Chapter 32: Separation
As the jailbreak continues, more fighters have been released, sending the Dirty Delinquents in a panic. Whilst Happy and the group went one way, Morgan and the other fighters went another way. It would take the Senior Head two days to get back to the base, which was in a state of chaos right now. However, unbeknownst to Happy and friends, they ran into a past enemy, specifically Baye's, which was Klepto, a former saddlebag thief.
He was somebody that Baye herself didn't expect to see again. But this time, he looked like he meant business.
Mr. P: Where's Baye's parents?!
Klepto: *shrugs* As if I'd know. That's where other members should know aside from me.
Happy: We're gonna kick your butt!
Tanner: Hold on a moment, Happy.
Happy: Huh?
Tanner: Even though he's a Trainee, he might not seem as weak.
However, Klepto noticed Tanner, specifically his mustache, which gave him a sense of deja vu. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but he knew that it was familiar.
Klepto: Hmm? Hey, you.
Tanner: Me?
Klepto: Yeah, you. I don't know why, but that mustache of yours seem familiar as if I'd…-
Then, he began to form a connection.
Klepto: *screams* I remember now!
His eyes grew furious, as if a painful memory started to surface. There was no doubt that his mustache was familiar, and wanted nothing more than revenge.
Klepto: *growls* That mustache reminds me of the old Tangela that beat me! Are you his son?!
Tanner: Why in fact, I am.
Klepto: (…That's why…! That's why I thought he was familiar…!) So that's who you are!
However, despite the rage blinding him for a few seconds, he calmed down, remembering that the old Tangela was in a cell. He bore a grin once again and started chuckling to himself.
Klepto: I see. I see now. Well, I may not exact my revenge on the old man, but you will do nicely. Yes, I can't wait to see how he reacts when I've killed his son! *laughs* Now die!
He rushed towards them at full speed. In gesture, Tanner stood in front of the group, spreading his arms out to prevent any assault on them. However, Klepto then took his cloak off and vanished completely, barely leaving the green mark on his stomach visible to the naked eye.
Tanner: W-Where'd he go?
As he looked around, Baye let out a shriek, having a fearful expression on her face. It was as if she was being held hostage as she stood oddly in place. However, before Tanner could get to her, she was knocked back a few feet, laying on her right side.
Tanner: Baye!
Before Tanner could race to her again, he was struck in the face twice by punches that were not seeable by view.
Charles: Tanner!
Tanner: (...Dammit…! I can't see him…! Where is he…?)
Klepto wasn't done, as he went even faster than before, this time striking the group from all angles. They were defenseless against an invisible enemy. They could still sense him, but they couldn't see him at all.
Klepto: *laughs* It's useless! You'll never be able to hit me! I'm like a ghost haunting you!
Mr. P: (...We can't defeat him like this…! If only we could see him…!)
However, as Mr. P looked around, he saw something very faintly near the panicked Baye. He saw a green stripe, which was odd to him until he realized it earlier.
Mr. P: (...Of course…! He's only invisible so long as his belly mark isn't seen…!)
Honori came to Baye's defense, dropping some dirt on Klepto from his feet before flying away from him, which took him by surprise. It allowed the group to see him due to the first revealing parts of his body.
Klepto: *growls* You stupid bird!
Happy: *points* There he is!
To Mr. P, it was strange how Honori could actually see him. The only way he could see Klepto was by the green mark on his belly, but Honori pinpointed him without any struggle. But to Tanner, it didn't matter, as he now had an opportunity thanks to Baye's loyal pet.
Tanner: (...Perfect…! I can see him now…!)
Tanner wasted no time as he rushed and delivered a Brick Break punch to Klepto's abdomen, which strangely hit stronger than he expected. It also caused Klepto to reappear, his color now gray as he was lying down, with blood trickling from his mouth.
Charles: He's gray now!
Mr. P: (...I see now…! His ability is Color Change…! Judging by him being gray, he's probably a Steel type…!)
