Chapter 22: The Ruthless Pokemon Hunter J
Swarms of people surrounded the fallen legendary lightning pokemon, wanting to get even the tiniest glimpse of the electric tiger. Some police had to push them out of the way in order to let the Nurse Joys and the chanseys to get Raikou into the Pokemon Center. Thankfully, the crowds didn't get out of hand, so there were no arrests or beatings. Still, most of the cops would be on the lookout for J, whereas others were already in pursuit. However, the crowd wanting to see Raikou didn't stop just outside. Most of the trainers barged into the Pokemon Center. One nurse and two chanseys guarded a door like security guards, rigid and unmoving.
Julia and the others sat on a nearby bench, watching the fiasco unfold. But Hikaru was lost in her mind, and everyone knew it, along with why. Just when she saw her beloved father again, J, the woman who attempted to kidnap him before, had once again tried her hand at seizing him. Now he was hurt. Hikaru could only hope his injuries weren't fatal. It didn't stop the tears from flowing. Hikaru held her tiny paws to her eyes, hoping to stop the tears. But they were relentless and refused to stop. Julia's heart went out to her little friend. But what could she do? Raikou was hurt, J was on the run, and she knew she couldn't make Hikaru's pain go away.
All she could do was just be there for her. She knew that much. Julia stroke her friend's soft, furry head with her hand and whispered, "Don't worry, Hikaru. Raikou will be okay," in a dulcet voice. She wasn't sure if Hikaru would believe it, but she had to give her some hope. "I'm sure Nurse Joy and the other staff are taking super good care of him."
"Pichu pichu…" ("I couldn't help him…") Hikaru whimpered, her tiny voice trembling. "Just like before...I couldn't save him…"
"It's not your fault," Julia told her reassuringly. "That J woman is really strong. There's no way you could have been able to do anything to stop her."
Hikaru sniffed. She had a good point. J was ten times her size, had big, strong, scary pokemon to match, had all kinds of machines, and could do just about anything. Hikaru was just a tiny yellow mouse who only knew a sliver of attacks. The differences in both size and strength were massive. Still, it didn't make her feel any better.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, however, Caiseal was also lost in thought. Earlier, Julia had told her about Hikaru's tale from before they met. Caiseal's curiosity wasn't just completely satiated. It completely blew him away. Hikaru was abandoned by her parents for something that wasn't her fault. Adopted by someone nicer.
'Just like me…' Caiseal thought to himself. His heart had yearned for a kindred spirit to relate to. Julia and Perrine were great friends, yes, but he still wasn't sure if he could share his secrets with them. He wasn't expecting to find a kindred spirit in a pokemon, let alone a shiny one. In fact, just knowing that he found someone he could relate to made his heart leap. But this wasn't the time for reminiscing.
"Man, these people…" Perrine groaned. "They just don't quit, do they?"
"Come on! We want to see Raikou up close!"
"Can't I just take one picture? Please?"
"He's so cool! I wanna see it!"
"I want to see it, too!"
"Let us in! We want to get a look at it!"
"We wanna see the legendary pokemon!"
The black haired nurse and two chansey stood between the crowd and the door like rocks in a garden, refusing to budge even a little bit. The nurse adjusted her glasses before addressing the crowd. "Please, let Nurse Joy and the others tend to Raikou's injuries," She told them in a stern, authoritative voice. "You'll only disturb them. I cannot allow you to put yourselves or Raikou in danger. Please be seated in the lobby until further notice."
"Chan-see! Chan-see!" The two chansey agreed, waving their arms up and down to shoo the crowd back.
"Awwwww!" The crowd complained in unison.
Seeing Raikou be tortured by those machines made Julia sick. Disgusting, how people could be so cruel to a pokemon for no reason. She knew how Hikaru felt. If her own parents were subject to that kind of torture, or were about to be sold to some client who would use them for whatever, she was sure she would be just as sad and heartbroken. There was that knotted feeling in her stomach again, like she wanted to throw up but couldn't.
"Man, that woman was nuts!" Caiseal slammed a fist on the leather chair he sat on. "Who goes around stealing pokemon and selling them?!" If that woman even dared to so much as come near Mallow, Apollo, or any one of his pokemon, he would make her regret it dearly. "I want to break her nose!"
"You're not the only one," Perrine agreed, swinging her legs back and forth to make the time pass faster.
"Excuse me," All of a sudden, a Nurse Joy approached them, sporting a warm smile that was befitting her pink hair and rose dusted cheeks. "You're the kids who helped Raikou earlier, right?" She asked kindly.
"Uh...yeah," Julia replied sheepishly.
"I saw what happened out there," Nurse Joy said. "You kids were quite brave to stand up to J like that. But she isn't someone to be taken lightly," She added, sporting a stern, uncompromising look that clearly meant business.
"We know that," Caiseal added. "But she was hurting Raikou. We couldn't just sit around and do nothing!"
