"There it is. Told ya it was the one." Zinnia said as she lay prone on a cliffside several feet away from a lone house with several solar panels set up. She lay in between Kay and Serena who also were spying on the building. Below the building was a cave at sea level which was constantly being bombarded with the roar from the waves crashing against the rocks. Perfect for drowning out any noise that might come from inside.
"You sure about this?" Kay asked as she scanned the area with her binoculars. "I don't see the truck and it doesn't look like the tides get low enough to get Pokémon inside. Besides, wouldn't a poacher want more than one way out if they get caught? It would be child's play for the police to surround the area, cutting off their only escape route."
Zinnia rolled her eyes at the statement. Her annoyance clear on her face. "Oh yeah, that would be a fun conversation with the pigs." She said before continuing in a high pitched mocking tone. "Oh no officer! We aren't poachers! We use the truck with all the cages and whips for hauling our fish to market! Oh! The shock nets?! No! Therefore when my wife is over and we have some fun in bed!"
The dark haired girl let out a snort at her own joke much to the irritation of the rescue worker. "Any good poacher knows not to leave huge evidence like a truck on their property. They would have stashed it somewhere else. Hidden far enough away that it couldn't be directly traced to them, but close enough that they came get it easily. As for your other questions, there's a second entrance somewhere in the back of the cave that leads somewhere on the surface. But it's one way, so they just need to push the Pokémon through far enough that they can't go back. Then, they have a special boat that they use to take them to market hidden inside the cave. And yes, I learned all this during my recon."
Both girls turned to stare at the girl, eyes wide at this new wealth of information. Both had the same thing on their mind. Which didn't go unnoticed by the girl.
"Oh come on!" Zinnia cried in an exasperated tone. "I already told you! I am after someone in the underworld! That's how I know about this stuff! Get off my back!"
Both still had a few questions, but decided it didn't matter right now. Better or worse, Zinnia was here helping them rescue the captured Pokémon. They couldn't work out if her story was true later.
"So, what's the plan?" Serena asked as Kay once again began scanning the area. "I doubt storming in guns blazing is going to work. And between us, we have seven Pokémon who can battle vs three Pokémon, two of them I've never even heard of and one which has been altered in some way."
"Regional Variant." Zinnia said, causing both other girls to look over at her again.
"From what you described, it was a Regional Variant Pokémon. Aka, a Pokémon that due to living in a very different environment developed traits that differ from the it's conventional environment." She explained. "So places like Alola or Gala have such different environments that the Pokémon who call the place home are different from the ones you can find in more Eastern environments like Kanto or Johto. And before you ask, I have left the Hoenn region for Alola before. Went there to verify a theory I had on an old legend, so don't give me those looks."
Kay opened her mouth to question the girl's further, but was cut off as Serena spoke up. "Okay. Now that that's cleared up, let's focus on rescuing the Pokémon." She said with a little more force than usual and a sharp look at Kay. "If we have any issues, we can work them out later. Now, how do we get the Pokémon out?"
Kay let out a grunt, but went back to scanning the area with her binoculars. She also understood that the Pokémon were top priority.
"Okay, well. I don't see any trace of Zinnia's secret entrance. So I'd say our options for entree are pretty limited." She said. "If so, then we'd need to swing in through the cave and use the boat to get the Pokémon out. Unfortunately, that Golem is a good shot. So we need to do it sneakily or else both us and the Pokémon will be sunk."
"Don't worry! I've got it all figured out!" Zinnia said with one of her trademark grins. "First, you and Serena sneak into the cave, Ninja style! Meanwhile, I'll be on the cliff, completely hidden waiting for your signal, like a Ninja! And once you have the signal, I'll engage the poachers, keep them distracted! And while I do that, you two slip away with the Pokémon! Like a Ninja!"
Serena struggled to keep her mouth from dropping at the girl's terrible plan. Surely she was joking! If just one thing went wrong, then the whole thing would be sunk! That was too risky!
But before she could even suggest they try something else, Zinnia threw the hood of her cloak over head so her eyes were covered. "Okay. Mission start time! Secret art of Ninja vanishing!" She said with a grin as she slowly began walking backwards into a bush.
The other two girls stared in utter confusion at what they were witnessing. It wasn't until Zinnia was getting inside the bush that Kay revived enough to speak.
