Chapter 27:
The Blinding Flash
Bealbeach City
The morning after the contest, Ash, Serena, Bonnie and the twins headed towards the Bealbeach City Gym once again, this time for Natalie's match.
Just like with Ash, it was a doubles match with each trainer using four Pokemon. Though, given Natalie being a much less experienced trainer, Cali used a different team, one that didn't include her terrifying Mega Gyarados: A Corsola, a Tubjaw, a Cararalm (Serena couldn't tell if it was the same Cararalm she had used against Ash) and a fish Pokemon with a white small body, thick red lips, and a massive exposed brain for a head.
"Brailip, the Coral Brain Pokemon. Water/Psychic. This Pokémon is known for its intelligence. It can't swim fast, but it hides among coral reefs, using its psychic powers to detect others," the Pokedex revealed upon scanning the new Pokemon.
Natalie had used Slothohm, Minyan, Sableau and Dearewl. After a fierce battle, her team managed to beat Cali's, and she exited the Gym with one more badge inside her case. After that, the twins decided they had nothing else to do in Bealbeach City, and took a ferry that would take them back to Comet Port, and from there, they would take different paths according to what they would decide to do next.
Meanwhile, Ash, Serena and Bonnie were planning to stay at Bealbeach at least a couple more days to rest a little.
They decided to go to the beach after lunch. In the meantime, Ash decided to do some light training with his Pokemon, with Bonnie staying with him and helping him in any way she could. Serena, meanwhile, decided to return to the department store.
Today was the day where the tickets would be raffled, and Serena had the feeling that luck was going to be on her side. When she entered the store's lobby, having arrived ten minutes before noon, she ran into a large group of people gathered around a platform. Said platform had a rather large slot machine-like counter, with the same saleswomen that had been selling the tickets there. And once it was twelve o'clock, one of the saleswomen pulled out a mic, tapping it with her finger before she began to speak.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the raffle of two tickets for the prestigious and exclusive Tandor Luxury Cruise!" the saleswoman said. "We may have sold a lot of tickets, but unfortunately, there can only be one winner. Now, without further ado, let's go! Make sure you have your tickets at hand!"
Serena had hers in her hand, with the number 2425 on it.
Another saleswoman –this time, the one she sold Serena her ticket– pulled a large lever on the slot machine-like contraption, and the four slots began to rapidly spin. One of them finally stopped.
"Our first number is 2!" the host announced.
The announcement was met by a chorus of groans from people who were already out of the raffle, while several others grew more excited. Then, the second slot came to a halt.
"The second number is 4!"
Again, more groans, and people grumpily walking away, some even tearing their tickets to pieces. Serena, though, could feel her heart beating faster and faster. Then, the third slot stopped.
"The third number is 2 again!"
This time, Serena couldn't help but let out a squeal of joy. It was happening, it was really happening! Oh, she could already envision herself having an unforgettable time with Ash on that magnificent ship, having romantic dinners, taking a bath together on a jacuzzi, watching the sunset from the ship's deck while the two of them shared a kiss...
"And the last number is..." the host began, as the slot began to slow its spin, as opposed to the other three, which stopped all of sudden.
Serena could almost see it.
"Five," she confidently said.
"...eight!"
"...what?"
Serena felt like she had been splashed with a bucket of ice cold water. Did she get the last number wrong, after getting the first three right? Yeah, it clearly had to be that.
"OH MY GOODNESS! IT'S ME! THAT'S MY NUMBER!" a voice that definitely wasn't Serena's shouted in joy.
"And we have a winner! Get over here to claim your prize!" the host said.
Serena then saw a girl her age, perhaps a year or two younger, climb the short stairs towards the platform. She had light brown skin, green eyes, dark brown hair styled in a mass of dreadlocks that cascaded down her back, was wearing a green sleeveless top with yellow trims, light pink knee-length pants, and brown sandals. Serena also noticed a weird white bracelet on her right wrist that didn't look like a jewel. She was also a trainer, if the pokeballs attached to her belt were anything to go by.
"Congratulations for winning, young lady!" the host said, handing the girl the pair of tickets. "May I know your name?"
"Sure thing! My name's Leona!" the girl, Leona, cheerfully introduced herself. The host then motioned to her to keep talking about herself a little more. "Oh! I'm from Heahea City in Alola! And I came to Tandor in order to compete in its Contest Circuit, given that we don't have contests back at home, and I'd love nothing more than becoming a Top Coordinator!"
Coordinator? Serena didn't remember seeing that girl in any of the contests she had taken part of. Then again, it's possible that the two of them simply never took part in the same contest at once.
"Well, you're in luck, since as I'm sure my colleagues told you, a contest will be hosted on the ship. And said contest will have a special guest to act as an honorary judge!" the host said.
"I know! That's why I decided to take part in this raffle! Heh, it seems that even far away from home, the Tapus cast fortune over me!" Leona said.
The reminder of the special contest did nothing but rub salt on the wound. Sighing in disappointment, Serena walked to a nearby trashcan and tossed her losing ticket inside it. As she left the department store, she hoped that a nice day at the beach would help her forget about losing those two tickets.
Oh well, on the bright side, she didn't have to worry about what she could do to get a third ticket for Bonnie.
