Chapter 43: Radio Tower Siege!
News of Team Rocket's takeover spread like wildfire. People could hear it on their PokeGears, since Team Rocket themselves were delivering their announcement via radio broadcast. Before noon, police cars and SWAT trucks had clustered all around the radio tower, crowding the streets. Police officers were already setting up barricades around the area, preventing any civilians from getting inside. They didn't want to risk any of the citizens getting hurt or worse. The lights on the police cars glowed in ghostly red and blue lights, illuminating the entire front area. People could see the flashes from their houses, even from tall buildings and apartment complexes. The combined police cars and black SWAT trucks clustered all in front of the tower looked like a mass of large, black and white bricks making a big barricade, with SWAT members right behind them, shields and rifles in hand.
One police car arrived later than all the others, pulling behind one of the SWAT trucks, one that was far bigger and longer than the others. Out from the police car came Falkner, dressed in full uniform, with a gun holstered to his waist. He approached the SWAT truck and pulled it open, revealing that it was actually a makeshift command center. People sat at computers, watching for anything that might happen. Other officers, accompanied by Bugsy, Jasmine, and Morty, were gathered at the other end of the truck, talking amongst themselves before watching Falkner come inside. Several other people were running to and fro, both inside and outside the SWAT trucks.
"Falkner!" Whitney was the first to notice the man's presence. "About time you got here!"
"Sorry about that," Falkner said, brushing some sweat off his brow the minute he arrived. "You won't believe how bad the traffic is. Anyway, what's the situation?"
A man sitting at the computers was the first to answer. "Team Rocket's taken over the whole building," He explained grimly. Falkner leaned over to look at the screen. It showed six different rooms on six different cameras. In the top right corner, Mary, Eusine, and Eduardo were all trapped in their room, with Team Rocket members pointing their guns and rifles at them. Another showed a dead guard lying in a puddle of his own blood. One screen in the far left showed two Team Rocket members conversing amongst themselves, but there was no audio.
"There have been eight confirmed casualties so far, all of them guards. There may be more that we don't know about yet," The man explained further.
Jasmine's eyebrows furrowed as she looked down at her sandals. "Those poor people…" Her heart went out to not just the dead guards, but their families as well. Why did this have to happen? Seeing her friend's sorrow, Whitney simply put a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it sympathetically.
"We need to find a way to get into the building and save the hostages," Another police officer said. "But there are Team Rocket members swarming the city. There might not be any way for us to get in without their noticing."
Falkner folded his arms. "Agreed."
The situation was dire, and they weren't even in the building. "Does anyone have a layout of the radio tower?" Morty asked. "There has to be a back door somewhere."
"I got it!" A woman at another computer announced. Immediately, a blueprint of the radio tower materialized on her screen, showing every door and exit possible. "But we don't know if they're all being guarded or not."
"I have a visual on one of the back doors," Another man exclaimed. His monitor showed two Team Rocket grunts guarding one of the doors that led to the back of the tower. Both grunts donned white uniforms with red R's on their torsos.
Falkner and some other officers leaned closer to get a better look. "Hmmm…" The cogs in his mind were already spinning, putting together a potential plan. "I think I have an idea. Morty," The police chief turned to the Ecruteak gym leader. "Your Gengar knows Hypnosis, right?"
Morty nodded. "Yes, he does," It didn't take long for Morty to catch on. "You want Gengar to knock those guards out, thereby allowing the police a chance to get inside?"
"Precisely."
"And Bugsy," Falkner turned to face the youngest gym leader among them. "Your bug Pokemon may be able to help as well."
The young gym leader flashed a grin. "I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can, sir!"
"Chief…" The man sitting in front of one of the monitors furrowed his eyebrows, looking concerned. "Surely you're aware of the risks involved."
Jasmine stood up. "Charlie is right," She held a closed fist to her chest. Falkner could see it shaking. "I do trust you. We all do. But if any part of your plan fails, many innocent civilians could die. We could die, or our Pokemon could die in the attempt."
