Mission 1: "Mystery of the Disappearing Pokemon!" (part 3)
Six hours remain...
Torchic swallowed hard as the timer on Treecko's communcator bagan to tick away. "Six hours... Six hours to save the city..."
"We won't get anything done if we just sit here and brood about how much time we have!" Treecko snapped. "So, Rescue Force, huddle!" The others and Serena huddled together for a few tense minutes, discussing ideas.
Five hours and fifty minutes remain...
"Okay, here's da plan..." Treecko began as he started a simulation of his proposed plan. "In a few minutes, the two grunts will come in here and release all the Pokemon. They'll put them in the power generator at the claw robot's base, where their power will go towards powering up the laser. At that time, Pikachu will shock the generator's controls, disrupting the powerup sequence, thereby draining any power that's already there."
"Right!" Pikachu replied."
"Once the controls are shocked, I'll bind up the two grunts and disable all communications...this way, they can't call for help." Treecko continued...
"What about me?" Serena interjected. "What can I do?"
"Hmm..." Treecko thought...he hadn't counted on Serena asking for a part in the plan. "You can distract the grunts enough for me to bind them up."
"Okay!" Serena replied. "I'll pay them back really well for kidnapping me!" She flexed her claws for emphasis.
"Anyway..." Treecko continued. "With the guards bound up, Mudkip will disable security and any manual overides for what we've disabled so far...then she and Torchic will lead the captured Pokemon to safety. Any questions about what you guys are supposed to do?"
No one said a single thing.
"All right...Rescue Force, move out!" With that, Pikachu ducked into a corner nearby the generator controls, Serena and Treecko ducked into another corner at the entrance of the room, Torchic flitted over to a corner by the generator's escape hatch, and Mudkip squeezed into a corner by the security controls, waiting for the Rockets to arrive.
Five hours and twenty minutes remain...
"All right..." the female grunt began as she entered the room. "Are we ready to release the Pokemon into the generator?"
"I'll do it." the male grunt repled as he reached for the robot's controls and pressed a button, paying no heed to the Pikachu hiding by his chair. All the Pokemon screamed and tried to flee the robotic claws as one by one, they were all dropped into a bowl-like structure at the robot's base. Once inside, they all began glowing blue as their energy flowed out of them, making a red indicator on the generator's side rise. Suddenly...
"THUNDER BLAZE!" The male grunt watched, surprised, as a wave of thunderbolts surged over the controls, disabling them! Pikachu hurried away as the male grunt tried to resuscutate the damaged controls. At the same time, the red indicator on the generator's side began dropping as the Pokemon's life energy began returning to them.
"What's wrong?" the female grunt asked as her comrade tried again and again to restart the shocked controls, but to no avail.
"The amount of Pokemon we had in there overloaded the generator controls, I think..." the male grunt replied as he kept trying unsuccessfully to restart the generator.
That's what you think... Pikachu snickered as he motioned for Serena to attack. Serena nodded, quietly crept up to the bickering Rockets, and sprung onto the female grunt's back!
"YEEEEOWW!" the female grunt screamed as she fought to get the attacking Serena off of her. The male grunt rushed to help, but was soon caught up in the attack as well!
"ENERGY VINE!" Treecko called as he wrapped the two struggling grunts up in a glowing vine. Once he had throughly tied the grunts up, Serena leapt to the floor, her part complete.
Two hours and ten minutes remain...
"Come on! The other controls have to be around here someplace!" Torchic cried as she and Mudkip fumbled around, desperately looking for the controls they needed to disable.
"Wonder what this does?" and Mudkip hit a blue button...
"Communications disabled." came a robotic voice. The two Rockets groaned at this--NOW how were they going to call for help?
"Manual overrides disabled." Torchic had luckily found the correct button on one try! With that, she flitted over to the generator's escape hatch, where the others were waiting.
Now to disable everything else! Mudkip smiled as she began hitting random buttons...
"Security disabled." With that, the generator escape hatch opened...
"Robotics disabled." Mudkip watched as the claw robot, not to mention the robotic Arcanines, all shut down. Her job completed, she ran to join the others, where the captive Pokemon were all anxiously awaiting the cue to escape.
"Come on!" Torchic called as she started down the hatch. "Follow me!"
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!" the freed Pokemon cheered as they followed the Rescue Force and Serena out of the dome and into the night, just as Officer Jenny arrived to arrest the two grunts...
Success!
The next morning, all of Pallet Town turned out at the town square to watch the Rescue Force receive their latest award. In addition to all the newspapers and radio stations, the news crews of KNTO, WJTO, PNN, and WHON were all present for the ceremony.
Torchic smiled as she followed Ash and the others onto the platform in the center of the square. "Isn't this exciting?" she asked Treecko.
"This is da reason that makes me proud to be on the Rescue Force." Treecko smiled. "I like savin' da world from cronies like the Rockets, especially when everyone throws a party like this afterward!"
"Okay guys...Officer Jenny's ascending the platform, so keep quiet while she's talking." Ash shushed as Officer Jenny stepped to the microphone to address the crowd.
"People of Pallet! As you're all well aware, our great town was on the brink of extinction last night!" Officer Jenny began. "Team Rocket planned to use the power of our own Pokemon to destroy us! However, thanks to some very brave Pokemon, their plan was thwarted, and our city survived to see this joyful day!" Cheers went up from the crowd at this, so Officer Jenny waited for the crowd to quiet for a moment.
"I wonder if we'll get medals or something?" Mudkip asked.
"Just wait and see." Ash assured Mudkip as Officer Jenny prepared to speak again.
"It is therefore my privilige, and greatest honor, to present to you our brave rescuers...Ash Ketchum and the Pokemon Rescue Force!" Officer Jenny announced. At this, confetti cannons fired, cameras began flashing, and the high school band began playing as Ash and the Force charged onto the platform and waved to the crowd...
Later that day...
"Wow...I'm pooped from that party on the square..." Pikachu sighed as the group carried Serena to the doorstep of her master's house.
"I know, but we still have to take Serena home...she's the last of the captured Pokemon that needs to come home..." Ash explained as he set Serena on the house's front stoop, rang the doorbell, and retreated to the bush where the others were hiding.
Pikachu smiled as a young brown haired girl answered the door. "Serena!" she cried.
"Mew!" Serena replied as she leapt into her master's arms.
"Oh, you're all right!" the girl cried again, tears of joy running down her face as she shut the door. "Mom! Dad! Serena's home!..."
"Aww..." Mudkip commented.
"And so ends another mission for the Rescue Force..." Treecko mused as he climbed aboard Swellow.
"With a happy ending, too!" Ash interjected. "Come on, Swellow...let's go home." Swellow nodded, and soared off into the sunset...
END MISSION 1