"What are you doing?" She asked concerned as the dark haired girl crouched down as if she was hidden. "There's nothing secret about that! We can still see you! You're just walking backwards into a bush!" Her words were followed by a long pause. Then…
"Secret art of Ninja walking backwards into a bush!"
A long silence followed Zinnia's antics as neither girl had even the faintest idea what they had just witnessed. And after a few seconds, Kay turned to Serena, jaw hanging open.
"She always like that?"
Honestly, Serena had no idea.
A little while later.
Serena entered the cave holding onto JB's back. Despite the many problems with it, they had decided to go alone with Zinnia's stupid plan, (Mainly because they couldn't think of anything better.) and with only one way in, it had been decided the blonde would go in first. If things were dangerous, Kay could rush in and help faster.
The blonde bit her lip nervously as she stepped on the small rocky floor inside the cave. Several large builders blocked anyone who might look inside from the entrance of the cave so even if someone wandered in by accident, they wouldn't see anything suspicious.
Beside her on the beach were two jet skis as well as a motorboat that had been modified to carry extensive weight without buckling. A wench was also attached to the end and after just a quick look around, Serena spotted a cage covered by a tarp hidden in the corner of the room. It had several flotation devices attached to it so someone could move cargo in and out of the cave using it.
Yet Serena didn't see any Pokémon.
Fear once again started to fill her gut and her mind immediately began going through everything that could go wrong and all the consequences that came with her failure.
Resisting every instinct in her body screaming at her to run, she took a careful step farther down the Ricky beach, straining her ears for any sound of Pokémon. All she needed was to confirm that this was where they were being held, then she call Kay in as backup. Which meant her survival rate shot up.
Unfortunately she heard nothing, forcing her to go even farther.
Right before she had gone in, Kay had told her to get out or call for help if she felt threatened, but the blonde knew if both of them were in the cave and it was a trap, their mission would be done for.
Of course there was still Zinnia, but neither girl could say with confidence that they trusted the rash girl. Sure she was strong enough to win a Pokémon battle without much effort, but given all the suspicious activities she always just waved away these perfect explanations that just seemed a little too convenient as she never needed anyone to confirm her story. In all honesty, a part of Serena knew there was a good chance this might be a trap.
But as she peered around one of the rocks, she saw several Rhyhorn and other fire and rock type Pokémon trapped in a small pen that had sprinklers set up all around it so the Pokémon couldn't get away.
What's more, the Pokémon appeared to be in some kind of daze, as if they were half asleep. Yet she could see the fear in their eyes as they weakly circled their pen looking for a way out. Several were gathered in the back, where a large hole was. It led up into the ceiling of the cave and was far too steep to climb. Yet several of them were still trying.
Turning back to JB, Serena gave him the thumbs up, telling him that the Pokémon were here and to go get Kay. The beaver Pokémon gave her a nod, then disappeared back underwater, swimming back out of the cave, leaving the blonde on her own.
Taking a deep breath, the blonde crept towards the pen, staying low to the ground and using the rocks as cover. As she reached the pen, she quickly climbed over it causing several to turn and look at her or cower from her. She had to wait to free them to avoid them stampeding and alerting the poachers.
"Shhh. It's going to be okay." Serena said softly as she carefully made her way to the group in the back. "I'm going to get you out of here. Until then, please calm down. You might hurt yourself if you try going up."
With practice easy, she began guiding the Pokémon way for the hole and back to the center of the pen. They were very hesitant at first, but due to her mother's training, Serena knew exactly where to touch them so they wouldn't feel threatened and after a few minutes, she had gathered them all.
However, before she could even begin celebrating, she heard the sound of an engine roaring from the entrance of the cave.
Knowing it wasn't Kay, there was only one other person it could be and Serena's heart leapt out of her chest! The poachers!
This was bad! She didn't stand a chance on her own! Especially if she had to protect the Pokémon as well as battle! She looked around desperately, but couldn't find anywhere she could hide! She didn't even know where they were coming from! What could she-!?
The hole!
Immediately, the blonde ran back to the wall and climbed into the hole. The entrance was slick from all the attempts to climb it, but somehow, she managed to get inside. There, she quickly scrambled up a few feet before using her arms to brace herself. She wasn't visible just looking at it, but if anyone looked up at it, she'd be a sitting Psyduck!
As she held herself in the small hole, she heard voices approaching the pen. Voices she recognized.