…
After having lunch, the group headed to the beach. Thankfully, the weather was on their side as the sun shone brightly in the sky, not a single cloud to obstruct it. The beach was crowded, but not enough to fight for a good spot. After placing their towels on the sand, both Ash and Serena grabbed all their pokeballs.
"Come out, everybody!" Ash said, as she and Serena tossed their pokeballs in the air, opening and releasing their Pokemon one by one. "Alright guys, no training today! Today, we only have fun! So go and do whatever you please!" Though upon seeing Dunsparce's evil grin and eyes glinting with malicious intent, Ash frowned and added: "You know what I mean, Dunsparce. I mean harmless fun, not causing any trouble."
"Parce..." Dunsparce groaned, rolling his eyes, and ignored the glare Pikcahu, Aveden and Selkid were shooting in his direction, before he buried himself underground.
After that, the Pokemon dispersed, some to rest, others to play either in the sand or in the water. Bonnie quickly shed her usual clothing, revealing her Slowbro-themed swimsuit underneath, and rushed to join them in the fun, a beach ball under her arm and Dedenne scurrying behind her.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, going after her as well.
"Don't strain yourself much, Pikachu!" Ash warned the electric mouse, his voice sounding a little more stern than usual, worried for his beloved starter still present within him. "Remember what Nurse Joy said!"
"Piiiiika...!" Pikachu replied, rolling his eyes, before joining Bonnie and some of their Pokemon.
Bonnie quickly gathered many of their Pokemon in order for all of them to play with her beach ball. Aside from Pikachu and Dedenne, there were Orchynx, Frosulo, Pancham, Sylveon and Minicorn. Greninja and Braixen didn't join the fun, taking the role of guardians of both Bonnie and the rest of their teammates, watching from a distance to make sure nothing dangerous would befall them.
They could hear snores coming from a lump of sand that had formed when Dunsparce buried himself underground. It seemed the Land Snake Pokemon didn't want to socialize much, and opted to take a nap under the sand. Oh well, at least he wouldn't be causing any problems.
Aveden and Quetzoral were soaring above them, the latter following the former. Evolution had granted the Canopy Pokemon the ability to fly with her new Flying-type, but just because she could fly now didn't mean that she could fly well, and she needed the Bliss Bird Pokemon to give her some help, advice and pointers.
Aveden spending time with Quetzoral would have made Selkid a little grumpy –Serena was still trying to discern how the Sea Nymph Pokemon felt towards Ash's bird; if she really like Aveden or not– but she paid them no mind, as she was swimming in the water, squealing in joy as if she was having the best time of her life.
Aveden spending time with Quetzoral would have made Selkid a little grumpy –Serena was still trying to discern how the Sea Nymph Pokemon felt towards Ash's bird; if she really like Aveden or not– but she paid them no mind, as she was swimming in the water, squealing in joy as if she was having the best time of her life.
"Heh, look at her go," Ash said, as he began to undress as well, until the only article of clothing covering his body were a pair of dark blue swimming trunks that he was wearing instead of his usual underwear. "She's really having a great time, isn't she?"
Serena, also undressing, replied: "Well, Selkid lived in the sea. Even if she's now with me, I guess she can't help but feel joy whenever she's close to the ocean."
"It's nice to see -whoa!" Ash suddenly said.
"Whoa?" Serena repeated, having just finished undressing, looking at Ash with a curious glance as to find what elicited such a reaction from the boy.
The honey blonde looked a little self-conscious upon realizing that Ash was looking at her, her body clad only in a dark blue bikini with pink flower patterns and... was that a blush she could see on his face?
"Come on, you got a reaction out of him! Don't go and waste it, you dumbass!" a tiny voice in her head said, a voice that for some reason, sounded a lot like Miette's.
"Um..." Serena stammered, looked a bit lost for words, before saying. "Uh, I bought this bikini a few days ago at the Bealbeach Department Store. They had such a wide array of swimwear! Hehe..." she chuckled awkwardly, her cheeks burning red, then, trying her best not to combust, she made a slight pose. "Um, do you like it?"
"Y-Yeah...!" Ash said. He swallowed, before smiling a little and adding: "It looks really good on you!"
"Thank you," Serena said, a whirlwind of emotions raging inside her of the thought of Ash finally showing some interest in her. She then sat on her towel, and averted Ash's gaze.
Ash sat on his towel as well, and panted. "It's just me, or it's really hot in here?" he asked, as he fanned his face with his hand. Serena really wanted to wish that Ash's sudden feeling of heat was because of her and not the sun, but she didn't want to get her hopes too high. "Man, the heat sure is stifling, isn't it?"
"Do you want to go for an ice cream?" Serena suggested.
"Eh, nah, I'm not hungry. We just ate, after all," Ash said.
"Well... how about we join Selkid in the water?" Serena offered. "Maybe the sun will be more bearable after getting a little soaked."
"That's a great idea. Let's go!" Ash said, as he dashed for the water.
Serena followed him at a more relaxed pace. As he headed towards the water, she saw that their Pokemon had attracted a group of children towards them, all of whom Bonnie had invited to play. They looked at their Pokemon with awe and even some reverence, probably because most of them couldn't be found in the region and thus felt exotic to the locals.
