So, this was supposed to be finished two days ago, cause I really wanted to get this out on my birthday (I am now 27 years old, in case you were wondering), but time just slipped through my fingers and here we are.
As always, a huge thank you to my good friend LugiaMoon, who betaed this for me.
Now on with the show! Enjoy.
People like to say that "a trap is only a trap if you don't know about it".
They often forget the second part of that quote: "if you know about it, then it's a challenge."
Knowing a trap is there does not mean it is any less dangerous by any means. It only reduces the risk of falling into it.
Take a classic bear trap, for example. The fact that you know there is one in the forest doesn't imply that it's any less capable of making you lose a foot if you step into it. Your knowledge of the trap's presence only makes you less liable of stepping into it in the first place since you will be on the lookout for it. And you can bet it's going to be a challenge to find the trap without springing it. Only a lousy trapper cannot hide his trap well.
Of course, that's just me trying to simplify things.
It was almost guaranteed that I would be walking into a trap by following the lead about Aron. Whether said lead was legit or not was an entirely different question. After all, Snagem and Cipher both knew I was searching for Pom's Pokemon, and there was no reason they couldn't create false leads to bait me. Still, I couldn't take the chance of it not being true.
So I prepared, as best as I could, for the challenge ahead.
"Alright, Cubone. One more time." Aileen instructs, taking her stance once again, baton held at the ready as she faces a crude training dummy. "Watch the flow of my movements as I demonstrate."
Beside her, the skull–wearing Pokémon nods and takes a similar stance.
"Now, remember that trying to fully copy me won't work. Your body structure is different from that of a human and so you will need to adjust your movements accordingly." She continues. "Were you a Marowak, I suspect you'd have an easier time adapting but we'll make it work. The purpose of this training is to help with your accuracy and dexterity. Your club is no good to you if you cannot hit your target."
Stepping forward, Aileen strikes downward at the dummy's neck. The metal rod impacts the mannequin with a sharp crack, making it jerk back under the force of the blow. With another step, she brings the baton back up, striking out the side of the dummy's head, causing it to tip to the side and fall to the ground.
She turns back to Cubone. "Your turn."
Cubone nods sharply and looks at her own, scaled-down, training dummy. The Lonely Pokémon takes a couple steps forward and swings her bone club twice, the first strike hitting the dummy's head solidly with the second only grazing it due to the dummy jerking after being hit.
"Again. Take a moment before your follow-up to gauge the distance and the target's movements. Start slow and increase the speed as you go." Aileen says, prepping her own dummy up. "For every action, there is a reaction. Your opponents will react differently to your actions. Some will move but the other will power through and yet also will try to counter your attack." She lectures. "In fact, one might say a battle is nothing more than a long chain of actions and reactions between individuals."
Cubone gives her another -somewhat unsure this time- nod as her eyes narrow in concentration. After a few seconds, she returns to smacking the dummy with her bone club and Aileen quietly sighs. For all the fact that Pokémon are smarter than most people give them credit for and they understand human language to a degree, she shouldn't be expecting Cubone to grasp the intricacies of armed combat in the matter of days as if she was a human.
"Still, progress is progress." She muses. Even if the ground type has a long way to go before she can use her club with the same proficiency Aileen uses her baton.
A bark draws her attention away from Cubone to the other end of the training field, where Growlithe and Electrike are sparring against each other, the latter trying to hit the former with a newly learned Thunderbolt (thank you Eagun) while at the same time trying to keep his charge active and dodge the Fire Fang coming his way.
For the electric canine, it is an exercise of endurance and control. Maintaining his charge while firing electric attacks is not an easy task, especially while trying to hit a moving target at the same time. It requires a lot of focus.
"And then... there's Growlithe."
He is impressive. Clearly an experienced Pokémon, not even flinching as he narrowly avoids the bolts of lightning sent at him. Of all three that where previously owned by a trainer, he is the one who seems to have been trained extensively in the basics. Endurance, speed, strength… His previous partner has done a wonderful job with him.
"What he lacks, however, is a diverse moveset." Aileen reflects. "Aside from Fire Fang, he only knows basic moves such as Tackle, Sand Attack, Ember or Growl."
And, since Aileen has no idea how to properly teach moves, she'll have to rely on tutorial videos.
"I can already feel the headache coming."
Last, but not least, is Poochyena.
Training her is… difficult. Complex orders are often an exercise in futility and trying to train moves even more so. So basic training it is, improving speed, endurance and building muscles. And if a few habits become muscle memory, then Aileen isn't about to complain.