"Pichu pichu!" Hikaru shouted, waving her arms up and down for emphasis.
"I agree with you," Nurse Joy replied calmly, smiling once more. "I'm glad you tried. Since you're the ones who brought Raikou in, I'll allow you three the chance to see it."
"Pichu!" Without hesitating, or even waiting for Nurse Joy to escort them into Raikou's room, Hikaru bolted out of Julia's arms and raced down the hall faster than they could catch her.
"Hikaru, wait!" Julia exclaimed, lurching out to grab her, but the pichu had already gone inside. She looked back up at Nurse Joy. "Sorry about that. She's really worried about him."
"Thanks for this, though. We appreciate it," Perrine told the woman gratefully.
"Not at all. Just be quiet, as the staff are still tending to his wounds," Nurse Joy advised.
Hikaru ran through the titanium halls, passing right by some chansey and one other nurse as she raced to find Raikou. The cold steel floors cooled her paws, and one would think that the tiny mouse would slip and fall, hurting herself in the process. But the dark yellow mouse didn't even so much as slip, as all she thought about was Raikou. Raikou just had to be okay. She just had to see if he was alive. Sure, she knew that he was, because everyone saw him being taken here. But her little heart felt as though it was going to burst from too much worry. She needed to see it for herself.
She wasn't sure what she would do if Raikou was gone.
Finally, a scent wafted into her nostrils. An intense, electric aroma that seemed to energize her from the inside. Definitely Raikou's scent. She had seen Raikou use thunder attacks whenever possible, and usually afterward, his body would give off that very same aroma. It would last for about a day at most. She stopped in front of a very large glass window, almost as large as Raikou himself. The tiny mouse jumped up and down, wanting to reach up and see him. But the window was far too high for her to reach, and the walls were too smooth for her to latch onto.
All of a sudden, warm fingers wrapped around her body, and she was being held up to the glass window. There was Raikou, lying on piles of blankets as human nurses scurried around a large glass container large enough to keep him inside. One lady with an auburn braid wrapped thick rolls of gauze around one of Raikou's legs. Another one was spraying a burn with a Super Potion. A third one was operating a machine outside the glass room. Black cables were strapped to the electric tiger's body. Raikou didn't even move a muscle, as he was laying on the blankets, dormant.
"Is that better?" The voice belonged to Julia. Hikaru didn't even turn around to see that her trainer was the one holding her up. She just knew from the warmth of her hands that it was her. All she could focus on was Raikou.
The shiny pichu had never seen Raikou look so frail before. He had always been strong, brave, passionate, and thunderous, always running across the land like the strike of a lightning bolt. His entire being seemed to scream legendary. Every pokemon she knew looked up to him, and he knew it. Even as he was almost kidnapped by J long ago, he never gave up, no matter how hurt he was. Now, he looked no different from a small pokemon near death. His large body sprawled out on the blankets, and he looked so frail, so damaged, so...helpless. All she could do was watch from the other side of a glass window and scan her fallen father. Raikou's body rose and fell in tune with his breathing, much to Hikaru's intense relief.
"Pichu…" ("Daddy…") Her eyes burned as tears krept up at the corners of her eyes, begging to come out.
"See? They're all taking care of him," Julia told her gently. "He'll be just fine."
"Pichu chupi," ("I hope you're right.") Hikaru squeaked dubiously. Julia didn't blame her for being doubtful. This was her adoptive father, and Raikou was a legendary pokemon. It would probably take longer than usual for them to heal Raikou fully, depending on the extent of his injuries. For all she and the others knew, this was probably Nurse Joy's first time dealing with a legendary, let alone a Raikou.
"Man, he really took a beating there," Caiseal said.
"I know," Perrine folded her arms. "I'm sure that J woman is gonna come back and try to steal him again."
"What can we do when that happens?" Julia asked, stroking Hikaru's fur. "Her pokemon are probably really strong, and she probably has an entire army of Team Rockets working for her."
The three of them looked down at the titanium floor beneath them, flummoxed and disheartened. Julia had raised a valid point. What could they do?
Kassia's body ached as she sat down at the dining room table, her thin fingers curling around the handle of a coffee cup. A pack of flyers were scattered all over the dining room table, all of them featuring a picture of Amara, the Parisa's phone number and email addresses, and other information. The bags under the woman's eyes had turned a light grey, her eyes themselves red and puffy from lack of sleep. Soon, she held the coffee cup to her mouth, allowing the warm, sugary liquid to travel through her system and wake her up. Kassia always preferred her coffee with sugar. It made the harsh, bitter taste go away.