"Wohoooo!" Ash hollered, as he dived into the water, disappearing under the surface for a couple seconds, before bursting through the water with a loud splash. "Ah, so much better! Come on Serena, the water's great!"
"I'm coming!" she said, but her actions didn't match the enthusiasm of her voice.
The moment her feet touched the water, she was startled by how cold the water felt, which caused her to enter the water a bit too slowly. After a minute, she was barely knee-depth into the water. And Ash was starting to get impatient.
"Come on Serena, are you getting into the water or not?" he asked, hands on his hips.
"Just give me a second!" Serena replied, as she continued to walk slowly towards him. A small wave splashed against her bare belly, causing her to yelp.
"It'll be night time by the time you get into the water," Ash said.
"Ash, the water is too cold! Just give me some time to get my body used to it!" Serena protested.
"This is like ripping a band-aid! It's best to just do it quickly!" Ash said. "Just jump into the water! It will be better that way!"
"Ash, I'm not going to do that," Serena insisted. "Just let me get used to the water at my pace, okay? There's no hurry!"
"I know, but the fact that you're taking soooooo long to get in the water is driving me nuts..." Ash complained, before he looked at her again. The grin his mouth curved into sent the honey blonde chills. "Perhaps you need..."
"...Ash, what are you doing?" Serena asked, stopping in her tracks.
"...a little push," Ash said, his grin turning feral, as he waddled towards Serena like a predator stalking his prey.
"Ash, don't you dare!" Serena warned as her voice increased an octave. She tried to back off from the approaching boy, but he was approaching faster. "Ash, no!"
"Ash, yes!"
"Ash, no!" she repeated, as she began to send splashes of water along his way, but to little effect.
"Water-type moves have no effect on me, haha!" Ash said, finally reaching Serena and grabbing her by the wrists. "Come on Serena, embrace the sea!"
"Let me go!" Serena protested, struggling against Ash, however, she was unable to fight off the boy's superior's strength. "Come on Ash, the water is really cold!"
"Come on Serena, stop fooling around! The water is calling for you!" Ash said, as he continued to pull her towards him.
"Tell the water I'm not home and-IAAAAAAHHH!"
While she tried to pull back, she lost her footing and fell on her back against the water, as her wrists slipped from Ash's grip. She emerged back, shivering.
"Are you okay, Serena?" Ash asked, now sounding a bit concerned.
"Cold! It's so... cold!" Serena said, her whole body shivering, the sunlight doing very little to counter such sensation.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it in no time," Ash reassured. "Get back into the water, and you'll see how-"
But Ash was unable to finish what he was saying, as Serena pushed him with both hands, making him fall on his back as well. He resurfaced with another grin plastered in his face.
"Oh, so you want a battle uh? Then feel the might of my Aqua Jet!" Ash shouted, as he barreled towards Serena.
However, before Ash could reach her, Serena moved aside, and pushed him forward, using his own momentum against him, making him fall face first into the water. Only Ash's head poked from the surface, spitting some seawater, and looked at Serena with a confused look.
Serena placed both hands on her hips. "You aren't catching me a second time, Ash!" Serena laughed.
The two of them continued playing in the water, chasing one another, pushing each other into the water, all while they laughed and had a great time. Eventually, Ash got a hold of Serena once again, who struggled to break free, as she kept laughing.
That is, until she saw something that made her stop laughing.
"Ash, wait!" Serena cried. "Look behind you!"
"Like I'm going to fall for such an old trick!" Ash replied.
"No, I'm serious, look behind you!" Serena insisted.
Ash then felt the way water shifted around him, followed by a shadow being cast above him and Serena. Looking back, he realized that he should have listened to the honey blonde when he saw a large wave about to crash on top of them. They barely had time to scream before the wave fell upon them, and sent them rolling back towards the shore.
When the water receded, Ash found himself with his back against the sand, and Serena on top of him, their faces really close to each other.
For a moment, they didn't say anything, the two of them just staring into each other's eyes, before they began to blush.
"Uh... Serena?" Ash asked.
But Serena didn't hear him. There was something about that moment, with her on top of him, their bodies soaked in seawater that made their skin glisten under the sun, their faces so close to each other... in another time, Serena would have jumped back as if Ash was made of fire. But now... a primal feeling resting deep inside her had finally awakened. She closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and moved her face closer to Ash's...
BEEEEEP! BEEEEEP!
...before the loud beeping of Ash's pokegear ringing snapped her out of her trance. Grumbling, she moved herself from on top of Ash's body so he could answer the call, sitting besides him.
"Uh, it's Clemont," Ash said, looking at the Caller ID.
"Great timing, Clemont," Serena grumbled, low enough so Ash couldn't hear her, as she crossed her arms over her knees. "This better be important..."
Ash accepted the call, the screen displaying Clemont's face. "Hey there, Clemont! What's up?"
"Ash! It's... it's... something terrible just happened!" Clemont said, his voice sounding very agitated.
Serena's anger instantly evaporated, replaced by growing concern. Perhaps it was an important call after all.
"Clemont? What's going on? What happened?" Ash asked, clearly sharing her concern as well.