Hence why the canine is currently chasing Murkrow across the training grounds, trying to catch the elusive bird in her jaws (without much success).
And while the dark type remains as apathetic as always, there is a certain energy about her that wasn't present before Cubone and Growlithe had joined the team.
"Perhaps some sort of pack instinct?" Aileen internally wonders. "Mightyenas packs are led by females and, while Electrike hasn't displayed any sort of rivalry with her, Growlithe is very much behaving like an alpha male of his species. So perhaps she feels threatened by him?"
Whatever the case, if her natural instincts are starting to break through the conditioning of a Shadow Pokémon, then it can only be good news. Not to mention the fact that her hyper mode outbursts, both in and out of combat have been few and far between recently.
Aileen checks the time on her Pokenav and claps her hands. "All right everyone, break time. Ten minutes."
At her words, all five Pokémon stop in their tracks and make a beeline for the patch of shadow where she has put water bowls, eager to quench their thirst.
While they are resting, Aileen takes the opportunity to sit down and look up online guides on how to teach the move called Double-Team. An excellent misdirection tool that most of her team could benefit from.
(Part of her feels like Mirror Image or Shadow Clone would be a better name but, hey, what does she know?)
She quickly finds out that, disappointingly enough, most guides boil down to 'buy the TM first and perfect it later' or 'catch a Pokémon that already knows it and get it to teach the move to the rest'.
Fun fact: no matter which world you're in, people are lazy.
A more extensive search reveals to the red and black haired vigilante that the move is an absolute pain to teach, hence the reason why it was made available through TMs. Checking her funds, she sends out a quick message to Sophia, asking her friend the price of a Double-Team TM. The almost lightning fast reply makes her eyes widen.
"Damn." She curses softly with a grimace. That would make a sizable dent in her resources. She had expected the Orre price to be quite above the market average, but not this much! This is nearly twice that amount!
Her Pokenav chimes as another message appears.
[I can almost hear you panicking from here. If you want one, I know a guy who knows a guy. It'll cost ya but not as much.]
Aileen ponders for a moment before remembering a certain TM that has been gathering dust in her belongings since she got it.
[Think your guy would be interested to trade for a focus blast TM?] She replies.
[Possibly. I'll get back to you on that one.]
[Thanks.]
Checking the time again, Aileen nods and closes her Pokenav before clapping her hands once more.
"Break's over! Back at it, everyone!" She calls. "Electrike, let's see if we can upgrade Growlithe's Ember to a proper Flamethrower. Murkrow, you're on the offensive now. Poochyena, your job is to avoid his attacks as much as you can. Cubone, you're still with me. Here's what we are going to do..."
"Here you go." Reina says, handing a tray containing Aileen's pokeballs to her. "You'll be pleased to know that everyone is in tip top shape, for the most part. Cubone is still a bit thinner than I would like but she'll get there." The nurse narrows her eyes at the vigilante in a stern expression. "You aren't pushing her too hard, are you?"
Aileen smiles. "I'm not one to ignore the doctor's orders, you know that." She replies. "I've been mainly working on teaching her how to use her club more efficiently. So more of a mental exercise than a physical one." She elaborates while clipping the balls to her belt.
"Good." Reina nods seriously before smiling back. "That's why you're my favorite trainer!"
"I am honored." Aileen chuckles. After a moment, her smile fades. "Has there... Been any news?"
The other woman shakes her head sullenly. "I'm afraid not. His condition hasn't deteriorated but we remain unsure as to when he'll wake up."
Aileen takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. "I see." Because what else can she say? "Keep me updated?"
"Of course." Reina nods. "Don't be a stranger." She says as Aileen turns to leave.
"You couldn't make me stay away if you tried." She replies with an -only somewhat forced- amused huff. "See you later."
Exiting the Pokémon center, Aileen releases Murkrow from his ball. The dark-flying type
takes to the skies, circling around the Pokémon Center a couple times before perching himself on Aileen's shoulder And tilting his head at her in a silent question.
"No change, I'm afraid." She answers, the bird slumping a bit that her words. "I know. It isn't easy for me either." She adds soothingly, giving his crest a few comforting scratches before sighing. "Come on, Murkrow. We've got some recon to do."
It's a short trip to Wilfric's new workshop, where she finds the mechanic waiting by his truck.
"Good to see you, Aileen." The tanned man says upon seeing her, raising a hand in greeting. "Ready to get this show on the road?"
