Chapter 24
Winona and Lucia lay on the beach, in the shade of the cliff faces, dressed in their
bathing suits with towels stretched over their legs…their pokémon frolicked in the sea,
chasing the waves tumbling back over themselves, the atmosphere serene and relaxed on
the whole. Staryu floated in the shallows, Espeon and Pelipper chasing each other around,
splashing vigorously, Plusle and Minun sitting side by side, watching Pidgey circle above
Gulpin, the tiny poison pokémon breathing heavily under the harsh rays of the sun.
Graveler sat to the side, curled into a ball, leaning against the rocky debris at the foot of
the cliffs.
"This is bliss!" sighed Winona, shifting her body onto her side, her long purple hair un-
tied, flopping over her tanning shoulders, glossy from sun-lotion. She rested her head on
one hand, the arm bent, supporting itself on the mat beneath her. She adjusted the small
sunglasses resting on her nose, before continuing talking to Lucia. "I haven't been to a
beach for years…this is such as nice change from the Gym."
"That reminds me," Lucia responded, wrapping her long brown hair back into a pigtail.
She slipped baggy, sleeveless white shirt on, to protect herself from the sun. "You said
you'd changed your pokémon back in Fortree while Setijin and I surfed here…what else
did you bring other than Pidgey?" Winona smiled, turning over to pick out two pokéballs
from her bag. She stood up, Lucia following as Winona released the two pokéballs.
"Oddish," the first pokémon squeaked.
"Natu," the second one chirped.
"My two newest pets, Oddish and Natu," she explained. "I caught these two about 2
weeks ago in the Safari Zone."
"They're both so adorable!" Lucia beamed, kneeling down next to the two timid
pokémon, holding out her hand to pat them on their heads. Both immediately bolted
backwards, taking cover behind Winona's bag.
"They're both very shy too," Winona sighed, nudging the bag out of the way, picking the
two pokémon up in her arms. Oddish and Natu shuffled, nestling comfortable against her
chest as she walked back over to Lucia, who proceeded to gently pet them. "I was
walking around, watching all of the pokémon in such a natural state, and I saw these two
playing…I just fell in love with them!" Natu chirped as Lucia fed it a tiny pink
pokéblock, handing a second one to the Oddish.
"I've seen a Xatu before: the evolution of Natu," Lucia discussed. "It was very
mysterious, and almost creepy to an extent, but it was so magnificent in battle. As for
Oddish, what are you going to evolve it into, a Bellosom or a Vileplume?"
"I haven't decided yet. Both are as cute as this little one. I'll just have to wait and see if it
wants to evolve or not." As she finished, the two turned to look out to see, as Staryu flew
high into the sky, falling heavily onto the ground. In its place in the waters sat a pair of
Sharpedo, watching malignantly, reveling in their last victim. Lucia ran over to comfort
her injured Staryu, Winona placing Oddish and Natu onto the floor. She ran forward, to
the shoreline, calling her pokémon to order. Lucia followed, Staryu in her arms, ordering
her Plusle and Minun to the front, Gulpin rolling in alongside them.
"Plusle. Minun. Use thunder shock!" Lucia ordered, the two mice sparking the water,
causing the shark pokémon to flinch, swimming backwards before submerging. The
group watched as bubbles rose to the surface, the first shark leaping out, tackling Plusle
to the ground. The second followed, flooring Minun. Gulpin unleashed its toxic spores,
the water creatures slithering their way back into the sea.
"Oddish, use Mega drain!" Winona called, Oddish waddling forwards, bubbles of energy
forming around the pair of Sharpedo. The bubbles compacted, injuring them, the energy
dragged back into Oddish's leaves, shimmering with the new power. The Sharpedo swam
away desperately, the group cheering and congratulating Oddish, while caring for Staryu
and Plusle and Minun.
"Are they all ok?" Winona inquired. Lucia leant back from the mice, nodding.
"Just a little bump. I'll run them over to the pokémon center on a minute."
"Natu! Natu!" the tiny bird chirped.