"An horde of Nuclear Pokemon appeared out of nowhere and attacked the power plant!" Clemont said. "We tried to fight back, but there were too many!"
"What!?" Ash asked in shock. The memory of their encounter with the Nuclear Pokemon on the island was as fresh in Ash's mind as it was in hers. "Clemont, where are you now? Are you okay?"
"Yes, for the time being. I'm on Lilia's boat, with her, Cameron, and some of the workers, sailing towards bealbeach," Clemont explained. "We were able to evacuate everybody before-"
Then, the call abruptly ended, the words "CONNECTION LOST" displayed against an electric green background.
"Clemont? Clemont!"
Then, there was a blinding flash, followed by a thundering boom, as a mushroom cloud formed into the distance.
As a deafening silence spread over the beach, everybody, human and Pokemon alike, stopped what they were doing to look at the explosion in the horizon.
The same tragedy from a decade in the past had struck Tandor once again. What the onlookers didn't know is that it would be much worse this time around.
…
Needless to say, people quickly evacuated the beach and returned to the city. Ash, Serena and Bonnie headed towards the docks, hoping to see Lilia's yacht. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait much, and the familiar vessel, followed by other ships, docked on the port, and people began to pour from it, most of them wearing either the typical lab coat of a scientist or the dirty overalls of a worker. Clemont, Lilia and Cameron were among the last to leave the yacht.
The moment Clemont put a foot on the dock, Bonnie tackled him into a hug, crying over how worried she was that something might have happened to him, with Clemont reassuring her that he was okay.
"It was thanks to Cameron that all of us escaped relatively unharmed," Clemont explained. "He and his Pokemon kept the Nuclear Pokemon at bay, buying the rest of us enough time to evacuate the personnel."
"Wish I could have done more. My Pokemon are strong, but even they have their limits, and those radioactive pests hit hard," Cameron lamented, as his hand went to his belt, where his pokeball were clipped. "They'll need to stay some time at a Pokemon Center after the beating they got."
"So, what happened? You said that a horde of Nuclear Pokemon attacked all of sudden, before the call was suddenly cut," Serena asked.
Cameron raised a hand. "Not here. Let's go to the Ranger HQ. Kellyn needs to hear this, and this way we won't have to explain the same thing twice. I was on a call with him when the explosion disrupted the signal, and he'll be anxious to hear the rest of the story."
Nobody disagreed. After a small detour to drop Cameron's Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, everybody went to the Ranger HQ. Once there, a Ranger led them to a meeting room where Kellyn was already waiting for them, closing the door.
"No one will bother us until it's an emergency," Kellyn began, his arms crossed. "Now you said that a bunch of Nuclear Pokemon attacked you?"
"Exactly. They appeared all of sudden and attacked us without reason," Clemont was the one who answered.
"If they attacked the new plant, they must have had a reason, even if it doesn't look obvious to us," Kellyn deduced. "Did they attack only the plant, or did they also attack other spots? Like the Rest House, the clinic, or the port?"
"At first, the Power Plant," Lilia replied. "Though, after they kicked us from there, they chased us all the way out to the port. It was obvious they wanted the power plant, but they didn't want us to leave that place alive."
"Now that we made that clear... what reason would compel those Pokemon to attack the power plant?" Kellyn asked. "Was there something in the plant that could draw their interest?"
"Nuclear fuel?" Serena asked a bit sheepishly. "I remember Cameron saying that they brought it not too long ago."
"By that I meant almost three months ago," Cameron explained. "And we never had an incident with the wild Nuclear Pokemon until now, with the exceptions of a few stray here and there that wandered too far. Besides, the way they... no, that's stupid," Cameron said, shaking his head.
"What is stupid, Cameron? What's on your mind?" Kellyn asked.
"Well... this isn't the first time I had to fight against Nuclear Pokemon. But the way they fought... they had a level of coordination never seen in wild Pokemon, Nuclear or otherwise," he began, placing a hand under his chin. "It almost felt like somebody was controlling them."
"Controlling them? Heh, I can't imagine anybody being able to get one of those Pokemon to obey them, much less all of them," Ash said. "Remember what the PST said when we tried to use them?"
"That's why I said it was stupid. But that's the feeling I had when me and the security members were fighting them. They felt less like a disorganized rabble and more like a coordinated army," Cameron said.
"Could it be the job of Team Omega?" Ash suggested.
"Perhaps. Though, if Team Omega has found a way to bind Nuclear Pokemon to their will... I fear for the future of this region," Cameron said.
Kellyn opened his mouth to say something, but that moment one of his Rangers, a young man with dark blue hair, entered the room, looking agitated.
"Chief Ranger! We're getting calls from all across Bealbeach!" the Ranger almost shouted. "They're reporting attacks from frenzied wild Pokemon with unusual coloration!"
"Frenzied wild-?"
"Nuclear Pokemon," Cameron declared.
"Nuclear Pokemon? All the way on Bealbeach?" Lilia asked. "That can't be possible!"
"We can wonder about the how later! Send every available Ranger into the city! We need to contain this menace!" Kellyn ordered.
"Yes, sir!" the Ranger replied, as he ran out of the room to deliver the orders.