"Sure am." She nods. "Just let me change into more discrete clothes and we'll be on our way."
As much as Aileen likes her Daytona and her vigilante costume, they are too distinctive for operations where being just another face in the crowd is what she needs, such as daytime recon.
It's a quick affair to slip into the bathroom and change into her disguise. A simple sleeveless white shirt coupled with baggy blue pants, add in sunglasses along with a gray beret to hide her hair and voila : she looks like one of Wulfric's assistants.
Exiting the bathroom, she gives a quick hug to Rebecca, who wishes them luck (and discreetly takes the bundle containing Aileen's usual attire off the younger woman's hands) before climbing into the truck's passenger seat.
Their destination? Gateon Port. Where is the tip on Aron claims the steel type is being held.
The truck is obviously slower than her Daytona, but it's a small price to pay and gives Aileen the opportunity to do more research on her Pokenav since she's not driving.
As Orre's only port, Gateon, from a strategic perspective, is one of the most important locations of the region, if not the most important. It is responsible for more than 80% of Orre's trade, allowing the inhabitants to import most of their basic necessities such as food, water, clothes and medicine.
It would not be a lie to say that he who controls Gateon Port controls Orre. And Aileen has no doubt that Cipher has its claws sunk deeply into it. They would be fools not to.
Not for the first time, Aileen comes to the grim conclusion that, were it not for Evice's desire to run things from the shadows lest he catches the eye of the International League, the state of the region would be much different.
"So what's the plan?" Wulfric asks, an hour into the trip.
Aileen blinks, then laughs. "There is no plan yet, Wulfric. This is me familiarizing myself with the terrain and gathering information. Once that is done and I have located my target, then I can start planning."
The mechanics nods slowly. "Are you sure you don't want me to help? Two people can cover more ground, no?"
"The best way you can help me is by being visible and giving me an excuse to roam around." She replies. "If they see the two of us snooping around, Cipher's agents are sure to make a report. However, they probably won't look past a mechanic sending his apprentice to pick up merchandise while he's doing business."
"And if they question you?"
"Then I can claim I am a new hire and got lost."
His brow furrows. "You sure that will work? It sounds… I don't know, simple?"
"It is." She nods. "But you'd be surprised at how often people take things at face value. And, even if they see through me, then they will want me to believe I have fooled them in order for me to take the bait."
Wulfric properly turns to her, gaping. "So it is a trap!"
Aileen gives him a tight smile. "Most likely. I've noticed the last few locations I raided were prepared for my usual tactics. However, that was to be expected. This? This is the first real attempt to ambush me." She crosses her arms. "They know I'll come. That I have to take the chance of Aron truly being held here. So the question becomes : can I escape the trap once it is sprung and can I do so with my quarry, if it is there?"
"...That's a huge risk you're taking." The tanned man say slowly.
"I know." She sighs out. "Yet it is a risk I must take."
There is a moment of silence before Wulfric speaks again, hesitatingly. "Aileen. You know Pom wouldn't want you to die trying to rescue Aron, right?"
"Unfortunately, he's currently in a coma! So no, I don't." The vigilante retorts in a harsh tone, amber eyes blazing behind her sunglasses. "It's been nearly two months, Wulfric. I can't even be sure Aron will be the same Pokemon that got kidnapped all those weeks ago when I find her. The fact that I was told one of the higher ups of Cipher wants an Aggron does not bode well and the longer I take to rescue her the longer they have to twist her into a killing machine with no emotions!" She shakes her head. "No. If Pom wakes and I haven't been able to recover Aron and Rhydon, then at least I want to be able to look him in the eyes when I'll say I did everything I could."
The grimace on Wulfric's face makes it clear that he understands, even if he doesn't like it. "I still say going alone is beyond reckless, even more so if this is a trap."
Aileen sighs. "Wulfric, you're a person of interest and people know where you live. If I bring you with me and they recognize you, which -let's be honest- wouldn't be hard, we might as well paint a target on your and Rebecca's backs. It's bad enough that I'm involving you both in this but I'm very much planning on it being a one-time thing." She gives him a grateful smile. "Don't get me wrong, though. I'm happy that you're willing to help but I'm not willing to gamble with your lives."
"And there isn't anyone else you could ask for backup?" He grumbles.
"Is there anyone you'd recommend, then?" She asks. "Because I don't know any other good trainer I'd want to take with me for this." "Except Wes, but he has his own issues to worry about at the moment." She adds internally.
