(Author's Note: This story introduces Cinder the Charizard, who belongs to Yossarian, and the Vulpix, Harmony, who belongs to TheJolteon. Keia belongs to Reanni, and the rest of the characters are mine. I don't own Pokémon, and I don't own the song 'Thunderdome'. That belongs to Tina Turner.)
"But I'm tired, Pulsar! Can't we take a break for a while?" Crystal asked. The Meowth sat down, her ears drooping. Pulsar sighed. "I guess so. But not for too long. We need
to-"
"Vul! Vuuullll!"
"Chaaaaarrrr!"
The Raichu stopped abruptly as voices resounded from out of sight. A Vulpix ran from the bushes nearby, followed by a Charizard. A two trainers followed after, one unhooking a Pokéball from her belt. "Go, Furret!" she yelled, hurling it towards the Vulpix. The small fox Pokémon halted, looked over her shoulder, and then began to run again. The Furret was much faster, and it lunged for her…. and found to its great surprise that something small and white slammed into it, hurling it several feet. The Vulpix skidded to a halt and stood panting and watching the scene unfolding before her. Crystal stood directly between the two Pokémon, her ears laid back dangerously. The otherwise beautiful and dainty Meowth looked somewhat threatening, but not very much as compared to an evolved Pokémon. "Fuur!" It cried, leaping into the air. She jumped as well, her claws outstretched. They met in the center, and the trainer yelled, "Fury Swipes, Furret!" When the ferret-like Pokémon went to slash at its opponent, though, he found her gone. He landed, looking around in confusion, when suddenly she appeared and a surge of dark energy hit him, and he went flying backwards. As the Furret went to rise, however, the Meowth was there again, and she used her own Fury Swipes attack. It fainted, and the girl recalled it.
Meanwhile, the second trainer had called out a Wartortle that was now advancing on the Charizard. She didn't seem too eager to fight the water Pokémon, and growled as it approached. Before it could attack, though, Pulsar's Thunderbolt attack ripped through it, taking it out in one hit. As the Raichu and Keia stepped into the clearing, the trainers turned and fled.
"What happened to being tired?" Keia asked the Meowth as the five watched them go.
"Well, I was. But I got an adrenaline rush. I wanted to fight!" Crystal replied with a smile. The three looked to the small Vulpix that was sitting not far away, then to the majestic Charizard.
"Thank you!" The Vulpix said, walking up to Crystal and rubbing her head against her.
"You're welcome. My name's Crystal." The Meowth replied. The other two introduced themselves, as well. "Nice to meet all of you. My name is Harmony," the Vulpix replied.
The Charizard spoke up, then. "My name is Dancing Twilight Fire…but you can call me Cinder," she said. Crystal noticed that she had a nasty scar over one eye, but didn't say anything about it. Pulsar looked at her curiously, "Why didn't you fight that Wartortle, Cinder? A powerful Pokémon like you should have had no problem."
She sighed and her gaze dropped to the ground. "I'm not a fighter; I'm an actor. A show Pokémon. Or I was," she motioned to the scar on her face, "When I got into a fight with a wild Raticate, my trainer didn't want me anymore. He thought I wasn't good looking enough to perform with his other Pokémon."
"So he abandoned you?" Crystal asked sadly.
"Yes, he did," Cinder's gaze hardened. "He never cared about me in the first place. I know that now. I think I'm better off without him."
"We all are," Pulsar replied, "The three of us are all either abandoned or runaways."
"I was abandoned," Harmony added quietly. All eyes turned to her. "My trainer caught me and then abandoned me right after that. But I don't care, really. I'm glad to be free again."
Keia's gaze drifted to the ground and Crystal looked at her sadly, "I guess you're the only one here who actually loved your trainer," she said.
"An Eevee can't evolve into Espeon or Umbreon unless they love their trainers deeply," Cinder interjected. All were silent for a moment until Pulsar spoke up, "How would the two of you like to come with us? We're traveling together for protection. There's strength in numbers, you know."
"We were traveling together for that reason," Cinder said, nodding.
"We're looking for adventure!" Crystal piped in. Harmony smiled. "Yeah! That sounds great! Thank you!"
"Adventure? Sounds good to me!" Cinder said, nodding.
The party of mismatched adventurers had traveled for days through the woods, getting to know each other. Keia informed them that they were drawing near to a city, but Pulsar did not need to be told. "Let's not stay here long," the Raichu said, "I don't like this city."
