Chapter 32.5: Infiltration of the Underground Base
By the time Julia, Hikaru, Lucretia, and Saoirse finally reached the first dirt tracks of Route 44, the sky was beginning to smear streaks of orange and pink across its normally pristine blue coat. The sun still hung in the sky, but with it almost going down to another part of the world, it gradually changed from a blinding yellow to a blazing vermillion orange, almost like the red Gyarados's hide. The small lake near Mahogany Town, gloriously pained by the setting sun, turned into a glimmering canvas of orange and gold. However, this was no time to admire the beauty surrounding them. That red Gyarados was in danger, through no fault of her own, and Julia felt obliged to save her.
They found a thick bush nearby, and ran right inside, taking care not to get pricked by the thistles, thorns, and pine leaves. Already, the quartet saw Team Rocket grunts, dressed in their usual black and red attire, scattering about, running toward a dirt road that led further into the area. One grunt pulled out what appeared to be a remote control and pressed a button. A slight tremor shook Route 44 before the ground in front of the grunts opened like a set of doors, revealing a hole that could very easily lead into another world. Just like the one back in Olivine City.
'How many of these secret underground bases does Team Rocket have?' Julia wondered, stupefied. How Team Rocket were able to build these things, let alone find the time to do so and manage it without being spotted, was far beyond her comprehension.
As the entrance down under opened fully, the two grunts leaped right down. Julia could hear their thundering footsteps as they ran across what seemed to be metallic floors. So far, the entrance didn't close. Thinking the coast was clear, Julia stealthily ran out from the bush like a ninja, or so she hoped, approaching the entrance. Like the one in Olivine City, the entrance went at least eleven feet deep. If she tried to jump from the edge, she could easily be killed. For a moment, reality overtook her. How could she possibly get down there? If only she could float down there like a psychic type, or teleport down there.
Psychic type...psychic moves? That's it! She pulled out Tokiko's PokeBall. "Tokiko, help us out, please!" She clung to the PokeBall as the happiness Pokemon came spiraling out from the circular capsule.
"Chokikko!"
"We need to get down there," Julia pointed to the hideout entrance. Being part flying type, Tokiko simply floated in the air, looking down at the deep hole below, and didn't need to worry about falling down. "Can you maybe use Extrasensory on us and maybe take us down there?"
"Chokiiiii," ("I've never done that before.") Tokiko told her.
Julia looked down. She figured as much. Still, Extrasensory didn't seem much different from other psychic-type moves. She had to try. "Sorry. I know this seems hard, but...can you at least try?" As much as she hated to make her Pokemon do things they weren't capable of, her resolve to save the red Gyarados was too strong to consider giving up. No, to give up on the red Gyarados would mean the serpent's blood would be on her hands.
No Pokemon deserved to suffer at Team Rocket's hand.
The indecision on Tokiko's face was unmistakable. She never levitated anything or anyone with her powers before. How could she be sure she wouldn't accidentally hurt her trainer or the other Pokemon with it? Or worse, possibly kill them? True, Tokiko had worked long and hard to temper her abilities, so she was sure she managed to control them by now, not that she had much problems with them before. But to attempt to use them on a human, and not as an attack, was something new to her.
Even so, as reluctant as she was, she could feel the worry and resolve in her trainer's heart. If they didn't do something to save this red Gyarados, who would? Sure, Lance was around, and was very strong. He didn't become the champion by being a slacker, but they were sure he could only do so much. Team Rocket were no slouches either. Tokiko let out a sigh. It doesn't hurt to try, right?
"Choki!" Tokiko raised her arms high in the air as if she wanted to reach the heavens. Her small eyes glowed in a purple light. Soon, purple auras surrounded Julia and the three other Pokemon. There was no pain, and the psychic energy wasn't drawing any screams, yelps, cries, or howls out of them. Their bodies were like normal, not afire with pain like Tokiko feared.
"It worked!" Julia cheered.
"Pikapi!"
"Eevui!"
"Snubbull!"
As much as Tokiko wanted to rejoice in her feat, this was not the time for cheering. Slowly and gently, she levitated her friends down to the very bottom of the hole. Once their feet touched the ground, the fairy's eyes stopped glowing, and the psychic energy surrounding Julia and the three other Pokemon dissipated. Success! Tokiko fluttered down to her trainer's level and hopped on her shoulder. With a grateful smile, Julia stroke her fairy friend's white fur gently with one hand.
"Good job, girl. Thanks."
"Chokki!" Tokiko squeaked, basking in her trainer's praise, unable to stop smiling. Her white cheeks developed soft pink spots, probably from smiling so much. But she didn't care. She was just happy her Extrasensory attack didn't hurt or kill her friends.
Once that was over, the girl and her Pokemon began scurrying through the hideout. So far, there were no other Team Rocket grunts nearby, patrolling or standing guard. Julia couldn't help but find it strange. She was sure a high profile crime syndicate like Team Rocket would have extremely tight security. Guards and grunts everywhere, standing in front of every door, looking for intruders who would dare infiltrate their hideout. Why weren't there any guards or grunts here? Or maybe they had some other form of security? At this point, Julia didn't know what she'd find, but she knew she wasn't going to let that red Gyarados suffer. She'd save her or die trying.
However, as she walked through the titanium halls, her conscious began to nag at her. 'What the heck were you thinking?!' Her conscious shouted from the depths of her mind. 'You dashed out of the police station and now you're putting both yourself, the Gyarados, and the entirety of Mahogany Town at risk! On the off chance you make it out of here alive, the police could arrest you! You're being so irresponsible right now it's not even funny!'
She stopped in the middle of a hall, squeezing her eyes shut and balling a hand into a fist. She knew that. She knew she was being irresponsible and reckless. Already, she could picture awful scenarios of what would happen should Team Rocket do anything like destroy the town. Immediately, she found herself plagued with second thoughts. Why didn't she just stay? Lance was perfectly capable of dealing with Team Rocket, and so were the police. Why didn't she be patient? Regret seized her, and she found herself frozen, paralyzed by her rue.
No. She shook her head vigorously. She couldn't afford to hesitate now. She was here now, so she figured she might as well do what she came to do. The consequences would be unavoidable whether she succeeded or not. Right now, the red Gyarados was her main priority. The girl found herself in titanium hallways, with the walls cold from lack of exposure to basic sunlight. The cold walls made shivers run through her small hands.