Klepto got back up, wiping the blood from his mouth.
Klepto: …Damn…I can't believe this…! Perhaps I took on more than I thought…! But if that's the case then…
He had an interesting idea. Weighing the situation he was in, he knew that with many of them together, they were a problem. But alone, they were nothing but pushovers. However, given that there were Pokken Arts fighters among them, he decided to rely on his best option…
Klepto: RETREAT!
He scurried down the hall, which actually surprised them. However, they needed answers.
Tanner: Wait!
They scurried after him, but to no avail as he was nowhere in sight. Unbeknownst to them, he had scurried far ahead, this time away from their area. He had to have another option to defeat them without calling in his superior.
Klepto: (...Dammit…! How strong are they really…?! Those Pokken Arts fighters are something else…! I almost was about to die…! That Tangrowth Pokemon though…He's definitely the son…But why the yellow color…?)
He pondered about it for a moment before shrugging it off. The color didn't matter. As long as he was the son of the one he wanted to pay dearly, that's all that mattered.
Klepto: (...There's got to be a way for me to get the edge…If only I could separate them…! I'd get to…-)
Before he could finish his thought, he heard loud heavy footsteps further down the hall, which sounded like giant's. Given that he was in Block J, he thought something or someone was about to run into him until he squinted his eyes, seeing a large yellow Raticate running in his direction.
Klepto: (...Hold on…Is that…E-Raticate…?)
Upon this realization, he had an idea. Given how much he heard about E-Raticate, he knew he needed a distraction, or somebody powerful enough for him to have an advantage.
Klepto: *grins* (...I think I've just found my advantage…!) *chuckles*
...
Back where Chan Way and Hummus were, they were watching their enemies' movements through the monitor. As Hummus kept punching buttons, she noticed more red circles being apparent in Block C. They were heading towards the large square room, which spelled trouble for them.
Chan Way: They're heading towards the children's room!
Hummus: I got it.
She pressed the emblem located on the right side of her coat and contacted someone near the area, with a male voice on the line.
?: Hello?
Hummus: Sergeant Sushi, some Pokemon are headed your way. I believe they intend on setting the children free. Take care of them.
Sushi: Understood.
The line hung up, setting things in motion for the Dirty Delinquents.
Chan Way: If anyone can stop them, it's Sergeant Sushi. He's a pincushion full of trouble.
Hummus: Speaking of trouble…Look here.
She pointed at the screen, which was at Block J. They noticed that one yellow dot was by itself and in stasis, which was Klepto.
Chan Way: Is that Klepto? What the hell is that idiot doing?!
Hummus: Looks like they were too much trouble for him. But on the other hand…
The monitor then showed a large yellow dot speeding fast in Block I, which meant that it was heading towards the six red dots in Block H.
Hummus: E-Raticate and those other Pokemon are about to cross paths.
Chan Way: Good.
However, the monitor made a beeping sound, which was unusual to them.
Chan Way: What's going on?!
Hummus: I don't know. I'll check.
As soon as she went towards Block O, she then saw a small yellow dot speeding across the map, which was bizarre. They knew that it wasn't E-Raticate, since it was in Block I, so it was something that they had no idea about.
Chan Way: What's going on?
Hummus: I…don't know. It's fast, whatever it is. Apparently, it came from Block L, which is where the Genetics Lab is. And look here too.
The monitor was then switched to Block M, which showed a yellow dot moving even faster than the one from Block O.
Chan Way: W-What the…?! Did that one come from the Genetics Lab too?!
Hummus: Yes, according to the monitor.
Chan Way: What on earth is that kooky doctor up to in that lab?! What kinds of experiments has he and his team made to reach such speeds?!
...