"I have heard some bad things about this place. What was it called?" Keia asked.
"Nightshade City," Pulsar replied. Crystal, Cinder, and Harmony looked from one to the other, confused. "What are you talking about?" the Meowth asked. "Oh, you'll see when we get there," Pulsar said grimly. The three looked at each other and shrugged.
Nightshade city was quite small, but there seemed to be some kind of festival in town. It was a modern town, with mostly apartment buildings and department stores. The streets were paved and there was very little grass. The only prominent feature was the huge, dome-like structure in the center. As the group headed towards it, Harmony asked, "What is that?" All eyes went to Pulsar.
"The Thunderdome," he replied grimly.
"Thunderdome? What's that?" Crystal asked.
"An arena that's only for electric type Pokémon to compete in. It's a gym, but the leader, Zeb, also pits his own Pokémon against each other for the entertainment of the crowds. It's aired on TV, too."
"But… electric types are weak against other electric types, right?" Cinder asked.
"That's the idea," Pulsar said, "It makes the battle longer and more drawn out, harder on the competitors. But that's not the worse part. The battles with trainers aren't bad, but the ones for entertainment are horrible. There are no rules or regulations. Pokémon die in it all the time."
"That's terrible!" Keia said, "How can they allow that? Doesn't the Pokémon League forbid it?"
"No. It's outside the League's control. They did try to do away with it, but the public wouldn't have it."
Crystal sat there silently for a while, and then suddenly looked at the huge building determinedly. "Well, if they won't stop it, then we can!" Pulsar looked at her skeptically. "I doubt that. The Pokémon are kept below the stadium, and it's very heavily guarded. There's no way we can get down there."
Crystal looked up at it. There were skylights on the sides. "Keia, Teleport us up there to that skylight!" she said.
"She must be really desperate to suggest that…" Pulsar said. In the blink of an eye, they were teleported to the roof of the dome. Crystal fought the Teleport sickness and crawled up to the opening, her friends following close behind. The battle was nearing its end, by the sounds of it.
"Jolt! Jolllllt!"
"Sage!" Keia pushed by the others and stared down at the battle unfolding. "What…what is he doing here?" The Jolteon was facing off against an Ampharos. He leapt forward, intending to use the Tackle attack, but before he could the Ampharos's body took on a steely sheen, and it whirled around, slamming into Sage with its Iron Tail attack. The Jolteon went down hard and struggled to get to his feet, but the Ampharos hit him with a Thunderpunch before he could rise. The attack did not do that much damage, but Ampharos kept hitting him again and again.
"No! Sage! Get up!" Keia called. Had Pulsar not been holding her back, she would have leapt through the glass. Crystal watched the heart-wrenching battle, her eyes wet with unshed tears. Please, Sage, please…you have to get up or you're done for! Please, you must get up! "Get up, Sage! Get up!" She cried out to the fallen Jolteon. Hearing his friends above, Sage slammed his opponent aside with newfound strength, his Thunder attack hitting the Ampharos dead on. It did little good, though, and the Ampharos struck again with its Iron Tail. "Jolt!" Sage cried out sharply, hurled several feet into the wall. He tried to rise, but no longer had the strength. The Ampharos took on a steely sheen once more as it approached the fallen Jolteon. From where they stood, they could no longer see his chest rise and fall.
"NOOOOOO!" Keia's scream ripped through the stadium, both heard by the ear and by telepathy. Before anyone could stop her, she had teleported to the Jolteon's side. "Sage? SAGE???" Tears streamed down from her cheeks. The trainer, Zeb, ran right at her, with two of the large gym bodyguards charging right behind him. Keia slowly looked up at them, rage burning in her red-glowing eyes. Dark purple energy radiated around her, and the three men stopped dead in their tracks; but it was too late to turn and run.
"ESSSSSPPEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOHHNNNNNN!" Psychic energy filled the stadium, so much that the air positively vibrated with it. The three men and the Ampharos were hurled into the concrete wall. Were it not for the fact that the two guards were there to cushion him, Zeb's back would have snapped under the force. With one last soul-ripping cry, Keia took the Jolteon and teleported away.
