Warning: this chapter contains some potentially disturbing imagery. It's nothing explicit, but just so you know.
"Where are the Growlithes?" I ask as I notice the fire dogs are nowhere to be found when we arrive at our training spot.
"I…have no idea," Dawn says as she also looks around, eyes filled with confusion.
"Could it be that they're late today?" Nate tentatively proposes.
"Maybe," Dawn concedes. "Or maybe they grew tired of watching us. Or maybe something else came up and they couldn't come."
As she says that, my mind is reminded of the fact they're Fire-types. And of one possible explanation for what could have happened, but that I hope is not the case.
Dawn shakes her head. "Anyway, let's focus on training for now." She turns to me. "Have you used the TM on Leonie?"
"I have." Weird as watching Poké Ball and disk glow in sync was. "Though I'm not sure if this will get through to her. She's even less thrilled about learning ranged moves than Annette has ever been." Much to my chagrin.
Dawn shrugs. "We have to start teaching her Bug moves with something. Plus, if she already knows Horn Attack, Megahorn will be easy once she's got the gist of Struggle Bug."
Yeah, she's got a point there.
The bluenette then turns to Nate. "And what about M-?"
The sudden sound of panicked barking cuts her off. Turning in the direction where that came from, we are greeted by the sight of one of the Growlithes rushing out of the vegetation, running as fast as its legs can carry it.
The closer it gets to us, though, the clearer it becomes that something is not right. Its fur, rather than being well-kept and lush as it usually is, is unkempt and caked in dirt. A swollen bruise adorns the side of its snout, and there is a bloodied cut going from its shoulder down to its side.
And even through all of that, it still manages to reach the three of us, its barks sounding more and more desperate.
"Wh-" I try to say, still registering the sight. "What happened to you?"
The Growlithe answers by circling the three of us as it keeps barking and then turning back to the trees it came from. It turns back to us briefly, giving us one last pleading look, before it rushes back into the vegetation.
Nate is the first to talk of the trio. "Uhm…we are going to help it, aren't we?"
Honestly, reporting this to the rangers would be the smarter idea. But something tells me there isn't the time for that.
"We are," Dawn and I say almost simultaneously.
Despite the Growlithe's head start, we are able to catch up to it and follow it through the woods, though it gives no sign of whether it notices us or not as it keeps running.
Eventually, the little fire dog leads us to a point in the woods where some patches of grass have withered, been torn or downright burned, while some trees have been torn apart by...something.
The Growlithe suddenly lets out a weaker bark before it starts growling furiously. We all turn in the direction it's looking at, and finally see just what is responsible for all this.
Further into the woods, its siblings are laying down unconscious, all battered and bruised worse than it is. The mother, who looks no better than her cubs, is standing in front of them protectively and growling at the one responsible for their conditions: a large purple Pokémon that looks like the love child of an armadillo, a rhino and a rabbit.
"Holy shit," I mutter. "What's a Nidoking doing here?"
"A nido-what?" Nate asks.
"A Poison/Ground-type that can be found in various regions of the world," Dawn answers. "Territorial and extremely dangerous in the wild, with a tail, horn and claws that can crush almost anything."
As she explains the situation, I try to get a better look at the purple Pokémon. Despite the large fire canine growling at him, the Nidoking doesn't look worried in the least. In fact, between the toothy grin on his snout and the narrowed eyes he looks down the Arcanine with, he seems amused. And the thin layer of soot on his armor and the bloodied claws on his stretched out arms don't bode well either. Not to mention-
"Wait, what's that collar around his neck?"
Dawn narrows her eyes as she focuses on the collar in question. It's nothing special, just a circular piece of metal wrapped around the Nidoking's neck, with a button and some turned off lights on it. But why would a wild Nidoking have it?
Unless-
After letting out a stronger growl, the Arcanine opens her mouth and a jet of flames comes out of it, aimed at the Poison-type. But the flames never reach him, as he opens his own jaws and meets them with a purple beam, smoke forming as the two attacks meet each other.
"Whoa!" Nate comments. "It can learn Dragon Pulse?"
Wait, that's Dragon Pulse?!
"Not on his own," Dawn answers, her widened eyes fixated on the Nidoking. "He needs a trainer to teach him." She briefly looks around at the damaged vegetation. "But for one to go to these lengths and that collar…"
"The Pinchers," I chime in.
"Yes."
Damned bastards.
When the two Pokémon break off their attacks, the Arcanine growls furiously at her adversary, embers still dancing around her fangs, while the big armadillo just broadens his grin.
Without any sort of preamble, the Arcanine lunges at the Nidoking, her fiery fangs aimed at his jugular. Unfortunately for her, the Nidoking manages to catch her mid-leap by the throat, his grip strong enough that she yips. After that, he retracts his free arm and clenches his clawy fingers into a fist.
"Cai!" the Arcanine yelps when, to our shared shock, that fist connects with her chest.
Whatever patience the Growlithe was having, instantly evaporates at that sight, as it breaks off from us and rushes the anthropomorphic rhino, its own tinier fangs bared at him.