"Let us help! We already have experience in dealing with Nuclear Pokemon!" Ash offered.
"Normally I wouldn't want civilians, trainers or not, to get in the way. But I have the feeling that we're going to need all the possible help, so you and your friends are welcome to come with us."
"Bonnie, stay here and wait for me to return. It might be dangerous out there, and I can't battle and keep an eye on you at the same time," Clemont told Bonnie.
"Don't worry for your brother. I'll make sure nothing happens to him," Lilia reassured her.
And for once, Bonnie didn't protest.
…
"Alright, you already know the points of the attacks! We're going to be spread as thin as possible, so expect no reinforcements if things turn awry! Groups no bigger than four but no smaller than two!" Kellyn ordered, as he led a troop of Rangers into the city, each of them followed by their partner Pokemon. "Our priority is to save the civilians and escort them to a safe place, everything else is secondary!"
"Yes sir!" The Rangers chorused in unison, as they began to split in small groups of two and three.
"What about us, sir?" Ash asked. "Should we split as well?"
"In your case, you better stick together," Kellyn replied. Then, he tapped his earpiece, and frowned. "Apparently, there's a large number of Nuclear Pokemon besieging the Department Store. Can you take care of that?"
"Sure, leave them in our hands!" Ash assured him.
"If there are places in need of your assistance, I'll let you know," Kellyn said, as he left with a couple of Rangers.
"I've already been to the Department Store, so I know the best way to get there! Come on guys, follow me!" Serena said, as she led the group towards the building in question.
Of course, with all the chaos going on, the path towards the department store wasn't going to be a walk in the park. As they rushed through the ample streets of the city, they could see plenty of people running away from the coming Nuclear Pokemon. They could see several Nuclear Owten, Eshouten, Tancoon, Ekans, and even some Arbok chasing and attacking people and Pokemon alike.
"Orchynx, I choose you!" Ash said, sending his Grass and Steel-type starter.
"Sylveon, go!" Serena said.
"Eevee, go!" Clemont followed.
"Come on Buneary!" Lilia told her walking Pokemon, who took a step forward to battle, while she also grabbed a pokeball of her own. "You too, Hagoop!"
The pokeball opened, revealing a rather strange looking Pokemon: it had an elongated body, dark blue in color, with lime green short forelegs and hind legs, its lower jaw of the same color, and its upper face covered by a yellow crest that flared to the sides.
"What kind of Pokemon is that?" Ash asked, as he pulled out his Pokedex to scan it.
"Hagoop, the Slime Worm Pokemon. Electric/Poison. Its body exudes a sticky slime that protects its soft flesh. It traps prey in the slime and delivers a lightning shock through its whiskers," the Pokedex explained.
"A Pokemon I caught here recently. You may ask anything you want about it once this mess is over!" Lilia said.
Upon seeing the newcomers and their Pokemon, several Nuclear Pokemon decided to change their targets, and moved towards the group. Among them, a flock of Owten, led by a couple Eshouten. The Observer Pokemon dived at them, firing a salvo of Air Slash, Gamma Ray and Shadow Balls, forcing the group to scatter around the street.
"Hagoop, Shockwave!" Lilia ordered.
"Sylveon, Swift!" Serena shouted.
Hagoop's body crackled with electricity, before sending several bolts towards the flying Nuclear Pokemon, while Sylveon waved her feelers, sending a flurry of golden stars. Both the lightning bolts and the stars homed onto the airborne Pokemon, knocking down a couple and harming others. This did nothing but make them even angrier.
"Orchynx, Metal Claw!" Ash ordered.
"Eevee, Quick Attack!" Clemont followed.
Both the Kitten Pokemon and the Evolution Pokemon charged towards the incoming group of Chyinmunk, Ekans and Tanscure. Orchynx's claws began to glow with a silvery sheen, and delivered a powerful swipe to an Ekans' face, followed by another one to a Chyinmunk's body, while Eevee slammed with his whole body against a Tancoon, sending it rolling backwards against a Kinetmunk.
The Nuclear Pokemon were undeterred, but neither were Orcynx and Eevee, who let the enemy Pokemon come at them. An Ekans lunged at Eevee, jaws wide open, but all that they tasted was Eevee's Iron Tail, while Orchynx knocked a pair of Tancoon with a well-aimed X-Scissor.
That moment, Ash's Pokegear rang. Upon accepting the call, Kellyn's face appeared on the screen.
"Ash, sorry to bother you so soon, but there has been an unforeseen incident that it's going to make our work much harder: our Stylers don't work on these Nuclear Pokemon, meaning that we only have our partners to fight them," Kellyn explained. "A Nuclear Gyarados has appeared in the northern beach, and our Rangers are having great difficulties taking it down. Given that you recently defeated Cali's strongest team, I imagine a Gyarados wouldn't be much for you. Could you go there and assist them?"
"Understood. Leave it to me!" Ash said.
"One last thing. I know it's a tall order, but try to capture said Gyarados if possible, not only to ensure that it won't cause any more damage, but because our scientists could study such Pokemon in order to understand them better," the Head Ranger told him.
"Alright, I will!" Ash said, before closing the Pokegear down. "Guys, I'm sorry, but they need my help at the beach! A Nuclear Gyarados is making a ruckus there!"