"Tokiko," Julia whispered to her friend. "We'll split up from here. See if you can find the room where the red Gyarados is."
"Choki!" Tokiko did a faux sailor salute and flittered down another corridor. Julia did the same, with the other Pokemon following close by. Immediately, flashbacks from when she infiltrated J's airship ran through her mind. For a moment, she was sure the burning sensation from J's cigarette ran through her arm, just like it did that day.
What Julia didn't know was that large orbs dotted the ceiling above her. One would think they were just gaudy decor used to make the hideout more grandiose. Lucretia's ears twitched, and she stopped in her tracks, as did Hikaru and Saoirse.
"Eevui!" Lucretia yelped, which prompted Julia to stop as well.
"What's wrong?"
One of the orbs fell off the ceiling, falling right toward them with great speed. "Pikapi!" Hikaru leaped out of the way, evading the large ball.
"Hikaru!" Julia scooped the electric mouse in her arms, partly relieved that her friend was safe, and partly shocked by how that large ball came out of nowhere. "Are you okay?"
"Pikapi…" Hikaru nodded reassuringly, giving her worried trainer a thumb's up.
"Snubbull!" Saoirse yelled. The orb that almost crushed Hikaru was only a foot taller and somewhat wider than the other Pokemon. And it moved all on its own. Upon closer inspection, the orb was a sentient being. The top half of its body was red, and the bottom half was snow white, and its only real feature was a set of angry eyes.
"Voltoooorb!" The ball Pokemon screeched in a harsh, robotic voice, prompting Julia to cover her ears. But once it died down, she pulled out her PokeDex to examine it.
"Voltorb, the ball Pokemon. Voltorb was first sighted at a company that manufactures Poké Balls. The link between that sighting and the fact that this Pokémon looks very similar to a Poké Ball remains a mystery. Voltorb is extremely sensitive - it explodes at the slightest of shocks, even bumps on uneven ground, and Voltorb usually roll in order to get around. Because it explodes at the slightest shock, even veteran trainers treat it with caution. It is rumored that it was first created when a Poké Ball was exposed to a powerful pulse of energy. They are usually found in power plants, especially abandoned ones, but they are known to draw power from trolleys and electric trains. Since they're often mistaken for PokeBalls despite the latter being much smaller than a Voltorb, many people, trainers and non-trainers alike, have been electrocuted by its attacks. There are only 15 known deaths from being electrocuted by a Voltorb in the past 20 years. They are genderless albeit capable of reproduction, and the components its body is made from are not found in nature."
Already, Hikaru, Lucretia, and Saoirse adopted battle stances, standing right before their trainer as she put her PokeDex away. The Voltorb swirled around to face them, generating sparks of electricity that seemed to crackle and cackle around its body, and the fact that it kept glaring at them didn't help matters any. "Voltorb!"
"Saoirse, use Fire Fang!" Julia commanded.
"Snubbull!" Saoirse's large teeth burst into flames as the bulldog leaped toward the sentient ball. Since Voltorb didn't have legs, this one didn't have to worry about jumping or tripping on anything. As soon as Saoirse's flaming teeth came close, the Voltorb rolled to its left, evading the burning bite.
"Use Headbutt, then!" On cue, Saoirse caught up with the red and white ball and rammed her head against it. This time, the Voltorb was unable to dodge and found itself against the titanium wall. All of a sudden, crackling white thunderbolts shot out from Voltorb's body, striking all over the place wildly. Saoirse managed to run away from a few of them, but one bolt of lightning struck, and electricity surged all throughout her tiny body.
"Snubbuuuuuull!" Saoirse howled, her veins and muscles in excruciating pain.
Julia pulled out her PokeBall. "Saoirse, return!" Right as she held it up to her friend, a red light shot out from the ball, saving the pink bulldog from further electrocution. "Lucretia, use Quick Attack!"
"Eevee!" Voltorb was already attempting to roll right toward them, but Lucretia's body shone in a harsh white light as she bolted toward the sentient ball. Quick Attack allowed any Pokemon using it to move faster than its opponent, so it was no surprise that Lucretia managed to leave the first hit. Once again, Voltorb was rolling against the wall.
However, as soon as Lucretia attempted another attack, her tiny body suddenly went numb. Her legs gave out and she fell on the cold floor despite having perfect balance. "Eeveeeee!" She croaked, pressing her two front legs in front of her in a futile attempt to stand back up. But it seemed every time she moved, her whole body would burn, and it wouldn't move as she commanded it to.
"Lucretia, no!" All it took was electricity sparking over Lucretia's body for Julia to figure it out. Static. Voltorb's ability. Lucretia must have triggered it when she used Quick Attack just now. Julia's palm made contact with her forehead, sending a stinging sensation throughout. 'I knew I should have asked her to use Shadow Ball instead! Stupid Julia! Now your friend's paralyzed!' She scolded herself for not thinking this through.
It didn't help that the Voltorb squeezed its eyes shut before shaking its round body like it was a vibrating object. Soon, everyone's ear drums were being split open by a strange sound none of them could describe. It sounded like a cackling ghost was gnashing its teeth on a steel power saw, and with Julia's hypersensitive ears unable to filter out the sound, she fell to her knees, her whole body turning numb from the awful sound. Even Hikaru was at the Voltorb's mercy, helplessly covering her ears despite knowing it wouldn't work.
"What the heck is that?!" Julia yelped, feeling the vibrations and impulses throughout her entire body.
"Voltorb, the Ball Pokemon. Special attack: Eerie Impulse," The PokeDex suddenly commented out of nowhere.
'WELL, THAT CERTAINLY EXPLAINS A LOT!' Julia wanted to scream so bad. Scream louder than the Voltorb's Eerie Impulse and make it stop. But she knew that wouldn't work. She had to make that Voltorb stop emitting that Eerie Impulse attack, but how?
The sound was making it nigh impossible to think. One thought popped into her mind, and she didn't take the time to even consider it before blurting out, "Hikaru! Use Thunderbolt!"
"Pika-CHUUUUUU!" Hikaru wasted no time letting out a pained howl and unleashing thunderous lightning bolts, commanding them to rain down on that pesky Voltorb. Since the Voltorb was still emitting its Eerie Impulse and had its eyes closed, it didn't see the thunderbolts rain down on it. As a result, it was a sitting Psyduck, and it's body burned from inside and out. Once Voltorb rolled over in defeat, the Eerie Impulse attack finally ceased.