"Wait, stop-!"
It's too late. Just as the Nidoking is preparing to hit the Arcanine again, the Growlithe jumps and bites down on his forearms. That manages to stop the Nidoking's fist, as his attention is drawn to the puppy hanging by his arm. However, before long, the Growlithe's fangs loosen their grip and small purple bubbles come off of it. The Nidoking rolls his head backward and lets out low guttural sounds that resemble laughter.
"No way!" Nate says. "It's got Poison Point?!"
"Yes," Dawn and I answer simultaneously.
When he's done laughing, the Nidoking roughly swings his arm and gets the Growlithe off of himself. After that, he slams the Arcanine down to the ground, the larger canine passing out upon the impact, before approaching the small whimpering dog and raising one of his feet over him, ready to-
"Oh no you don't!"
Before either me or Dawn can do or say anything, Nate breaks off from us as well and runs toward the Nidoking, one Poké Ball at the ready. That and his earlier shout have the intended effect of stopping the Nidoking from stomping on the Growlithe, but now his attention is on Nate.
Damn it, I thought you'd grown better than this!
Fortunately, Nate stops in his tracks when he sees that and just throws the Poké Ball. "Mary, use Aqua Jet! Aim at the chest!"
The blue mouse rolls herself into a ball as soon as she comes into view. Water then forms around her as she starts rolling in the Nidoking's direction. The Ground-type tries to intercept her, but Mary manages to slip past his claws and connects her attack with the larger mon's underbelly. It only serves to make the Nidoking stumble a few steps back and then glower at the Marill, but at least she doesn't get poisoned herself.
I turn to Dawn. She nods to me. I nod back. And then we are by Nate's side.
"Seteth, go!"
"Pory, you've got this!"
It slightly confuses me why she wants to use her Porygon-Z and not her Bibarel, but no time for that now.
All three Pokémon take position between us and the Nidoking, ready to act if necessary. Hopefully, he will understand he's outmatched and run away. But when his mouth sets into a grin again, I know that's not going to be the case.
What surprises me, though, it's that instead of attacking us right away, he reaches for his collar and presses the button, the lights turning on instantly.
"What did you just do?"
The answer to that soon arrives in the form of a mechanical sound quickly followed by five flying hovercrafts showing up right above us and slowly lowering to our level, each with a person wearing uniforms of various shades of green in them.
"Alright, boys and girls," I hear one of them say. "You know the drill. Get the Pokémon and-" He stops mid-sentence when he notices the three of us. His sunglasses cover most of his expression, but the surprise is evident on the others' faces. "The heck?"
"The Pokémon Pinchers, I presume," Dawn says. "I suggest you all get down here and surrender. You are all under arrest."
"Aw, crud," is the same guy's response. "Jesse and Adrian, you are with me." He grabs a Poké Ball from his belt. "Rena and Jim, get those mons while we keep them busy." He turns to the Nidoking. "You are with us, big guy."
The poisonous armadillo responds with an amused snort and lowers his horn at us while two of the Pinchers' follow their boss' example and grab Poké Balls of their own. The other two descend further down and land behind the Nidoking, all while readying metallic gauntlets on their right hands.
Dawn, Nate and I glance at each other as the three poachers and the Nidoking surround us, our Pokémon sticking close to us. The Growlithe has managed to get back up, but it's clear it won't resist the poison for long.
"I can take those three," Dawn intervenes as she nudges at three Pinchers hovering above us. "One of you needs to distract the Nidoking while the other catches the Pokémon before the Pinchers can."
"Catch them?" Nate asks confusedly. "But-"
"We don't have any other option," Dawn cuts him off. "If we can put them in Poké Balls, we can get them away from here."
"She's right," I intervene. "We have no other choice." I steal a quick glance at the approaching Nidoking. And another one at the whimpering Growlithe glaring at him. "Nate, you've got two Pokémon that can hurt that Nidoking. Can you take care of him?"
He turns to the Poison-type in question and his gaze remains neutral before it sets into a scowl. "Gladly."
"Don't get reckless," I admonish him upon hearing his overly eager answer.
His scowl goes away in favor of a reassuring smile as he turns back to me. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
"Are we set then?" Dawn asks and we both nod. "Alright then, let's go!"
Nate and I break away from the bluenette as she turns to the flying Pinchers, another Poké Ball at the ready. Seteth and I rush toward the other two - a man and a woman - as they point their gauntlets at two of the Growlithes, with only another Aqua Jet from Mary preventing the Nidoking from stopping us. And when I'm close enough to those two, I shout out "Hey, assholes!"
They both turn to me, just in time to see me call out Annette and Leonie, both Pokémon raising their arms challengingly while Seteth positions himself between them. "You heard the lady before: stand down."
The two look at Annette and Leonie and then surprise me by smirking. "Well, what do you know," the woman says. "For a moment, I thought we were actually in trouble."
"Want me to take care of it?"
"Nah, let's get rid of this buffoon quickly."