"I... might know someone." The tanned man says at length, rubbing the stubble on his chin.
Aileen takes one look at his somewhat constipated expression and her eyebrows rise above the rim of her sunglasses. "Your face doesn't exactly fill me with confidence about whoever it is you have in mind." She drawls.
"Well, they're a good trainer, no doubt about that." He edges.
"But...?"
Wulfric sighs with a defeated air to him. "They very much have a mercenary attitude. Only the promise of cold hard cash will get them to do anything."
"Money, huh?" The vigilante muses, twirling a stray strand of flame-colored hair around a finger before shoving it back under the beret. "How much are we talking about?"
"I'd have to ask, but for a high risk job like this..." The mechanic winces. "At least twenty grand, from what I remember of their prices."
Aileen freezes for a second before bursting out laughing. "If I had that kind of money floating around, I probably would've already looked for mercenaries! Believe it or not, beating up gangsters doesn't bring in that much."
"Really? No piles of cash lying around in those warehouses you're raiding?" Aileen shakes her head mirthfully. "Huh, and here I thought crime was profitable. "
"Oh it is, but Cipher is smart enough to keep most of their money digitized. I do find the occasional cliché suitcase with cash in it, but they are few and far between."
They spend the rest of the trip talking, Aileen asking how business has been since their change of location ("Somehow we've got even more customers than before!") and Wulfric inquiring about what else Aileen has done outside of her vigilante activities ("Did you know Absol cubs are absolutely adorable?"), quieting down as they come into view of Gateon Port's buildings.
The first thing Aileen notices are the pair of sentries posted at the port's main entrance, pokeballs visible at their belt as they stand from their seats under their sunshade and signal the truck to stop.
"Welcome to Gateon Port." One of them says as Wulfric lowers the window on his side. "Please state the nature of your visit."
"Wulfric Nadi, here to pick a shipment of parts that I was informed came in yesterday." The mechanic answers dutifully.
"Nadi... Nadi..." The guard mutters, thumbing through a leaflet. "There you are. Got a shipment with your name in warehouse fourteen. Looks like everything is in order." His head then turns to Aileen. "And who's this?"
"One of my assistants, here to help me check the merchandise and load it. Boy's a new hire, so I figured I'd show him the ropes in case I have to send him to pick up merchandise in the future. That a problem?" Wulfric replies nonchalantly.
The man exchanges a look with his fellow sentry. "So long as he's not going anywhere he's not supposed to, we won't have any problems." He steps back and waves them forward. "Go on through."
"Much appreciated." Wulfric nods as he raises the window again and drives onward. "First time I'm getting stopped at the gates." He comments.
"When was the last time you came here?" Aileen asks him.
"Couple weeks ago." He glances at her. "Think we've been made?"
"Too soon to tell." She replies. "But keep your eyes peeled. If you see something that's different from when you were here two weeks back, I want to know."
"Got it."
"Still," Aileen muses. "it doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."
Wulfric drives them between the buildings while her eyes dart to and fro behind her sunglasses, looking for anything out of place, but catching nothing but rows of containers and warehouses with the occasional workers bringing crates in or out. She does, however, take note of the security cameras.
"Do you know where the control room with the security feeds might be?" She asks.
"I know where it used to be. Not sure if they changed the location or not." The mechanic answers. "Why? Aren't you planning to avoid the cameras anyway?"
"I am." Aileen confirms. "But I'm also interested in which warehouses have cameras linked to the main security system and, more importantly, which warehouses don't."
Wulfric makes a noise of realization. "Well, last I knew it was beside the lighthouse."
"And how do I reach it from warehouse fourteen?"
"Head west until you reach the docks proper. You can't miss it once you're there."
"Gotcha."
Upon their arrival at the warehouse, they're greeted by a single worker who asks Wulfric to sign his name on the shipment receipt form, which the mechanic does, before opening the warehouse to let the truck in.
"Here are the references of your packages." The man says, handing a Wulfric a sheet of paper. "Feel free to check the merchandise to make sure everything is in order but remember-"
"Yes yes. You will know if anything's missing that's not supposed to and will track me down, yadi yadi yada." Wulfric cuts him off with a wave of his hand. "Spare me the company line. This isn't my first rodeo."
"Very well. Don't forget to close the gates on your way out."
And with that, the man walks away.
"Right then." Wulfric nods as he rolls his shoulders. "Let's get to it, shall we? First is..."
Between the two of them, it takes roughly an hour to find and load each package inside the truck. By the time they're done, the sun is starting to set.
