Well if a high risk, dangerous situation is inevitable, I may as well try to turn the tides in our favor and hope Ho-Oh looks on us fondly. First of all, the standoff needs to end. I need room to think. So I use the most effective tactic available to me in the moment.
I knee him in the groin.
While I'm not normally a fan of dirty tactics like this there are times where they're worth using. And it's plenty effective as my target drops to the floor almost immediately. The Mawile springs into action soon after, about to try and crush my leg in her jaws. Thunder is thankfully fast in stopping her with a well timed electric bolt. Now with a moment to act I quickly unload the gun, making sure to remember the chambered bullet as well, and lobbing it to the other side of the apartment. I turn my attention back to my adversary and deliver a right hook to his jaw, swiftly knocking him out. My hand stings like crazy after the hit. Never considered that I'd feel a punch just as hard as the one receiving it.
Betty has since joined the fray. She and Thunder are effectively keeping the Mawile pinned down. I watch for a moment where I can assist. Soon an opening appears and I grab hold of the mouth's "neck" and send her hurtling across the room and into the far wall. A final bolt from Thunder ends the fight, leaving the four of us alone in the apartment. At least for now.
"We need to hurry." I urge. "I doubt he came alone."
"More!? I- I need to get some things first!"
"We don't have time! We need-"
"It's important!" She disappears behind the bedroom door for a minute before reappearing with a pokeball and a flash drive. Looks like she's probably been doing some research of her own; at least it seems that way. Considering her husband is missing I'm not that surprised. She holds the ball out to Betty who quickly touches the button and is pulled in. "Alright. I'm ready. Let's go."
I scoop up Thunder and rush out the door and into the hall with Mrs. Fuji close behind. I turn a corner and run face first into someone. The both of us fall to the ground. It takes me a moment to register who it was I hit. But when it comes it comes fast. It's another Rocket member. I quickly scramble to my feet as they realize who I am. By the time they're on their feet, I'm already running. Mrs. Fuji takes the hint and heads the other way as well.
I set Thunder on my shoulder. He quickly turns around and starts firing electric pot shots at our pursuer. I hear the sound of an opening pokeball behind me. The last thing we need right now is a pokemon joining the chase.
"Thunder, who'd he send out?" I say to my friend.
"A Yanmega. And they're gaining fast."
"Are you talking to your Pikachu!?" Fuji yells back to me. Not this again...
"Long story. Not a good time."
We pass by her apartment door, or what's left of it, and continue onward, only to be confronted with another Rocket goon on the other end of the hallway. They have us pinned.
"Frick!" I yell, skidding to a stop. "Back inside!" I dash into the doorway followed shortly by Fuji. An open archway won't keep them out so we need another option. "Bedroom! Into the bedroom!" We all quickly pile into the room. I slam the door shut and start to push a nearby dresser to try and blockade it. Looking around I spot a window to the outside. A very dangerous way out. Or maybe... maybe a good way in.
"Please tell me you have a plan to get out of here."
"Working on it..."
"I need more than just 'working on it!' Rocket is going to kill us!"
"Working on it means I'm about to put it into motion. It's going to take a minute so please try not to panic." I reach out through my dormant psychic link with Mewtwo, opening it up and quickly establishing contact.
Mewtwo! We're in trouble here! Rocket's found us!
The sense of fear and panic in them is strong, even through the link.
Rocket found you!? I... I am on my way! Try to hold out for a few minutes.
We'll do our best. I keep the connection open just in case and turn to Fuji. "Help is coming. We just need to stall for a few minutes."
"Wh- What is wrong with you!? Who!? How do they know!?"
"Again, no time to explain. I need you to trust me." I turn to Thunder. "Mewtwo's a few minutes out. We need to buy some time."
"Alright. Let me up on you. I can't see over the barricade." I nod and quickly grab him and set him on my shoulder. He stands ready, cheeks sparking in nervous anticipation.
"You're going to get us both killed..." Fuji sighs. Something slams into the door, catching us all by surprise. She stifles a yelp of fear as best she can.
"Not really any other options that I can see."
"I..." She pauses. "You better know what you're doing..." Honestly I hope so too...
I hear the sound of another pokeball opening on the other side of the door. A few seconds of tense silence pass. Without warning the Yanmega's legs pierce through the wooden door and rip it off its hinges, revealing two armed Rocket goons, the Yanmega and a Flygon.
"Oh crap..." Thunder mutters mere moments before a sandstorm envelops the entire room. The stinging sand is blinding. I've experienced sandstorms as a grass-type pokemon before. The experience as a normal human is significantly worse. The only indication of where our enemies are is the melodic sound of the flygon's wings, calling out like a singing voice in the storm.
"Electro Ball! There!" I point in the direction of the noise.
"It won't be very effective!" Thunder replies.
"Better slightly effective than nothing!" He nods and unleashes his attack The effect isn't much, but it's enough to stun them and pause the sandstorm. With a chance now to make a move I rush the goons. I ram into one of them and try and grab their gun. Unlike the first guy, however, he holds tight to the weapon. The two of us fight to wrestle the gun out of the grip of the other. I try and put my opponent between me and the rest of the group in an attempt at some breathing room.