Everyone could hear the worry in her voice, as much as she tried to hide it. Falker could only cross his arms. He knew the risks all too well. Being a police officer-and the police chief at that-was practically gambling one's life in and of itself. Every day was filled with risks, the very real possibility that Falkner would either get seriously hurt or killed in the line of duty being one such risk. It was always on his mind every day of his life. He understood her concerns. Falkner had put his life on the line multiple times during his career. But living in fear of dying wasn't going to get him anywhere. He knew that for a long time. Not once did Falkner ever regret working as an officer and helping those in need. After all, his job was to make the world a safe place for people and Pokemon to live in.
Helping the people and Pokemon trapped in the radio tower was no different. What kind of man would he be if he left them in the hands of Team Rocket? He'd never forgive himself if he didn't at least try. Team Rocket had no right to do what they were doing. Not on his watch.
"I know, Jasmine. I know. But we need to do all we can to save everyone inside, even if it means facing certain danger," Falkner reassured. "I know we can do this, because you all are here with me."
All the people in the room smiled at his encouragement.
In one corridor, two Team Rocket grunts holding rifles guarded one door, keeping their eyes on several frightened hostages. "Heh. This is too easy," The black haired grunt chuckled under his breath. "Look at these people! They're cowering like baby Caterpie!"
"I know, right?" His partner, a blonde haired grunt, agreed. "Still, I don't know why they're not broadcasting the signal right now. Is Archer even ready yet?"
"Who knows?"
Unbeknownst to them, a set of glowing red eyes appeared on the walls, scanning the scene before them. Several employees were stuck to their desks in fear. Others were hiding in the corners, curled into fetal positions. It was then that the blonde haired grunt suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"Whoa!"
"What is it?"
"Is it just me, or did it suddenly get cold in here?"
The black haired grunt raised an eyebrow. "Come on. It's September. Of course it's cold, you moron!"
"No, I mean...it's colder than usual!"
Something told them to turn around and face the wall. When they turned, they saw red eyes staring right at them. Before they could react-or probably scream, as any normal person seeing creepy, disembodied eyes on the wall would do-the eyes glowed in an eerie light. The grunts began to feel lethargic, and could no longer keep their eyes open. The energy was sucked right out of their bodies, and their wobbly legs could no longer hold them up. After that, the grunts collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious. The red eyes disappeared, and a shadow moved across the walls, going out the other door.
Before long, the shadow materialized into a Gengar. Gengar looked both ways, seeing if the coast is clear. No Team Rocket grunts were around at the moment, so it seemed safe for now. Attached to its forehead was a small device, blinking in a soft red light. Gengar cackled to itself, happy that it could do all these cool things like turn invisible or possess people's shadows. Now he was using his powers to help people! What joy! But he had to stay focused, or else the mission would be a complete failure. Gengar turned invisible once more, floating down the many hallways to check for hostages and grunts. He could make out one set of voices in one door that came within his line of sight.
"You have no right to keep us here!"
Gengar stopped, having recognized the voice. That was Eusine, Morty's friend! Gengar phased through the wall, getting a better view of what was going on. Eusine, Mary, and Eduardo were trapped in their booth, with several grunts pointing their rifles at them. Mary stayed in her seat, looking straight down at her desk, staring at nothing. Probably trying everything she could to keep herself composed in spite of her all-consuming fear. Eusine stood in front of the table, glaring at the grunts like he always did when he was mad at someone or something. Mary's Meowth stood on the table, tail puffed up and claws ready to slash these stupid grunts for daring to threaten its trainer.
"I said shut up!" A brown haired grunt yelled. "Just because Ariana left doesn't mean you start talkin' again! Now be quiet or you're gonna have a bullet in your head!"
"Gengar. Use Hypnosis on the grunts. NOW," Morty's voice was full of dread as he gave Gengar the command.