Both grab Poké Balls from their belts and toss them in the air, the beams of light forming a Noctowl and a Swellow. Two Pokémon that are strong against both Leonie and Annette.
"I've made a huge mistake."
"Noctowl, Hypnotize that bug!"
"Swellow, get rid of the cactus!"
Oh sh- "Seteth, Tailwind! Leonie, cover your eyes! Annette, shield yourself!"
Seteth manages to set up the Tailwind, for what little it does as the other two Flying-types ignore him. Annette manages to conjure her Spiky Shield just in time for the Swellow's Aerial Ace to bounce off against it, some spikes now sticking out of the swallow. Leonie is less fortunate, as while her eyes are covered, the Noctowl counters by summoning an Air Slash that pushes her backward somewhat.
After that, the two birds get back from my team, but stay in the air, ready to attack again.
Okay, think Eugenio, think. You've got three against two. You are not here to win a sport, you're here to rescue Growlithes. What-?
"Noctowl, Extrasensory!"
"Swellow, take care of that other one!"
Double sh-! "Seteth, use Confusion on the Noctowl! Leonie, grab that Swellow and hold it!"
Both of my Pokémon respond instantly. Seteth's psychic attack manages to counter the owl's, though I'm not sure how much damage he actually manages to land, and Leonie takes off and tackles the other Pokémon mid-attack, her arms wrapping around it as it flaps its wings in a desperate attempt to break free.
Okay, that's one thing done. Now, what to- wait, I got it!
"Annette, help Leonie, use Leech Seed!"
"Ra!" she responds as her ears turn in the Swellow's direction and fire off a salvo of seeds that manages to land on the bird, before vines grow from them and wrap themselves around it.
"Yes!" is what fills my head when a green light comes out of them. Annette flails her arms around and that light goes into Leonie's back, the Heracross somehow looking bulkier after that.
"Okay Leonie, let it go! Stay in the air and keep using Night Slash or Brick Break!"
She obeys my command and breaks off from the bird, one arm glowing white and one black. Both Pokémon narrow their eyes at each other as they engage in acrobatics, trying to hit each other.
Okay, now let's-
"Sig!"
A Psybeam from Seteth is the only thing that stops the Noctowl from landing its claws on Annette, the owl altering its trajectory and flying away from her but still glaring at the Sigilyph.
Okay, that was a close one. Let's-
"Swellow, ignore that Heracross! Get rid of the other two first!"
"Noctowl, keep it at bay!"
Crap…
"Annette, another Leech Seed! Aim at the Noctowl!"
"Ra!" Annette responds, but this salvo is less successful than the previous one and misses its target. And as a result, nothing stops it from using Extrasensory on Leonie, interrupting her chase of the Swellow, who aims an Aerial Ace at Seteth.
"Gust!" I manage to command at the last minute, which does stop the attack, but barely. And unfortunately, with how close the two Pokémon are as a result, the Swellow manages to land a surprise Peck between Seteth's eyes, breaking off from him right after.
Annette manages to contain the damage, as she directs the next green light to her Psychic companion, the Swellow looking worse for wear afterward.
Looking up, I see Leonie is not faring that well herself, as the Noctowl keeps flying out of her attacks' way and blasting her with Extrasensories or Air Slashes.
"Well, not bad," the woman says, a mocking smirk on her face. "I was expecting Swellow to take your mons out quickly. You're crafty, you know that?"
I'll show you crafty, bitch.
"Seteth," I tell the Sigilyph. "Up for a risky maneuver?"
"Sig."
I nod to him. "Good. Then put yourself in front of Annette."
"Ra?"
Both of my Pokémon exchange a confused look, but neither offers any complaint and Seteth follows my command.
"Oh come on, it's too easy this way," the female poacher comments amusedly. "Well, in that case, Swellow, Brave Bird!"
Oh fuck!
The bird spreads out its wings, which glow into two huge cyan shapes. It then charges Seteth and Annette at full speed.
Please, let this be timed right…
"Hypnosis!"
Just as the bird is about to hit them, Seteth's eyes glow purple and the Swellow stops its charge, its wings millimeters away from the Sigilyph, and fails to contain a yawn. A yawn followed by its eyelids falling and the bird falling down on the ground.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" the woman protests, stomping her foot.
"Don't you have any more Pokémon, Rena?" her compatriot intervenes, his eyes widened.
"Of course not!" she complains before adjusting her gauntlet. "Whatever, keep him busy. I'll deal with the Growlithes."
Oh no you don't!
"Seteth," I point up to the other two Pokémon fighting. "Go help Leonie. Use Confusion any time the Noctowl tries to use a move of its own."
"Sig," he responds as he flies up.
"Annette, you keep directing the green balls to those two. If the Swellow starts stirring up, Needle Arm to the head. Understood?"
She nods. "Ra!"
I nod myself. "Good." I then turn my gaze to the two poachers and start cracking my knuckles. "Meanwhile, I'm gonna buy you some time."
"R-ra?"
Ignoring her question, I rush in the two poachers' direction, teeth gritted and right hand clenched.
"Whoa, whoa!" the male one says. "What are you-?"