Julia exhaled a big sigh of relief. "Thank Arceus that awful noise is gone!" She was quick to pull Lucretia back into her PokeBall, making a mental note to give her a Cheri berry later on.
"Pikapi!" ("Don't remind me!") Hikaru retorted, scratching her ear with one hand, too happy to have defeated that Voltorb, especially stopping that Eerie Impulse attack.
If only that was the end of it. Alas, it wasn't. A horde of Geodude and other Voltorb descended down from the ceiling, surrounding the girl and her Pikachu in a circular pattern. The Geodude all balled their fists, ready for battle, and electricity crackled all around the Voltorb's bodies as they glared at the frightened intruder. Julia froze, and Hikaru dropped back down on all fours, her ears and tail facing the ceiling, anticipating whatever attacks the horde wanted to throw at them.
All Julia could say was, "We're so screwed."
"Pikaaaaaa!"
"Juliaaaaaa!" The Girafarig from before looked up as he heard voices echoing from afar. His ears twitched. He knew those voices. It was those kids! The police had taken them into custody, and he had run back into the wild. But he couldn't help but worry about them. Curious, Girafarig pranced in the direction where he heard the voices echo.
There were Perrine and Caiseal, accompanied by policemen and police cars, with hands cupped around their mouths, calling out for their missing friend. Come to think of it, where was that girl? Girafarig tilted his head in bewilderment. Perrine and Caiseal kept repeating Julia's name over and over. There was no response, even as officers swarmed the area.
"Julia! Where are you?!" Caiseal shouted once more. His voice had grown hoarse from so much yelling, and it almost didn't sound as though it belonged to him. With a loud grunt, he kicked a rock into the nearby lake. "Dangit! Why'd she have to go and run off like that?!"
"Beats me," Perrine piped in. "I really hope she's okay," She clasped her tiny hands together and prayed. Please let Julia come out alright. She prayed to the Gods that they protect their friend, even though anger was simmering in the far side of her heart. Anger at Julia for being so reckless and putting the investigation at risk. But then again, she could see why she would do that.
Even the police officers canvassing the area didn't seem too happy about having to look for an eleven-year-old autistic girl while in the midst of this important mission. The fact that some of them witnessed her leave the police station the minute they heard Lance's report about the satellite location was enough to make some of them grumble. But they knew this was no time for complaining or grumbling. They had to stop Team Rocket and save both Julia and the red Gyarados at any cost.
One officer, the same dark skinned one from before, pulled out a walkie talkie before adjusting the antenna some. When he was finished, he held it up to his mouth. "Lance. This is Officer Stabler. Do you read me? Over," He could barely make out Lance's voice from the thick static, but it was audible enough. "I'm afraid we have some bad news. One of the kids you asked us to look after is on the run. We think she's right in their secret base. Yes. Yes. We understand."
Another officer, a female one, came running toward him. "What did he say?" She asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity as she pushed her blonde ponytail out of her face.
"He says he can take care of the missing girl," Officer Stabler told her. "And that we should focus on guarding the base and stopping Team Rocket for now."
Good thing they were close enough to where both Perrine and Caiseal could overhear their conversation. Perrine's hands flew to her chest as she exhaled a huge sigh of relief. "Phew. That's good to hear."
Caiseal raised an eyebrow, giving her a quizzical look. "Why's that a good thing?"
"Are you kidding?!" Perrine pumped her fists. "Lance isn't the champion of two whole regions for nothing! He's so strong, I'm sure he can wipe Team Rocket off the face of the planet with just one finger!" She exclaimed, her entire being exuding an almost radiant enthusiasm, so blinding that Caiseal had to look away. He was not used to seeing Perrine so enthusiastic and exuberant, and was this really the time for her to be so? "I'm sure Julia will be fine as long as he's there!"
As much as Caiseal wanted to believe his orange haired friend, all he could offer was a dubious expression and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I thought you'd be way more worried about her. Y'know, like I am!" He had to admit it, but his heart was completely seized with worry. What if a Team Rocket grunt captured his friend and was doing horrible things to her? What if one of their Pokemon attacked her and left her for dead. He wasn't sure what he'd do should something happen to her. No, he didn't want to even think about such an awful scenario.
"Fariiiiiig!"
A familiar neighing sound made the kids whip around. Standing before them was a Girafarig. Perrine leaned closer, gazing at the long neck Pokemon with an innate curiosity. That was when the realization hit her like Hikaru's Thunderbolt attack.
"Hey! You're the Girafarig who helped us before!" Perrine was so shocked, she couldn't help but point her index finger at the long neck. True, she knew pointing fingers was impolite, but Perrine wasn't exactly one to let herself be bound by rules.
"Giraaa!" The Girafarig flashed a smile before neighing once more. All of a sudden, Girafarig inched closer to Perrine before nudging her on her chest with his nose. Perrine couldn't hold back a laugh as the long neck Pokemon nuzzled her.
"Wow, aren't you friendly?" Perrine mused aloud. Then...it hit her. "Do you...want to come along with us?"
"Giraaa?" Girafarig tilted his head to one side, as if to ask, "Is that okay?" Then he smiled once more.
That told Perrine all she needed to know. Of course it was okay. She pulled out a PokeBall and gently tapped Girafarig on the head with it. The long neck morphed into a red light before the capsule sucked him right inside. The PokeBall wobbled a little in Perrine's hand, but it didn't take long for it to settle, and the red light stopped flashing.
"Welcome to the team," A name popped up in Perrine's head like a jack-in-a-box, and it was too perfect to not use. "Marius."
"Hmph!" Caiseal flashed a smirk before crossing his arms. "You haven't caught any new Pokemon since Luminita. About time."
But at this time, Perrine found herself lost in thought, having closed her eyes and ruminating. How could they find the secret base? Julia clearly heard them say it was here in Route 44, but considering how organized they are, there was no way Team Rocket would just leave it out in the open. Perrine's eyes flicked open. What if it was underground?
"Mushi! Come on out!" The orange haired girl released the mushroom Pokemon from his PokeBall.