But no amount of coffee could fill the hole in her heart. Hard, rocky callouses covered both of her feet from too much walking around neighborhoods, passing out flyers to whoever would be on the lookout for Amara, and from running around the meadow tending to the pokemon under her care. Her vaporeon curled up on the couch, eyes closed, completely lost in dreamland. Already, one whole sip was enough to push the weariness away, but it didn't ease her pain any. At this point, all she was able to slip on was a sleeveless mauve top, blue jeans with some rips and tatters on the cuffs and knees, and a dirty pair of white sneakers. The soles were close to coming right off if someone was strong enough to rip them, most of the color had faded, and the white parts were dirty from years of walking through grass and soil.
"Blissey?" A blissey ambled over to the tired woman and patted her on the shoulder with her stubby hand. "Blissee blissee."
Kassia flashed a soft smile, glancing in blissey's direction. "Thanks, Blissey. I appreciate it, but...I can't stop thinking about Amara," She confessed in a low, tired voice. All kinds of thoughts were going through her mind. Was Amara okay? Eating well? Not sick? Not using the pokemon she stole to hurt people, or even hurting said pokemon?
Just thinking these scenarios made Kassia want to cry, and more. What if Amara were to get sick and die from some incurable disease? What if she'd gotten hit by a car? Or attacked by a dangerous pokemon? Or kidnapped by a crazed kidnapper or murderer? If anything were to happen to her...Kassia shivered. This was already a nightmare as it is.
"Kassie?" Truman's kind voice didn't even make her head snap up. Truman came down the steps with little Lucretia snug in his arms. He stopped the moment he saw Kassia in the dining room, her back hunched over like she had carried a ton of titanium bricks for miles.
"Vui?" Even Lucretia seemed concerned.
"Kassie?" Truman walked over to his wife. "Are you okay?"
All his wife could do was sigh. This told Truman that she was anything but okay. He knew what-or who-she was thinking about, though. "The plea's only been out for about a day. We won't get any leads right away. Let's just wait and see how things go."
His wife was silent, but the heavy bags under her eyes told him all he needed to know. "Boy, are you tired. You should get some rest."
"But the pokemon...and the bills…" Kassia croaked. There was so much to do, but she couldn't muster the energy to even get up. Not even coffee helped right now.
Truman smiled before putting a hand on his wife's shoulder. "I'll take care of everyone for today, and I'm planning to pay some bills right now anyway," He told her kindly.
"Thanks," Kassia looked up at her husband with a tired but grateful smile. "You're the best, Truman. I'm sorry I've been such a grump lately."
The pudgy man put Lucretia down on the floor. "I'm worried, too."
"Vui!"
He wasted no time getting on the computer and paying some much needed bills online. Lucretia sat down and watched as Truman's fingers danced across the keyboard. Rina and Rino, Julia's nidoran, sat on the sofa in the den, not doing much of anything except snuggle each other. Lucretia was sure she could see little hearts fluttering all around them.
Lucretia's ears twitched lightly. Knocking sounds tapped on the front door. Since her ears were long, they were more sensitive to sound, and even in the den, she could hear someone knocking on the door. She crawled up to Truman and pulled on his pant leg.
"Electric bill...done. Phone bill...done. Heating bill...done-"
"Eevui eevee!" Lucretia squeaked.
At first, Truman looked down, thinking that Lucretia was begging for attention like usual. But another knocking sound pushed that thought away. "I'll get it!" Rising up from the computer chair, he raced to the door, opening it to find a mail man standing on the porch. Lucretia stayed in the den with the two nidoran.
Once the mailman left, Truman looked through some envelopes, displeased that they were yet more bills and some junk magazines. "Bill...bill...bill...junk...junk…" However, one letter caught his attention. It didn't look like a professional letter. The envelope was small and thin, with a cyndaquil themed stamp on the right hand corner hastily pasted on, like the sender was in a rush. The sloppy lead handwriting read:
Mom and Dad
211 Antoinette Road
New Bark Town, Johto, 02614
Immediately, it hit him. This was Amara's hand writing! He had seen it many times when he tried to help Amara with her math homework so much. He ran into the kitchen, grabbed a small knife, and tore the letter open. The address on the left hand corner simply said Olivine City, Johto. He pulled the letter out and let his eyes scan the writing. The more he read, the more his eyes turned wide like saucers.
"Kassia!" He shouted. "Kassia!" His wife almost spilled her coffee cup, had she not managed to hold it in time. But her heart was beating a mile a minute, no thanks to her husband's shouting. "You need to come look at this right now!"
"Goodness, Truman!" She wearly stood up from the chair and wobbled over to the kitchen, wondering just what the hubbub was all about. Unbeknownst to them, Lucretia, Saoirse, and the nidoran all gathered in the dining room.
"What's going on?" Saoirse asked Lucretia curiously.
"I dunno," The eevee replied.
The purple nidoran sighed. "I'm bored. I want some sausages," He mused.
"You're always thinking about food, silly Rino!" Rina scolded lightly.
Kassia leaned closer to get a look at the letter. It hit her like the Magnet Train. "Can I see that, please?" Truman handed the letter to her without a word. Kassia held the letter close to her face so she could read it.