He doesn't get to finish that. When I'm close enough, I make one longer than normal step, crouching down as I get closer to him and basically sliding the rest of the way. With the momentum building up, I aim my right hook at the man's abdomen and connect. He lets out an audible gasp as the wind is knocked out of him and he clutches his gut, the pain causing his legs to fail him.
"Jim!" the woman, who had not gotten too far from him, shouts out before turning her glare at me. "You-!"
"This isn't a fight for sport, lady." I get back up on my feet and raise my arms in a defensive position. "Anything here goes."
"Oh yeah?" She points her gauntlet at me. "In that case, have some of this!"
Oh, f-
No sooner does she say that, her gauntlet releases a creaking sound that penetrates into my ears and goes deeper into my head, the pain forcing me to clutch it. And as if that wasn't enough, the woman comes closer and makes the pain worse, to the point I have to fall on my knees.
However, as suddenly as it started, it also stops. But before I can properly register that, a boot connects to my face and knocks me on the ground on top of my back. And I can feel the iron taste of blood on my lower lip.
While I blink myself past the pain, I manage to see another boot trying to land on top of me, but I manage to catch the ankle attached to it with my hands in time. Despite my grip, the foot tries to break free.
"Let! Go!"
Ignoring the woman's protest, I just roll over and take her foot with me. The woman yelps as she loses her footing.
When I'm sure she's down, I get back on my feet and get over her. While she's still stunned by her fall, I try to finish this with a punch to her face, but she reacts first and manages to kick my abdomen, forcing me a couple of steps back.
While I recover from that, she also gets back up and raises her own arms. "Ready for more?" she challenges.
I'm just about to tell her she's the one who'll get more, but at that exact time the ground starts trembling beneath us, making us unsteady on our feet.
"What the hell?"
[Dawn]
"Stary, go!" I say as I throw her Poké Ball in the air, my Pokémon already with her wings flapping as she materializes next to Pory.
The three Pinchers follow my example and toss their own Poké Balls. The Pokémon that come out are a Pidgeot, an Unfezant and another bird Pokémon with a plumage of red, black and light gray feathers and yellow talons.
Stary can't put up as much of a fight as Pory can, but given the odds I'm seeing, it shouldn't be a problem.
"Wing Attack!" all three command, their Pokémon charging at mine as their wings glow.
"Stary, Double Team! Cover Pory!"
"Star!" she replies as she multiplies into a flock of her own that flies toward the other three.
"Pory, use Charge Beam on the Unfezant and Pidgeot!" I have no idea what the red one is capable of, so it's best if I start by powering up Pory's attacks and take down the other two first.
Pory reacts immediately and leans their appendages forward, a small ball of electricity forming among their tips that soon shoots a beam of lightning.
The Charge Beam connects with the Pidgeot, the shock causing it to fall out of the formation with its two companions. It's not enough to knock it out, it never is with the first one unless it's used on Pokémon that are quadruply weak to it, but it's a start.
As Pory prepares another, the red Pokémon and the Unfezant clash with Stary's duplicates. Most disappear when the stronger Pokémon come close to them, but Stary makes sure to create more and more, all to keep them occupied while Pory snipes at them with Charge Beams.
"Enough of this," the man in sunglasses sighs. "Talonflame, use Flame Charge on that Porygon."
Talonflame? Flame Charge? Oh no.
"Use Tri Attack!" I order as I see flames enveloping the red bird, soon forming a ball of fire that charges at Pory, ignoring any of Stary's duplicates that try to intercept it.
Pory spreads out their appendages and three other lights of different colors form on the tips, soon releasing three different beams of lightning, fire and ice.
Unfortunately, the Talonflame manages to keep out of the way of the first one. And the other two connect but don't seem to even slow it down.
Pory screeches as the flame ball connects with them, but outside of some soot doesn't look too worse for wear. Although now the Talonflame is clearly moving faster.
Alright, time to change strategy.
"Stary, ignore the other two and focus on this one!"
Stary immediately breaks off her attack on the Pidgeot and Unfezant and her various copies fly toward the Talonflame, the Fire-type turning to them.
"Pory, take those down quickly!"
They get away from the now clashing Flying-types and turn to the Pidgeot and Unfezant.
From there, the battle is pretty straightforward. The good news is, Pory manages to quickly take down the two birds, one with a Tri Attack, the other with a Hyper Beam. The bad news is, Stary is unable to keep up with the Talonflame, who not only keeps using Flame Charge to increase its speed, but also manages to burn her the first time she lands an attack. I should have expected a Fire-type to have Flame Body.
Suffice it to say, an unconscious Stary joins the other two birds on the ground before long. And up above, the man with sunglasses clicks his tongue.
"You're pretty tough, I'll give you that," he says. "Unfortunately, miss, I've got a job to do here. But you are not actually a policewoman, are you?" I glare as he says that. "How about you and your friends walk away now? I promise we won't bother you any further."
"How about no?" I shoot back.
"Suit yourself," he sighs before nudging his head. "You kids help the others. Looks like they need it."