Mushi the Paras jumped up and down while waving his pincers, happy to be released from the confines of his PokeBall. "Paras, paras!"
With a smile, Perrine kneeled down to the jovial bug's level. "Can you do me a favor?" Mushi nodded without hesitation. "Stick your pincers in the ground and see if you can sense anything strange underground. Can you do that?"
The mushroom Pokemon nodded once more. "Paras!" He looked down at the ground beneath his feet before dredging one of his pincers into the dirt. Confused, Caiseal gave Perrine yet another quizzical look.
"Why'd you make him do that?" Caiseal asked.
"I read somewhere that if Paras stick their pincers in the ground, they use them to look for plants and other food that's buried under ground," Perrine explained matter-of-factly. "They can also detect stuff that's not supposed to be there, like steel, aluminum, trash, or even underground bases."
"You're pulling my leg!" Caiseal exclaimed, giving her an accusatory expression instead. How could a Pokemon like Paras detect things underground just by sticking their pincers in the dirt? A concept like that seemed completely fictional to him. Such a thing couldn't possibly happen, right?
"Paras! Paras!" Mushi chirruped, pulling his pincer out from the ground before jumping up and down once more.
"You find something, Mushi?"
"Paras paras!" Mushi kept pointing to the dirt with his pincers.
Perrine cradled the orange bug in her arms, praising him with a smile. "Good job, buddy."
"Parassssss!" Little Mushi waved his pincers back and forth like he was in heaven, happy to have received praise from his trainer. His jovial gestures warmed Perrine's heart, but also left room for regret. She barely used him much, and she wished that she could have spent more time with him. Perhaps this was a good time to do so, as Mushi did always like her company. For now, she decided against putting the quirky, joyful little bug back in his PokeBall.
"We found it!" An officer shouted from just a few feet away. Two other officers held some kind of box-shaped machine right above the dirt. The screen displayed blue and white images of what appeared to be a hole that led deeper underground, with some machines such as Team Rocket vans and large capture devices they couldn't put a name to. "Their base is underground!"
"Alright, team! Let's move!" Officer Stabler edicted, ready to bring this mission to fruition.
"Nidoooooo!" Both Rina and Rino used their sturdy feet to kick a group of Geodude away from their trainer. Their combined kicks were so strong that the hapless Geodudes were all sent rolling across the floor. Some of them screamed before floating away in fear. In the same vein, Hikaru used Volt Tackle on almost all of the Voltorb. Some of them exploded in response, whereas others managed to roll away from the scene.
"Good job, guys!" Julia complimented. "Now let's get out of here!" She and the Pokemon wasted no time running down a titanium hallway. Partly to get away from the Voltorb and Geodude, and partly to get away from all the loud noises, namely the explosions, the screeching, and the banging noises that echoed thanks to the walls being titanium and having a lot of corners.
Once Julia found that the coast was clear, she stopped to catch her breath. Her lungs burned with every breath she inhaled and exhaled, and her hands clutched her knees. Even Hikaru, Rino, and Rina stopped to catch their breath. It took a few seconds for them to compose themselves, and Julia pulled three Oran berries out, handing each one to Hikaru, Rino, and Rina.
"Thanks, guys. You're the best," Julia told them gratefully as they munched on the Oran berries.
"Nyuu nyuuuu!" Both Rina and Rino let out sweet chirps before pressing their lips together, locking themselves in a kiss.
If there was ever a worse time to evolve, the poison pin duo wound up picking now to do so, even though they had no control over it. Nonetheless, the moment their lips made contact, both of them began glowing in blinding white lights. Julia's hands flew to her chest, clutching a piece of her shirt as she watched them grow in size almost exponentially. Hikaru's mouth fell agape. Soon, both Rina and Rino grew to the point where they were so big, Julia could almost ride on top of their backs.
The glow around their bodies finally ceased, and the lovebirds found themselves reborn. Their color schemes were in tact, and for the most part, their features didn't look too different from their pre-evolved forms. But the horn on Rina's head and her whiskers seemed to disappear entirely. Her muzzle grew bigger, spikes protruded from her ears and her back, and her front forelegs turned into fully functioning arms. She even had a tail growing out from her backside. The green area in her ears turned into a deep teal blue color, blending in more with the rest of her inner ears.
On the other hand, Rino's horn grew thicker and longer, but barely long enough for Julia to cup her whole hand around it. Like Rina, his legs grew stronger and thicker, but his forelegs remained the same as his back legs. Some teeth grew out from the sides of his upper jaw, and his front teeth seemed to retract. Some of the spikes on his back separated, becoming more spread out. But other than all of these, Rino didn't look different from when he was a Nidoran. Unlike Rina, he didn't grow a tail.
"Riiiiiiin!" Rina chirruped.
"Riiiiiiin!" Rino hissed, stomping on the floor to announce his glorious evolution.
"Wow! You both evolved, and at the same time, too!" Julia barely managed to pull her PokeDex out, as she was just too awestruck to pay attention to anything else. But she pulled out her portable electronic encyclopedia anyway.
First, she held it over Rina. "Nidorina, the poison pin Pokemon, and the evolved form of the female Nidoran. Nidorina have a caring, docile, gentle temperament and dislike fighting. If they're relaxed, the horns on her body retract. While they do have a horn on their heads, since it is so small, it is barely noticeable, and it develops very slowly. As a result, Nidorina prefer to use physical attacks such as biting, kicking, or scratching, and their limbs have developed stronger muscles, although they are averse to fighting as a whole. When she senses danger, she raises all of the barbs on her body. When she is around friends and family, she keeps her barbs tucked away to prevent injuries, and they become nervous if they are separated from others. When feeding their young, they first chew the food in order to tenderize it, then spit it out so their babies can eat."
"Ewwwww, gross!" Julia groaned, disgusted by that last part. Then again, anyone would be.
"Rin?" The newly evolved Rina tilted her head to one side, looking confused.
Once that was done, Julia held her PokeDex over Rino next. "Nidorino, the poison pin Pokemon, and the evolved form of the male Nidoran. Unlike the more gentle Nidorina, Nidorino are hostile, fierce, aggressive, and independent, with a hot temper that can easily be set off. His horn contains highly potent venom, and if he uses it to puncture an enemy, the impact makes him pump the poison into the wound. Nidorino's horn is hard like diamond. Because their large ears are hypersensitive, they raise them to check their surroundings, and attack immediately if they so much as sense intruders or predators, as proven when they bristle all of the spikes on its body. They never turn down a challenge, no matter how strong the opponent is. But despite their aggressive nature, they care deeply for their Nidorina, and often contribute to raising their young, such as bringing food back or teaching them how to fight, even little things such as the difference between a violent bite and a playful nibble."