"I'm telling you, I definitely saw claw marks on the right here! See?!" The voice of Rika yelled angrily. "Not only are they fresh, but these aren't made by any Pokémon we've kept down here! I'm telling you someone's been down here!"
"Humf! Looks more like the leftovers from the Rhydon we left down here." Arnold grunted in response. "Besides, if some do gooder was down here, why didn't they try to free the Pokémon? Sound to me like you're just trying to cover your ass on your fuck up during our last job."
Serena heard an angry growl from the short haired grip at his dismissal of her work.
"I'm telling you, Rhydon doesn't have claws! And this isn't from a horn! Clearly someone's been down here and we need to know why! We-!"
The sound of a slap echoed through the cave followed by the sound of someone hitting the rocky floor, causing Serena to flinch.
"What did I tell you about speaking without permission?!" Arnold bellowed as the blonde heard him pounding away on his daughter. "I don't want your opinions! I want you to shut up and do what I tell you! Who cares if someone was down here?! In a few days the Pokémon will be gone!"
Serena wanted to cover her ears as she heard Rika let out a strangled cry. She wanted to slide down there and make the horrible man stop! Nobody, not even poachers deserved this kind of treatment.
"Father, wait!" The voice of Ana cried. She sounded panicked and scared. Serena didn't want to imagine what kind of state her sister must be in to make her sound like that.
"Rika may not be right and definitely shouldn't have spoken back to you, but with what's riding on this sale, why take the chance? She's just leaning on the side of caution. While I do agree that nobody could ever find this place, we don't need to run the risk. How about we stay here and guard the Pokémon just in case? After all, you'll be at a huge disadvantage down here, whereas we won't! And that way, we'll be out of your way and the Pokémon will be safe! It's a win win!"
There was a short pause, then Arnold let out a short laugh.
"Always a good head on your shoulders. You know just the right thing to say." He said in a horrible joyous way. "Fine. You and your useless sister will stay here and look for her imagery intruder!" There was a dull thump as he kicked the girl again. Laughing as he did. "In the meantime, I'll make sure to let Decard know we have the Pokémon to pay him back. And after that…"
There was a short silence that followed, broken only by the sound of his boots cracking against the rocky ground. Then he spoke again in a tone that made Serena almost scream in disgust.
"Tonight we can celebrate while your sister stands guard down here. We haven't shared a bed in so long, I miss it so much. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you to make sure you put on makeup."
Serena prayed to Arceus that he only meant that in a fatherly way. That he just wanted to sleep with his daughter like one might when they're a little girl. But she was no fool, and even though she had never seen anything like it, she knew exactly what he must do to her when they slept together.
"A-are you sure that's necessary?" Ana asked, a tremor in her voice. The hidden blonde could easily picture her shaking as her own father leered down at her with lustful eyes. "I mean, wouldn't it be better to celebrate after our debt is paid off? I-! Yes father."
"Good girl." Arnold purred. Then, much to the three girls' relief, he began walking back towards the boats.
After a few seconds, Serena heard an engine start up, then the sound of the prow plowing through the water until the engine disappeared from her range.
A long silence followed, then…
"Come on, let's get you patched up." Ana said as she helped Rika to her feet. The two made their way to one of the rocks where the older girl began applying first. As she did, Serena heard Rika let out several repressed grunts of pain, as well as Ana say something about infections, meaning Arnold's beatings had broken the skin. But after a few minutes, they started a very private conversation that made Serena more than a little uncomfortable.
"You don't have to do that, you know." Rika said with a hiss of pain. "Why don't we just run away? Get out of here before the fat bastard even realizes we're gone?"
Ana let out a sigh, then spoke slowly as she concentrated on her task. "We've been over this. We don't have anywhere to go. To leave Hoenn you need a boat or plane, neither of which you can board without a passport. And for some reason, I don't think They'll be too happy when the daughters of a known poacher try to make a run for it."
"Then we go to Lavaridge!" Rika argued. "Sell the old man down the drain then start a new life working minimum wage at the hot-spring! Think! We could have a new life! A chance at actually doing something, ANYTHING, without that stupid old man and his debuted breathing down our next! I could start my Pokémon journey for real! And you could actually start that clothing shop you've always wanted! We might even find mom! All we need to do is get rid of-!"
"All we need to do!? Can you hear yourself right now?!" Ana's scream caught the other two girls off guard. It definitely felt weird to hear the more calm and collected of the two sisters get so worked up.