It was easy for Gengar to sense everything from his trainer, even just from hearing his voice in a tiny device implanted in his ear. He was a ghost Pokemon after all, and one that could feel any negative emotion known to man. There was no mistaking it: Morty was dead serious. Without hesitation, Gengar's eyes once more glowed in an eerie red light. This time, the grunts didn't need to look it in the eyes. Gengar could glimpse their eyes from where it was, and he just needed to see them in order for Hypnosis to work. Thankfully, the grunts' eyes grew heavy, and they could no longer keep themselves awake. Soon, they were limp and unconscious, falling to the ground, their rifles clattering to the floor as their owners left for dreamland.
"What…?" Eusine's mouth fell open. Why did those grunts fall asleep like that? Then, a Gengar materialized from out of nowhere. Eusine's confusion turned into joy, a radiant smile flashing across his face. He knew that Gengar anywhere.
"Gengahh!"
"You're Morty's Gengar, aren't you?" Eusine greeted it with a handshake. Reluctantly, Mary and Eduardo broke from their positions, approaching the Gengar with trepidation. "Thank you for saving us."
Gengar beamed. "Gengahahaha!" With a hearty laugh, Gengar then pulled the earphone out from his ear, handing it to Eusine. Knowing what it was for, Eusine held it to his ear.
"Can anyone hear me?" Eusine asked.
"Eusine! We hear you loud and clear!" Morty's surprised voice responded immediately. "It's me, Morty. I'm in the command center right now. How are things on your end?"
A wave of relief washed over Eusine. His friends were looking out for him. He always did appreciate Morty's kindness, even back when they were kids. But he couldn't celebrate just yet. "Team Rocket is everywhere. But from what I've heard, the radio signal hasn't been broadcast yet. Mary and Eduardo Innocenti are with me right now, safe and sound."
"We're in the process of trying to secure an infiltration route as we speak," Suddenly, Falkner's voice cut through the static, replacing Morty's. "Morty's Gengar is helping us with that," He explained.
Eusine looked over at the unconscious grunts, lying on the ground without a care in the world. Gengar must have used Hypnosis on them for that purpose. "Hold on a second," Eusine then turned to Mary. "Are there any places in the building where only staff and personnel are able to enter the tower through?"
"Huh? Uhh…" Mary pushed her fear aside and looked up at the ceiling, ruminating. Then with a gasp, she put two hands together. "There's the back entrance just behind the Magnet Train station near the parking lot, but hardly anyone knows about it because it's so well hidden."
"Did you hear that?" Eusine turned back to his earphone.
"Loud and clear," Falkner replied with confidence. "That'll be our ticket inside. Eusine, take Mary and Eduardo out that back entrance. Gengar can protect you, and I know you have your own Pokemon who can help as well. But don't take too many people out, lest we draw too much attention."
"Got it."
Falkner explained further that they didn't see anyone guarding that back entrance as of right now, so as soon as Eusine got out, everyone else would go right in and do what they could to stop Team Rocket. As far as Eusine knew, he, Mary, and Eduardo were on the fourth floor, and grunts were still nearby, so they needed to be as quick about getting them out of the way as possible while staying out of their sight. Gengar could definitely help with that.
"We'll keep an eye on you from here, so we'll know right away if something goes wrong."
"How can you see us?"
"I put a video recorder on Gengar's forehead, so anything it sees, we can see here in the command center. Anyway, get yourselves out of there right away."
"Right. Thank you, Falkner."
With that, Eusine gave the earphone back to Gengar. Trembling, Mary wrapped both arms around Eduardo.
"So we're going with you, I presume?" Eduardo asked.
"Yes. Come with me. Gengar here can help us out," Eusine gestured for them to follow him.
Gengar went on ahead, immediately making himself invisible as he left the room. Eusine, Mary, and Eduardo followed. Through every corridor they walked, they saw Rocket grunts either lying on the floor or against the wall, all unconscious. Gengar put them all to sleep. Finally, they made it to the stairs and walked right down several floors. They picked up some confused and frightened employees along the way, some of whom were bleeding from either their arms or their legs. Not long after, they found the back door. An officer opened it, gesturing for them to come right out. Eusine, Mary, Eduardo, and the four people they brought with them burst right out of the building, relieved to finally be outside.