"Riiiiin!" Rino hoisted his horn up proudly, as if he agreed with the PokeDex's comments about him never turning down a challenge.
Julia put her PokeDex away, kneeled to their level, and stroke their heads gently, taking care not to touch their horns. Her heart was overflowing with pride. "You two are great."
"Rin!" Rina chirruped, basking in her trainer's praise.
"Pikapi!" ("You look awesome!") Even Hikaru couldn't help but marvel at their evolution.
It took a high pitched chirp from another Pokemon to make everyone whip their heads toward the corridor. There was Tokiko, fluttering toward them with a big smile on her little white face. "Choki choki!" She waved her stubby arms up and down like they were wings.
"You found it? Awesome!" Julia exclaimed, clasping her hands together. Tokiko pointed down the hall. "Now we can save that red Gyarados!"
"HEY!" Too bad a Team Rocket grunt found them right as she said that. Julia barely had time to turn around before Tokiko decided to take the initiative. With a high pitched chirp, Tokiko's body glowed in a harsh white light. Julia could tell it wasn't the light of evolution, but her Dazzling Gleam attack. "Agh! What the heck?!" The light was so blinding that the grunt was unable to stare directly at the happiness Pokemon.
Julia knew why her friend did that: to give them a chance to escape. Julia took the chance and, with Hikaru, Rino, and Rina following behind her, sprinted down the corridor. Once Tokiko was finished, she made the light fade and followed her trainer and friends right down the hall, with intent to escort them to where Team Rocket was keeping the red Gyarados. They could only pray that it was still okay.
Obviously, the red Gyarados was not okay. In fact, she wasn't sure how much more she could take. The red Gyarados was forced to endure an entire half hour's worth of experiments, many of which involved shooting things at her or injecting things into her system. True, Team Rocket took care to make sure they didn't kill her, but at this point, the red Gyarados was already wishing for the sweet embrace of death. At least when something died, they didn't feel any pain. That was all she felt as of right now. Stuck in that giant room, all she could do was gasp for air, breathing loudly as she huddled against a corner.
"Hmph. This red Gyarados is utterly pathetic," Archer sneered, continuing to glare at the red serpent with an icy expression, one that was devoid of any kind of warmth. "It can't even withstand even the simplest of experiments. What a waste of time."
The red Gyarados said nothing. All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut, yearning for death to befall her. Anything to get out of here and not have to endure whatever else Team Rocket wanted to do with her. She wished with her whole heart that her parents were here. But alas, they weren't. They were too far away, and probably could never find Team Rocket's secret base. What else was she to do but just lie there waiting for the spirit of death to take her away from this awful place? Would this ever end?
At this point, she wasn't sure if she'd ever come out alive.
But then!
"Commander Archer! There's an intruder in the base!"
The Gyarados kept her eyes closed, and could only hear the disheveled voices of Archer and a few grunts. But from the way they raised their voices, they sounded shocked.
"What?!"
"There's some girl in the base! She has a Pikachu and a Togetic or something!"
"How did someone like that even get in here?!"
"Someone must have infiltrated the base! The police are on our tail, too!"
"How could you let this happen?!"
"Don't just stand there! Get out there and capture them!"
Thundering footsteps raced out of the room. Even the red Gyarados could hear them in spite of being locked in the room. She could only assume that they must have activated some kind of device that allowed them to speak to whoever was in the room. However...Pikachu and Togetic. Were those Pokemon? They weren't any she had ever seen or heard of before. This was natural for a Pokemon that always lived in a large lake, never venturing beyond the surface, not that she really could or had any reason to. Gradually, the pain in her body began to fade. Although the burning sensations still lingered, they didn't burn as badly as before, and the red Gyarados found herself able to lift her head up just a few feet.
The first thing she saw was a small yellowish orange Pokemon blowing a solidified kiss at the grunt, which took the form of a pink heart. Once the kiss made contact, the grunt suddenly fell to the floor with a thud, like he slipped on a banana peel. But the red Gyarados could see that he fell unconscious, as she saw his eyes close in spite of her limited view of the window observing her from above. She could also hear an unfamiliar voice from behind a door next to it.
"How do you open this thing?" She didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded sweeter, younger than all the other voices she heard. It didn't sound like it belonged to a grunt. "Wow! Thanks, Tokiko!" All of a sudden, the titanium doors retracted. A small girl came down the steel ladder, and accompanying her were a yellowish orange rat and a white fairy-like Pokemon. She wasn't wearing any black or white clothes like the other adults she saw, but...the red Gyarados couldn't let her guard down.
She backed into the corner, staring right at the girl, who walked right up to her with a warm, welcoming smile. "Hi there!" The girl raised her hand and waved it. "Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you. We're gonna get you out of here!"
"Pikachu!"
"Chokkiko!"
Get her out? Hearing that was like music to her ears, assuming she had any. To think she had lost all hope of ever getting out. In response to the girl's offer, she growled. Julia translated it as, "Get me out of here! I don't care how you do it! Just please, I can't stay here anymore!"
Julia could almost sense everything the Gyarados was feeling. Her pain, her sorrow, her anger, her fear...she inched closer and placed one of her hands on the Gyarados's hide. "I know. You're probably really scared. We'll help you. We promise," She told her reassuringly.
But as much as she wanted to help get the red serpent out, how they were going to do it was another matter. As it stands, the red Gyarados was just too big, and she was sure Tokiko's Extrasensory attack wouldn't be able to carry her. She looked up at the ceiling, pondering for any ideas. The ceiling...that's it! She pulled out her PokeDex to examine the red Gyarados, searching through her attack list. The list was as follows: Bite, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, and Dragon Rage.
"Hey, Gyarados! Do you know how to use Dragon Rage?" Julia asked.
The red Gyarados tilted her head to the left, looking flummoxed.
"If you shoot one of your energy beams at the ceiling," Julia pointed to the steel ceiling right above them. "It might just be strong enough to break right through!"