"Ok, just a second," Winona replied, Natu chirping more frantically. Very quickly
Espeon copied, followed by Graveler. Finally as Pelipper and Pidgey started calling as
well, the two girls turned, gasping at the vision that lay before them. In the shallows
floated no less that 2-dozen Sharpedo, all staying still, staring coldly at the group. The
pokémon backed away in fear, intimidated by the vicious looking pokémon.
"I can't say this looks like a good situation," commented Lucia, turning to Winona.
"Not really, no," she replied. "Ok, Oddish, stun spore them!" she ordered. Oddish
shuddered in terror, squealing as it released its spores, before stopping and running back
behind Winona's legs. The few spores it did release showered down on the front two
Sharpedo, causing them to shiver and swim away. The pack rearranged itself, two more
Sharpedo assuming the positions of the previous pair.
"Perhaps this wont be too much of a problem," Lucia grinned, Gulpin and Espeon taking
the front line of assault, Espeon unleashing a swift flurry of tiny stars, ripping through the
line of sharks in front of her. The group split, Gulpin attacking random pockets with well-
aimed balls of poisonous sludge.
"Pidgey, Pelipper. Use whirlwind!" Winona called, the two birds swooping forwards,
beating their wings heavily, whipping up a small tornado, the water at its base flicking
up, funneling around the currents of the wind. Nearby Sharpedo flailing desperately as
they became dragged into the attack, blasting out of the top, splashing back into the sea
far off into the distance. 6 Sharpedo remained, all still watching the group intensely.
"IF anything, this is sort of fun!" Lucia chuckled, ordering Gulpin forward once more. It
repeated its name, stunned as the remaining Sharpedo hopped out of the water, firing
powerful streams of water at their opponents. Gulpin, Espeon, Pidgey, Pelipper, Graveler,
and Oddish were all blasted backwards with the almighty Hydro Pump technique. The
girls swept around to the aid of their pokémon, Natu hopping forward to the waters
edged. It chirped as it stared back at the sharks, lifelessly. The pokémon waited, and
waited, Sharpedo intimidating, Natu concentrating.
It's eyes closed as the first Sharpedo attacked, leaping forward like before, bearing its
many teeth. As it descended towards Natu, the bird whistled, Sharpedo stopping in mid
air, hanging perfectly still. It tried to wriggle free from whatever was binding it, only to
be thrown far back into the water. The other Sharpedo watched in confusion, the
remarkably innocent Natu still sitting dormant. A second Sharpedo leapt up, launching
another Hydro Pump round towards its adversary, the blast bending and warping, quickly
turning back over and in on itself, altering its course, heading straight back towards the
shark. The barrage of water dove straight down on top of Sharpedo, pushing it down
below the waves, a huge spray of sea curling up into the sky, the last 4 Sharpedo looking
all the more scared than before.
"Natu," the bird reiterated calmly, the fear overrunning the sharks, swimming away
frantically. Natu chirped victoriously, hopping back towards Winona and Lucia, who
were now returning their pokémon to their respective pokéballs. Winona turned around
upon hearing Natu's cheers, looking around for the Sharpedo.
"Odd. Where did they all go?"
"Natu. Natu!" it happily harped.
"You? …Really?" she asked it, with a hint of shock hanging on her voice.
"Tu!" Winona smiled, picking up the tiny bird, sweetly hugging it, before resting it on
her shoulder.
"From now on, you get to ride up front!" she joked, returning to her bag, placing her
pokéballs inside. Lucia followed, slinging her bag over her shoulder, brushing the sand
off of her legs, and rolling up her towel, tucking it under her arm.
"Off to the pokémon center then," she said, the pair making their way up the stairs back
into Mossdeep town. As they left the beach, the silhouette of Setijin and Swellow
forming up in the clouds, quickly growing bigger as they spiraled down, Swellow's
magnificent wing beats kicking up heaps of sand as it slowed for its landing. Setijin
hopped off, returning Swellow to its pokéball, trying to shake the sand particles gathering
in his trainers.
