted his surroundings. His jaw lowered, and he gnashed down on a still-intact guard rail. Whiplashed by the momentum of his fall, he yanked the bars with him, finding himself tangled in the outer rungs.
Ash exhaled, dramatically at that. He felt ready to collapse, and he wasn't even the one battling. "Close call… But, what was up with that Ice Beam? I mean, he's fired 'em off a lot, sure… But, he's thrown a lot more up at without running low on stamina."
A blue light flashed in the pocket of his jacket, and Dexter spoke. "Zapdos' ability is Pressure. The strain of facing a legendary pokemon depletes a move's reserve more quickly than usual, as well as any other pokemon with the Pressure ability."
"Ain't that just great… Thanks, Dexter." Ash looked back to his pokemon, who'd just rolled himself in to the platform, wrapping himself in more twisted metal before yanking them off. Ash smiled to himself. "So, we'll have to save Ice Beam if we wanna use it anymore… No sweat. I've got another idea."
Now, the enigmatic boulders of Ancientpower plummeted upon Glalie.
Ash swallowed. He clenched a fist at his side. "C'mon…"
The rubble trembled. The boulder on top was shrugged off, and Glalie emerged. He huffed, standing atop the pile. His entire body was sore, but hell if he was losing. Not after they'd come this far!
His eyes turned up. Zapdos had taken to the upper levels, circling like a bird of prey.
"Zapdos is way outta reach," Ash thought aloud. "Must be looking for another opportunity to attack us…"
"It's really too bad that Glalie's stuck without Ice Beam," Brock lamented. "Down there, he's a sitting duck. I'm not sure if there's a way out of this one, but if anyone'll come up with it…"
"It'll be me." Ash flashed a cocky smile, and a thumbs up, with it. "I've got it. If we can't get Glalie back up… Then, we'll just have to bring Zapdos back down to our level! Glalie, use Blizzard, way up high!"
Glalie roared, turning towards the ceiling to unleash another frosty storm. A chilly, misty fog drifted and swarmed the upper levels of the hall, creating something akin to a walk-in freezer. At least, that was what Zapdos felt.
The bird of thunder drifted uncomfortably through the fog, nipping at his wings again. But, it provided little relief. He reluctantly dove below, growing irritated at just how much air Glalie had covered. By the time his vision had cleared up, he was forced to swerve around the lower stairwells.
"It looks exhausted," Brock noted. "Zapdos was much more agile, earlier."
"And, it's really keeping its distance." Misty watched the Thunder pokemon swerve. "It must really not want any more close calls with Glalie." With the pride of a legendary pokemon in mind, that was a statement.
Zapdos hung low, hovering over the level where Ash and Proton had fought. It screeched, unleashing another Thunder attack.
"Use Crunch, 'n toss those bars at it," Ash relayed.
The Face pokemon did just that. Snagging the mess of metal in his jaws, he spun, chucking them towards the oncoming storm.
The mass was electrocuted, crackling and glimmering. But, its momentum wasn't slowed any.
Zapdos panicked, swerving under the electrified assault.
There was a glint in Ash's eye. He smirked.
Zapdos panted, hovering closer to its adversary. Likely growing low on power, he didn't relent. He fired another Thunder. A booming explosion followed, crowding the lowest level with thick smoke.
"Get ready," Ash muttered. "Now, show us your bird call!"
"Glalie!"
Zapdos jolted, turning to the source of the cry. Glalie floated just above the smoke, halfway up a staircase that led to a hallway exiting the generator room. The Face pokemon grinned, taunting it.
It had a lot of nerve. Zapdos shot towards Glalie, turning into a Drill Peck.
The smoke was dying away in its wake. Just in time for Zapdos to panic, turning into a sudden lurch towards the ground. A bent length of railing had been yanked and twisted outward, nearly clotheslining the legendary pokemon. It was forced to spin low, belly up. That had been painfully close.
Ash grinned, throwing a pointed finger downward. "Now, one last Ice Beam!"
Glalie lunged forward, soaring over the exposed, disoriented pokemon. "Glaaa!" He cried, unleashing the last of his frosty reserves in the form of a shimmering Ice Beam.
Zapdos quickly used Charge in defense, but found no refuge. Tired and belly-up, he was blasted towards and into the ground, frozen between a heavy mass of ice. Indignant, it shrieked and flailed.
"I think that's a wrap." Ash brushed his thumb over the bridge of his nose.
"Gyaooo!" Zapdos boomed, lighting up with a contained Thunder Attack. Slivers of light slipped through cracks in the ice, fracturing before the frozen prison was blasted to chunks and shards of ice. It wouldn't be taken down that easily, it was certain, barely hovering above the ground.