"Alright, that's the last one." Wulfric exhales as he places a crate atop two others in the back of the truck. He turns to Aileen. "So, how do you want to do this?"
"I didn't expect so many cameras, so the original plan is a bust. Instead, we leave the doors open and I wait for one of the workers to come so I can steal their uniform while you get out of here. If anyone asks, I'm in the back of the truck making sure nothing breaks during the return trip." She outlines. "The extraction plan remains the same. I'll message Rebecca once I'm done or if I need evac and she'll be waiting for me on the east or west side of the port disguised as Huntress with the Daytona."
The tanned man nods, although clearly unhappy at the last minute change. "Fingers crossed." He says as he climbs into the driving seat. "And Aileen."
"Yeah?"
"Do try to come back in one piece. Please?"
She gives him a grin. "I'll try my damnest."
With a final nod, Wulfric drives out of the warehouse, Aileen watching the truck until it turns at a corner and disappears from sight.
"And now, we wait." She murmurs to herself.
It takes a couple hours until a worker comes checking, audibly grumbling about people not knowing how to follow simple instructions as he approaches the open gate. Thankfully it doesn't take as long for the man to lose consciousness once Aileen grabs him into a chokehold and out of sight of the cameras.
A quick change of clothes later and Aileen, now dressed in the worker's clothes, closes the door of warehouse fourteen with the bound, gagged and unconscious man still inside.
The vigilante takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. "Go time."
Moving at a sedate pace so as to not appear suspicious, she makes her way west. Just as Wulfric had said, she does arrive on the docks upon exiting the rows of containers and warehouses, with the lighthouse a very prominent figure in the scenery. On its sides are two other structures. One is a small cabin that, she assumes, is used by the keeper of the lighthouse while the other is a bigger office building.
"Hopefully things are still the way Wulfric remembers them. If not... I'll have to improvise."
As she approaches the door of the office, she takes note of the magnetic lock that requires anyone who wishes to enter to present a badge. Taking out the one she's 'borrowed' from the worker, she presents it to the scanner and smiles as the light turns green and the lock audibly disengages.
"Finally back, are you? You sure took your sweet time." A man say, seated in a chair with his back turned to her and munching on a bag of chips. "Well, at least I can finally go on br-mmph!"
Before he can completely rise from his seat, Aileen grabs him in a chokehold, giving him the same treatment that she gave his colleague earlier. Once he's unconscious, she binds and gags him before moving him in a corner.
"Now, let's see what we're dealing with." The young woman mutters as she turns to the two big screens showing multiple feeds from the cameras. It only takes a couple minutes of random key pushes on the keyboard before she figures out how to cycle between video feeds and from there she gets to work.
By the time she's gone through all the different feeds, she's narrowed it down to three different locations with 'out of order' cameras. Warehouses 9, 36, and 153. Looking at the map on the wall, she makes a quick copy of it on a blank sheet of paper, noting the positions of her three targets, and leaves the security room.
Once outside, Aileen darts for the closest warehouse and fishes out a coil of rope with a grappling hook on one end from her backpack. With a few spins, she throws it at the building's rooftop, tugging a couple times to make sure the hook is properly secure, and silently scales up the wall until she reaches the edge of the roof and climbs over it.
"For a region with freaking hoverbikes, snatch machines and what not, you'd think they'd have a real grappling gun or something." The vigilante mutters under her breath as she bundles her rappelling gear and puts it back into her backpack. Taking out her sketch of the port's map, she lays it on the roof with one hand while her other goes to her belt and unclips three of the pokeballs there.
Murkrow, Electrike and Growlithe appear in flashes of light. As has become usual, the bird immediately settles on her shoulder while the canines sit on their haunches, silently looking at her.
Aileen's lips quirk up.
"Alright you three, we have multiple points of interest to investigate tonight and we're on a schedule." She says, pointing at her crude map. "We're here, right in front of the lighthouse. Two of our targets, warehouses nine and thirty-six, are on the western side of the port while warehouse one fifty-three lies the farthest from us to the east." She goes on, her hand moving to each number circled in red representing the warehouses in turn. Her eyes look up to see both canines before her looking intently at the map. Good. "Ordinarily we would investigate them one by one but, the longer we take to do this, the more likely it is that the alarm will be raised or we'll be discovered.