At Block K, Sorbet and his orange hooded accomplice were riding on a Pokemon down the hall to monitor the intruders. Said Pokemon they were riding on appeared to be a large Porygon with a silver colored body, whilst the nose, feet and tail were colored like copper. Sorbet was using the back of its head as a tracking device, able to pinpoint the location of the intruders and his other experiments. It functioned similarly to the monitor located in the Senior Head's office, with yellow dots representing members of the organization and red dots representing intruders.
Sorbet: *grins* Perfect…E-Raticate is heading into the direction of those six Pokemon. They won't stand a chance. *chuckles*
However, as he checked the monitor, he saw some very bizarre activity. In Block P, the yellow dot suddenly disappeared off the map by some unexplained force.
Sorbet: That's weird. It disappeared.
?: What did?
Sorbet: Project P-2.0. Then again, it might not be as odd as I claim it to be.
?: How so?
Sorbet: During our creation of Project P-2.0, we studied how to transmute psychic energy into digital energy. The disappearance from Block P means that it's learning how to teleport. But that doesn't matter. Project PZ will track it down. Its speed is immeasurable.
?: Where is Project P-2.0, then?
Sorbet: Let's see…
He pressed his pointing paw on the left side of the screen, which went through a flicker of Blocks until an activity in Block D showed up. There, a yellow dot was moving as fast like the one from Block O earlier.
Sorbet: Yep. It's Project P-2.0. It's there. But if I'm correct, it's heading towards the direction where those six Pokemon are. But I didn't give it instructions to do so…I wonder…
...
While Happy and the group were in Block H, they were still trying to find Klepto, who somehow fled from their sights.
Tanner: Dammit! How'd he manage to escape us?!
As they continued down the hall, they noticed a large yellow Raticate heading their way. It was unusual to them, as they had never seen a Raticate like that before.
Baye: W-What is that?!
Mr. P: It looks like some sort of…Raticate, except it's yellow…and it's also-
Before Mr. P could finish his sentence, E-Raticate was now in front of them, stopping to a dead halt. However, they were immensely shocked, not by the Raticate's unusual appearance, but rather its size. Upon seeing it, Tanner shouted…
Tanner: Sweet Arceus! It's huge!
Happy: Whoa…! Awesome!
The Raticate took one good look at them and roared like a beast, which echoed down the halls.
Mr. P: I've never seen a Raticate this large before, nor do I know of the lighting pattern on it!
Tanner: It must be one of those genetically modified Pokemon! Be on your guard, everyone!
E-Raticate charged forward on all fours, with electricity surging around its body. To Mr. P, this was a familiar move that he could recognize.
Mr. P: It's using Wild Charge! Look out!
Happy: Not if we stop it! Charles, ready?
Charles: Yeah!
Both he and Happy inhaled, then fired their attacks at E-Raticate. For Happy, it was Water Gun, whilst for Charles, it was Ember. Their attacks combined, striking E-Raticate in the face. However, it appeared to be resisting it, not only by using the electricity surrounding its body from the attack, but also by its large size.
Tanner: Happy! Charles! Your attacks aren't doing much to it! It's about to break free from it!
The two children kept pouring into their attacks, but it still didn't stop E-Raticate. With enough electricity surging around it, E-Raticate barged on through as if their attacks were nothing but paper.
Happy: Oh no!
Charles: Our attacks didn't do anything!
Tanner then decided to try something out.
Tanner: Alright, let's see if it likes some Seed Bombs!
From under his mustache, Tanner fired seeds containing explosive powder towards E-Raticate. They struck E-Raticate, but mostly in its eyes, causing the creature to roar in pain and stopping its attacks.
Baye: You did it! You stopped it!
However, it wasn't done yet, as it also began thrashing wildly, swinging its tail around as if it thought someone was behind it.
Tanner: It's attacking wildly! We can't approach it!
Baye: Maybe some Magical Leaves might hit it, since its body isn't surging with electricity right now.
She swung her head, launching leaves that had a rainbow-like aura around from her two orange leaves towards E-Raticiate, which only bounced off it without so much as harming the creature in the slightest.