Electricity angrily circled its form.
"...Or not. Glalie, Crunch!"
Glalie hopped back down, gnashing his teeth into Zapdos numbing wing just one more time.
"Don't let it recover, and finish it," Ash instructed. "Gyro Ball!"
"Glah!" He grunted, turning his body into a quickly accelerating spin. The winded legendary was yanked for a ride long before it could process its condition, run dizzy by the spiral.
Against his better judgement, Ash punched forward. "Go, Glalie!"
With a crescending roar, Glalie let go, chucking Zapdos with it.
In a ground-rattling crash, the legendary bird was embedded in solid wall, unmoving.
Ash swallowed. He rushed on a limping leg to look over the railing. "...I think it's out!" Elated, he turned back to his companions. "I… Ow," he winced, clutching his leg. He smiled through it. "...We won! How's that for a battle, huh?"
"Incredible!" Dawn rushed over, offering a hand held high. "You really gave us a show!"
Ash chuckled, supporting himself on the guard rail. He held a hand up to slap against Dawn's in a long-awaited high five. "We did, didn't we? It wasn't easy, but we did it."
Dawn opted to support him, or at least try, pulling an arm around him. "But, now that you won, how about you take it easy on yourself?"
"That's a promise I'm not sure I can keep," he joked.
Dawn squinted.
"Kidding! I'm kidding," Ash waved his hands.
As quickly as Dawn had come to his aid, she disengaged, and Ash quickly learned why.
"Oof!" The trainer huffed, when Glalie crashed into his belly, regrettably pushing him up against the bars.
"Glaaaa!" The pokemon cheered in his gravelly voice, nuzzling his body into Ash's chest. "Glalie!"
"Easy, buddy… Man, you were amazing," Ash laughed. "I know I asked a lot of you to tough that out, but you came through with flying colors. I'm really proud of you, Glalie." He gently stroked the pokemon's icy shell. Admittedly, his cold body was a bit soothing on Ash's bruises.
"Gotta hand it to you, Ash," Misty interrupted. "You've come a really long way as a trainer. I had to see it to believe it, but you're in another league, now."
"Thanks for doubting me," Ash stuck his tongue out, before he retracted it, squicked by previous events. Supporting himself with Glalie's help, he flashed a more heartfelt smile. "Seriously, thanks."
"I couldn't have said it better, myself," Brock agreed, gently clapping a hand on Ash's shoulder. "...Come to think of it, I should probably check on Zapdos." With that, the doctor departed to aid the unconscious legendary.
Walking carefully and slowly as he could so as not to startle the bird, Brock reached the platform Zapdos was buried into the wall of. Inching forward, he cracked the Revive jewel in his hands. Holding it up to Zapdos, the bird first breathed in deeply, automatically opening its mouth. As much as Brock didn't want his hands near the bird's mouth, he tossed the medicine into its beak and then darted back.
Within seconds, the bird jumped forward, landing on the railing with enough weight to make the platform yield a little. Brock flinched back at the shuddering of the metal.
Zapdos looked the doctor's way. ~My apologies.~ It looked down at Ash and Glalie, beak unable to show the smile that gleamed in its eyes. ~Moltres was right about you.~ Content with the battle, the electric type turned towards the ceiling and took off, a bright charge overtaking its form. With a burst of electric bolts, it broke through the ceiling.
"I guess the fire alarms finally went off," Dawn mused as she lifted a hand, shielding herself from the debris.
"... That's not a fire alarm," Misty said after a minute, looking towards the entrance to the main room.
"Freeze!"
All four of our heroes stood still, hands in the air as a gaggle of officers led by Officer Jenny burst into the power plant's main chamber.
"The Cerulean Sister's Pikachu and Togekiss were right; something did go down." She spoke into her walkie talkie on her shirt. "Confirmed visuals on three of the four civilians and two Rocket members."
Ash furrowed his brows. "Two Rocket members?" He looked to Ariana, still held by Starmie after all this time. With slowly realizing horror, he looked towards Dawn. She was still in uniform and quickly being approached by several police officers. "Hey, no!"
"She's with us, she's with us!" Misty shouted, throwing an arm in front of Dawn as the girl yelped.
Brock spoke up from his platform. "She's in uniform because she helped us sneak in! That's Dawn; didn't they tell you about her at the gym? That was her Togekiss back there with Ash's Pikachu!"
Officer Jenny squinted. "You're the ex-gym leader Brock and the current gym leader Misty, right?" She hummed. "I'll trust you. Leave her be, officers."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Dawn breathed out a sigh of relief, releasing Empoleon. The big steel type embraced Dawn quickly, happy to see she was safe, especially after his partial witness to it all in his pokeball.