"Alright! Move in! Move in!" The officer barked as he charged inside. Several other officers decked in SWAT uniforms followed suit, along with Falkner, Jasmine, Bugsy, Morty, and many of their Pokemon. Several Butterfree flew through the halls, flapping their wings and producing clouds of glittering green powder that spread all over the place. Several Team Rocket grunts, unfortunately, sniffed the powder, and with one whiff, they were out like lights, falling to the ground before they could comprehend what was going on.
"Keep it up, Butterfree!" Bugsy commanded, rushing past some of the sleeping grunts. "Make sure you don't knock out any innocents, okay?" The Butterfree nodded and kept their Sleep Powder attacks focused solely on the grunts. Jasmine and several officers escorted some employees out the front door, once that area was secured. Many of them were injured, and EMTs were quick to rush to their aid, medical supplies and all.
It was now or never.
"Hey!" Several grunts who hadn't been knocked out caught sight of Falkner and his group. "Don't move or we'll shoot!" They pointed their rifles right at the officers.
"Spinaraaaaak!" Of course, they had no time to act, because a group of six Spinarak, all of whom crawled onto different areas of the lobby, spit silk at them in all directions. Their arms and legs were literally tied as String Shot had them trapped. Some of them couldn't keep their balance and fell to the ground, their rifles clattering against the floor.
"You're all under arrest!" Once the grunts were down, several officers skidded toward them and dragged them away, leaving not a moment to spare.
Falkner couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Their plan was working so far! But he couldn't celebrate just yet. There were still a few more floors they needed to secure, and many more people to save. The most important one was obviously the director. Where was he? He didn't see him anywhere on the first floor. Was he in his office? It was likely he'd be there, assuming maybe a Team Rocket grunt held him hostage up there. Not really helping matters was that his office was on the fifth floor. Grunts from all directions cried or yelped as Spinarak, Butterfree, and many other Pokemon pelted them with any attacks they could belt out, unable to do a thing.
"Falkner!" Morty approached him from behind, his Haunter and Misdreavus tailing him on each side. Several officers followed suit, waiting for their superior's orders. "They've got it covered down here. What do you suggest we do next?"
He didn't have to think twice. "We're going up to save the Director and stop this radio signal from getting out," Falkner told them. "This'll be dangerous, so I'll head to the radio transmitter room. Morty, you and Officers Stabler, Benson, and Tutuola head to the Director's room. For all we know, he may have been taken hostage. Got that?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Alright! Let's move!" With that, they were on the move once again.
The second and third floors had more Rockets on patrol, but that wasn't a problem. The Spinarak had already crawled as far as the third floor, and several of them were already trapped in half-finished silk cocoons. Others tried to launch sneak attacks on Morty and the other officers. Seeing this coming, Morty's Haunter and Misdreavus knocked them away with Shadow Ball while Gengar put them to sleep with Hypnosis once more. When Falkner reached a side door, which would lead him to Mary's studio and the radio transmitter room, he found himself at an impasse. The metal door refused to open no matter how hard he pulled or pushed. Then he looked to the side. A card key slot was right next to it.
"Darn! I forgot you need a card to get in here," Falkner cursed himself for forgetting such an important piece of information. No matter. He had another way in anyhow. He took his pistol and fired one round at the key slot. Just like that, the metal doors opened wide, allowing him and other officers to get through. At this point, there was no time to be worrying about getting a card and entering the usual way.
"Oh no!" Falkner heard several grunts cry out when they heard the shots. Of course he'd alerted them to his presence. But he knew that was an inevitability. They'd find out about him whether he made his presence known or not. "They're onto us!"
"Pidgeot!" Falkner pulled a PokeBall out and threw it. "Use Gust and blow them away!"