The other two Pinchers recall their Pokémon and then follow those orders, flying their hovercrafts in the direction their leader nudged. As my eyes follow them, I see Seteth and Leonie holding down a Noctowl, Annette standing over a sleeping Swellow with vines wrapped around it, one of the other two Pinchers lying down and clutching his stomach and-
I blink in a mix of surprise and confusion. Why the hell are the other and Eugenio beating each other up?
My attention is quickly turned back to the Talonflame's trainer - as much of a trainer as the man can be - as he adjusts his sunglasses and says, "Now, shall we continue?"
I harden my expression at his question and recall Stary. But before I can give Pory any orders, the earth suddenly shakes beneath me.
"What's going on?"
The Pincher looks past me. "Oh no," he mutters. "The kid just had to piss ol' King off, didn't he?"
Upon hearing that, I turn to where Nate and the Nidoking are fighting. And a panicked shock soon comes over me.
"Nate, look out!"
[Nate]
Mary retreats back to my side after she's stopped the Nidoking from attacking Eugenio, and the Poison-type and I then glare at each other. This bully is a lot stronger than my Pokémon, I can tell that much. But if all I need to do is keep it distracted while Eugenio takes care of the Growlithes, I can absolutely do it.
While the Nidoking waits for my next move, I go over what I know of it again. It's a Poison-type, thus weak to Mister Jaw's attacks. It's a Ground-type, thus weak to Mary's attacks. It's got Poison Point, but every Pokémon with that ability has weak spots that are not poisonous - judging by Mary's condition, I have to assume it's the belly in this case. It also looks like a physical attacker, but if its trainer went through the effort of teaching it Dragon Pulse, it may be a ranged one as well.
While I think about all of that, I glimpse Eugenio at the side of my vision calling out all three of his Pokémon at once, while the Pinchers call out two Flying-types I don't recognize.
Part of my brain is complaining about the fact that three against two is against the rules of Pokémon battling. The other knows exactly what he would say.
Screw the rules, this isn't a fight for sport.
"Alright," I whisper, mostly to myself.
I grab Mister Jaw's and Ruffles' Poké Balls and call them out, both instantly glaring at the Nidoking as well.
"Alright guys, we have to play this one carefully," I tell them. "Ruffles, take to the air and stay at a safe distance while you use Hone Claws. Mister Jaw, get undergound and try to block it in one spot. Mary, go for hit-and-run attacks at its belly. Lets-"
A weak whimper cuts me off and I turn to find the Growlithe at my side, looking at me with pleading eyes.
"Sorry, little guy," I say as I crouch down to pat his head. "You're in no condition to fight. We'll take it from here."
The small puppy lets out a weak protesting bark. Then it turns its head to the side and spits out a few embers. And then it returns to watching me with its cute puppy eyes. Arceus, how am I even supposed to tell it no?
"Alright," I tell it. "But stay at a distance and only attack when you see it's about to attack someone else. And only with ranged attacks, alright?"
I'm not sure how long it will last with the poison still in its body. But it manages to let out a happy bark at my words nonetheless.
"Alright." I turn back to the Nidoking and my gaze hardens. "Let's do this everyone."
My Pokémon and the Growlithe answer with affirmative noises. The Nidoking howls a loud roar to the sky before it charges us.
My Pokémon waste no time. Ruffles takes to the sky, Mister Jaw starts digging and Mary rolls herself up for another Aqua Jet. On seeing her, the Nidoking stops and raises its arms, ready to smash them on Mary.
Fortunately, the Growlithe comes through, and the huge Pokémon is stopped by a salvo of Embers shot at its face. When Mary connects with its abdomen, it's the same as before: just a few steps back and the Nidoking shrugs off the rest. But this time, one of its feet gets trapped into a Sand Tomb, courtesy of Mister Jaw. The Nidoking growls as it tries to free it, with little success.
"Good job, Mister Jaw!" I shout, hoping he can hear me. "Now make sure to keep it trapped!"
With no reply I can hear, I turn to my Water-type. "Mary, you can use Aqua Tail now! Remember: hit the belly!"
"Mar!" she responds, her tail quickly enwrapping itself in water. She then proceeds to smack it on the Nidoking, rushing at it and stepping out of its range every time. The Embers from the Growlithe stop it from attacking Mary or protect its abdomen, and Mister Jaw's Sand Tomb stops it from chasing after Mary.
Unfortunately, there's no stopping the poison, and the Growlithe eventually succumbs to it. As I check on it, it's only passed out, but I bite my lip nonetheless. I hope him fighting on like this will not have any lasting effects.
I look up to see how Ruffles is doing, and I see he's no longer rubbing his talons.
"Are you finished powering up?!" I ask him.
He nods. "Ruf!"
"Good. Then go with Wing Attack, aim at the head!" That should help knock it out faster. And with how much smaller Ruffles is, he should be at no risk of missing.
His wings light up and he goes into an attack trajectory, just as Mary is preparing to strike with another Aqua Tail.