"If we turned dad in, the police won't just give us a pat on the back and a good job! They'll take us in too! We'll both be sent to jail and believe me, it's much easier pleasuring dad then about half a dozen other randoms! And even if they didn't throw us in the bin, the Delta Reapers would find us! They don't take kindly to anyone ratting on them or their associates! Even someone as lowly as dad! And if even a fourth of the things I've heard about them are true, then believe me, death will be a mercy!"
Ana's voice shook as she spoke, not from fear, but despair. "And find mom!? In case you forgot, she abandoned us as soon as you were born. Ran away to save her own hide and now lives comfortably somewhere near Fallarbor! She's forgotten us, so let's do the same! We're better off without her!"
A long silence followed Ana's outburst, then the older girl let out a sad sigh.
"Look, whether we like it or not, the fact is that nobody gets second chances in this world." Her voice was much softer, though just as hopeless. "Any five year old can find out what you've done or who you're related to. And as soon as you commit your first crime, no matter if it was your choice or not, then you're damned for the rest of your life. We just have to play the hand we were dealt. I don't like it anymore than you, but that doesn't matter. This world doesn't care what people want."
Serena had never really thought about it before, but she was now realizing she was truly blessed. She had a living family, good friends, a chance to chase her dream, and while she wasn't rich, money for the essentials was never a concern growing up.
These girls had nothing. No hope, no dreams, no future. At some point they would be caught and that would be the end. They only saw a single path for themselves and in all honesty, she didn't blame them. If she had been in their shoes, she would have given up a long time ago. The fact that Rika was still holding onto something wasn't just amazing, it was a testament to her inner strength.
"We don't have much, but we have each other. That's the one thing we can hold onto." Ana said, her voice so soft Serena could barely hear her. But she could tell the girl was on the verge of tears. "And once father's gone, good riddance, we can actually start traveling to steal Pokémon. It may not be the journey that you imagined, but it's the closest we're ever going to get to it. I promise that no matter what, we will stay together. I'll make sure of it! No matter what! So please, stop talking back to father, stop dreaming those impossible dreams, and please, stop trying to find mom. It'll only hurt you."
Serena clenched her hand into a fist as she stayed in her hiding spot. She felt sick thinking about the abuse they must have endured for their whole lives. It was so wrong! They were doing whatever it took to survive! And while that didn't make what they had done right, it didn't change the fact that Serena's heart went out to them.
When she had lost to Aria at the finals, she had resolved to help people smile like the Kalos queen herself. But upon arriving in Hoenn, she had found that resolve tested. The attack on the contest hall and now the poachers. Both times she had wanted to help, but ultimately failed.
She couldn't stop the rescue from burning to the ground, couldn't stop the intruder from stealing Lisia's key stone, couldn't stop him from escaping.
But maybe she could do something for these girls. Maybe, just maybe, she could give them their future back.
Taking a deep breath, she lowered her arms and slid down the tunnels landing in the pen with a load crunch.
As she stood up, she got a chance to survey her surroundings. Sitting a little ways away were Ana and Rika with the older sister's back to the blonde. The latter was propped up against a rock, her face was covered in bruises and cuts. A fresh trail of blood was leaking down her forehead as the former bandaged a large gash on her temple.
And the rest of her wasn't much better. Her clothes were torn and she had even more bruises on her stomach and arms. Her hair was a complete mess, matted and snarled. She must have taken a beating while lying down. How awful!
Reacting to the noise, the beaten girl looked up and let out a squeak of surprise prompting her sister to turn around.
"You?!" Ana yelled, leaping to her feet pulling her Pokéball from her belt. But before she cou throw it, Serena raised her hands in surrender, making the poacher pause in surprise.
"I'm not here to fight." The blonde said gently as if she was speaking to a scared, injured Pokémon. "I'm here to talk. Please just hear me out. We don't have much time and if you don't do exactly what I say, you'll end up in jail with your father."
"Is that a threat?" Rika snarled. She tried to get to her feet, but let out a cry of pain, slumping against the rock and sliding back down. Immediately Ana rushed back to her sister and caught her and eased her to the ground. Then she turned back to Serena with a hard glare. But she didn't make any aggressive moves.
"Then talk." Ana said shortly. "And pick your words carefully. If I don't like what you say, I have no problem taking you out right now!"