Mom and Dad,
I saw your plea on TV. But I'm not coming back home. I want to partake in the Pokemon League. It's my dream. Chanel's, too. Coming back and going to jail is going to destroy every chance I have of doing so, and I'm not going to let you take it away from me. Don't make me come back. I'm sick of you guys always acting like my problems don't matter and that you want me to forget about Chanel. Nothing you say or do will make me come back. I hate you both. Just stay out of my life!
Amara
P.S. Julia's in Olivine City right now. Arceus only knows she's gonna do something stupid and leech off of someone like the spoiled brat she is.
Tears fell onto the crumpled letter, leaving dark spots. Kassia's thin hands trembled, making the letter shake along with her. Truman could see the combination of both joy and despair on his wife's face. Amara actually wrote to them! She actually wrote to them for the first time since she disappeared. Finally, a solid lead! True, it broke both their hearts to hear that Amara hated them, though it wasn't much of a surprise. At this point, they were happy that they at least got something confirming that she's alive and well.
"Kassie?" Truman put a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"Truman?"
"Huh?"
"We're going to Olivine City."
For a moment, he was sure his ears were playing tricks on him. "But we can't just-"
"We're going!" All of a sudden, Kassia was in go mode. She ran up to her bedroom and threw on a fresh set of clothes.
Truman raced up the stairs, stopping at the top since he didn't want to walk in on his wife changing. "But...but we can't just leave the pokemon here!"
"I'll call Lauren and ask her to watch them for a week!" That was Kassia's loud reply.
"But do we even have the money to-"
"I'll get us some plane tickets!"
Before long, Kassia was already shoving folded clothes into a large black suitcase. Truman found himself frozen in place, completely dumbfounded. True, it was wonderful that Amara actually reached out to them despite what the letter said. His heart wanted to soar from too much joy. But at the same time, he knew they needed to be realistic. They had already spent so much money on bills, missing person flyers, and for necessities needed to take care of both themselves and the pokemon. Money doesn't grow on trees, and he knew that. He also couldn't just ask for a week off at Magcargo Express, especially on such short notice. For all they knew, their friend Lauren might be in the middle of something, and they couldn't just hop in and intrude on her life like that.
Eventually, his heart began to win over his mind. So what if it cost a lot? He could make it work. Both he and his wife. Their friend Lauren had taken care of their pokemon many times before whenever they had to go somewhere, and she was their lifelong friend. She always said that if they needed anything, that they ask her. It had been four years since they asked her for such a big favor, so perhaps once wouldn't hurt. This would be a great chance to see Julia, since Truman hadn't seen her since she left Cherrygrove City when she began her journey. How long had that been? A few months, maybe? He wasn't sure. But Amara and Julia were in Olivine City. He had to go and see them, no matter what. He was their father.
Kassia was already on the phone, talking to Lauren. Before Truman could do anything, a set of teeth pulled on his pant leg. He looked down to find Lucretia, Saoirse, Rina, and Rino staring right up at him with curious, expectant looks on their round, cute faces. A thought ran through Truman's head. Before he knew it, he kneeled down to their level, smiling.
"Would you four like to come with us?" He asked warmly. "I'm sure Julia would be very happy to see you."
The nidoran duo nodded solemnly, but Saoirse and Lucretia were already cheering, holding hands and dancing in a happy circle. He did want to ask Ladybug, but she was sleeping outside and didn't want to disturb her. He figured she'd be safer if she stayed out of danger. 'Oh! What about Lavinia?' Truman thought before running into the meadow.
Lavinia was the scyther Julia caught back in the National Park. But not once did Julia request that she be transferred to her. Truman wasn't sure why, and he made a mental note to ask her about it later. But in all the time he spent with that green praying mantis, he noticed that Lavinia wasn't the social type. She usually stayed away from the other pokemon, preferring to train and perfect her battling skills, whether by slashing the trees or flying around in the sky. Even now, Lavinia leaned against the tree, eyes closed, losing herself in thought.
"Hello!" Truman greeted her warmly, like he did with every pokemon. But instead of a happy reception, Lavinia trapped him in place with an intense, red-eyed glare that meant serious business. "Uhh...My wife and I are planning to go to Olivine City soon. My daughter Julia's there. She's your trainer, the one who caught you," He told her. "Would you like to come? I bet she'll be happy to see you."
The green mantis wasted no time shaking her head and grunting. "Scy-thah," ("I'm not interested.") She hissed.
"I see," Truman was crestfallen. "Well, maybe another time. Sorry she hasn't been around much. I'll tell her you said hi, though!" With that, Truman went back into the house.
Lavinia sliced the air with one sickle. "Scy-thah scy-thah scyyyyyy…" ("I want nothing to do with a stupid trainer…") The praying mantis said out loud to herself.