But this time, without the Growlithe covering her, the Nidoking manages to grab her zig-zagged tail and hold it, effectively stopping her attack altogether.
"Oh, no."
"Mar!" she protests and flails her arms as the Nidoking keeps her dangling from the tail and stares at her hungrily. "Marill, mar! Ma-aaaaaaril!" Her protests soon give way to a cry of pain as the Nidoking tightens its grip.
"Ruf!" Ruffles shouts out as he's about to close in, his eyes full of anger.
That, however, proves to be a mistake. The Nidoking uses Mary as a bat and hits Ruffles with her, pushing him far away and right into a tree. Ruffles tries to get back up after crashing into it, but before long he falls unconscious.
"Mar!" Mary shouts in panic at seeing that. She then turns to glare at the Nidoking and shoots a Bubble Beam in its face. That seems to only annoy the large Poison-type, who then lifts her higher up, until she's dangling right above its head. A devious smirk comes over its face, just before it opens up its jaws. Mary's eyes fill with panic.
Oh no no no, think Nate! Don't freeze! What can you do?!
"Mister Jaw, help!" I cry in my panic.
The Trapinch emerges from the ground and slams his head into the Nidoking's abdomen at full force, enough for the Nidoking to lose its grip on Mary's tail and let her land safely on the ground.
Mister Jaw helps her up on her feet again and then they're both up and glaring at the Nidoking. Who doesn't glare back. In fact, it seems almost...amused?
All of a sudden, the Poison-type raises it fists again. Mary and Mister Jaw try to get away from them, but the fists don't even land anywhere close to them. Instead, the two impacts send shockwaves into the ground, so strong I eventually feel them too. A web of cracks forms around my Pokémon and the ground beneath them explodes into debriefs, pushing the two up in the air.
Seeing that, the Nidoking spins around and hits them with its tail. It is only one spin, but the momentum is still enough that he sends them flying in my direction.
"No!" is all I can say at seeing all that happen.
Mister Jaw and Mary land ruinously at my feet and I crouch down to see how they're doing. Mary is still conscious, but barely. Mister Jaw has to be flipped back on his feet and is dirtier, but seems to be doing much better.
After that, I look up just in time to see the Nidoking get free of the Sand Tomb. And I feel a shiver go down my spine as it grins at us.
"Guys, we've gotta-"
The Nidoking stomps one of its feet. As soon as that happens, I hear a rumbling sound coming from beneath the ground the three of us are on. One that I really don't like. It's only when I see a fissure open and magma burst out that I recognize the Earth Power for what it is, but by then it's too late.
As the full force of the attack hits me and my Pokémon, I only get the time for the slightest of moments of panic before I'm blasted away, debris hitting me all across my body. When my flight ends, I land on my back, wincing in pain as I do so, and I find my vision blurred and my head spinning when I try to get up.
With a shake of my head, I manage to clear my sight. But what I'm then met with is the sight of my Pokémon laying by my sides, Mary now well and truly passed out and Mister Jaw barely managing to hold himself on his legs. Smoke comes off the two of them, and I look to my clothes to see them scorched in places.
That Nidoking...attacked me. It didn't just fight my team until they were out, it actually went after me too. And before that, it was seriously going to eat Mary. I...I…
A guttural snort draws my attention to the poisonous monster standing over me, its malicious smirk still present. It raises one of its clawed hands, aims it at me and makes it glow fuchsia. Every nerve in my body tells me to get up and run. But somehow, I'm unable to.
This...this is it, isn't it? I'm going to die. For real this time. Dawn and Eugenio are busy fighting the Pinchers. My Pokémon are unable to keep fighting. No one can save me.
With another growl, the Nidoking's arm lunges at me.
It never lands. With what must be his last shreds of strength, Mister Jaw manages to leap in the way and his head gets stuck between the Nidoking's claws. Unbothered, the Nidoking just dissipates its Poison Jab and starts tightening its grip on him, visible cracks soon forming in the Trapinch's head while his legs wobble uselessly.
"Mister Jaw, no!"
[Eugenio]
I had a bad feeling when I felt the earth shake. But I definitely wasn't expecting to see that Nidoking fucker actually attack Nate directly. And prepare to do it again. And trying to crush Mister Jaw for protecting his trainer.
"Well, looks like that kid needs some help," the Pincher I was fighting says as her head turns back to me, with a grin on her face. "Go on. Don't worry, I'll take good care of these Pokémon."
Bitch!
Looking behind her, Seteth and Leonie seem to have managed to take down the Noctowl. The Swellow is still sleeping at Annette's side. But behind them, two more of the Pinchers are coming our way.
I bite my lips in frustration. I'm sorry dogs, but I can't let Nate die here.
But just as I'm about to tell my Pokémon to break off and attack the Nidoking, I notice a glow from within his claws.
[Dawn]
"Ouch, that doesn't look good."
I was already gritting my teeth at seeing what that Nidoking is doing. This man's words only make me grit them more.
"How about another deal?" he nonchalantly asks as he leans over his hovercraft's rail. "You go help the kid and let us do our job. Sounds fair, right?"