"Now, where are they then?" he asked himself, heading towards the steps the girls had
just climbed.
"Sir, we've just had reports of a defeated Rocket on the outskirts of Mahogany Town,"
the Rocket Admin explained. The boss sat at his desk again, leaning backwards into his
leather seat back, creaking under his weight as he twiddled his thumbs.
"And?"
"The Rockets 'enhanced' pokémon was apparently very unstable when battling. It failed
to execute any attacks, and was said to be unable to contain its strength."
"Do continue."
"Finally, once the pokémon had been defeated…" the admin paused nervously, "the
pokémon somehow de-evolved, much like the rocket's Cyndaquil in the Gym incident a
few days ago."
"How interesting. Was anything else reported?" the boss asked, sitting forward, folding
his arms on his desk. The admin stepped backwards uncomfortably.
"Only that the energy from the induced evolution seemed to be absorbed by the special
pokéballs you issued us with."
"Very well. Tell the fellow admins that 'Research and Development' are looking into it
now." With this, he shooed the Admin out of his office, grabbing the receiver on his
phone, punching in a combination of numbers on the keypad. He held the receiver to his
ear, smiling sinisterly.
"It's working," he sneered.
"What is? The balls?" the scientist on the other end replied.
"Yes. Perfectly by the sounds of field reports. Keep working on things while I wait for
more information. But if things keep going as they have, we should have no trouble."
"Let's just hope that our machines can take it."
"Yes. You should hope they do."
"…"
"Anyway, prepare the observation rooms. I'm coming down now."
"Right away sir." The Boss placed the phone back on his desk, stretching out of his chair.
"It's all falling into place…with just a little more effort from the Leagues and Gyms, and
a few more incompetent Rockets, and everything will be ready. The world will writhe in
fear as I make them feel what they made me and my father feel." He laughed almost
insanely to himself; huskily coughing his throat clears, stepping out of his room,
slamming his door behind him, a small Polaroid picture of Giovanni, the previous leader
of the rockets sweeping off of his desk, floating jaggedly to the floor.
Winona and Lucia lay on the beach, in the shade of the cliff faces, dressed in their
bathing suits with towels stretched over their legs…their pokémon frolicked in the sea,
chasing the waves tumbling back over themselves, the atmosphere serene and relaxed on
the whole. Staryu floated in the shallows, Espeon and Pelipper chasing each other around,
splashing vigorously, Plusle and Minun sitting side by side, watching Pidgey circle above
Gulpin, the tiny poison pokémon breathing heavily under the harsh rays of the sun.
Graveler sat to the side, curled into a ball, leaning against the rocky debris at the foot of
the cliffs.
"This is bliss!" sighed Winona, shifting her body onto her side, her long purple hair un-
tied, flopping over her tanning shoulders, glossy from sun-lotion. She rested her head on
one hand, the arm bent, supporting itself on the mat beneath her. She adjusted the small
sunglasses resting on her nose, before continuing talking to Lucia. "I haven't been to a
beach for years…this is such as nice change from the Gym."
"That reminds me," Lucia responded, wrapping her long brown hair back into a pigtail.
She slipped baggy, sleeveless white shirt on, to protect herself from the sun. "You said
you'd changed your pokémon back in Fortree while Setijin and I surfed here…what else
did you bring other than Pidgey?" Winona smiled, turning over to pick out two pokéballs
from her bag. She stood up, Lucia following as Winona released the two pokéballs.
"Oddish," the first pokémon squeaked.
"Natu," the second one chirped.
"My two newest pets, Oddish and Natu," she explained. "I caught these two about 2
weeks ago in the Safari Zone."
"They're both so adorable!" Lucia beamed, kneeling down next to the two timid
pokémon, holding out her hand to pat them on their heads. Both immediately bolted
backwards, taking cover behind Winona's bag.
"They're both very shy too," Winona sighed, nudging the bag out of the way, picking the
two pokémon up in her arms. Oddish and Natu shuffled, nestling comfortable against her
chest as she walked back over to Lucia, who proceeded to gently pet them. "I was
walking around, watching all of the pokémon in such a natural state, and I saw these two
playing…I just fell in love with them!" Natu chirped as Lucia fed it a tiny pink
pokéblock, handing a second one to the Oddish.