Baye: Huh?! Oh, come on!
Mr. P: I'll try something! SIGNAL BEAM!
He fired a sinister, rainbow-like beam from his two antennae towards E-Raticate's side, which caused the creature to roar in pain once again. To Baye, she couldn't believe that her attack didn't work on the creature, but Tanner and Mr. P's attacks did something to it. Then again, they were fighters from the Pokken Ars tournament, which would explain why their attacks were stronger. But still, if that was the case, why didn't Happy and Charles's attacks work on it?
She had to take her mind off pondering about it, as the creature was now running towards them blindly.
Tanner: Look out, everyone! It's coming this way!
E-Raticate, blinded and disoriented, slammed through the group like a wild Mutant Bull Pokemon. Happy and Charles were sent flying far behind it in its wake by a burst of energy from its tail slam, whilst Baye and Tanner were slammed against the wall by a head turn. As for Mr. P and Honori, they narrowly dodged the creature's attack by flying over it, with the creature continuing in its path, crashing into the sides of the walls in the process until it disappeared.
The entire party was divided once again and left unconscious by its attacks, which felt like getting hit by a train. Not too far behind was Doctor Sorbet himself and his white hooded accomplice, who noticed the unconscious group one by one as they passed by, but was more concerned with E-Raticate's whereabouts.
Sorbet: Dammit! Where's E-Raticate going?! The group he should be targeting are those Pokemon I passed by!
?: Are we going to find it?
Sorbet: Yes. I was wondering as to why its movements were erratic on the map earlier.
Mr. P and Honori, the only two conscious members of the group, weren't spotted by Doctor Sorbet and his accomplice, as they were high enough in the ceiling to not be spotted normally from sight alone. As the coast was clear, they descended, turning his attention to Baye and Tanner. Honori flew down next to Baye and rubbed his head on her neck to show his care, even cooing a bit in a worrisome tone.
Mr. P: (...It seems that the yellow Raticate was stronger than we anticipated…But first, I must tend to Baye and Tanner's wounds, and then…-)
As he looked around, he noticed that Happy and Charles weren't in sight.
Mr. P: (...Where's Happy and Charles…? Did they…get launched by that creature…?)
He would look for the children first, but he believed in the term "safety in numbers". He needed to treat both Baye and Tanner with their injuries first. He began flapping his wings, emitting pink dust from it, which caused Baye and Tanner to wake up.
Baye: *groans* …What…happened…?
Tanner: *rubs head* …That Raticate…It's stronger than I thought…
However, Tanner quickly forgot about it as soon as he realized that Happy and Charles were nowhere in sight.
Tanner: Mr. P, where's Happy and Charles?
Mr. P: I don't know. I only flew up in the ceiling to avoid the creature as it came our way.
Tanner: Hmm…They might not be far from us. If I had to pinpoint where they are, I'd say further ahead.
Baye: (...Don't worry Mom and Dad…We're coming…)
...
From Block P, Chibi and Maga were in their cell, wondering what fate awaited them. No, rather, what fate awaited for their daughter. If it wasn't for Klepto gloating about her capture in front of their faces, they wouldn't be worried as of now. Maga didn't smoke a cigar, as there was no such luxury given to them. Chibi on the other hand wanted to see her daughter more than anything, whilst Maga was worried about his farming business.
Chibi: Oh, Baye…! Please…! Anybody?!
Maga: *sighs* …I wonder how the farmer's market is doing? I hope I'm not fired from it.
Chibi: *gasps* How could you think of such a thing when our daughter's still locked up in this place?! That red Kecleon even made it sound like some sort of victory!
Maga: Sweetheart, I'm sure she's okay. Who knows? She probably got out already and is doing something like freeing prisoners.
Chibi: I want to see this organization burn! They're literally setting fires and breaking parents' hearts in the name of world liberation!
Maga: *sighs* (...Perhaps Baye's going to grow up differently from her mother…I hope…)
...