Out from the PokeBall appeared a large, regal, tan bird with long wings and a glossy yellow and red head crest that stretched as long as its body. As soon as Pidgeot flew in front of the army of grunts, it flapped its wings with great force, creating a swift, furious gust of wind that blew every grunt off their feet. Some of them were sent flying down the corridor, unable to keep their feet to the ground. Falkner found an opening and sprinted through the crowd as Pidgeot continued to flap its wings. By this time, Bugsy's army of Spinarak and Butterfree had arrived on the floor, ready to subdue them while they were down.
"It has to be around here somewhere," Falkner muttered to himself as he searched every corridor. As far as he could tell, he was on the fifth floor right now, and the transmitter room was nearby. If he could break into the room and stop Team Rocket from broadcasting the signal, the whole mess would be over, and millions of lives would be saved.
Eventually, he found the corridor in question. Two Team Rocket grunts draped in white uniforms stood side by side, guarding one door in particular. Rifles were in their hands, and two Pokemon, both Raticate, stood guard along with them, baring their large, sharp teeth, obviously to scare off any intruders. Or rip them to pieces. Falkner could only eye them from the side, lest he risk getting spotted. How could he get past them right now? Could he wait for Bugsy's Butterfree to show up? Or would he risk it all and subdue them himself? But if he did that, whoever was in the transmitter room would likely hear the commotion and let the others know.
Thankfully, he didn't have to think too hard. One of Bugsy's Butterfree appeared right at that moment, giving a quiet coo, greeting Falkner.
"Quiet. I found my objective," Falkner whispered, pointing to the hallway. "Use Sleep Powder on them, but don't let them see you."
Butterfree nodded, having understood his request. Falkner backed away as he let Butterfree flap its wings, creating another glittering green cloud of powder. It didn't take long for Falkner to hear the grunts' bodies fall to the ground. The last of the obstacles was cleared. Falkner entered the corridor and gestured for Butterfree to leave, which it did. Pistol in hand, Falkner finally burst through the transmitter room, kicking the door so hard that it opened all by itself.
Falkner kept his pistol pointed at whoever was in the room. Both Ariana and Petrel stood up from their chairs, eyes wide and taking in the sudden presence of this man. The actual transmitter room wasn't much except for a small room whose space was taken up by tall, rectangular machines with lots of dark buttons and blinking red and green lights. Both Ariana and Petrel stood before several computers, all of them displaying moving red lines going across a blue screen. Ariana narrowed her eyes into slits once her shock wore off.
"Tch. I knew the grunts we put out on patrol were pathetic," Ariana spat, putting a hand on her hip.
"Get your hands in the air, now!" Falkner bellowed, keeping his pistol pointed at the two Team Rocket executives. "It's over! We've knocked out every single grunt you have under your control!"
A smirk spread across Petrel's face as he shrugged his shoulders, sitting back down in his computer chair. "I must admit, you must be quite strong if you managed to come this far, Police Chief Falkner Uccello," Petrel told him in a smug tone of voice.
It took everything Falkner had to keep himself calm. Petrel was deliberately condescending him in an attempt to catch him off guard by using his full name and title. He knew this tactic all too well. Then again, Team Rocket was known for doing their research on anything and anyone they had their eye on. They didn't manage to take over the tower by being slackers, after all. But Falkner knew he had to make sure he didn't fall for any of their tricks. Petrel was likely about to lay some kind of trap before him right now.
"But don't think having defeated all of those useless grunts ensures victory," Petrel said.
Ariana pulled a PokeBall out. "Go, Arbok!"
A large, purple cobra stood before Falkner, baring its fangs and sticking its tongue out, like it was ready to consume its prey whole. "Chaaaa-baka!"
"I don't have time for this!" Falkner hissed, eyes blazing at the sudden development. Of course they were going to try and distract him. "Noctowl! Use Tackle!"
A Noctowl popped out from the PokeBall, throwing itself right into Arbok's chest. The force wasn't so strong that it knocked the cobra off its tail, but it was enough to take the air right out of its body. For a brief moment, no air came into Arbok's lungs. It hurt to even try to breathe.