Gyarados looked up. She had a good point. Then again, it was the only option. Gyarados had no idea if she could use any new attacks at all. True, she saw many of her friends shoot beams out of their mouths the moment they evolved, but...could she really manage to break herself free? She shook her head. No, she couldn't doubt herself now. She had to try. She opened her mouth wide enough for an energy sphere to form. Then, a purple and blue stream of energy shot right out of her mouth, breaking through the steel roof like it was paper. She could see an orange sky right through the hole, and said hole was big enough for the Gyarados to go right through it.
"Woohoo! You did it, girl!" Julia cheered.
"Pikapi!"
"Chokki chokki!" Even Hikaru and Tokiko couldn't help but rejoice. They were quick to get on the Gyarados's back, clinging to one of the white horns on her tail. With a big jump, Gyarados leaped out of the hole, managing to rise right up the ground, landing right next to the lake with a big thud. Some of the lake water came splashing out, and it must be confessed that Perrine and Caiseal were right near it. As a result, they found themselves completely drenched.
"What the heck?!" Caiseal yelped as he found himself almost drowning in water.
"Hey guuuuuys!" Julia called out from the edge of Gyarados's tail. "Gyarados is safe and sound!"
Perrine fell to her knees in relief. All Caiseal did was yell, "You freaking got me all wet, and you almost put everyone in danger!" Some of the policemen facepalmed.
Normally something like this would be the end of the whole fiasco. Unfortunately, Team Rocket was not known to just give up. All of a sudden, two helicopters came flying into the area, and a large net suddenly came down, trapping both Julia and the red Gyarados inside. Before anyone could react, the helicopters pulled the Gyarados right off the ground.
"What the?!" Even Julia found herself aghast at this new development. "Hey! Let us outta here!"
The helicopters were already en route to Mahogany Town, hovering above a long river that seemed to stretch for miles. Two grunts driving one helicopter were squeezed into one tiny space, with one of them holding onto a huge lever. The lack of space wasn't exactly helping their temper any.
"You better hold onto that net or else!" A blue haired grunt barked.
"I'm holding it as best I can!" A brown haired grunt snapped back.
It didn't take long for the red Gyarados to process what was going on. She was trapped again, despite Julia's efforts to help her. Fear seized her once more. She didn't want to be taken away. Not again. No way was she going back to those awful experiments. She had to get out, and she needed to get out right now. Losing all control, the red Gyarados let out a roar and began thrashing all about. Julia clung to Gyarados's fin tightly, with all the strength her body could muster. It didn't help that Gyarados's growling was ripping her eardrums apart.
Finally, the ropes on the net suddenly ripped, and both Gyarados and Julia fell into the river with a big splash. How she was able to keep clinging to Gyarados's fin and not end up drowning, she had no idea. But the water weighed down on her, and she could feel it surging into her ears, filling them right up. She kept her eyes and mouth squeezed shut, and didn't dare try to use one of her hands to close her nose. She was afraid to let go of Gyarados. Thankfully, it didn't last long, as Gyarados popped right back out from the water.
Julia took in a big breath, happy to be out of the river. It was at this time that Lance came soaring onto the scene, riding on Mercury's back. "Julia! What were you thinking?! I told you not to come back here!" Lance scolded once he got close. Oddly enough, the red Gyarados didn't attack or even back away. She could tell the man in the cape was talking to the human on her back.
"Sorry, Mr. Cipris!" Julia bowed apologetically. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble! I just wanted to help, honest!" As much as she wanted to believe this, she knew something like that wouldn't matter, especially since she knew that by getting involved, she put the investigation at risk, along with the lives of many civilians. There was no getting out of this one. She figured she might as well face the music.
Even so, Lance could tell that she was sincere, so he flashed a sympathetic smile. "I understand. You were probably just as worried about the red Gyarados as I was," He held a hand out to her. "Now come back onto land."
Before she could climb down from Gyarados's back, missiles came firing right at them. They broke apart before sending a barrage of nets raining down onto both Julia, Hikaru, Tokiko, and the red Gyarados. Lance managed to get out of the way just in time, but he found himself shocked. Team Rocket trucks with cannons on top had raced onto the scene. How did he miss them? Julia was quick to put both Hikaru and Tokiko back into their PokeBalls.
"Activate electric shock!" One grunt yelled.
Electric shock. Not again. Gyarados flashed back to the time she was in the room. The Team Rocket grunts electrocuted her with strange machines. No. She was not going to go through that again. Rage built up in her system until it came out in the form of a strong Dragon Rage attack. The raging dragon fire came spiraling out from her mouth, ripping right through the net and almost sending the Team Rocket trucks bursting into flames. Good thing the grunts pulled their trucks away.
Lance, Perrine, and Caiseal barely had time to react before the Gyarados suddenly began swimming down the river, with Julia still on her back. "We have to get them back!" Lance cried. "Hop on, kids!" He gestured for Perrine and Caiseal to hop on Mercury's back, which they did without hesitation.
As dire as the situation was, Caiseal cringed when he saw Perrine smiling as she rode on Mercury's back, flapping her hands like she was hyperventilating. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I'm actually riding with Lance! On his Dragonite! Yeeeeee! This is the best day of my life!" Perrine squealed like a happy fangirl.
Caiseal averted his gaze. "Seriously, girl? Our friend's in danger and you're all in a tizzy over this?" He sneered, his voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. He always knew she liked Lance, but in his mind, she could not have picked the absolute worst time to fangirl over him and his Dragonite.
Come to think of it, he didn't examine Mercury with his PokeDex, did he? On impulse, he found himself pulling his PokeDex out, holding it over Mercury.
"Dragonite, the dragon Pokemon. While they are technically classified as dragon type Pokemon, they are extremely adept at both flying and swimming under the sea, and it is sometimes called the sea guardian. They are extremely intelligent, and are said to be just as smart as the average human being. They can circle the globe in 16 hours, flying faster than any known Pokemon in existence. Their heavily scaled bodies and strong physique allow them to withstand stormy weather and raging seas with no trouble, and have been known to save people from drowning and guide wayward ships to the safety of land. Because of their kind hearted nature, they are frequently used as lifeguards in nearby beaches and lakes, and they are the primary mascots of the Worldwide Water Rescue Brigade. Drowning rates have gone down significantly since people began to use Dragonite over the past one hundred years. In spite of being frequently captured by trainers, they are very rare Pokemon that don't always appear very often."