So here's how we're going to do this. Murkrow, since you are our only flier I want you to take a look at the farthest warehouse, one fifty-three. Electrike, as the fastest you get warehouse nine. Growlithe, you get the closest to our current position, that being warehouse thirty-six. Use your senses. If you see, hear, smell or even feel something unusual, come back here. And if you're spotted or in trouble, then I want you to shoot an attack in the sky and run until you find me." She looks all three Pokemon in the eye. "Understood?"
They nod.
"Go."
Murkrow silently takes flight from her shoulder, heading east, while Growlithe and Electrike dash for the edge of the building, leaping onto the next roof. Aileen watches them go until they split, the electric type heading northwest with a shimmer of electricity running through his fur as he accelerates while the fire type continues forward at a more sedate pace.
"Let's hope it goes smoothly." The young woman thinks as she settles on the roof to wait. Opening her Pokenav, she checks the time. "Just a bit before three am. We still have some time before the sun rises."
With a soft exhale, Aileen casts her gaze across Gateon Port, listening attentively to thesounds of the night. Not so far, the tide is crashing against stone and concrete, the water level having risen with the moon. Closer, the wind makes the roofs of some buildings tremble, producing a soft but clear metallic sound. In the distance, she can faintly hear voices as security guards make their rounds.
It takes a while, almost half an hour, before the first Pokemon returns. Somewhat unsurprisingly, it is Murkrow, the dark-flying type making his presence known by landing yet again on her shoulder, feathers brushing against her head.
"Welcome back." Aileen says fondly, giving the bird's crest a couple scratches. "Did you find anything?" A shake of the head. "No? That's okay, let's wait for the other two."
About ten minutes later, a quiet bark comes from below and Aileen looks over the edge of the building to see Electrike looking back at her from ground level. It's a swift affair to return him to his pokeball and release him again. The Lightning Pokemon shakes his head a couple times, visibly disoriented by his quick entry and exit from the device.
"Welcome back. Any trouble?" She asks the canine, who shakes his head again. "Good. Did you find anything?" This time, Electrike tilts his head from side to side, looking unsure, and Aileen's brow furrows. "You're not sure?" Another tilt of the head, as if to say 'not quite'. "There's something, but you didn't recognize it?" A nod this time and Aileen put a hand to her chin, pondering. "Whatever it is Electrike detected doesn't seem to have agitated him. Yet, if there's something that felt unusual to his senses in warehouse nine, it might be worth to have a look."
"Good work." She praises the electric type, hand moving to scratch the top of his head before a spark of static electricity makes her draw back her hand with a quiet hiss. Electrike gives her an amused look and she rolls her eyes at him as she shakes the tingling appendage. "Just Growlithe left."
An hour has almost passed before the fire type returns.
And he's not alone. Behind him is a purple and pink lithe feline form that makes Aileen's eyes narrow. As the two Pokemon get closer and cross into a patch of moonlight, the vigilante recognizes it as a Delcatty.
A Delcatty who's fur looks far too shiny and clean to be a poached Pokemon.
Aileen feels the hair on her neck stand as her body tenses. "Something's wrong."
A curious sniff beside her makes her glance to Electrike, who seems to be smelling the air quite intently. Even in the dim light, the young woman can see his eyes darken as his gaze locks onto the Delcatty.
Almost like a dog who has smelled a female in heat.
Aileen has only begun to process the thought that a bark from below causes her to look back to Growlithe and his companion.
The Delcatty looks at her with an expression that reminds her of a cat that caught the canary for a second as sparks of electricity dance across its fur before it fires a bolt of lightning at her.
Aileen barely has the time to blink in surprise, even as she feels her body starting to react to the threat, in the moment it takes for the Thunderbolt to cross the distance between her and the Delcatty. Then the electric current suddenly veers off to the side as it is drawn to Electrike, who absorbs the electricity without a flinch.
Later, Aileen will thank whichever deity might hear her for the fact that Electrike has Lightning Rod as his ability instead of Static.
The disguised vigilante throws herself backwards and out of the line of fire with a loud curse, Murkrow letting out a cry as he leaps off her shoulder and fires a Night Shade down at the enemy Pokemon without her input.
"Not that it'll do anything. Delcatty's a normal type!" She remembers before shouting. "Electrike, Thunderbolt!"
The electric type doesn't react to her words.
With another curse, Aileen returns Electrike to his ball. Peeking out of cover, she also returns the equally unresponsive Growlithe while the Delcatty is distracted by Murkrow and whistles sharply for the bird to disengage as she runs for the next roof.
