Pokemon: 4 Years After
Chapter 8. Escape from New Rocket
"Ready Ash?"
"I was all ready before you opened the door," Ash looked serious and threw out his other pokeball.
"Puh!" The large trainer on the right grunted. He was very tall and wore a large sleeveless trench coat. He had a beard that went around his jaw line and up into his wild hair. He had very dark eyes as well.
"Ash, don't show him your pokemon!" Gary urged. Ash didn't flinch and walked into the battlefield with his game face on as Absol stood next to Heracross.
"What a rookie mistake! Huh Duo?" The skinnier trainer turned his head as he spoke. He was tall, like his partner, but not as bulky. His side burns flew up to the sides instead of normally trailing down his ears. He held a led pipe over his shoulder and had a cigarette in his mouth.
"Only an amateur throws out his pokemon first, Ace," the big trainer replied.
"So you think you can get passed us. Is that right?" Ace smiled widely looking at Ash.
"I've gotten through here before," Gary said out loud catching the pair's attention.
"Have you now?" Duo scoffed. "Not on our watch you haven't. New Rocket has beefed up. We'll be sure to take you out before you even get an inch of this door," Duo eyed over his shoulder and looked at the door behind him.
"New Rocket?" Ash mouthed to himself.
"What are you talking about! New Rocket? What's going on?" Gary demanded to know.
"You say you've been here before?" Ace asked.
"Yeah!" Gary shouted.
"Obviously that was before New Rocket was formed," Ace laughed. "You see Team Rocket's gotten a facelift in the past week. Security has been upgraded and most of all we scare the living hell out of anyone who tries to come near the base. There hasn't been fear like this since Madam Boss was alive!"
"Arghhh…bastards…traitors," Gary gritted his teeth in anger.
"The best have been hired to protect the base from unwanteds," Ace continued. "The only way you could know of this passage is if you had exact contact with the boss, but it seems that the higher ups have decided to leave the boss for dead. So if he was in any way shape or form close to you, then I'm sorry, but he no longer is welcome here!"
"What?" Gary shouted. Ash tried to catch up with what was going on. With everything Gary had told him about Team Rocket it was no trouble realizing that Gary had somehow gotten into the inside before and had become a spy. But with each of Gary's reactions Ash's doubt kept growing.
Duo smiled, "you see, with the exception of you, no one knows the identity of the boss but the two exec's, and as it seems the boss hasn't showed himself in a while. So without warning, the two executives have decided to make sure he doesn't come back. You get it now, Gary?"
"How do you know who I am?" He snapped back.
"We were told a lot about you. How you've been trying to foil Team Rocket's plans for years now. Well, we're the new security and we're here to make sure New Rocket stands forever!" Duo walked into the battlefield and raised a fist. Ash squinted his eyes as Duo plucked a pokeball from the side of his glove. It enlarged in the giant's hand.
"Hariteyama, go!" Duo threw out his pokeball and suddenly a Hariteyama appeared on the grounds in a flash. Ace smiled wickedly and threw his cigarette into the sewage then stepped into battlefield. He reached for his led pipe and snapped off a pokeball that had been connected to it.
"Go, Haunter!" He slung his pokeball forward and in a bright light out came a hovering Haunter.
Ash looked to the two pokemon and then recalled his Heracross from the scene. Ash looked back to Gary. He didn't have an emotion on his face at all, but instead just stood there, silent as the grave.
"Gary?" Ash called. Suddenly, Gary threw one side of the cloak over his shoulder and stepped forward. He grabbed for a pokeball on his belt and then held it close to his chest. He looked up at Ace and Duo then threw his pokeball out like someone would throw dice. With that last flash, the final pokemon was out and the battle was about to start. Gary's Aggron stood next to Ash's crouched Absol, as Ace's Haunter hovered aside Duo's Hariteyama.
"This is gonna be one hell of a battle," Duo smiled.
"You got that right…"Gary said calmly. He pointed towards Hariteyama. "Aggron, Metal Sound!" Aggron tilted its head back and then came forward with a screeching noise for a growl. Everyone including Ash covered their ears. Duo and Ace's pokemon's defenses lowered substantially.
"Errr! Hariteyama, Focus energy!" It stomped its feet like a sumo wrestler and then gave out a loud cry as it summoned up strength.
"Absol, Quick attack!" Ash guided his Absol to attack Hariteyama
"Haunter, Confuse Ray!" Ace shouted as soon as Absol took a few steps towards them. Haunter smiled wickedly and then shot out a flashing light that trailed. Absol tried to dodge, but it was already too late. The ray hit Absol dead on.
"Absol!" Ash called out. "Are you okay!" Absol shook its head but couldn't recover. It stood there trying to compose its self.
"Hariteyama, Mega Punch!" Duo saw his chance to take on Ash's pokemon. Hariteyama ran with its mighty weight towards Absol and the place shook with every step.
Gary turned to Aggron. "Use Metal claw!" Aggron looked back to the rushing Hariteyama and cocked back its right arm. The entire arm and fist reflected a few times as it charged upon the oncoming pokemon. It growled loudly as it threw out its fist towards Hariteyama.