Serena nodded, lowering her hands. "I'm here to retake the Pokémon you've stolen. Once they're safe, the police will move in and arrest those responsible." She explained. "Both of you need to run away from here right now! Get as far away as you can! Then, if you forget your stealing ways, then you'll both be free."
At her words, Serena saw Rika sit up a little straighter. A glimmer of hope flashing through her eyes. She was being given a chance to live out her dream and it sounded almost too good to be true for the girl.
Unfortunately, her sister wasn't as convinced.
"You're bluffing." Ana said as she stood again, glaring at Serena. "The police wouldn't agree to send a couple of kids in after poachers. And besides, even if we run, we have nowhere to go. There are things hiding out in the dark that a simple minded fool like you couldn't even comprehend. They will track us down and kill us! We wouldn't last a-!"
"They won't!"
Ana stopped mid sentence, her eyes wide, giving Serena the perfect chance to push her idea forward.
"I'll tell the police that you both took your own lives. That you were sick of your father's abuse ended it." The blonde stepped forward, emphasizing her point. "If the record says you're dead, then the Delta Reapers won't come after you! Neither will the police! And given that you're both small-time offenders, I don't think anyone's going to care too much if bodies aren't found. It's your best chance at a fresh start! You'll both be free!"
"Free?" Rika murmured to herself, eyes wide as she thought about the possibility that her new found freedom could bring. Serena could see hope returning to the girl's face, something she bet never happened before.
But Ana suddenly moved her hand in front of her sister, blocking Serena's line of sight.
"Why? Why are you helping us? What do you gain from it?" Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion as she glared at Serena. "You don't get anything out of the deal. In fact, you're putting yourself at great risk by doing this. Not just from criminals, but also the cops."
She took a step forward, one Serena immediately mirrored by stepping back. And immediately the older girl's eyes lit up.
"You're bluffing!" Ana said, pointing right at the blonde. "Hah! Nice try girl, but I'm onto you! I bet you're here on your own. No cop, no support! That's why you're so 'forgiving!' You want us gone for a few minutes to take back the Pokémon! You sail away and we get left to rot! You don't want to help us! You just want a slice of glory for yourself! You're just like everyone else! Well to bad! I'm not stupid enough to fall for that again!"
Serena bit her lip at the actuation. She should have known it wasn't going to be easy to convince someone who had been hurt like Ana had. She paused for a second, racking her brain to try to come up with a way to convince the girl she wasn't like that. Then, she slowly took all of her Pokéballs out of her bag and placed them on the ground between them.
"What are you doing?" Ana asked, eyes becoming slits as she stared at Serena.
"I'm not here to fight." Serena said plainly. "I came to Hoenn with the intention of becoming a Coordinator so I could improve my performance skill. See I want to be like Aria, the Kalos queen. She works so hard to make others smile and I want to do the same. But after coming here, I almost immediately lost to a trainer leagues above me. It was so frustrating that I almost gave up. I almost just ran away and returned home."
Serena paused for a second, then continued once her voice steadied. "So that's why I'm helping you. Call it selfish, but I want to make at least one person smile, do at least one thing that helps someone. If you don't believe me, that's fine. You can turn me in to your father and prove that your sister wasn't lying. But if you do, then nothing will change. You'll both be sent to prison. Make no mistake, I do think you both should be in jail, but I understand you were both just trying to survive. So that's why I'm giving you this chance. It's up to you if you're willing to take it."
There was a long pause as the two girls stared each other down. Serena felt her insides squirm as she kept up her brave face. The thought of being turned in was terrifying! But it was the only thing she could think of that might get them to trust her. She just hoped she got through.
But she knew Ana had at least listened to her. The girl looked so unsure, her eyes darting between the blonde and her sister. She was torn between a better future for her and her sister and her complete distrust of Serena. And she didn't know what to do.
"Ana."
The older girl's head whipped around to her sister, who had staggered to her feet using the rock to steady herself.
"Let's go! What are you waiting for?!" Rika spoke with a voice filled with hope, eyes bright and a small smile on her lips. "We can finally be free! There's nothing to think about! I don't care if she is just doing it for glory, it's a chance! One we need to take! We-!"
Suddenly, Ana reached out and grabbed Roma's shoulders and gave her a small shake. "Listen to yourself!" She chastised. "You're putting your faith in someone you don't know! If blondie over there double crosses us and father finds out, he'll-!"
