Pokémon Police Force Chapter 31: Alone Again

"What? Skitty got your tongue, man?"

The seven of us, Emerald the Braixen, Sheriashuu the Mienshao, Slowbro, Snow the Glaceon, Jessie the Mawile, Salandra the Salazzle and I now stood face to face with the two Zoroark ninjas Don and Dave.

"Good thing we decided to check back here," said Don, "we caught five interlopers and two traitors."

"Walk away," I warned, "you can't beat me alone. What makes you think you can beat the seven of us together?"

"Like, that's where you're wrong, man," said Dave, "we've got friends in high places."

"Or in this case, behind you," said Don.

Don pressed a hidden button. With a low groan, the wall behind us began opening. Beyond the wall, there were about thirty hostile Pokémon.

"What have you done to them!?" I yelled at the Zoroarks.

"Argyle, what-?" Began Jessie.

"These are the missing Pokémon from the Narrows!" I said, "you have five seconds to undo what you've done."

"We won't do any of that," said Don, "you may have beat us on Blizzard Island, but you won't do anything if it endangers them."

"You coward!" Yelled Snow, "using innocents as shields!"

"You have no room to talk," said Sheriashuu.

"Oh, shut it!" Snapped Snow.

"Girls, escape plan Gamma," I said.

The girls nodded, but Slowbro looked insulted.

I took a smoke bomb out of my mask and smacked Dave in the face with it. The bomb burst in a cloud of stinging black smoke. We threw Don and Dave aside as we booked it out of there.

"Like, get over here, man!"

I glanced back and found Don and Dave pursuing us. The smoke bomb should've had more of an effect than that!

(If that Scrafty sold me some dud bombs-!)

"Boss, do you have any Blast Seeds?" Asked Slowbro.

"Yeah."

"Give me some!"

I reached into my bag and pulled out a handful of Blast Seeds and handed them to Slowbro. Slowbro shoved them all into his Minican and then aimed at our two shadows.

"Eat Blast Seed!" Yelled Slowbro as he fired his Minican.

The Minican unloaded its explosive payload. The resulting explosion not only stunned the Zoroarks, but began to make the corridor collapse.

"Everybody grab on!" I shouted.

They did as I said, grabbing me tightly.

"Agility!"

With my added speed, we all made it out of there before the entire facility collapsed around us.

"Made it," I gasped.

"BWAHAHA! Out of the frying pan and into the fire!"

Off to my left, there was a familiar brown bear-like Pokémon.

"Terrakion!" I shouted in surprise, "then, that means…"

Into our presence, walked a colt, a deer and a goat. The Swords of Justice!

"I'm late here," said Slowbro, "who are they?"

"They don't like me," I said.

Right after I said that, the rubble behind us lifted and moved away. Don and Dave stepped out flanked by three Malamar.

"They don't like me either," I said.

Then, there was a shaking coming from the west. Our motley crew was now joined by a Roserade, a Rhyperior and a Gallade.

"Who're they?" Asked Slowbro.

"Let's just assume, for the moment, that everyone here doesn't like me," I said.

"Roserade, this doesn't concern you," said Cobalion, "back off."

"This Sneasel and that Mienshao are both wanted for various crimes," said Roserade, his voice like a storm in the middle of an otherwise tranquil field, "leave the outlaws to a real Exploration Team."

"We were here first!" Said Keldeo.

"Listen up!" Said Emerald, holding out her police badge, "I am Lieutenant Emerald of the Mystery City Police Department! Those two are in my custody! You are interfering with official police business!"

"Yeah!" Piped up Snow, "if you really want to arrest someone, get those five dorks behind us."

"Dorks!?" Said a Malamar.

"They are with Team PWNK," said Sheriashuu, "arrest them!"

"Last I checked, so are you," said Gallade.

"Uh…"

"How about this?" Asked Virizion, "whoever captures the most outlaws gets all the credit."

"Deal," said Rhyperior, "Rock Blast!"

Rhyperior took aim and began launching boulders at us out of the holes on his hands.

"Don't kill them, you idiot!" Yelled Roserade, "this is a live bounty."

"Wait a minute," said Sheriashuu, "he's firing Geodudes at us!"

"I've had enough of talking," said Rhyperior.

"Finally, someone I can relate to!" Said Terrakion, "Sacred Sword!"

A giant sword of energy emerged from Terrakion's head. Terrakion used this sword to cut down the Geodudes before they made impact. Keldeo was the next to attack, using Scald to blast either Don or Dave with a geyser of boiling hot water from his mouth. From there, a giant brawl happened.