J's airship hid amongst some nearby mountains, with the armor made invisible to camouflage itself into the environment. J couldn't afford to be spotted by any pesky police or do-gooders. She sat in the confines of her room, with a group of nine to ten Team Rocket members standing before her, awaiting orders. One of them was Ariana. Standing next to her was a slightly younger man with short teal hair and matching eyes, wearing a Team Rocket uniform consisting of a black undershirt underneath a long sleeved white one, matching pants, a black belt, white boots, and a black shield with an R emblazoned on it rested on his left breast. They were the only two wearing white uniforms. Everyone else wore black uniforms.
"It's not like you to retreat, J," Ariana told her.
The silver haired woman stole a glance at Ariana. As soon as J's steely eyes fixated on her, Ariana felt a shiver run right up her spine. "You didn't tell me that a bunch of children were going to interfere. Explain yourself, Ariana."
"J, please. None of us had any idea that a bunch of children would mess up our mission," The teal haired man intervened. Ariana's mouth fell wide open, like she never expected this man to defend her. "Do rest assured. You have an army of Rockets backing you up, and we will see to it that those kids will regret ever crossing the path of Team Rocket."
"Archer does raise a valid point," Ariana agreed. "We have about thirty grunts with us. The power we have could easily trump three little kids and their pokemon."
"I am well aware," J replied tersely, her cold, calculating tone unchanging. "Raikou is in the Pokemon Center right now. If we do anything reckless, the authorities will catch us. We cannot afford to get caught."
"We understand," Ariana and Archer bowed apologetically, as did all of the other grunts in the room.
"Alright. New plan," J began as she rubbed the yellow machine on her arm with one hand. "Ariana, you and Proton will set up our prototype of the Electromagnetic Ion Generator near the mountains," She explained coldly. "If the electromagnetic signal it produces is strong enough, Raikou will be unable to resist it no matter what."
One of the grunts leaned over to the one next to her. "That's the machine Proton and the others made recently, right?"
"From what I hear, yeah," The grunt next to her replied in a low whisper.
J looked up, glancing at Archer. Like Ariana, an intense chill went down his spine, but he kept a cool composed expression. "Archer. You and the rest of the grunts here will use the capture tanks to subdue Raikou and keep him in place long enough for me to freeze him," She explained further. "Do not under any circumstances harm or severely injure Raikou," J spun around in her chair, looking him straight in the eyes. "Any blemish on Raikou's fur will diminish his value."
Like before, Archer bowed by leaning downward. "I will make the necessary arrangements immediately," He replied in a cool, suave voice.
"I will not tolerate incompetence or failure in my squadron," J told them without mincing words, freezing them all in place with yet another intense glare. If looks could change the weather, the grunts were sure the room could possibly go down to fifty degrees below freezing. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Good. You are all dismissed."
Without hesitation, Ariana, Archer, and the grunts all left the premises to do their assigned duties. Two of the grunts, both female, were whispering amongst themselves like they were high school students. "I wonder how much J is going to sell Raikou for?"
"I have no idea. I hear her clients are diehard pokemon collectors and millionaires."
"How does she even find those people?"
"I heard from Ivy that Giovanni usually gives her information on people he knows personally. She usually goes to meet them by herself, though."
"What happens to the pokemon after they're sold, though?"
Ariana's sensitive ears picked up on the gossip. She turned a stern glance over to the two female grunts. "Daviel! Emmylou!" The sound of their names made them freeze in place. "Quit that childish jibber-jabber right this instant!"
"Y-Y-Yes, Commander Ariana!" With that, the grunts marched alongside the others in a single file line without complaint.
"What?!" Professor Elm's eyes widened as Perrine told him everything that had happened recently. "J actually tried to steal Raikou?" The shock in his voice was strong, like he had seen skeletal monkeys flying across the sky on mechanical wings.
"Yep. That's the gist of it." Perrine finished, balling her fists as she sat them down on her skirt. "Julia and Hikaru are in Raikou's room right now. He got hurt pretty bad."
"Hmmm…" Professor Elm crossed his arms and closed his eyes, deep in rumination. "It's great that you kids managed to save him in time despite the danger. I applaud you for your bravery. But I advise that you kids be careful when you're around Raikou. Raikou is known for not being very trusting of humans."
"Can't imagine why," Caiseal piped in with a touch of sarcasm.
"Humans have wanted to harness Raikou's electric powers ever since its birth," Professor Elm explained further. "I don't want to imagine what J wants to do with it."
The newspaper article explained everything they needed to know about J's machinations. Raikou didn't deserve that kind of cruel fate, nor did any other pokemon on this planet.
Julia didn't leave the room for even a moment. The same with Hikaru. They all watched as Raikou slept in the glass container he was confined in. For now, Raikou was okay. Night fell, and they still didn't leave the room. Julia sat on the bench just a couple feet away from the window, with Hikaru in her arms. But as happy as they were about Raikou being safe and well, they knew that J would come back with a new plan. How to stop her was another thing entirely.