"I've seen a Xatu before: the evolution of Natu," Lucia discussed. "It was very
mysterious, and almost creepy to an extent, but it was so magnificent in battle. As for
Oddish, what are you going to evolve it into, a Bellosom or a Vileplume?"
"I haven't decided yet. Both are as cute as this little one. I'll just have to wait and see if it
wants to evolve or not." As she finished, the two turned to look out to see, as Staryu flew
high into the sky, falling heavily onto the ground. In its place in the waters sat a pair of
Sharpedo, watching malignantly, reveling in their last victim. Lucia ran over to comfort
her injured Staryu, Winona placing Oddish and Natu onto the floor. She ran forward, to
the shoreline, calling her pokémon to order. Lucia followed, Staryu in her arms, ordering
her Plusle and Minun to the front, Gulpin rolling in alongside them.
"Plusle. Minun. Use thunder shock!" Lucia ordered, the two mice sparking the water,
causing the shark pokémon to flinch, swimming backwards before submerging. The
group watched as bubbles rose to the surface, the first shark leaping out, tackling Plusle
to the ground. The second followed, flooring Minun. Gulpin unleashed its toxic spores,
the water creatures slithering their way back into the sea.
"Oddish, use Mega drain!" Winona called, Oddish waddling forwards, bubbles of energy
forming around the pair of Sharpedo. The bubbles compacted, injuring them, the energy
dragged back into Oddish's leaves, shimmering with the new power. The Sharpedo swam
away desperately, the group cheering and congratulating Oddish, while caring for Staryu
and Plusle and Minun.
"Are they all ok?" Winona inquired. Lucia leant back from the mice, nodding.
"Just a little bump. I'll run them over to the pokémon center on a minute."
"Natu! Natu!" the tiny bird chirped.
"Ok, just a second," Winona replied, Natu chirping more frantically. Very quickly
Espeon copied, followed by Graveler. Finally as Pelipper and Pidgey started calling as
well, the two girls turned, gasping at the vision that lay before them. In the shallows
floated no less that 2-dozen Sharpedo, all staying still, staring coldly at the group. The
pokémon backed away in fear, intimidated by the vicious looking pokémon.
"I can't say this looks like a good situation," commented Lucia, turning to Winona.
"Not really, no," she replied. "Ok, Oddish, stun spore them!" she ordered. Oddish
shuddered in terror, squealing as it released its spores, before stopping and running back
behind Winona's legs. The few spores it did release showered down on the front two
Sharpedo, causing them to shiver and swim away. The pack rearranged itself, two more
Sharpedo assuming the positions of the previous pair.
"Perhaps this wont be too much of a problem," Lucia grinned, Gulpin and Espeon taking
the front line of assault, Espeon unleashing a swift flurry of tiny stars, ripping through the
line of sharks in front of her. The group split, Gulpin attacking random pockets with well-
aimed balls of poisonous sludge.
"Pidgey, Pelipper. Use whirlwind!" Winona called, the two birds swooping forwards,
beating their wings heavily, whipping up a small tornado, the water at its base flicking
up, funneling around the currents of the wind. Nearby Sharpedo flailing desperately as
they became dragged into the attack, blasting out of the top, splashing back into the sea
far off into the distance. 6 Sharpedo remained, all still watching the group intensely.
"IF anything, this is sort of fun!" Lucia chuckled, ordering Gulpin forward once more. It
repeated its name, stunned as the remaining Sharpedo hopped out of the water, firing
powerful streams of water at their opponents. Gulpin, Espeon, Pidgey, Pelipper, Graveler,
and Oddish were all blasted backwards with the almighty Hydro Pump technique. The
girls swept around to the aid of their pokémon, Natu hopping forward to the waters
edged. It chirped as it stared back at the sharks, lifelessly. The pokémon waited, and
waited, Sharpedo intimidating, Natu concentrating.