Most of the attacks were aimed at us, but the two teams were actively fighting each other too. Emerald and Slowbro had to use their psychic powers to create a force field to protect us. Gallade diverted his entire attention to breaking through the barrier.

"This won't hold for long," said Slowbro.

"Sal, do me a huge favor," I said.

"Anything."

"Protect my kid," I said, "you've done a splendid job so far. I wouldn't trust this task to anyone else."

"What are you doing?"

"Dividing the house."

I walked to the middle of the group.

"We can't take them alone," I said, "well, I can, but I'd rather not."

"What's the plan?" Asked Snow.

"Cause some chaos, then book it," I answered, "if everything works out, we each will only have a few assailants to deal with. Look out for number 1 first."

"I agree," said Jessie, "only return if you've dealt with your problem."

"That may work for you, but will Miltank-?" Began Sheriashuu.

"Hurry up!" Said Emerald, "this is about to break!"

Snow put her paw forward. I put my claw on her paw. Jessie followed, then Sheriashuu and finally Sal.

"For the world?" Asked Snow.

"The world!" We yelled as we broke apart.

"Slowbro! Emerald! On three!" Yelled Jessie.

"One! Two! Three!"

No sooner had the barrier dropped than we leapt out and began attacking everyone. It would've been a bloodbath if our foes hadn't been equally strong. Everyone had adopted my hit-and-run style of battle and soon there was friendly fire everywhere.

(Time to get out of here!)

I ducked my way through the maze of combative Pokémon and emerged out of the skirmish relatively untouched. Once out, I ran through the canyon, heading some random direction. I'll admit, I got turned around.

I eventually found a boulder and caught my breath there.

"What did I do to anger Team Raider?"

Every outlaw worth his salt knew about Team Raider. They were infamous in the underworld for not letting any outlaw go unpunished. Team Raider is kind of a badge of honor because they only hunt the most infamous outlaws, but it also means a one-way ticket to jail.

"Well, I guess I get to be the first outlaw ever to evade Team Raider."

I heard the crunching of dry ground and the slight movement of a pebble.

(Looks like someone's after me!)

Out here there was little place to hide. It was about two in the afternoon, so judging by the sun, I found what I believed to be north. I then whispered "Agility" and finally I was off.

No one knew this canyon better than me, especially since I've spent a good portion of my life here. I effortlessly followed the canyon to its source, a small river cutting into the rock, forming a deep gorge.

(Good thing I decided to "pick up" another TM at the Black Market.)

I pressed the TM disk to my forehead and closed my eyes.

(Forget Icy Wind.)

The knowledge of how to use Icy Wind left my memory and, in its place, the new move. I returned the Used TM to the Treasure Bag. Without further ado, I leapt into the gorge.

For what seemed like an eternity, I was free falling in the gorge. I watched the water below approach closer and closer.

"Ice Beam!"

I shot a freezing beam of arctic wind at the water below. Quicker than I could prepare for, the water froze and began rising in a pillar of ice. With a few flips, I landed safely on my feet on top of the pillar.

"Ice Beam, I love you!"

With another Ice Beam, I made a slide of ice. I slid down the slide and continued on to make a bridge. With the bridge, I began sliding upstream much faster than I would've just using Agility. I eventually emerged out of the canyon and up to the river's source, a massive waterfall running down the side of a cliff.

(Time to pull out the Wonder Map.)

After examining the map, I found myself just outside the Mystery Dungeon known as Waterfall Cave. Just to the west of the Mystery Dungeon lies Treasure Town.

"Treasure Town! That place is Exploration Team central! I'll be arrested for sure!"

I carefully examined the Wonder Map further and found the hot springs.

"Good news, it isn't that far away. Only a few days of travel. Bad news, it's still close to Treasure Town."

"A lead to Yveltal rests with Torkoal."

"I know. Doesn't seem like we have a choice."

Two days later I found myself lost in some woods. There were Apples everywhere, so it wasn't all bad, I guess. That is when I heard some voices.

"Lost again," I said to myself, "where on Pokéarth am I now?"

"Chaw haw haw! You don't trust us?"

(That voice! I'd never forget it anywhere!)

I forced my way through the overgrown vegetation, kicking aside some half-eaten Apples. Eventually, I had arrived at a clearing with a large tree sitting in the middle. The size betrayed it as a Perfect Apple tree.

In the clearing, I found a Riolu and an Eevee staring down a familiar trio. It was definitely them. A blue, eyeless bat was fluttering around to one side, a literal floating gas bag was levitating to the other side. In between them was a large, skunk-like Pokémon.