***
Crystal waited anxiously for the others to get down from the stadium roof. She had used Faint Attack to get down, but Cinder had to carry the others. Keia had gone off somewhere with Sage, and at the moment they had no idea as to where. After everyone was rescued from the top of the Thunderdome, Pulsar led them off into the forest again. It wasn't long before Keia and Sage walked out of the underbrush and approached them. Crystal let out a cry of elation and ran over to the Jolteon, rubbing her head against him. "Sage! I'm so glad you're okay! I thought that thing killed you!" she said, tears in her eyes.
"So did I," Keia said shyly. She looked ashamed as she turned to the others, "I'm so sorry for leaving you up there."
"Sage, how did you get into the Thunderdome?" Crystal asked.
"My trainer was shot by a Team Rocket agent. He recalled me, and when I was next released I had been sold to Zeb and this gods-forsaken arena."
"Oh…I'm so sorry! I know your trainer was a really good person."
"Yes, he was," The Jolteon said sadly. Then his gaze hardened, "We have to go get the others out of there. That place isn't a Gym. It's a slaughterhouse," he turned to Crystal, "Keia said that you proposed earlier to go in and get everyone out. Are you up to sticking with that plan?"
"You betcha! There's no way we're gonna let this go on! If the Pokémon League won't stop it, then it's up to us!"
"Yeah! Let's go kick some serious ass!" Cinder said. She roared and shot flames into the air, "We'll get the rest of them outta there, Sage! Don't you worry!"
"Yeah! I wanna go too!" Harmony said. All eyes went to Pulsar. The Raichu seemed distant, as if contemplating. Or remembering…
***
I wasn't sure what was happening as Matt called me out into an arena. Around me was a crowd of people, all of them cheering as I appeared. "Pi-ka?" I turned to him questioningly. This wasn't the kind of Gym I was used to. Across from me was a Magneton, an Electric type like me. Why would he call me to do battle against a Pokémon type I was weak against? Was this some kind of test?
"Magneton, Sonicboom!" the other trainer called out. No time for thought; I had to dodge the attack. It clipped me as I charged, but the hit wasn't bad. It was an Electric type, yes, but it was also Steel. And I knew how to fight Steel. As I leapt upward, I slammed both fists into the larger creature. "Magna!" it cried out, its sharp, electronic-sounding voice hitting my ears. I didn't like the sound. It made my fur stand on end, like when you hear nails on a chalkboard. Blink, my sister, cheered from her place beside her trainer, Leo. He was Matt's best friend and traveling companion, which worked out good for Blink and I, because that way we were never separated.
The distraction gave the Magneton the opportunity to hit me with a Thunder attack as I stood on it, but the electricity did little to hurt me. I hit it with Submission again, and it went down. The crowds cheered as Zeb handed a badge to my trainer. Then the Gym leader offered to buy me. I stood frozen with fear. I didn't want to be sold to that guy! But Matt refused any offers and then recalled me as Leo went to challenge him. I never saw Blink again after that day, because our next trip took use to Saffron, and that was when I ran away. I wonder of Leo evolved her into a Raichu, like Matt did to me…
"We must wait for nightfall. It will be easier," he explained.
"Oh…" Crystal sat down. "Okay…but it had better be time soon, 'cause I'm ready to go!"
***
That night, the six Pokémon crept across the moonlit courtyard outside of the Thunderdome. As they approached, Keia used her Psychic abilities to unlock the door. Once they were inside, Sage took the lead and they crept down the corridors. They walked for several minutes, until Keia paused, her delicate ears twitching. "Someone's coming," she informed them. A guard came around the corner, looked around cautiously, and went back the other way. The six Pokémon came out from various hiding places in the rooms around the hallway and regrouped before heading downwards. Four flights of steps took them to an underground room, the walls and floor made of concrete. Cages lined the walls all around, some large, some small. It all depended on the size of the Pokémon within. Every electric Pokémon you could imagine could be found here, even Pichu. Pulsar walked over to a pair of them that were caged together.
"Hey, Pulsar… do you think we can get all of them out of here?" Harmony asked.
"..Pulsar??"
The Raichu whirled and darted over to a cage nearby, where a small Pikachu was standing with her head pressed against the steel cage.
"Blink?" Pulsar's eyes misted over. "How…how did you get here?"
"Remember that day we challenged the Gym leader? Leo sold me to him that day. Matt didn't want to give you up, bro…but Leo was willing to sell me for the right price," she replied, reaching through the cage bars to her brother, who leaned against it. Keia approached and mentally hit the tumblers in the lock, freeing her. Pulsar hugged his sister for a long moment.