"He'll what!?" Rika snapped back, making the older girl step back in surprise. "Beat me? Rape you?! Kill us!? He already does! More and more recently! If we don't leave soon, he'll beat us so badly we won't be able to get away! Don't you get it?! It's now or never! Even if he catches us, it doesn't matter what he does! He will do it eventually anyway! I'd rather take my chance at freedom than waiting to die at his hand! I'm so sick of feeling helpless! I know you are too! So why are you hesitating!?"
Ana stood stunned as she stared at her sister. Her eyes wide as she struggled to make a decision. She knew deep down, it didn't matter how much she tried to please their father. He would go too far sooner or later. But to run away with no plan or idea of where they'd go? With nothing protecting them but the promise of someone she didn't know? That was suicidal!
But as she saw the hope in her sister's eyes, she knew she was right. It was now or never.
Gripping Rika's hand, she gave her a nod.
"Okay, we'll try. Go to the boat and bring the first aid kit. I'll be right behind you." She said, Immediately, Rika's face lit up and she immediately grabbed the kit before letting out a hiss of pain as she stumbled, her injuries bleeding openly.
"Easy!" Ana said, helping her back up. "We'll go together. Here, lean on me. Hey! Blondie! If you're serious about helping us, help me get her to the boat!"
Serena nodded and rushed forward, steadying the younger girl on her other side. Together, they hobbled towards the ocean. And after a few minutes, they reached the other motorboat and carefully set the injured girl inside.
"Do you need any food or other supplies?" Serena asked as she set the girl inside the boat. "I can give you some of mine. I'm traveling with…someone I know. So I have plenty to spare."
Ana shook her head as she gently placed Rika in the boat. "Dad always made sure the boat was stocked with non-perishables. We'll be fine." She said as she began quickly untying the rope that held it to the cave. "Makes for faster getaways. And besides, I still don't trust you. The less chances you have to sabotage us, the better."
Serena gave a weak smile at her words. Guess she should have seen that coming.
"Thank you."
Immediately the blonde's head whipped to Ana. She had her back to her as she climbed into the boat and she could easily believe that she had heard things. But then Ana spoke again, and this time there was no denying what she heard.
"Thank you for giving us a chance. Assuming you really aren't screwing us over, then we owe you our lives." She said, still refusing to look at Serena. "So if the chance arises, I'll pay you back. I don't know how, but I will. I promise."
Serena smiled at the back of Ana's head, which sucked down as said girl started the engine. In front of her, Rika returned her smile. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off as the boat roared to life.
"One more thing before we go." Ana said as climbed into the diver's seat and sat down. "Be careful. Unlike last time, father's not going to go easy on you." She spoke in a soft tone that caught the blonde off guard. She knew Arnold was strong, but Zinnia seemed so much stronger.
"He's in deep with the wrong people." The ex-poacher explained. "He's scared and desperate. If this sale doesn't go through, well, jail will be a luxury compared to what they'll do to him. The Delta Reapers aren't like the pigs or government. They have no morals, no codes, and no remorse. And…Well. When someone doesn't have anything to lose, they become much more dangerous."
Serena nodded at Ana's words. "I'll be careful." She promised.
"Good." The dark haired girl said. "If you die, then running would be pointless. So make sure you at least survive."
With that, Ana started the engine and drove out of the cave and into open waters. As the sounds of the boat got farther and farther away, Serena stood there, hoping the two could find some form of happiness with their new found freedom.
"Are you sure that was wise?"
The blonde jumped at the voice behind her. Spinning around, she found Kay standing there, leaning against the rock her arms crossed as she sent Serena a hard look.
"Their poachers. Do you honestly think they'd change their ways after a few kind words and a single act?" Kay asked as she stood and made her way towards the other girl. "I'd give them a week before they start again. And even if I'm wrong, it'll only be a matter of time before they do. And when they do, how many Pokémon will get hurt before they are caught? Serena, I respect you and all, but that was foolish."
The rescue worker came to a stop in front of Serena and looked down at her with a fire in her eyes, one the blonde had seen right before they battled Arnold.
"You shouldn't have let them go. They're just as guilty as their father. I understand why you wanted to, but at the end of the day, you can't just let someone go because they've suffered a bit if they've caused far more suffering than they've endured. It's wrong!"
There was an edge in Kay's voice that was very different then her normal tone. She had used the same tone last night during the battle, but the blonde hadn't expected to find herself on the reserving end of it. She wasn't going to lie, Kay could be quite intimidating when she wanted to be.