"Hey, Jule!" Both Caiseal and Perrine came into the room holding bottles of water. Perrine had two and extended one to Julia. "Here. I'll bet you're thirsty."
The brown haired girl smiled as she gratefully took the water bottle. "Thanks, Perrine."
Caiseal turned to face the glass window. "How's Raikou doing?"
"The nurses say he's fine for now," Julia answered worriedly.
Perrine put a hand on the window. It was cold and hard. It didn't stop a smile from splitting her face. "I'm glad we managed to save Raikou."
"Me too," Caiseal agreed.
"Me three," Julia piped in.
"Pichu!" ("Me four!") Hikaru chirruped.
"Now that I think about it…" Caiseal said out of the blue. "Isn't it awesome that we're actually looking at a legendary pokemon up close?"
"In a way, I guess it kinda is," Perrine added.
Before long, both Julia and Hikaru's ears could pick up on the sound of footsteps coming their way. Two of them. "Eusine, calm down!" A familiar, soft-spoken, womanly voice pleaded. It was Jasmine's. The titanium doors opened, revealing Eusine as he bolted into the room.
"Is it true?!" Eusine didn't waste time running up to the glass window. "Raikou is here?!"
The kids' eyes all widened. "Eusine?!"
"So it is!" Eusine exclaimed. "Raikou, the legendary beast of thunder is standing right before my eyes!"
'More like sleeping,' Julia thought sarcastically. She couldn't help but mentally scold him for barging in like that when Raikou was trying to sleep. He didn't need all this noise.
"Do you have any idea what a momentous occasion this is?!"
"Eusine," Jasmine told him firmly. "I know you're excited, but please restrain yourself. I'm sure Raikou needs some rest."
"Hi, Jasmine," Perrine greeted her kindly.
"Oh! Hi, children!" Jasmine smiled upon meeting their eyes. "It's been a while! Thanks so much for helping Ampere the other day."
"What are you doing here?" Julia asked.
"Well…" Jasmine averted their gaze, looking at Raikou. "I had called Eusine over to help me with some things, and I saw what happened earlier today. I had told Eusine about it and before I knew it, he had zipped right here," She explained meekly.
It took a while for Eusine to take his curious eyes off of Raikou and notice the children standing next to him. At first, he studied them like he had never seen him before. Then the memory flashed right through his mind. "Oh! You're the children I met in Cianwood City!"
"Yeah. We are," Julia said.
"Pichu."
"You're all quite brave to have rescued Raikou like that."
Jasmine put a firm hand on her purple clad friend's shoulder. "Raikou needs his rest. We can talk about how awesome he is after this whole fiasco is over," With that, Jasmine dragged the man out of the room.
"Ah!" The woman's iron grip was so strong, if it was any stronger it might have pulled his arm out of his socket. "That hurts!"
When they left, the kids found themselves bursting into laughter. They had no idea Jasmine could be such a no-nonsense woman. But it was for Raikou's benefit, so they were glad she dragged him away. Julia was getting tired of him anyway.
Night fell, and everyone was asleep. Julia and Hikaru were asleep, but they continued to stay in the room. Julia had to admit, she wasn't used to sleeping on a bench in her clothes. She missed having a warm bed, comfortable pajamas, and sleeping in a quiet room. Oddly enough, she had fallen asleep right on the bench and didn't twist, turn, or moan one bit. Perhaps the day's events had sapped all the energy out of her. Hikaru remained by her side, keeping her ears open should anyone try to break in and hurt her or Raikou.
Soon, the orange sun peeked out over the horizon, turning Olivine's oceans into a gigantic pool of liquid amber that brightened everything up. Morning light filtered through the windows, steadily lighting up the inside of the Pokemon Center. Hikaru was the first to wake up, rubbing her eyes with her stubby paws to push the weariness out. Her diamond shaped ears pointed to the ceiling like they always did. She stood up, happy to see that now that she was on the bench, she could see Raikou better.
"Pichu!" ("Daddy!") She called out in a loud voice. No answer. "Daddy!" Raikou's eyes fluttered open. "Daddy, it's me!"
Raikou stood on all four legs and ambled as close as he could to the very edge of the glass room he was kept in, just enough to be able to see Hikaru staring right at him. Seeing the tiny shiny pichu made a warm, cozy feeling envelop his entire being. She was okay. Thank goodness. He let out a low, soft growl.
"You are well, I see," Raikou told her.
"Are you okay, Daddy?" Hikaru asked.
The electric tiger nodded affirmatively. "I am. For now, anyway. Is that your trainer?"
"Yep!" Hikaru chirruped. "She saved me from nasty beedrill after you told me to run away! She's super nice! Her name's Julia!"
"Ugh…" Hikaru's squeaking was enough to pull Julia out of her sleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with her hands. "Hikaru, are you talking to-?" She was about to ask Hikaru, but she immediately saw Raikou and fell silent. That told her all she needed to know.