"Well, isn't this just touching? Blink, get back in your cage NOW." They turned to see a lean, heavily scarred Jolteon standing there. She was larger than most, and looked very ill tempered.
"Leave it, Callisto. We're getting out of here, and we're taking everyone with us!" Sage growled, stepping up to face her. She just laughed at him. "Fools! No one has escaped the Thunderdome! Get back in your cage, boy. You'll never make it out alive. And there's no way I'm letting you take these Pokémon with you. They belong to my master."
"Oh? And how is it you are so loyal to him? I'm sure he cares a lot about you, judging by your appearance…"
"Silence!" She snarled at the other Jolteon. Then she thought for a moment. "Which of you calls yourself the leader of this pathetic bunch?"
"I am!" Crystal proclaimed before anyone could speak up. She stepped up to the lithe warrior and raised her head proudly. Callisto took one look at her and chuckled. "Never mind, then," as she turned to leave.
"Never mind what??" Crystal demanded.
"I was going to suggest that we have a battle, and the winner would get their way. But you're no match for me, kitten. Go back to wherever you came from."
"I'm more than a match for you! Callisto!" She called after the Jolteon, "I accept your challenge!" The electric Pokémon turned with a smiled.
"Alright. If you win, we all go with you. But if you lose…" she smiled wryly at the others, "The Raichu and Sage stay here."
Crystal caught her breath. A lot was depending on her. She looked at her friends fearfully.
"If you want to back down…" Callisto started, but Pulsar cut in, "No. I believe in you, Crystal. To quit now is to leave all these Pokémon here to die. Even if we fail, no one can say we didn't try."
Crystal nodded solemnly. She took a position at the far end
of the row of cages as Callisto stood opposite of her.
"Alright…now!" Blink called from the sidelines. At her words, Callisto leapt the length of the small battlefield – only to find her opponent gone. Crystal slammed into her with the Faint Attack, but it didn't seem to hurt her too badly. The Jolteon hit her with a Thundershock, but she shrugged off the hit and charged.
"Try your Slash attack!" Cinder called. Crystal raked her sharp claws into the larger Pokémon, but Callisto sent her tumbling with a Double Kick. She struggled to her feet again, though weak against the fighting-type attack, and attacked again with the ever-accurate Faint Attack. But when Callisto slammed her aside with a Tackle and then used the Double Kick again, she went tumbling hard into one of the cages and could not find the strength to rise. Callisto smirked and looked at both Sage and Pulsar.
Crystal struggled to get up. The cage next to her held the two Pichu, both of whom looked very sad.
"Get up! You can do it!"
"Keep trying! Please, keep trying!"
"We know you can!"
She looked at the two baby pokemon, and then over to Blink, Pulsar, and Sage. She was letting them all down. They would die in this slaughterhouse of a gym, and all because she was not strong enough. Just like she wasn't strong enough for her trainer. And now, she was letting her friends down. It was her fault.
"Pulsar…" she said weakly, looking on as Callisto ordered him to enter one of the open cages. She couldn't let this happen. Callisto couldn't win…she had to get up! But her strength was gone, and her body ached all over from the beating she'd taken.
"Please get up. We know you can do it," one Pichu said, tears in his eyes, "..Please?"
Crystal's eyes narrowed. She could feel power surge through her. "PULSAR!" She cried, forcing herself to her feet as a white glow enveloped her.
"What?" Harmony turned to look.
"She…she's evolving!" Cinder exclaimed. Crystals small and delicate form became nothing but a white silhouette; a silhouette that was rapidly changing to a lioness-like shape. In moments, a sleek and graceful Persian stood in the Meowth's place. Crystal let out an ear-piercing Screech and lunged at the scarred Jolteon, batting her aside hard with one paw. Callisto retaliated with a Double-Kick, but it didn't appear to have much effect on the evolved Pokémon. Crystal Slashed her opponent again and then disappeared. Callisto stood panting, bracing herself for the Faint Attack she knew was coming. As it hit, though, she realized just how much difference evolution made in terms of power. She was hurled into the wall nearby and struggled to get up, but was unable to. Pulsar threw his arms around the Persian who had been his dearest friend for so long.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Authors End Notes: Whew, that was a long one… well, what will happen? Will they make it out of Thunderdome? Or does death or enslavement await them in the upper levels of Zeb's bloody arena? You'll just have to wait….