The blonde boy couldn't help but smile at the PokeDex's commentary. But as much as he liked what he learned, this was no time for a Pokemon lesson. Julia was in danger, and he, Perrine, and Lance needed to help her.
Speaking of which, as Gyarados swam through the river, she managed to climb to the back of her neck, clutching a big fin. Her hands began to throb from holding on so tightly, and for so long. "Gyarados! Where are you going?!" Julia cried. "You're not gonna hurt anyone, are you?"
Gyarados said nothing. She just kept swimming and swimming, never looking back even once. But Julia managed to put two and two together. Maybe she wanted to go home, back to the Lake of Rage, where her parents and friends were. But how could they do that? Even though Gyarados was a flying type, as far as she knew, Gyarados couldn't fly, and she was sure she couldn't just crawl back to the Lake of Rage without accidentally doing some damage to any houses that were nearby. She was just too big. Obviously, she couldn't carry her there, either.
"We'll get you back home! We'll figure this out!" Julia told her reassuringly. "Just don't fire Dragon Rage anywhere or hurt people!"
This time, the red Gyarados let out a low growl. "I...I just...want to go home!" She swam faster. Julia could feel her red scales vibrating. This wasn't good.
"Gyarados! Calm down!" Julia cried. But it didn't work. Gyarados growled even louder. Now she was firing Dragon Rage at the sky, and in different directions. "Come on, Gyarados! Don't do that! Don't be mad! We'll get you home!" She implored, her hands still hurting from clutching the red serpent's neck fin. If she continued on like this, Mahogany Town would be destroyed, and Julia knew Gyarados's anger wasn't her fault at all. Even so, should she kill a bunch of people...Julia squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to even think about the implications.
But what could she do? She was just a small girl, and Gyarados was a gigantic red serpent.
"Cloyster! Use Ice Beam!" The husky, raspy voice of an old man cried out.
"Clooooooyster!" A large, purple bivalve Pokemon with a black, pearl shaped head shot a beam of ice at the water, right in front of Gyarados. The river water in front of her began to freeze from the surface downward. The path was completely blocked now. Gyarados looked at the frozen water before her. How was she going to get to the Lake of Rage now?
"Who did that?!" Julia looked to the side of the river, noticing an old man accompanied by a big, sentient seashell that almost stood as tall as he. His thinning hair was snow white, and his brown eyes were just as icy as they glared right up at the girl riding on Gyarados's back. His body was draped in a sea blue winter coat, covering a white turtleneck and a maroon vest. He was also wearing beige pants, thick brown shoes, and a white scarf was wrapped around his neck. Resting in his hand was a white cane with a brown orb at the top.
"Little girl!" The old man suddenly called out, crossing his arms. "Have you any sense? What are you trying to do by riding such a dangerous creature?" He asked, his raspy voice stern and uncompromising.
Something about his question made Julia's blood run cold. Why was he insinuating that Gyarados was on a rampage, or attacking on purpose? "She's not dangerous!" Julia argued. "I'm just trying to help her, that's all! She needs a friend!"
The old man raised his eyebrow. "Friend? You are unbelievably naive," The old man sneered. "Pokemon and humans are not meant to be friends."
Not meant to be friends? Why was he saying that? Julia's once cold blood began to simmer. Pokemon and humans have been helping each other since the creation of life itself. It was what she had always been taught. She and her own Pokemon were best friends, and she always treated them as equals. In fact, she loved them.
"Your childish idealism and reckless behavior are putting everyone in danger," The old man told her sternly, not mincing words. Julia knew that. She knew her actions were reckless. She didn't need to be told that. "That Gyarados is a menace."
"No she isn't!" Julia yelled.
Now, Gyarados found herself firing a Dragon Rage attack at the Cloyster. "Cloyster, Ice Beam once more!" The bivalve Pokemon fired a freezing beam of light at the Dragon Rage. Once the two energy beams made contact, they burst into an explosion. Julia held on for dear life, whereas the old man didn't even flinch.
Finally, Mercury descended onto some land, and Lance, Perrine, and Caiseal both hopped off of his back. Lance saw the old man close by. "Pryce! Stop this! Let me handle-"
But the old man, Pryce, ignored him. "Use Icicle Crash!"
"What the?!" Even Caiseal and Perrine couldn't believe what they were seeing.
The big horn on Cloyster's head glowed in a white light. Soon, icicles materialized in the air, descending right toward Gyarados and Julia. Some of the icicles managed to strike Gyarados all over the place, from her head to her tail. The red Gyarados roared from the pain. Julia squeezed her eyes shut and froze, not moving even a muscle. She prayed to Arceus that the icicles didn't hit her.
"Pryce!" Lance grabbed a piece of Pryce's coat and pulled him to his face. Pryce could almost feel Lance's breath on his wrinkled face. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?! There's a child riding on that Gyarados!"
Pryce didn't flinch, even once. He kept his icy expression. "I'm trying to teach this girl a lesson. Let go of me," He turned to his Cloyster once more. "Cloyster, use Spike Cannon!"
The large bivalve fired shining white needles at the Gyarados. She tried to fire them away with a Dragon Rage, but some of them managed to strike her neck. Two of them managed to hit both Julia's left arm and leg. "Owwww!" The spikes managed to go through her skin, and she was sure she could feel blood coming out. Good thing the spikes disappeared right afterward, as those attacks usually did. But she had to help Gyarados somehow. Why was Pryce attacking it? Was he really convinced that she was a bloodthirsty monster out to kill everyone?
No. No, she wasn't. Julia was sure of that. None of this was Gyarados's fault. Team Rocket was responsible for everything. She could hear sirens blaring by the river, and opened one of her eyes to see policemen arresting various Team Rocket members. But she was sure some of the TR members would escape, knowing how crafty they could be. She was sure they'd come back for her. She'd rather catch Gyarados herself than let them come anywhere near her.
Wait...catch Gyarados herself...that's it!
"Apollo! Use Flamethrower!" Caiseal released Apollo from his PokeBall. On cue, Apollo spilled forth a stream of fire that made Cloyster back away. As a result, Cloyster ceased its attacks. Once again, Pryce didn't say a word.