The quiet of the night, already disturbed by the commotion of their brief clash, is shattered by the sounds of raised voices and sirens resounding through Gateon Port. Things had just gone from bad to worse.
As she's running, Aileen glances down at the street below to see the Delcatty in pursuit and clicks her tongue in annoyance. She needs to loose the damn cat or else it'll lead the guards straight to her and that would be... problematic, to say the least.
"Also how the hell did it get both Electrike and Growlithe under its thrall?!" She wonders as she jumps onto another rooftop. "I didn't see or smell anything but there was definitely something in the air, judging by Electrike's reaction! Sweet Scent, perhaps? No, I definitely would've smelled that. What el-"
"Sonicboom!" A feminine voice shouts, cutting her train of thought.
It's purely instinct that causes Aileen to throw herself into a roll sideways as she hears the shout, two shockwaves slamming into the space she had occupied a second ago. Looking behind her, she swears under her breath. Two Magnetons are floating in the air on the other side of the roof, a guard hanging between them.
"End of the line, thief!" The woman exclaims. "Get on the ground and-"
"Haze!" Aileen barks and the rooftop is engulfed in darkness, courtesy of Murkrow. Ignoring the indignant shout from the guard, she books it. "Don't let up!" She adds as she jumps onto the next warehouse. More dark clouds start spreading across Gateon Port's rooftops, masking her escape as she makes a mad dash across three warehouses and jumps down, rolling upon hitting the ground to reduce the impact, before setting off again. While she's fairly confident she could handle the guards, fighting them here and now would serve no purpose bu waste time and energy.
"Gotta keep moving. But where to?" Aileen asks herself even as she continues to run, her mind scrambling for a way to salvage the situation.
A crackle of electricity from behind her cuts her thoughts short and she immediately drops to the ground, hair standing on ends as she feels another Thunderbolt rend the air above her and briefly illuminating the the entire street. Spinning around, Aileen barely has the time to take out a pokeball as the Delcatty, who evidently has kept pursuing her, pounces, claws gleaming in the dark with the white glow of a move.
A flash of light, followed by a sound not dissimilar to that of steel clashing against steel as Cubone intercepts the Delcatty's attack with her bone club, deflecting (albeit with some difficulty) the blow meant for Aileen into the wall.
The young woman cannot help but feel a short spike of fear as she beholds the deep gouges left in the material. If that had hit her...
"Fight now, deal with near-death experience later!" She scowls, standing up."Bone Club! Hit its legs!" She orders, even as she palms another pokeball. If they can just reduce that damn cat's mobility...!
Cubone rushes forward, club whistling through the air as she strikes. The Delcatty, however, nimbly jumps back, transforming what would've been a nasty hit into a glancing blow, and opens its mouth to shoot a sphere of water at Cubone. The Lonely Pokemon only has the time to raise her club in front of her defensively as the attack slams into her, which is probably the only thing that saves her from being instantly knocked out by the super-effective move. Barely conscious, the ground type slumps down, needing to lean on the bone to keep herself from falling completely.
Aileen grimaces, returning Cubone to her ball."First Thunderbolt and now Water Pulse? That thing's a menace. And it's strong."
As if it could read her thoughts, the Delcatty's expression seems to turn even smugger.
Making a snap decision, she throws two pokeballs forward. Poochyena materializes, hackles raised and already growling at the normal type, while Electrike shakes his head as if trying to clear cobwebs from his snout.
"Howl!" Aileen calls, deciding to forgo discretion and Poochyena does just that, filling the air with bloodlust. Interestingly enough, this seems to snap Electrike out of whatever is affecting him as his own howl joins Poochyena's. The Delcatty's smile slips ever so slightly. "Shadow Rush and Quick Spark! High and low!"
Poochyena bursts into action, a white shape with red eyes and wreathed in shadows lunging at her opponent with ferocity while Electrike's form becomes cloaked with lightning before he blurs forward, overtaking Poochyena and zipping around the Delcatty.
The Prim Pokemon hesitates for an instant. Then its body glows gold and it charges at Poochyena. Double-Edge and Shadow Rush clash, both Pokemon struggling to overpower the other before Electrike joins in, slamming into the Delcatty's side and breaking the stalemate. The Delcatty's focus breaks, if only for a split second, but that's enough for its Double-Edge to fade, allowing Poochyena's Shadow Rush to send it flying back.
"Thunderbolt and Bite!" Aileen orders, wanting to capitalize on the opportunity. But while Poochyena promptly obeys, rushing after the normal-type, Electrike doesn't show any reaction to her words, his eyes once more glazed as he stares at the Delcatty.