Everybody shivered upon hearing the words Nuclear Gyarados.
"Don't worry Ash, go! Serena, Lilia and I should be enough to protect the people around the Department Store!" Clemont told him.
"Take care! Come Orchynx!" Ash called his Grass and Steel-type.
The Kitten Pokemon disengaged the Nuclear Pokemon she was fighting, and followed Ash as he ran in the direction of the beach. Unsurprisingly, as soon as they did, a group of Nuclear Chyinmunk quickly moved to intercept them. Fortunately for Ash, Sylveon also jumped in the way, shielding the retreating trainer with her body, and resisting the Chyinmunk's attacks with Protect.
"Well done, Sylveon!" Serena praised her Pokemon, before pulling out another pokeball. "Quetzoral, go!"
The pokeball opened, releasing Serena's flying snake-bird, her wings spread, flying above them. The moment she appeared, a squad of Nuclear Gligar homed onto her, but she was quick enough to receive them with a powerful Razor Leaf.
Since Orchynx had left, that meant that Eevee was now alone against the horde of Nuclear Pokemon, and thus he was forced to fall back where Lilia's Buneary and Hagoop were fighting.
"Clemont, let's try to push forward while Serena covers our rear!" Lilia suggested, while her Buneary protected her from a Nuclear Tancoon with a Double Kick, while her Hagoop blasted a diving Eshouten with a Sludge Wave.
"Alright! Come out, Bunnelby and Eletux!" Clemont said, throwing two more pokeballs forward, releasing his Normal-type bunny and Water and Electric-type Tandorian starter, the two of them appearing at each side of Eevee. The three of them charged forward, Eletux breaking the Nuclear Pokemon's ranks with powerful Water Guns, while Eevee and Bunnelby barreled towards them with a combination of Quick Attack and Wild Charge.
"Serena, how far away is the Department Store?" Clemont asked.
"We need to follow this street until the third block, then turn left, walk several more blocks until we get to a plaze, and it's there!"
"It might sound like it's close, but with all these Nuclear Pokemon in the way... we better hurry!" Clemont said.
…
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu warned, while pointing back.
"Got it! Aveden, behind us! Air Cutter!" Ash ordered.
The Bliss Bird Pokemon, who had been flying above Ash, Pikachu and Orchynx, made a U-turn as he flapped his wings, releasing several blades of compressed air that slammed against a pair of Nuclear Gligar, the two Pokemon knocked out of the air the moment the attack connected.
After leaving the group, Ash decided to release Aveden as well in order to act as a short range scout and to protect him and his groundbound Pokemon from sneaky airborne attack, a decision that immediately paid off, given how many Nuclear fliers attempted to attack them.
"Good eye there, Pikachu," Ash praised the electric mouse.
Pikachu smiled confidently and nodded. Just because he couldn't fight didn't mean that he couldn't help Ash and the others.
"Cooor!"
A high pitched cry alerted Ash of several Nuclear Corsola nearby, who immediately began to run towards Ash the moment they saw him and his Pokemon, and quickly began to launch attacks, forcing Ash and his Pokemon to fall back in order to dodge the streams of water, falling rocks, and green radioactive beams.
"Aveden, Mirror Shot!" Ash ordered.
The Corsola didn't notice Aveden flying above them, advantage the bird capitalized on by hitting them with accurate metal hued beams of light, causing the coral Pokemon to screech in pain, creating the opening Ash needed.
"Orchynx now, take them down with-"
"Help! Somebody help us!" a woman wailed.
Before finishing his command, he could see a woman in her forties, shielding a pair of children he believed were hers with her own body, as she tried to fend off a pair of Nuclear Tancoon by ineffectively swinging her purse at them.
"Orchynx, take them down with Iron Tail!" Ash said, managing to regain his focus. As his trusty kitty dealt with the Corsola, Ash grumbled something under his breath as he pulled another pokeball from his clip. "Dunsparce, I choose you! Use Rollout on those Tancoon!"
The pokeball was tossed in the direction of the woman, releasing the Land Snake Pokemon. The moment Dunsparce materialized, he curled into a ball and rolled towards the unsuspecting Tancoon, steamrolling them with ease, and startling the woman.
"Uh..." the woman then looked at Ash, clearly still in shock, before yelling "Thank you!" and running away with her kids.
Ash sighed, looking at the defeated Tancoon and Corsola around him. "Thank goodness Nuclear Pokemon are pretty fragile, or else this could be quite the mess..."
A loud roar in the distance reminded Ash that this was still quite the big mess, as he saw a dark blue and bright green Gyarados slither its way into the city.
"Guys, let's go!" Ash said, as he rushed towards the Atrocious Pokemon, as opposed to the people running away from it, with Orchynx running in front of him and Dunsparce lagging behind, slithering as fast as his body allowed him to.
"We need to draw its attention to us! Aveden, fly forward and use Air Cutter!" Ash said.
The Bliss Bird Pokemon flapped his wings with more vigor than usual in order to reach the Nuclear menace, and once he was close enough, he sent a pair of blades of compressed air towards Gyarados. The attack connected, and the naturally temperamental Pokemon –while Nuclear Pokemon were far more aggressive than their regular counterparts, Ash doubted that a Gyarados would change that much in that regard– turned around, and tried to chomp Aveden down.