"Hypnosis!" Falkner shouted. He had to stop them from activating the radio signal above all else. Obviously, this battle was just a distraction.
Sensing the urgency of the situation, Noctowl was quick to make its eyes glow in an eerie red light. Thankfully, Arbok was so stunned by the Tackle from earlier that it wasn't able to avoid making eye contact with Noctowl in time. As soon as the cobra met eyes with Noctowl, the energy in its body began to drain away, and it suddenly became lightheaded. Its eyes grew heavy and wouldn't stay open. No longer was it able to keep its balance. Before long, Arbok fell to the ground, asleep and drifting off to a peaceful dreamland.
Once Arbok was asleep, Petrel found his chance. He pressed a button on the computer. The monitor displayed a red box with white letters on it, which read 'Evolution Inducement Wave Transmitting.' Falkner's eyes shrunk in horror. Even more so when he could hear shrill, pained cries coming from just outside.
"Spiiiiiiin!" All of Bugsy's Spinarak had completely keeled over, all lying on the floor, their spindly legs curling in and out, unable to stop. Some of the Spinarak writhed in agony, their bodies shaking violently, like they were having severe epileptic seizures. Others simply kept shaking their heads, crying in shrill, strained voices.
Jasmine came down the hall, stopping at the sight of the group of Spinarak screaming like they had never screamed before. Behind her, two Butterfree and Falkner's Pidgeot stood guard, unaffected by whatever was causing the Spinarak so much pain. Jasmine skidded to the floor, scooping one poor Spinarak in her arms as gently as she could, like she was holding a baby.
"It'll be alright, sweetie. It'll be alright," Jasmine crooned in a soft, motherly voice, stroking Spinarak's back in a slow rhythm. Her heart and ears were assailed by the Pokemon's pained cries. It didn't take long for several officers and Bugsy to witness the scene themselves.
"What is this?!" Bugsy cried. "Spinarak!" He was quick to grab all of his PokeBalls and recall every single Spinarak, saving them from further pain.
Falkner kept his pistol aimed at the two Rocket executives, eyes flaring with rage. "Turn that radio signal off! We know about your plans!"
"As if!" Ariana spat. "We didn't come this far just to let you brainless idiots get in our way!" She roared, baring her teeth like an Arbok ready to snap at its prey.
Too bad it was here that she completely forgot about Noctowl. Seeing an opening, Noctowl took the chance to make its eyes glow in an eerie red light. Suddenly, both Ariana and Petrel found themselves numb. Ariana tried to move her arms, but they did not stir. Petrel tried to stand up from his seat, but his body refused to obey his commands. Nothing happened. Suddenly, their bodies were as lifeless as marble. A glowing red aura surrounded them.
Falkner's mouth fell agape. What happened. "Toroooo!" Noctowl's trill pulled him out of his confusion and he swung his head in his friend's direction. Of course! Noctowl was using Psychic to keep them from moving! Falkner wished he had told Noctowl to do so earlier.
"I...can't...move!" Petrel choked out. Even his vocal chords struggled to make sound, like they were close to turning into stone.
"Now's my chance!" Falkner seized the opportunity. The blue haired man bolted over to the transmitter and pulled out a tangle of plugs from the outlets, shutting it off. The monitors on the computer turned pitch black, with nothing else on the screens. The blinking lights on the rectangular machines stopped glowing. No longer did he hear pained screams coming from the hall behind him.
"Falkner! The signal's stopped!" A police officer yelled as he burst into the room. "You did it!"
"Fools…" Ariana choked out.
Both Falkner and the officer turned to Ariana, who was still trapped by Noctowl's Psychic attack.
"If you think…" Ariana kept hissing every word she spat out. Whether it was Noctowl's powers hindering her or she was intentionally hissing the way she was, neither Falkner or anyone else could tell. "You've won...just you wait!"
There was more? Falkner and the officer exchanged perplexed looks. What else was Team Rocket doing? What else did they have planned? Falkner was sure that stopping the radio signal from airing all over Johto would stop them in their tracks.