All I can do is glare at this man. I hate how little room I have to refuse. I hate that the time I spend glaring puts Nate further at risk. And most of all, I hate being in a situation like this again so soon.
I recall Pory, ignoring their protest. "You win," I hiss.
"Good," he says as he stands straight again. He reaches for his Poké Ball again, the Talonflame flying to him. "Then I guess I'll let you to-"
A buzzing sound coming from behind me cuts off his words. I turn around and my eyes widen.
"What?"
[Nate]
"Mister Jaw, no!"
It is all for nothing. As the cracks expand, his legs' movement gets weaker and weaker, until it stops altogether. And I stare in horror at the sight of Mister Jaw's motionless body while the Nidoking's noises resonate in my ears like a mad cackle.
Whatever else the Poison-type does next, I tune it out as I just stare at what's left of Mister Jaw falling out of the Nidoking's grasp and landing lifelessly like a rock.
This...this isn't happening. I-it can't be!
Right as I think that, I have to widen my eyes when a white light suddenly comes out of the cracks in his cranium. Another head, a slimmer one with thick pointed antennas, soon forms and breaks off the remains of the exoskeleton. At the same time, the lower part of the Trapinch's body split in two, allowing the light to spread its four rhombus-like wings and take flight.
The light grows about half a meter longer, and soon it gives away to reveal a slim yellow bug with four tiny black legs, bulging green membranes protecting his eyes and buzzing green wings.
"Vib," Mister Jaw's evolved form buzzes out. And I let out a relieved gasp at seeing him.
That relief, though, fades away when I see the Nidoking open its jaws and the light of another Dragon Pulse forms within them.
"Vib!"
Mister Jaw's wings start flapping more intensely, and he soon releases a buzz so loud that not even covering my ears is enough to protect me from the worst of it. At least I manage to see the Nidoking doubling over with its own ears covered.
While he's still making that buzzing sound, Mister Jaw lands on the right side of the Nidoking's face, covering its eye and holding its mouth shut with his surprisingly strong tail.
Before long, he stops his buzzing, opens his fanged mouth and-
I look away before he goes through. But I hear the Nidoking's howls of pain all the same. Only when it stops, do I look again. And see the Nidoking keeping its right eye shut and blood around Mister Jaw's mouth.
Part of me is horrified by the sight of that. Another part has a hard time feeling bad for someone who almost killed two of my Pokémon.
Despite the injury, the Nidoking lets out furious snorts at Mister Jaw as it glares at him, my Pokémon glaring right back.
The battle between the two resumes in earnest, as the Nidoking blasts a Dragon Pulse out of its mouth. Mister Jaw avoids it, flies down beneath its right side and slams his tail on the ground.
It takes me by surprise when the impact creates a shockwave that causes a line of ground to lift up and head toward the Nidoking. When it reaches the Poison-type, it passes right beneath one of its feet and makes it lose its footing. Mister Jaw tries to fly down to him with his mouth opened again, but is forced to change trajectory when the Nidoking blasts another Dragon Pulse. And that leaves enough of an opening for the Nidoking to get back up.
I wish I could do more than just watch as this unfolds. But I know from the furious gleam in Mister Jaw's eyes that he's too focused on fighting, too lost in his rage to listen to me.
And to be honest, I'm not even sure whether I should rein him in or not.
[Dawn]
I observe stupefied as the fight between the Vibrava and the Nidoking resumes. I knew that when Trapinchs evolve into Vibravas they come out of their exoskeletons. I didn't know cracking down on Mister Jaw's would trigger a premature evolution. Or that he'd come out of it so...bloodthirsty.
What's more disturbing is not just how and where Mister Jaw bit this Nidoking. But just how...unresponsive Nate is to the battle unfolding in front of him.
"Well, well," the Pincher comments, turning my attention back to him and the Talonflame resting on the rail. "Looks like ol' King might have found someone to match his aggression."
How can he say that so...so casually?!
"Anyway, I've got another deal for you." He crosses his arms. "Ol' King is gonna need medical attention. And I suspect so are the kid and his Vibrava. But since I know the big guy won't budge so long as me and the boys and girls are here, how about you three call this a win and let us go?"
Wait, what? "Just like that?"
He nods. "Yup. No sense in dying over something that isn't personal. Plus, I doubt that if ol' King goes down we'll be much of a challenge for a Champion and her," he briefly glances in Eugenio's and Nate's directions, "spirited proteges."
I blink in surprise. "You knew?!"
"Was worth taking a shot anyway," he answers with a shrug. "So, deal or no deal?"
I turn back to Nate. I'm worried about him and Mister Jaw, and not just because of what they're facing. Still, the Vibrava seems able to hold out against the Nidoking. And he's not going for other attacks like...like that. Can I trust this to the two of them for now? Should I?
I glance over to Eugenio. He's got the Pincher from before pinned down, but now the other two are hovering over his team with more Pokémon at the ready. If I let this man's Talonflame engage him, he's done for.
I bite my lips and turn back to the Pincher. "Deal. Just get out of here."