"Aveden, fall back!" Ash said. Not that his order was that necessary, as the blue bird quickly flew away from the Nuclear Pokemon, who crawled its way towards Ash. "Orchynx, Energy Ball! Dunsparce, Ancient Power!"
"Chynx!"
"Dun!"
Orchynx opened her mouth, forming a sphere of green glowing energy in front of it, as Dunsparce summoned a circle of glowing golden boulders that spun around him, before both attacks were launched at the colossal Nuclear Pokemon, causing the Gyarados to roar in pain.
"GYAAAAA!" Even if Nuclear Pokemon were pretty fragile, that Gyarados was rather resilient. Glaring at the Pokemon and the human below him with its eerie emerald eyes, the Atrocious Pokemon opened its mouth, releasing a deluge of green sludge at them.
"MOVE!" Ash shouted, as he jumped backwards, his Pokemon doing the same.
The attack splashed the green sludge all around the place, though fortunately it didn't reach neither human nor Pokemon. And lucky for them, as the sludge quickly began to eat the asphalt, producing a sizzling noise as plumes of green smoke rose into the sky.
"Pi, pika?" Pikachu asked.
"No idea. I don't think I ever saw an attack like that," Ash said, his eyes open wide, half awed and half horrified at the destructive power of the corrosive attack. "Must be a Nuclear-type move..."
The Nuclear Gyarados prepared to attack again, this time with a move Ash knew, as the radioactive creature raised its tail, which was covered in a cloak of tempestuous water.
"That's Aqua Tail! Orchynx, dodge it! Aveden, pick Dunsparce and carry it above Gyarados!" Ash quickly ordered, the gears in his brain turning fast as it formed a strategy to take down such a challenging foe.
Aveden swooped down and caught Dunsparce, catching the Land Snake Pokemon between his talons, and with a great amount of effort, he managed to lift his irascible partner into the sky, just as Gyarados slammed its only appendage into the spot Orchynx had been not even a moment ago, resulting in an explosion of water.
"Orchynx, Energy Ball again! Rapid fire!" Ash ordered, his eyes fixed on Aveden, still carrying Dunsparce, as he slowly began to hover above Gyarados.
Orchynx opened her mouth, firing a salvo of less powerful Energy Balls at the Nuclear Gyarados. Upon being pelted with the green glowing orbs, the Atrocious Pokemon directed a frightening glare at the Kitten Pokemon, and opened its mouth wide, preparing another attack.
"Aveden, drop Dunsparce, and Dunsparce, use Rollout!" Ash quickly shouted.
Aveden unceremoniously released his cargo, letting out a deep pant of relief now that he no longer had to fly with such a heavy load, as Dunsparce curled into a ball and began to spin. Thanks to gravity, he managed to build a lot of momentum before his curled body slammed into the Gyarados' head, interrupting its attack.
"Well done! Now Orchynx, Iron Tail!" Ash said.
"Orrrr!" Orchynx meowed loudly as she dashed towards the momentarily dazed Gyarados, her tail turning stiff and glowing with a metallic sheen. She leaped towards the Nuclear Pokemon, and once she was close enough, delivered an overhead smash with her iron-hard tail.
Gyarados let out another roar of pain, though this one lacked the anger of the previous ones, before it collapsed on the ground, seemingly defeated for good.
"Alright, done!" Ash said, as he pulled out an empty pokeball. "Pokeball go!"
Ash chucked the pokeball at the unconscious Pokemon, which was turned into pure energy and absorbed inside, before falling to the ground.
One shake.
Two shakes.
BANG!
"WHOA!"
Before Ash could claim a new Pokemon, the pokeball exploded as if somebody had put a bomb inside. Ash had seen many Pokemon breaking out of a pokeball to resist capture, but he had never seen a pokeball bursting like a balloon. He tossed another pokeball, but the result was the same. Then a third one, but no luck either.
"This is weird... does this mean Nuclear Pokemon can't be normally caught?" Ash asked, scratching his temple. "But Clemont told me he had caught Geigeroach with no problem... but then again, Geigeroach allowed himself to be caught... maybe that's why those Team Omega grunts kept them in steel cages rather than catching them in pokeballs," he reasoned. He took a look at Gyarados, lying in front of him. "Hopefully, it will stay put until the Rangers can keep everything under control" Ash said, allowing himself to let his guard down for a second, before turning to his Pokemon. "Great job, guys!"
"Ave!" Aveden chirped in return.
"Duuuun..." Dunsparce pretended he didn't care about Ash's praise.
Orchynx, however, didn't say anything, she just stood in place, completely stiff. Ash titled his head quizzically.
"Orchynx? Are you-"
Ash was interrupted by a crackling noise, followed by the Kitten Pokemon glowing with a bluish white light. The Kitten Pokemon began to grow, quickly turning into another Pokemon. After a few seconds, the transformation was complete, and the light disappeared, revealing the new Pokemon, who spoke for the first time.
"METAL!"