Crackling static echoed out from Falkner's walkie-talkie. "Chief Falkner! The signal suddenly started back up again!"
The signal was still airing? But how? Falkner put a hand on his chin. They shut off the transmitter, and Noctowl kept Ariana and Petrel here the entire time. There was no way they could have activated the transmitter.
Unless…
Both Ariana and Petrel flashed smug smirks in his direction, which told them that they were still one step ahead of everyone.
Falkner shouted into the walkie-talkie, "They have a backup transmitter somewhere! Search every inch of the Radio Tower and anything else within its vicinity! Question every Team Rocket member you've got! I repeat, they have a backup transmitter! Find it! Find it!"
"Shuckle!" A yellow turtle Pokemon with a red shell ran across a grassy field under near a starstruck sky. Behind it, Amara and Gengar gave chase. The ghost Pokemon, sensing an opening, managed to fly further ahead. The turtle Pokemon couldn't afford to stop, its heart thundering with every step it ran. Then, down from the sky came Gengar, its malicious, twisted grin and sharp white teeth frightening the poor Pokemon into freezing up.
"Shu-Shuckle!" The turtle Pokemon shivered. Suddenly, the air around it grew cold. Much colder than it was earlier. Now everything around it seemed almost frigid, like a harsh blizzard was blowing through.
"Gengar! Use Dark Pulse!" Amara commanded. Unlike before, Amara's order wasn't twinged with her usual aggravated annoyance or anger this time.
Gengar only had a second to notice that before shooting a slew of glowing, dark circles right at the helpless turtle. Since Shuckle was too slow to react, the Dark Pulse knocked it right off its feet, sending it rolling across the grass. It did, however, manage to pull its head and legs into its red shell, protecting itself from anything else that could harm it. Once the Dark Pulse attack faded, Shuckle didn't come back out of its shell at all. Its head and legs remained inside, as if it didn't want to come back out again.
But that was just what Amara expected to see happen. "Yes! You weakened it!" Amara cheered before pulling a PokeBall out from her pocket. "Go, PokeBall!"
With a swift throw, the PokeBall landed right on Shuckle's shell, turning it into red light and pulling it inside. The PokeBall then fell to the grass with a soft thud before rolling side to side, the red light blinking. Gengar and Amara could only stop and wait as anticipation gripped them. But already, Amara was wishing the PokeBall would just stop swaying right now. Why did capturing a Pokemon have to take up so much time? Amara groaned after the PokeBall swayed for a third time. She never did like having to do things that took too long. Patience was never one of her strong suits. Many people had told her this, not that she liked admitting it.
Then, the red light faded, and the PokeBall stopped blinking. Amara walked over to the PokeBall and picked it up with one hand. "Yes! We caught a Shuckle!" For once, Amara couldn't help but smile at having caught a new Pokemon.
It was then that Gengar noticed something else. Amara turned in his direction and flashed a soft, proud smile. Gengar raised an eyebrow. Was Amara...smiling at him? That was rare. Amara hardly ever smiled at her Pokemon. Was this some kind of trick? Gengar narrowed his eyes into slits as Amara walked over to him, preparing himself for either a scolding or a slap to the face. The slaps he could handle, as he could easily make himself intangible. At least, unlike the other Pokemon, he had a way to avoid being used as her punching bag.
"Hey, Gengar," Amara said. "Thanks. You did a great job."
What? Gengar's body relaxed, and his eyes widened in shock. Did he hear right? Did Amara just praise him? She actually thanked him? For a moment, the ghost Pokemon thought the night was playing tricks on him. But it wasn't a trick. Gengar functioned best at night. This Amara was still his trainer, as much as he hated to admit it. What's more, Gengar didn't sense any negative feelings inside of her. He didn't feel any negative energy coming from her like he always did. That told him that she was serious. She meant what she said just now. Just like she was serious about having given Granbull to that girl Maria a week before, and for releasing Victreebel.