Just then, the pleasant cooing of Togekiss could be heard. She dove down from the ceiling, revealing Daisy and Pikachu both on her back.
"Whoa! What made this big hole?" Daisy wondered aloud.
Misty stomped her foot. "Daisy, why are you here after the cops?"
"Hey, like, we came as soon as the power came back on. They drove. Plus, like, you know, this thing's slow."
Togekiss seemed to only take mild offense.
Interjecting, Ash yelled up. "Hey, Pikachu! C'mere, buddy!"
"Pikapi!" the mouse yelled, jumping off Togekiss's back. Falling through the air without worry, Pikachu had complete faith that Ash would catch him.
And, he was right. Snuggling the electric type close, Ash soon found himself hugged all around. Meema and Rosa each hugged him, with Rura popping out of Meema's fur. Heracross came over, as did Glalie to hug the boy as well. Ash laughed aloud, ignoring the sting in his cheek. He nuzzled the better half of his face against Pikachu's, crowded in warmth. "Well, all's well that ends well, am I right?"
Sitting in the back of an ambulance with a shock blanket wrapped around his shoulders, Ash ignored the discussion behind him on whether they should let Dawn and Ash ride back together to get checked up or whether it'd be better to call a second one. The coordinator, though extremely tired, was not being allowed to sleep, so the non-driving member of the ambulance crew was busy helping her stay awake.
Pikachu kept throwing looks behind at her, but Ash had assured him everything was fine. Pikachu doubted it, since the trainer hadn't once lifted the bandage on his face, but he supposed he'd find out soon enough. He occasionally squinted at Ash before nuzzling into his shirt. "Pika."
Even without telepathy, Ash could feel his scrutinizing gaze. "Hey, I said I'd come out fine, and I did." He hissed, pressing his hand to the bandage.
Pikachu picked up on that, and frowned. "Pika, Pikachu."
"Okay, not fine… But, it's nothing that won't heal up, alright? Besides… It's probably better you didn't come. Things got a lil' ugly." He felt the mouse's grip on his shirt tighten. "For them," he quickly corrected. "I, uh… got pretty heated when they got nasty on us. I'm okay with you missing that." He gently stroked Pikachu's fur, feeling it bristle.
"Again, nothin' irreversible…" 'Thank Arceus,' he thought. "I just don't like seein' you guys hurt." He hugged Pikachu tightly to his chest; about as closely as was comfortable, that was.
Misty, who was holding a Styrofoam cup of hot water, sat down on the ground near Ash, a distant look in her eye. Brock was up with the medics, having joined in to argue that it was more important to get everyone back quickly.
"Hey," she said finally, "After your conference win, I think I'm gonna collab with some of the other gym leaders about, like, making active patrols or something. This was… stupid." She gestured at the whole power plant. "This was, what, fifteen miles from my gym? I shoulda known." She shook her head.
Ash looked down at Misty. "... You can't know everything." He grinned. The pain medicine at least took the sting out of smiling. "As much as you wish you did."
Brock sighed, walking back over. "Well, good news, bad news. The bad news is that because you and Dawn are going to ride in the ambulance together on both stretchers, Misty and I can't ride back with you. We'll follow in a cop car. The good news is that they've already got a surgeon waiting on you, Ash, and they've got a scanner waiting on Dawn." He gave a thumbs up. "You'll have great care."
"That's not too bad." He stood up, climbing into the ambulance to sit on the bed Dawn wasn't occupying and that Empoleon wasn't crowding over, watching his trainer intently. "See you guys there?"
"Absolutely," Misty agreed.
"You're just lucky I'm not gonna practice my stitching on you," Brock joked.
As the ambulance doors closed and the ride back into town began, Ash laid back, taking in the brightly lit space.
"Hey, Ash?" Dawn said, looking towards him.
"Yeah, Dawn?"
"That battle was great."
"Wasn't it?!"
"Mmhm! When we get better, it's gonna be fun training again."
"Oh, you bet." He grinned. With Pikachu lying on his chest, and Empoleon watching over the both of them, things almost felt normal. He reached over, taking the coordinator's hand. "Couldn't have done this without you."
"Heheh. Thanks. I mostly don't regret doing it with you."
"Hey! Couldn't have blamed you if you did. But, that's not what I meant." He looked at her intently, letting go of her hand to brush her dusty, sweaty bangs out of her face before taking her hand again. "My dream. Our dreams. We're only reaching them together as a team."
Dawn suddenly felt the same intensity she had the night Ash first started talking about their joint dream. She blushed, smiling at him. She squeezed his hand. "Us and our pokemon…! The best team in the world!"
"Always!"
The two smiled at each other, happy to just have their team.