"Dodge!" Duo shouted. Hariteyama saw the punch and stepped to the side, keeping its set course.
"Iron Tail!" Gary commanded right after. Aggron fixed its footing and swung its reflective steel tail behind Hariteyama's legs. The giant didn't expect the attack and it got swept off its feet.
"Arghh!" Duo cried out. "Get up!" At that second Absol shrieked out and then looked back to Ash.
"Haunter, Shadow Punch!" Ace pointed with his led pipe. Haunter flew directly behind Aggron and disappeared as it began to start its attack.
"Great!" Ash saw his rejuvenated pokemon stand. "Now, Absol, use bite on Haunter!" Absol nodded and began its run towards the attacking pokemon. Haunter's Shadow Punch attack let off a dark smoke and it gave away its position. Absol suddenly pounced into the air. Ace's eyes widened as Absol came outta nowhere and attacked his pokemon. Absol's jaws came down on Haunter hard and knocked it down to the ground. Absol landed gracefully and looked at rest of the battlefield.
"Aggron, Take down!"
"Haunter get up!" Ace shouted to his pokemon.
"Hariteyama, roll over and dodge!" Duo commanded. Aggron missed and hit the ground, creating a small crater. Hariteyama stood up and stared back to Aggron. Haunter tried getting up as Absol stood close by, watching its every move.
"I gotta admit. You guys are good," Duo stood up straight and closed his eyes. "But no matter what, we can't let you pass! Hariteyama, Mega Punch!" Duo commanded. It cocked its arm back and then hit Aggron hard in its steel gut. It wasn't very effective, but it did knock it down to its knees. "Now, Seismic toss!" Hariteyama grabbed Aggron and held him over his head.
"No! Get out of it Aggron, Metal Sound!" Aggron screeched out its metallic sound, but Hariteyama still was able to jump high into the air. Absol was about to go help but before it moved Haunter reached over and grabbed its leg.
"You aren't going anywhere!" Ace shouted. "Ash Ketchum, it's over."
"Wait, how do you know who I am?" Ash was confused.
"Do you think we're really that stupid? Of course we know who you are. The exec's, Jessie and James have specifically asked for your demise if you ever were to show up."
"They never learn…" Ash trailed off.
"Haunter, lick!" Ace shouted.
Gary looked high in the air as his pokemon couldn't escape from the attack.
"Absol, Perish song!" Absol hung upside down under Haunter's grasp and let out a loud eerie shriek. Haunter growled and let go of Absol. In mid-air Hariteyama's eyes squinted as he tried to keep his grip on Aggron's metallic body as he heard Absol's unbearable song.
"Endure!" Duo yelled out. Hariteyama let go of Aggron and braced itself for Absol's attack.
"No!" Ace grunted as his Haunter took the attack right in his face.
"What are you doing!" Gary looked to Ash.
Ash turned to Gary and said calmly, "winning this round." Gary's Aggron fell hard to the ground below and caused the waters surrounding the battlefield to splash all around. The place shook violently, but with Haunter still heavily damaged from the bite attack, and hearing perish song, Ash gave Absol another command in all the confusion. "Use slash and finish it off!" Absol looked back at the fallen Haunter and let out a loud cry. Absol then started running towards Haunter and cut across its body. It was knocked back hard.
"C'mon Haunter, get up! It's not over yet!" Ace tried to coach his pokemon to continue but it was indeed over. Haunter breathed heavily, fell to the ground, and passed out.
"Haunter!" Ace cried out and looked up to Ash.
"We won't lose," Ash told him.
Hariteyama fell down to the ground and another quake shook the fighting stage.
"Errr, Haunter return!" Ace's pokemon was lifeless on the ground before it retreated back to its pokeball. Ash's Absol looked over to the two giant pokemon who were at a standoff.
"You can't beat me!" Duo yelled out with his arms folded.
"I don't have to beat you to win," Gary told him.
"What do you mean?" Duo squinted his eyes, looking confused.
"I'm not sure if you know, but Endure will only prolong your pokemon's defeat. Perish song has left a ticking clock on all our pokemon's energy. Whether or not you like it or not, this round is over," Gary grinned and looked over to Ash.
Duo gritted his teeth, "this isn't over! Hariteyama, run across the field and take care of his Aggron. Mega Punch!" Hariteyama nodded and began to stomp its way to the other side of the field. Gary smiled and took out a pokeball in his hand. As Hariteyama was about to make contact Gary withdrew his pokemon and summoned it back into its pokeball.
"You coward!" Duo yelled out.
"NO! Look at your pokemon," Gary told him. Duo turned back to his attacking pokemon and saw it beginning to lose control of its weight. It lost its balance and fell hard to the ground and passed out.
"That's the effect of Perish Song," Ash explained. "Any pokemon who hears the perish song will lose all its energy and pass out after a few minutes. That even includes the pokemon who even sang the song." He smiled heroically since he was the one who planned the small win. Ash knew they were soon going to get through, but yet he couldn't help worry about Misty and where she might be.
"Absol, you did a good job but you deserve a rest," Ash said as he recalled. He took out another pokeball and held it in his hand tightly. He looked up at his opponents and enlarged the pokeball. "Let's start the second round!"