Raikou examined the girl from where he was. He wished he could get a closer look, as his view of her back in Brass Tower was obscured by the darkness, the dim light not helping. But he knew her voice well. "Hikaru...that is the name she gave you…" He growled softly to himself, but their ears were sensitive enough that it was audible.
Hikaru crawled up Julia's back as the trainer stood up and walked over to the window. "Umm...hi, Raikou. I'm...Julia, your...daughter's trainer," She introduced herself shyly. The electrifying pressure Raikou was giving off made her feel as though something was squishing her down into the floor. Her whole body turned warm. Hikaru wasted no time telling Raikou about their adventures together. Julia could tell that Hikaru had wanted to do this since their encounter at Brass Tower. How her little friend missed her dear father. Considering what had happened, it was understandable.
The electric tiger still looked guarded, taking on a defensive, rigid stance, but he listened intently to Hikaru's tale. "I see…" He growled once more. "You've really grown up, Hikaru."
Joy soared from within Hikaru's heart. Finally, she got to spend some time with her father after so long. He even referred to her by her new name. Truly, Hikaru wanted to burst into song. Even Julia could see the unbridled joy radiating from her friend.
A shiver ran through Raikou's body, making his fur stand straight up. "I...I cannot stay here!" He began scratching at the glass wall. "I cannot afford to put you or anyone else in danger!"
"Raikou!" Julia called out. "I don't think you've fully recovered yet!"
At this point, Raikou just wasn't listening to them anymore. The electrifying air he gave off grew stronger, causing Hikaru and Julia to kneel down onto the floor. Raikou let out a thunderous roar as lightning bolts shot out from his body, shattering the glass container, the window, and a huge chunk of the wall. Raikou took the chance to leap out of the Pokemon Center.
"What the-?!" As soon as Perrine and Caiseal came into the room, they ducked, evading the thunderbolts. "What just happened?!" Perrine shouted.
"Raikou just escaped!" Julia cried.
"Pichuuuu!" Hikaru watched helplessly as her father bolted away from the Pokemon Center.
Glass shards were scattered all over the place, both inside and outside the room. A hole as large as Raikou himself, maybe bigger, was enough for the kids to go through. They were careful not to step on any of the glass shards or cut themselves. The three kids stepped outside, wondering where Raikou went.
"What made him escape?" Caiseal asked. "He hasn't fully recovered yet, right?"
All of a sudden, Hikaru's entire body became rigid. A low frequency wafted into her ears. Before she knew it, she leaped out of Julia's arms, running in Raikou's direction. "Hikaru, wait!" Julia threw her hands out to try and grab her, but the tiny mouse was too fast and outran her quickly. "What the heck?!"
"We've gotta go see what's up!" Perrine balled one of her hands into a fist.
Before they could do anything, two cars came speeding in front of the Pokemon Center. One of them was a shiny red Porsche. The other was a dark silver BMW, with big black wheels, shiny, spotless hubcaps, and dark windows.
Truman's dark silver BMW.
Lo and behold, out came Kassia and Truman. The kids' mouths all fell agape. "Mom?! Dad?!" Julia's eyes had gotten so wide, they resembled saucers.
"Julia!" Kassia and Truman raced toward their daughter, throwing their loving arms around her. "It's been so long!" Truman crooned. "Look at you! You look so good!"
It had felt so good to be in her father's warm, bulky arms again. It had been so long since she had seen her parents. But she knew this wasn't the time for a happy family reunion. Once they were done hugging her, Julia pried herself out of their grasp.
"Mom. Dad. I'm happy to see you too, but there's trouble, and Hikaru's in danger," Julia told them calmly. "I have to go help her and Raikou!"
She didn't even explain to them what was going on. Once Eusine offered to give her and the other kids a ride, Julia leaped into the car and slammed the door shut, leaving her parents all alone as the car sped away. Now it was their turn for their mouths to fall open.
"She's...doing what now?!" Truman yelped.
"I don't know. Let's follow them," Kassia suggested. "I have a bad feeling about this."
A strange, grey machine stood on the foot of some mountains. A fork-like structure held up a purple sphere about the size of a computer monitor. Said purple sphere glowed in a yellow light, giving off crackling static electricity that traveled all around its body. Proton and Ariana watched from afar as J's airship descended onto the platform. Raikou had finally arrived, but when he tried to escape, he found that the electricity going through his body made him unable to move. His giant paws felt as though they were glued to the ground. Not only that, Hikaru and many other electric pokemon such as magnemite, voltorb, mareep, flaaffy, and even raichu, surrounded him.
"Wow, this machine really worked!" Proton exclaimed, eyes wide with delight. "Wonderful! Raikou's here, too!"
Ariana pulled out a walkie talkie. "The target has arrived. I repeat, the target has arrived."