It's eyes closed as the first Sharpedo attacked, leaping forward like before, bearing its
many teeth. As it descended towards Natu, the bird whistled, Sharpedo stopping in mid
air, hanging perfectly still. It tried to wriggle free from whatever was binding it, only to
be thrown far back into the water. The other Sharpedo watched in confusion, the
remarkably innocent Natu still sitting dormant. A second Sharpedo leapt up, launching
another Hydro Pump round towards its adversary, the blast bending and warping, quickly
turning back over and in on itself, altering its course, heading straight back towards the
shark. The barrage of water dove straight down on top of Sharpedo, pushing it down
below the waves, a huge spray of sea curling up into the sky, the last 4 Sharpedo looking
all the more scared than before.
"Natu," the bird reiterated calmly, the fear overrunning the sharks, swimming away
frantically. Natu chirped victoriously, hopping back towards Winona and Lucia, who
were now returning their pokémon to their respective pokéballs. Winona turned around
upon hearing Natu's cheers, looking around for the Sharpedo.
"Odd. Where did they all go?"
"Natu. Natu!" it happily harped.
"You? …Really?" she asked it, with a hint of shock hanging on her voice.
"Tu!" Winona smiled, picking up the tiny bird, sweetly hugging it, before resting it on
her shoulder.
"From now on, you get to ride up front!" she joked, returning to her bag, placing her
pokéballs inside. Lucia followed, slinging her bag over her shoulder, brushing the sand
off of her legs, and rolling up her towel, tucking it under her arm.
"Off to the pokémon center then," she said, the pair making their way up the stairs back
into Mossdeep town. As they left the beach, the silhouette of Setijin and Swellow
forming up in the clouds, quickly growing bigger as they spiraled down, Swellow's
magnificent wing beats kicking up heaps of sand as it slowed for its landing. Setijin
hopped off, returning Swellow to its pokéball, trying to shake the sand particles gathering
in his trainers.
"Now, where are they then?" he asked himself, heading towards the steps the girls had
just climbed.
"Sir, we've just had reports of a defeated Rocket on the outskirts of Mahogany Town,"
the Rocket Admin explained. The boss sat at his desk again, leaning backwards into his
leather seat back, creaking under his weight as he twiddled his thumbs.
"And?"
"The Rockets 'enhanced' pokémon was apparently very unstable when battling. It failed
to execute any attacks, and was said to be unable to contain its strength."
"Do continue."
"Finally, once the pokémon had been defeated…" the admin paused nervously, "the
pokémon somehow de-evolved, much like the rocket's Cyndaquil in the Gym incident a
few days ago."
"How interesting. Was anything else reported?" the boss asked, sitting forward, folding
his arms on his desk. The admin stepped backwards uncomfortably.
"Only that the energy from the induced evolution seemed to be absorbed by the special
pokéballs you issued us with."
"Very well. Tell the fellow admins that 'Research and Development' are looking into it
now." With this, he shooed the Admin out of his office, grabbing the receiver on his
phone, punching in a combination of numbers on the keypad. He held the receiver to his
ear, smiling sinisterly.
"It's working," he sneered.
"What is? The balls?" the scientist on the other end replied.
"Yes. Perfectly by the sounds of field reports. Keep working on things while I wait for
more information. But if things keep going as they have, we should have no trouble."
"Let's just hope that our machines can take it."
"Yes. You should hope they do."
"…"
"Anyway, prepare the observation rooms. I'm coming down now."
"Right away sir." The Boss placed the phone back on his desk, stretching out of his chair.
"It's all falling into place…with just a little more effort from the Leagues and Gyms, and
a few more incompetent Rockets, and everything will be ready. The world will writhe in
fear as I make them feel what they made me and my father feel." He laughed almost
insanely to himself; huskily coughing his throat clears, stepping out of his room,
slamming his door behind him, a small Polaroid picture of Giovanni, the previous leader
of the rockets sweeping off of his desk, floating jaggedly to the floor.