The new Pokemon in front of Ash was a large feline. Gone was Orchynx's cute appearance, replaced now with a fierce visage. Her previously lithe body was more well built, with many light green stripes across her head and legs, as well as yellow flower-shaped dots on her back. One foreleg and one of her hind legs were entirely made of metal, almost looking like robotic limbs, and her tail now had a sharp edge and was curved, almost looking like a sickle.
Ash stood there, looking at the new Pokemon with his mouth agape, before he regained his bearings, and his open mouth curved into a wide grin.
"Orchynx, you evolved!" Ash almost squealed. He hastily pulled out his Pokedex. "Let's see what you're now..."
"Metalynx, the Armored Pokemon, and Orchynx's evolution. Grass/Steel. Metalynx stalk their prey in packs. Their brutally sharp tail blades are their main weapon," the Pokedex explained.
"Yeah, I can see that," Ash said, as his eyes drifted to the sharp glaive that was Metalynx's tail. "So, um, Metalynx?"
Metalynx turned around, piercing Ash with a fierce glare. Ash had to fight the urge to step back as the large, metal-clad feline stalked towards him...
"Uh?"
...and began to affectionately rub her head against Ash's chest, purring playfully. Ash sighed in relief, relaxed, and began to scratch Metalynx under her chin.
"Heh, good girl..." Ash chuckled, before he gently pushed Metalynx's head away. "Though sadly we'll have to leave that for later. I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of Nuclear Pokemon terrorizing innocent people," Ash said, looking around at the empty streets, devoid of both people and Pokemon. An eerie silence reigned over. "...or so I thought. This feels way too quiet."
Ash and his Pokemon continued wandering through the streets. There were some traces of battle here and there, like turned over trash containers, skewered street lamps, burnt marks on walls and the ground, and a few broken glasses here and there. But so far, no sign of any combatant.
"Pi, pikapi!" Pikachu warned, as he pointed to a turning.
Ash looked into that direction, expecting to see another Nuclear Pokemon approaching, but saw something that, while he wasn't expecting to find in a situation like this one, wasn't surprised to see either: A man wearing a Team Omega uniform disappearing behind a corner.
"Team Omega. I knew they were behind this," Ash said, as he grabbed his three empty pokeballs, returning Aveden, Dunsparce and Metalynx to them. "Better if you guys return. I need to follow him and see what those criminals are doing here without them seeing me. Plus you guys could use a little rest. I have the feeling that I'm going to need you again soon..."
Moving as stealthily as he could, Ash followed the same path the Team Omega grunt was taking. He disappeared from his sight a few times, but Ash was always able to track him down again. The man didn't appear to be worried that somebody was following him. Perhaps Team Omega was taking advantage of this attack in order to carry out another of their plans.
Not while Ash was in the city.
Eventually, Ash could hear sounds of battle going in the distance, as well as people yelling. He wondered if he should stop following the grunt and join the battle instead, innocent people might be in danger after all. Though, fortunately, in the end he didn't need to take a decision, as the grunt was heading towards the same spot the yells and battle noises were coming from.
Then, after taking one last turn, Ash saw it.
In the middle of a large intersection, there were many Team Omega grunts battling a horde of Nuclear Pokemon with Pokemon of their own, many of them Steel-types. All of the grunts were carrying large backpacks, similar to the one Clemont used to carry. And the similarities didn't end there, as said backpacks also featured their very own Aipom Arms, which they used to snatch the Nuclear Pokemon once they've been weakened enough, and lock them inside the same metal cages Ash had seen them using in the abandoned Power Plant.
Even with all his Pokemon, Ash knew he couldn't defeat so many people on his own. He opened his Pokegear, and dialed a number, hoping he could summon some help to his side.
Author's Note: Yeah, turns out our heroes weren't able to enjoy some R & R after Serena won that contest. Though if you played the game, you probably saw this coming. Also, sorry for interrupting Serena just when she was about to kiss Ash. I'm afraid such moment will need a little more buildup before it can happen (because it WILL happen, I can assure you that). Still, I hope you enjoyed the amourshipping moments before the nuclear catastrophe happened. There will be more in the following chapters (though not the next one, since that one will be more action).
And contrary to what most people believed, Serena didn't win those cruise tickets. Sorry girl, but no cruise for you. Better luck next time.
And as you can see, Team Omega isn't done just yet in Bealbeach City, as they're pocketing quite a lot of Nuclear Pokemon.
Also, sorry to all of you who were expecting Ash to own a Nuclear Gyarados. While you can use any Pokeball to catch Nuclear-types in the game, I felt it would make the Nuclear-type Pokemon more menacing if they were impossible to catch through normal means. That's it, unless they allow themselves to be caught, just like Clemont's Geigeroach. At least Ash can enjoy being the proud trainer of a Metalynx now.
Thanks to Fox McCloude, MegaSalamence64, hirowriter and Viroro-kun for reviewing the previous chapter, and special thanks to Viroro-kun for his awesome job as betareader, whose edits and suggestions made this chapter so much better.
Will our heroes be able to save Bealbeach City, or will the city fall to the nuclear horde? And what of Team Omega? Sre they here just to catch Nuclear Pokemon, or are they after something else? All these questions will be answered next chapter. In the meantime, don't forget to drop a review on this one.