But Serena held her gaze, with equal strength. She didn't back down, even when meeting the older girl's intense look.
"Maybe I am being foolish, but I want to believe that there's good in people. Even if they made mistakes." She said evenly, but firmly. "They did what they had to do to avoid getting hurt. And while I won't pretend to know what it's like to be abused, I know it's never too late to start a new chapter in your life that much I know for sure."
Serena paused for a second, then pressed on, knowing Kay might not understand. After all, the girl had stayed true to herself her entire life. Of course she'd have a hard time understanding what it felt like to hate something about yourself and still do it anyway.
"I used to be a quitter. Giving up as soon as I started. I hated it, but it was too hard to stop myself. But then, I met someone who gave me the courage to actually try, to actually push forward even after I tripped up and fell. He gave me a chance to start a new chapter in my life, and I want to spread that to others. To give them a smile even during hard times. That is my dream! And even if I may be stupid of foolish to some, I want to at least try to make a different in someone's life! That way, even if we've gone our separate ways, a part of him will never leave. And I can shine his light to others, no matter who they are!"
There was silence after Serena's speech, then Kay let out a sigh and turned away.
"I didn't mean to offend you." She said apologetically. "I don't agree with you, but we can talk about morality later. For now, we've got a job to do."
Serena let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She had been hoping Kay wouldn't press her. She didn't want to get into an argument with the girl. The rescue worker could be so kind and gentle, but it was evenly matched with her intensity when angered.
"Right, let's signal Zinnia." Serena said as both her and Kay made their way back to the pen, there the dark haired girl pulled her walky-talky off her belt and pressed the button to activate it.
"Okay, we're ready. Start…whatever your planning, but please, be a little bit subtle. We don't need him to go crazy."
"Roger that!" Zinnia's voice came through the device, with a level of excitement that made both girls nervous. "I'll begin super secret Ninja art of detonation!"
"Wait! What do you mean Detonation?!" Kay snapped in panic, which only grew when she was met with silence. "Zinnia? Zinnia?! Listen! We don't need anything stupid! Just throw a rock through his window or something! Don't blow anything u-!"
The cave was rocked as a massive explosion went off somewhere above them! Dust falling from the ceiling as it shook! Both girls cried out as they steadied themselves against the rocks. In the pen, the Pokémon were awoken and began moving around in panicked fashion!
Suddenly, two more explosions went off and just outside the cave, a Dragon Pulse smashed into the sea creating a massive splash that went all the way up the cliff-face. The force of the attack exploding sent waves ripping through the front of the cave!
"Crazy idiot!" Kay said as she steadied herself and made for the pen's gate. "Is she trying to spook the Pokémon?!"
Serena immediately followed the girl, her mind racing as she took in how big this cave was. It could easily fit a small Pokémon tournament with at least three battles at the same time! How on earth was Zinnia shaking it like this?!
Her mind took her back to the day they met. When the wild girl had said not to use her full power on Karen. Back then, she had thought it was trash talk, just something she had thrown out to make him feel small.
But now? She was starting to believe that she had been holding back to avoid killing him! And if she was right, Zinnia might be even stronger than Ash and Alain!
As the two girls reached the pen, Kay threw open the gate as another tremor shook the cave, this time instead being triggered by an explosion, it was some kind of continuous attack! Dust and debris fell from the ceiling causing both girls to duck and cover their heads for what felt like several hours until it stopped.
During that time, the trapped Pokémon had made several panicked moves, but (and Serena couldn't believe she was about to think this.) Fortunately, they had all been drugged into being more docile. As such, they had been spared a very painful death!
"What do we do?" Serena asked as she got up, followed shortly by Kay. "We can't get them out like this! And if another blast goes off, they might run into the sea from fright!"
Kay gritted her teeth, then took both Pokéball off her belt.
"We herded them in! Use your Pokémon to help!" Kay replied as she tossed them both into the air where they opened with a pop. "The only good thing about this is that there's no way Zinnia didn't draw the poacher's attention! So hopefully she won't launch anymore apocalyptic like attacks and bring the cave down on us! And if she does, we'll have to figure it out!" Her voice betrayed her uncertainty, but as Serena took out her own Pokéballs, they both knew it was now or never.
So they stuck to the plan and prayed nothing went wrong!