He nods. "You got it, lady."
[Eugenio]
Of all the ways to learn Pokémon can actually bleed, this was not one from which I wanted to. Jesus fucking Christ, what's gotten into Mister Jaw?!
And Nate...oh my fucking God, the way he's now looking at the two Pokémon fighting-
"You bastards!" the Pincher snarls before she rushes at me, fists raised. I try my best to stay clear of them, which is easier said than done with how fast her arms are.
Fortunately after a bit of it, she needs to take a pause to breathe. A pause I don't let her take, as I grab the wrist and elbow of one of her arms and twist them so she's forced to keel over to the ground.
Despite that, she's able to kick at my ankle and make me go down too. And before I can get up, she's on top of me, murder in her eyes as she clasps her hands around my throat.
Instinctively, I lower my head and keep her hands from getting into a proper choking grip, not that it deters her from trying. With no better option, I reach for her face and grasp her nose with my fingers and cover her mouth with my palm, which then forces her to let go of my throat. Her glare never wavers while she tries to get it off, but I manage to hold on.
Unfortunately, my grip starts faltering as the nails of her ungloved hand carve into my arm and make me wince. But before I can actually let go, I roll us both over, place a knee on her ribcage and hold my unwounded forearm under her chin, making sure she's unable to lift her head, even as she tries to push that off.
While she's blocked, I risk a glance at my team. The Noctowl and Swellow seem to be out of commission now, but the other two Pinchers are hovering above them, along with a pair of Fearows.
Damn it! I have to take this one down quickly, now. I can't leave my Pokémon to fend for themselves now.
The two new Pinchers open their mouths, but before they can talk, a loud whistle interrupts them.
"Time to retreat, boys and girls."
What?
The two Pinchers turn around. "Sir?"
"You've heard me." the guy in sunglasses replies. "It's not worth it."
"But our client-!"
"She's got more than enough samples already, one less won't bother her."
I honestly have no idea how a poacher manages to stay so chill at the prospect of losing money.
"And you!" He turns his head to me. "Get off of Rena. She's coming with us."
It takes me a few moments to realize who he's talking about. After that, I let go of the Pincher and get back on my feet. The woman soon follows, coughing as she does so. We exchange one final glare and then she walks over to her downed companion, helping him to his feet and then accompanying him to their hovercrafts.
After getting on board, they recall their Pokémon, rejoin their two companions and then follow their leader as he flies away.
After that, I turn to Dawn, relieved at seeing her unschated. She musters a small smile when our eyes meet and acknowledges me with a nod, which I return.
The Nidoking's enraged roar breaks that off, though, and we turn to see him looking up in the direction the Pinchers flew to, his good eye widened and full of fury.
Mister Jaw was also looking in that direction, but upon hearing the oversized armadillo, he turns back to him. But before he can do anything, the Nidoking arms go for the ground and hastily start digging.
Dawn and I rush in his direction, but by the time we get to where he was, we're staring down at a hole going deep underground, what lies at its bottom hidden in darkness.
"Vib!" Mister Jaw declares as he tries to fly down that hole. I grab him by his tail before he can.
"Vib!" he protests as he tries to wiggle free. When he fails to, he looks up to glare at me.
I glare back and firmly say, "No. This battle is over." I nudge toward Nate, who has fallen on his knees and is staring blankly at the hole as his body shakes. "He needs you more than that thing."
Something seems to shift beneath the membranes covering his eyes. If it's a blink or something else, I can't say. But the fact is that he turns his head to Nate soon after. I let him go when he tries to fly to his trainer and he lands on his lap. That manages to break Nate out of his stupor, as he notices his Vibrava and wraps him in a hug. I see his mouth utter some words I can't hear before they let out much more audible sobs.
I look away from the two and let them have a moment of privacy. But in doing so, my gaze wanders to our surroundings. To the devastated vegetation. To the battered and bruised Pokémon. I think I even see a patch of grass where the blood I lost when the Pincher kicked me fell.
A warm hand gently places itself on my shoulder. It's enough to let me release a breath I didn't realize I was starting to hold. And turning in its direction, I'm met by Dawn's eyes. Full of compassion but also sadness.
"Is this…?" I gulp. "Is this what facing organized crime is like in this world?"
Her lips press tighter together and her features wrinkle, suddenly making her seem older than she actually is.
"Unfortunately," she whispers.
Some of my strength leaves me. I have to sustain myself on Dawn's shoulders not to crumble. She doesn't protest. In fact, she lets me wrap it around both of her shoulders, as she does the same with mine. Having her so close to me is the only good thing about today.
These were just greedy bastards after money. What will it be like when we face Team Plasma and their insane leader?
No, I'm not sorry.
This chapter took a bit to write, but I hope its length makes up for it.
An update from me, though: uni lessons have started again for me, which will slow down my updates. I'll still try to have at least one chapter of Underdogs or Entrapped posted every month, but if I don't you know why.
Thanks to Softandhappy for betareading. You can find us at the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at: 9XG3U7a
See you all next time!