Julia pulled out one of her empty PokeBalls and held it high in the air. "I know...this may not be what you want...but I want to be friends with you, and I'll do whatever I can to help you!" She cried, pressing the button on the PokeBall, allowing it to increase in size. "I swear it!" She pulled her arms down, slamming the PokeBall on Gyarados's hide.
Everyone's mouths fell agape, even Pryce and Mercury. The red Gyarados stopped moving, turning into red light that disappeared into thin air. But once Gyarados disappeared, Julia began to fall. Right toward the river.
"NO!" Having finally come to her senses, Perrine took action. "Chirin! Use Cotton Spore, and hurry!" She threw Chirin's PokeBall, allowing the pink sheep to come right out.
"Flaaaaaaffy!" Chirin wasted no time generating a huge, comfy cloud of white cotton that flew right over the river, big enough for the now unconscious Julia to fall onto. Just in the nick of time, the unconscious girl fell right in the middle of the cotton cloud. She was safe. Perrine and Caiseal both exhaled huge sighs of relief.
"Thank Arceus!"
Lance rolled her over to get a better look. There were big holes on both her arm and leg, and already blood was slithering down onto the cotton, melting right into it. But what he saw in Julia's hand left him frozen with shock. Wobbling back and forth, right in Julia's hand, was a PokeBall. The circle in the middle was generating a red light that blinked. Soon, it stopped.
'She caught the red Gyarados...all by herself…' Lance was too awestruck to mistake it for something else. There was no doubt about it. Julia caught the red Gyarados, even in spite of all the danger.
"Whoa...she actually caught it," Perrine mused aloud.
"I have to admit, that was pretty durn ballsy, even for her," Caiseal piped in. "But...is she gonna be okay?"
The caped man smiled as he scooped the girl into his arms. "I'll take her to the hospital in Mahogany. I'm sure she'll be fine," He didn't try to take the PokeBall out of her hand. In fact, she seemed to cling to it so tightly that even in her sleep, she didn't seem intent on letting it go. Then he fired a stern glare at Pryce before saying, "We'll discuss your little stunt here later."
All Pryce did was cross his arms as he watched Lance put Julia on top of Mercury. Then, the dragon Pokemon flapped his wings, ascending into the air, flying right toward the city. Lance made sure to keep Julia close, taking care not to let her slip off of his friend. He did pull out some gauze and wrapped it around the hole on her arm. As much as he tried to control it, his blood simmered. How could Pryce allow himself to willingly put a child in danger? Even more so than she already was? He made a mental note to give that old man a good scolding later on. Even if her actions were admittedly reckless and dangerous, that was no reason to attack her while she was on Gyarados's back.
He looked down at the sleeping girl. She looked so content. At least she wasn't dead. Lance thanked his lucky stars that this whole fiasco was over. True, he was sure some Team Rocket members were still on the run, and although he had faith that the police would get them someday, knowing they were still out there still nagged at him.
"...Geraldine…" Julia murmured in her sleep, just loud enough for Lance to hear it, even as they were soaring through the sky. "...That'll be...your name…"
Lance smiled as he saw the Mahogany Town hospital come into view.
"Curses!" Archer slammed his fist on his car door as Petrel drove through the city. "Those stupid kids! That Cipris! I ought to-"
"Calm yourself, Commander Archer," Petrel advised in a low, calm voice. He kept his eyes on the road, taking care not to get distracted. They came to some stoplights, and the top light was red, signalling for the car to stop. Petrel gently pressed his foot on the brake, and the car came to a slow stop. "It was no great loss. We managed to get important data."
Archer crossed his arms and pressed his lips. He had to admit, Petrel had a good point. Not only that, now they knew what they could do to make an even better evolution inducement wave. "I wonder what our plans will be for the future. Surely Hunter J or Giovanni have grand plans they haven't told us about yet."
"They sure do," Petrel said, watching the red light, anxiously waiting for it to turn green. "I'll radio Giovanni as soon as we make it to our base," Finally, the red light ceased, and the green light flashed, allowing Petrel to continue onward.
"It's a good thing we managed to escape," Archer brushed a hand through his sky blue hair. Today's harrowing events did a great number on his energy levels. "I can't handle being thrown in jail. There's too much to be done."
"I agree. But don't worry. Our plan will be realized soon enough," Petrel said. "I've already told the grunts to make some adjustments to the evolution inducement wave," He added. "Now that we know of its flaws, we can rectify them and make it so that we can control every Pokemon on this planet!"
No plan was impossible for Team Rocket. Even Archer found Petrel's musings about the plans to be empowering. "Let's hope so."
Finally, chapter 32.5 is done! I liked everything else about it...but I think I could have written the ending better. I'm not sure, but something about it feels off to me. I feel like I could have written it a lot better. Oh well. The next chapter will definitely be better. Promise!
Anyway, happy Mother's Day and happy 90th birthday to my grandma! Also, new Sun and Moon info is gonna be revealed tomorrow! Woohoo! I can't wait! Oh, I almost forgot. Julia catches the red Gyarados! So the poll results were pretty obvious. Everyone wanted Julia to catch it, so...you all got your wish, especially since I had that planned from the beginning! But whether she'll be able to handle the red Gyarados is another matter entirely, and one that'll be addressed fully in the next two chapters. Look forward to it!
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Volt Tackle
Lucretia (Eevee, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Anticipation
Attacks: Quick Attack, Helping Hand, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Rina (Nidorina, Female, Bold Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Scratch, and Bite
Rino (Nidorino, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Jab, Peck, and Horn Attack
Geraldine (Shiny Gyarados, Female, Careful Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Bite, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rage
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain
Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Charge, Power Gem, and Signal Beam
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Luminita (Chinchou, Female, Naive Nature)
Ability: Water Absorb
Attacks: Supersonic, Water Gun, BubbleBeam, and Electro Ball
Marius (Girafarig, Male, Mild Nature)
Ability: Sap Sipper
Attacks: Stomp, Odor Sleuth, Psychic, and Crunch
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash
Apollo (Quilava, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Flame Charge, Quick Attack, and Smokescreen
Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Stacey (Pinsir, Female, Serious Nature)
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Attacks: X-Scissor, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, and Double Hit
Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure
Geo (Golem, Male, Brave Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Steamroller, Rock Slide, Heavy Slam, and Magnitude