"I know...I haven't been the nicest trainer towards you," Amara told him, her voice lowering to a soft, almost sad tone. "I don't blame you for hating me. After all, I...still kinda hate Pokemon in a way…But…" She looked down at the PokeBall in her hand. "Maybe...I don't have to spend my life hating the ones I caught myself, you included."
Gengar's feet met the ground beneath him. He had never heard Amara talk in a soft, almost kind voice before. Maybe she did have some good in her after all.
"Do you...want to leave?" Amara asked. "You don't have to stay with me. I can release you-"
"Gengah?"
Rustling leaves stopped their conversation completely. Gengar had longer ears than Amara, so he heard it before she did. In the stillness of the night, anyone could hear just about anything. Then, a white flash of light suddenly ran across their eyes, blinding them.
"Ugh! What?!" Amara squeezed her eyes shut as she shoved Shuckle's PokeBall in her bag. Gengar simply melted into a shadow nearby, disappearing from sight.
"Excuse me! Miss!" A man's voice called out from behind a bush. Amara could feel the light moving away from her eyes, so she found it safe to open them. Still, the pure white light against the dark of the night was still blinding in a way. She was able to make out two adult men coming toward her. Both of them were wearing dark uniforms.
Gold police badges gleamed under the flashlight's rays.
'Oh crap!' Fear pricked her spine. 'I gotta get outta here right now!' It was the police! If they figured out who she was...She quickly turned around, attempting to make a break for it. A hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist, stopping her from moving even a single step.
"It's alright, miss. We're not here to hurt you," A dark haired officer told her kindly.
The officer next to him, a blonde haired gentleman, held a cellphone in his hand, using one finger to scroll through some information about missing people. One image came up that made him stop. A young girl of about thirteen, with light brown hair in a ponytail. The name read Amara Parisa.
"No doubt about it," The blonde haired man said. "She's definitely the runaway from New Bark Town, Amara Parisa. Her hair's a different color, but it's her."
The realization hit her right then and there. The police found her, and they were going to probably send her back to New Bark Town! And she was one badge away from having all eight of them! If she were to go home now, she'd not only have her Pokemon and badges taken away, but it was likely she'd be put on the blacklist permanently.
"You'll have to come with us, Miss," The dark haired officer told her as he escorted her away from the clearing.
"No! I don't want to go home!" Amara yelled, dragging her feet as she tried to use her free hand to push the officer's hand off her wrist. But the officer had an iron grip. It didn't hurt, but the last thing she wanted was to be sent back home. "You can't send me back! I'm not going!"
"You don't have a choice in this one, kid," The policeman with the blonde hair didn't mince any words with the resisting thirteen-year-old.
Her struggle against law enforcement was futile. Even so, Amara couldn't let her journey end here. Not when she had come so far all on her own. "Let me go! Let me go!" She resisted and screamed and thrashed, but Amara was pulled away from the clearing. Nothing she tried convinced the policemen to release her. Before long, she was put into a police car. Gengar, reappearing from the shadows to get a better look, watched as the car with the blue and red lights drove away into the night.
Gengar wasn't sure what to do. Go about his merry way and finally leave her, or try and free her from the police's crutches? It was a hard choice.
A/N: FINALLY! MarJour's finally been updated after so long! First chapter of the new year and it DOESN'T take months to come out this time! I really hate not being able to work on my stories. But when inspiration and motivation isn't around to make you bang those chapters out, along with life in general, putting a chapter out is like pushing a bulldozer but without using any of the controls, even when you know how you want the chapter to go. Anyway, with this, the Radio Tower arc has started! The second part, hopefully, won't be as hard to write this time around and probably won't take as long. Still, I don't find myself proud of how this chapter came out. Probably because I'm not used to writing about adults or police raids on...well, anything, nor have I really done so before. Even so, this year, I'm not gonna leave MarJour by the wayside in favor of other projects now that I'm almost finished with my Tales of Zestiria fan fic. Not when I've come so close to the end! Expect more chapters to come! Sorry this one took so long to come out!