A quick glimpse of the rest of the fight tells me that Thunder is holding ground against the Yanmega while Betty, having been re-released from her ball, is keeping the Flygon busy. Fuji and the other rocket thug appear to be holding back, likely not wanting to get caught up in the chaos of a pokemon battle. Meanwhile my opponent is starting to throw punches. One connects with my lower jaw and nearly makes me let go of the gun. I try and return the favor to limited success.
He manages to get another good hit on me after a while, this time succeeding in getting me to let go. I stagger backwards, reeling from the pain, only to look up at him and see the gun aimed squarely at my face.
Suddenly a wave of electric energy washes over the both of us. Immediately my body tenses up involuntarily. Nearly every muscle of my body contracts painfully like a full-body cramp. All I can move is my eyes to look around.
"Ah! No!" Thunder yells. He must've been aiming for the thug with that thunder wave but hit me as well by mistake. "I didn't mean-" He is interrupted as the Flygon takes him down with sand tomb. Betty falls soon after leaving only Fuji.
While the two pokemon keep her pinned down the remaining Rocket goon takes a paralyze heal from his bag and sprays down his partner, who quickly regains the ability to move. He keeps the gun trained on me as they spray some of it on me as well. The relief of being able to move again is hampered by the situation of being held at gunpoint with no way to fight back.
They approach me and quickly swipe their pistol across my face before backing up. "After the stunt you pulled you deserve a lot worse than that. But the boss still wants you alive. Hands behind your head. Now."
"Lucky me." I mumble while following his orders. Mewtwo, things have gone sideways. We need you here now.
I can see the city now. hold out for a little while longer. Their psyche slips into my head briefly. They start taking glances through my eyes, looking at my memories of the path I took to the appartment. They're trying to figure out where exactly we are.
The thug pulls a strange-looking pokeball out of his pocket. The red top half has been removed revealing the segmented metal plating underneath pock marked with globs of solder. It's been modified. One of those illegal mods. He presses the button and points it at Thunder.
"Oh no..." He whines. "Not again... please!" His protests are quickly silenced as the ball pulls him in and snaps shut. He pulls out another one and does the same for Betty. I so desperately want to help. But any sudden action would simply end with me having a hole in my skull.
"What about her?" The guy with the gun asks, gesturing to Fuji.
"She's a loose end that should've been cut weeks ago. I think it's time we take that initiative. Flygon, kill."
"Yes Master." The Flygon replies. He approaches Fuji with claws bared and starts backing her into a corner.
"Flygon! Stop!" I yell. "You don't have to do this!"
They pause for a moment, glaring at me with surprise. "You know pokespeak?"
"Flygon! Ignore him! Kill!" The Rocket thug urges.
"I... I'm sorry. I have to obey my master."
"Please." I beg. "Don't do this." Flygon turns away and continues his approach towards the terrified woman. As he readies to rake his claws across her throat I turn away, not wanting to witness what comes next. What I hear next isn't the sound of keratin on flesh and the dropping of a body, but instead the sound of something crashing through wood, screams of surprise and the breaking of a window. I open my eyes to the sight of Mewtwo having blasted Flygon clear through the wall of the apartment and right into the next. Right into a living room filled with frightened people.
Before I get a chance to speak the Rocket members open fire on us. No bullet connects with their target; the lead projectiles are psychically suspended in front of Mewtwo, Fuji and I before immediately clattering on the ground.
"Yanmega! Bug bi-" The command is cut short as Mewtwo Takes hold of his neck with psychic before doing the same with the other. Two loud cracks silence their desperate gasps before they fall to the ground lifelessly. The sound makes me wince. Not how I would've liked that situation to resolve.
"Master!" The Yanmega screams. The pokemon rushes to one of the fallen men. "No, no! Get up! We need to finish the mission! You can't be dead! You can't..." The Flygon rushes out of the hole in the wall and looks on the deadly scene with horror.
"They're... They're gone..." Tears glisten behind the read covers of his eyes. He rushes to the side of the other body before breaking down into tears.
"I am going to guess we're going to have a discussion about my methods when we get back." Mewtwo says with barely any shame. If I had to guess, it's shame of my disappointment and not of the pain inflicted. Even with their new emotions they still lack empathy.
"...Yeah. But for now," I pick up the two modded balls and release their occupants. "We should leave."
"Ugh..." Thunder moans. "That was somehow even worse than the first time."
I turn to Fuji. "We should go. Rocket will just keep coming."
Her eyes are not on me, however, but locked on Mewtwo. "It just... It barely did anything and now they're...
"They're an ally. A bit ruthless, but an ally nonetheless. Now come on!"
Before she can reply a piercing buzz roars through the room, Bringing all of us to our knees in pain. Even Mewtwo is succumbing to it. Yanmega has turned back towards us, his compound eyes burning with an unfettered fury. He must've hit us with bug buzz.
"You... you murderers!" He screams. Flygon turns and faces us as well with the same burning rage. "I am going to tear the flesh off your bones!"