"And here we were, going to give you some Perfect Apples, free of charge," said the gas bag, Koffing.

"How rude!" Said the bat, Zubat.

"We know better than to trust the likes of you!" Snapped the Eevee.

"Well, let's see how you handle our special move!" Said the skunk.

Every word those three spake raised my ire. They are the reason everything happened to Jessie and I. I had to step in.

"Take our noxious gas comb- ow!" Yelled out the skunk as I hit him.

"Who-?" Began Riolu.

"Nice job slugging Skuntank like that!" Said Eevee.

"Boss!" Yelled Zubat.

"You two alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, thanks for the save," said Eevee.

"Get out of here," I said, "I'll deal with this lot personally. I have a score to settle here."

"You have a lot of nerve to attack Team Skull!" Said Skuntank as he got up.

"Watch out for the noxious gas combo," said Riolu, "that stink takes forever to get out."

I waited until Riolu and Eevee made themselves scarce before I addressed Team Skull again.

"Picking on children, huh? You deserve a smack down just for that."

"Chaw ha ha! You can't even learn that Move!"

"He he he!" Chuckled Zubat, "I think we should teach some respect."

"Wait boss," said Koffing, "does that mask look familiar to you?"

Skuntank walked up to me until I could feel his breath on me.

"Wait, I know you," said Skuntank, "you were with that Maw- arrgh!"

Skuntank recoiled as I slashed him across the face with Shadow Claw.

"Boss!" Rang out Koffing.

"It is because of you that EVERYTHING HAPPENED!" I shouted, pointing my claw at his throat.

"Your-! Your eye!" Yelled Skuntank in terror.

"My only regret is that Jessie's not here to see me do this!" I yelled as I drew my claw back.

"Argyle, no!"

I was roughly pushed off of Skuntank by some unknown Pokémon. After I got to my feet, I noticed Jessie, the Mawile, pinning me to the ground.

"Jessie, what?"

"Saving you from three more years of exile!" Said Jessie, "what did they do to you anyway!?"

"They're the thugs!" I said, "the ones that drove us apart that day!"

"Is that so-?"

Jessie clamped her maw-like horns around Skuntank's throat.

"BOSS!" Yelled out Skuntank's two lackeys in unison.

I raised my darkness-enhanced claw to the both of them, making them stop in their tracks.

"Do not interfere," I warned.

"Because of you," Jessie said, her visage become more furious, "I went through the Voidlands and back!"

"Don't kill me!" Plead Skuntank.

"Pathetic," I said, "whimpering like a Sobble."

"Don't worry, we won't kill you," said Jessie, releasing Skuntank, much to his relief, "Argyle, keep them still."

"Ice Beam!"

I froze all three solid.

"Not what I had in mind, but it'll do," said Jessie, "help me move them."

I was quite curious what she had planned. So, I helped her move Team Skull. We arranged them in a triangle, with Jessie in the middle.

"Moonblast!" Yelled Jessie.

Jessie launched all three in different directions with a beam of pink energy.

"A little payback," said Jessie, "why'd you come all the way out here anyway?"

"Tell me this first," I said, "how'd you follow me?"

"I didn't," she replied, "I've… never been great at directions and ended up wherever this is."

"Apple Woods."

The Riolu and Eevee from before walked back into the clearing.

"The kids from before," I said.

"I'm an adult!" Said Riolu, huffing.

"Don't mind him," said Eevee, "Wolf is kind of… different."

"What're you kids doing here anyway?" Asked Jessie.

"We're looking for Perfect Apples for Wigglytuff," said the Riolu named Wolf, "I can't reach that high, though."

"Leave it to me."

I quickly climbed the tree. My claws were perfect for clawing into the side of the sappy bark. In a flash of motion, I snapped an armful of Perfect Apples off of their twigs and hurled them to the ground. My work done, I leapt out of the tree and landed on my feet.

"I wish I could do that," said Wolf.

"You can," I said, "just takes training. Something I'm sure you Riolu are no strangers to."

Wolf opened his mouth and quickly shut it.

"I'm Dusk!" Said Eevee, "who're you?"

"I'm Jessie and the Phantom of the Opera over here is Argyle."

Something strong assaulted my nose. With a few quick sniffs, I found the source. The strange scent was coming from Wolf.

"Who are you?" I asked Wolf.

"Uh, Wolf?"

"No, your scent is not the same as a normal Riolu."

"Well, I was assaulted by Skuntank before."

"Not that. Are you-? No. That'd just be ridiculous."

"Argyle, just say it," said Jessie.

"Wolf, are you a human?"