"Again?! What the heck is happening?!"
The electric-type's lack of action gives the Delcatty all the time it needs to recover and avoid Poochyena's fangs by jumping back. Performing a back-flip in the same movement, it slams its now metallic tail into the dark-type's chin, sending her reeling back.
"Well, if it worked once..." "Howl!"
A bloodlust filled cry pierces the air once more and Aileen sees it snapping Electrike back to his senses. The canine growls in clear frustration, sparks of electricity dancing across his fur as he glares at the Delcatty, who cocks its head curiously at him.
"What am I missing? Electrike and Growlithe were both affected but not Poochyena. Is it because she's a Shadow Pokemon?" She immediately dismisses the though. "No, that can't be it or Cubone would also have been affected. The only common factor here is that both Poochyena and Cubone are female while-" Aileen inhales sharply in realization, looking between Electrike and the Prim Pokemon.
"...Clever girl." She mutters under her breath, eyes narrowed at the female Delcatty. "Attract, huh? I forgot that move even existed."
The feline blinks innocently at her, smug smile still in place, before turning tail and running away, shooting a look at Aileen as she disappears around the corner.
The vigilante blinks in confusion at the sudden retreat of normal type. Had she not been trying to keep them in place until reinforcements arrived? Clearly she had not ran away because of whatever damage the Spark and Shadow Rush had inflicted. Unless she has orders to fall back if her sneaky use of Attract is seen through?
Aileen's musings are interrupted by the sounds of loud voices and steps getting closer. Swearing under her breath, she returns Poochyena and turns to Electrike. "Buddy, I'm counting on you and your nose to avoid any further trouble. Think you can do that for me?"
The Lightning Pokemon lets out an affirmative bark and they're off, Electrike easily keeping up with Aileen as they run.
"This whole scouting op is going FUBAR. I've lost the initiative of stealth along with the element of surprise and I'm reacting instead of being proactive. To top it all, I have to deal with the unknown variable that is that Delcatty and her trainer. Logically I should already have called in my evac and be heading for the closest extraction point." And yet, she hadn't. "But, if I leave now, I lose my opportunity at confirming if Aron is held here, perhaps even my only chance at rescuing her, and who knows how long it might take to get another lead. Dammit!"
Glancing above, she sees nothing but the roiling clouds of Haze spread by Murkrow. Hopefully the dark-flying type has managed to stay out of harm's way.
"First off, regroup with Murkrow and let things die down for a bit while I heal everyone. And for that, we need to get out of sight of the cameras. Which means..." Aileen's face twists into a displeased frown. "We're gonna have to hide in warehouse nine or thirty-six. This feels more and more like I'm being herded into the actual trap by the minute." Needless to say, she's not a fan. "Doesn't matter. I knew this was most likely a trap from the start. The real question is : what can I do about it?"
She fears the answer might be 'not much'.
The radio crackles to life. "Target is heading north-west. Should we pursue?"
A white piece on a chessboard is moved. "There is no need, she'll come to us. Just keep your distance and establish the perimeter as planned." He replies.
"Understood." The communication cuts off and a black piece on the chessboard is moved.
With the press of a key, he opens a new comm channel. "Venus, our person of interest is heading your way. I trust you are ready to receive her?"
"With all the distinction someone such as her deserves, my dear Ein." A sultry voice answers. "Will you be joining me?"
"Everything so far has gone according to my predictions. You should have no need of my assistance." He pushes his glasses up. "I shall observe from afar. Although, I would appreciate it if you didn't end it too quickly. I am, admittedly, curious to see how the failed subject performs in the hands of a somewhat capable individual."
"I was already going to play with them a little but, since you asked so nicely, I'll make it last a bit longer than I originally planned to." She giggles. "I'll see you later." She adds and the channel closes.
Ein looks at the chessboard. In the center of it is a lone white knight, surrounded by half a dozen black pawns while the black queen and a black bishop hang back, out of the knight's reach.
"'Come into my parlor', said the Galvantula to the Cutiefly." He hums, moving the black queen closer to the knight. "'For I have many curious things to shew when you are there.'"
My oh my, it would seem that our dear vigilante has bitten off more than she could chew this time. Anyway, that's a wrap for this 7th chapter.
As always, do leave a review, follow and/or favorite if this has caught your attention. I welcome constructive criticism but flames will be ignored.
Until next time!
This is MidnightFenrir, signing out.