J wasted no time coming out from the airship to get a look at the struggling Raikou. Perfect. "Target identified. Commencing capture," J said in her usual cold, calculating manner. She raised the machine on her arm, aiming it at Raikou, as a golden light shot out from it. Once it hit Raikou, the electric tiger glowed in a similar light before turning...into some kind of dark gold statue.
"PICHUUUUUU!" ("DADDYYYYYY!") Hikaru bawled as loud as she could muster. Now, her father had truly been captured.
"Hm?" J glanced at the pichu, hearing her cry. A memory flashed through her mind. Herself attempting to capture a shiny pichu before Raikou intervened. "Is that the same pichu from before?" She smirked. "It'll certainly be worth its weight in gold," She didn't waste time shooting another energy blast at Hikaru.
Hikaru squeezed her eyes shut, wincing. Was this how her life was going to end?
"Aqua! Use Bubblebeam!"
"Mariiiiiill!" A barrage of bubbles held off the energy blast as an explosion freed Hikaru and other pokemon from the pull of the machine.
Hikaru opened her eyes. There were Julia, Perrine, and Caiseal, with Aqua, Florian, and Apollo out for battling. All of them stared daggers at J. "I'll just take Raikou, then," She mused as a giant silver disk floated out from the airship, digging under Raikou before generating a glass case, trapping Raikou entirely. The glass case floated into the airship as J went back inside. "Mission accomplished."
"Get back heeeeeere!" Julia ran for the closest opening in the airship. Hikaru and Aqua scurried right alongside her. Once she got close enough, all three of them threw themselves inside as the hatch closed right up.
"Julia! NO!" Perrine yelled.
"Come back!" Eusine exclaimed.
"Apollo! Use Flamethrower!" Caiseal commanded. The quilava fired a stream of flames at the ascending airship, but it had already turned invisible by then.
They couldn't believe it. Julia and Hikaru had jumped into the airship. If J were to find them, who knows what she would do to them. Whatever she planned, it definitely wouldn't be anything good. They had to save her, and fast.
"Hmph! I never thought I'd run into you again," A familiar yet sickening voice echoed from behind a big pile of rocks just a few feet away. Out came Proton, looking as smug as ever, with a koffing floating by his side and a hand on one of his hips. "Perrine Innocenti."
Perrine scowled. "Proton! Give Raikou back, along with our friend!"
With a chuckle, Proton threw a pokeball in the air. It opened as a white light shot out from it, materializing into a large, pinkish red spider pokemon. Its four legs had yellow and purple stripes on it, with two similarly colored horns protruding out from the back of its thorax. A sharp white horn shot up from its forehead, with matching fangs ready for munching, its purple eyes giving it the image of a horror movie pokemon.
"Ariados, use String Shot!" Proton commanded, extending his hand out in a battle position. "Koffing, use Smog!"
"Aria!" The spider hissed before shooting a white web from its mouth.
"Flamethrower!"
"Florian! Use Razor Leaf!"
"Baaaay!" The leafy dinosaur swung his giant leaf around, producing sharp, leaf-like blades that slice through the billowing black smoke clouds. Apollo's stream of fire burned the string shot, reducing it to nothing, before blowing Ariados all the way into a rock.
Proton crossed his arms. "You've gotten stronger since we last met!" He told them condescendingly. "But don't think you're so strong as to defeat me a second time!"
Hello. Currently resume making. Job hunting. Waiting for Pokemon Symphonic Evolutions this Sunday. Wanting to go to an anime convention already. Uuuuuugh, so much to do! I wanted to add more to this chapter, but I realized that chapter 23 doesn't have a lot in the outline, so I moved some content to that one so as to not drag this out unnecessarily. Stay tuned, peeps! Because this arc's gonna be a doozy! And yes, a lot of this was inspired by the Pokemon: Legend of Thunder special. I suck at writing villains planning things out.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pichu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Tail Whip
Aqua (Marill, Female, Mild Nature)
Ability: Thick Fat
Attacks: Rollout, Bubblebeam, Play Rough, and Water Gun
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Papillon (Butterfree, Female, Calm Nature)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Attacks: Confusion, Sleep Powder, Psybeam, Stun Spore
Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Tackle, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Twister
Blossom (Gloom, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Poison Powder, Stun Spore, and Mega Drain
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Lucretia (Eevee, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Anticipation
Attacks: Quick Attack, Helping Hand, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Rina (Nidoran, Female, Bold Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Scratch, and Bite
Rino (Nidoran, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Peck, and Horn Attack
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Bayleef, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Razor Leaf, Tackle, Body Slam, and Poison Powder
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Tackle, Fairy Wind, Bullet Seed, and Sleep Powder
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: Scratch, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Round
Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Confusion, Peck, Hypnosis, and Dream Eater
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Cubone, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Club, Headbutt, Growl
Apollo (Quilava, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Tackle, Quick Attack, and Smokescreen
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Night Shade, Dark Pulse, and Haze
Viole (Oddish, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Stacey (Pinsir, Female, Serious Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, and Double Hit