The cover page for this fanfiction comes from Glaucidon on Deviantart. This has been a collaborated fanfiction with Weshney. It was made sorta as a break from another fanfiction and also to try seeing if an RPG maker online would take this fake Pokemon in the story to be in his new video game. I hope you awesome readers enjoy this oneshot.
PK-MN
Wingulls floated on thermal updrafts surrounding the surface of a large, black submarine breached for air. The Explorer 1, and much of the crew, belonged to Team Aqua, but for the trip was headed by a Rocket.
It's a good day. The tall, lean male thought to himself as he peered through a fringe of black hanging over his left eye. The man's gaze was affixed not to the pleasant ocean scenery, but to a map held in his grasp. Not just any map, either. A treasure map.
The man was staring particularly hard at a small, hand-drawn cove.
Glad for the strangely upbeat mission, the leader smirked, before the expression quickly turned into a laugh. It was nice to not spend the day stealing and scheming.
Looking up from his hands, he called out to one of the various grunts swarming around,
"Status report! What coastline are we nearest?"
A brunette turned and saluted, a giant scarlet "R" showcasing front and center across her chest. "Lilycove, Sir!"
"That's too far north. Turn her five degrees port. We want to end up south of Mt. Pyre's fjord."
"Right away, Sir!" The teen affirmed. A button on her headset was pressed, and the orders relayed.
Suddenly, the head honcho felt something rub against the thick cotton of his pants. He flinched.
Not even my own Pokémon will touch me, flitted through the admin's head as he looked down. A fuzzy pink and tan culprit looked back at him through squinty eyes. A big red bow tied around the thing's neck made it look especially cute.
"Whose Pokémon is this!? Keep this mongrel under control! It's shedding all over me!"
Despite the immediate attention of the mixed crew, none came forward to claim the Skitty. Instead, it purred heavier, taking on a grumbling rumble not unlike the submarine's engine room.
"Well!?"
An older Aqua answered, less intimidated by the temporary boss than the rest, "I don't think it's anyone's, Admin Sennille. Don't look like one of ours, Sir." The man pointedly gestured to a mix of Ekans, Koffing, Rattata, Poochyena, and Zubat scattered about.
Seeing that a stormy expression had overtaken Sennille's face, the underling hastily spoke up again, "But we'll get right on removing it for you, Sir."
Several people dashed forward anxiously. As one of them got close, the Skitty jumped up, frightened. It sprang past reaching arms, and straight onto the admin's coat, tears spewing from its eyes.
The mounting fury of the leader was a sure sign of horrible things to come, so one of the minions immediately grabbed the kitten and pulled. Unfortunately for them all, numerous pinprick sounds tritched across Sennille's uniform as the creature's tiny paws were removed.
The human holding the Skitty paled at the sight of so many snags in the fabric.
"LEAVE! NOW, If you value your life! Otherwise, I can always arrange a meeting with Gengar." The previously jovial admin smiled with the teeth of a Carvanha, and the crew scattered.
Drenched in a cold sweat, the Rocket holding the offending Pokémon beelined for the submarine's hatch entrance and the two disappeared into the heart of the vessel.
Sennille sighed heavily. It is not a good day, after all.
Static crackled quietly, and his second-in-command piped up shortly thereafter, "The Skitty has been secured in a kennel, Admin."
But at least there's that.
‐-
The young, two-toned cat lounged behind a flimsy wire barrier with an ear-to-ear grin worthy of Purrloin.
A hearty stretch.
Then, a claw disappeared into the deceptively arranged bow around his throat, and a torn slip of paper emerged.
The sketch of the small sheltered bay passed a scrutinizing inspection, even with all the edges Cut around it.
Fake Tears gets 'em every time.
Despite the impossibility of it, the trickster's smile only grew.
‐-
Sennille sat down for lunch on the second "floor" of the submarine, still in a huff. The metal scene sported catwalks and beams galore, but technically did not have more than one true level.
It had been only an hour since the incident with the vermin, and half as much since the vessel had resubmerged, but the leader's mood was as dark as the room surrounding him. The man eyed the tuna melt sandwich like it personally offended him, and was ready to hold someone accountable for its bad behaviour.
One of the lackies flinched at a heavy sigh from the admin, but relaxed as he moved forward to pick up the meal.
A sharp whistle.
Sennille turned, scanning all about the dimly lit crevices for the source of the sound.
Seeing none, the black-fringed man scowled and faced the unassuming food once more. Which, in turn, forced him to watch from behind the railing's bars as a flash of tiny cotton-like balls dropped to the landing below.
The paranoid adult swiftly pushed his wheeled chair back from the table. Then, peering between gaps in the metal grating of the suspended platform, Sennille caught a fleeting glimpse of Skitty booking it down the hall.
Face turned purple, Sennille screamed, "After that blasted cat!"
At a lack of immediate movement, the admin glared around, and grunts charged, taking the stairs two at a time. Several who were already on the floor beneath made it halfway down the passageway in pursuit before their boss called again.
"When you catch it, that thing better find its way into a Pokéball this time! Or I really will have to get Gengar involved." Satisfied at having seen the underlings quail, the man scooted himself back under the table.
With intoxicating fear still thick in the air, the admin grabbed his sandwich, and shoved a big bite of the breaded assembly into his smirking mouth.
The smug grin immediately fell as the texture of wet Vigoroth fur combined with the choking essence of a Stunky on his tongue and teeth.
The center of the once tasty-looking sandwich was replaced with something not unlike what an Ekans would have swallowed and then regurgitated. The abhorrent sight and smell of it was too abysmal to go into more detail.
What was clear was how enraged he was.
"Crawdaunt, teach that pest a lesson it won't soon forget!"
He hurled a Pokéball at the deck and out popped a large lobster, a golden star crowning its head. The thing's competitive gaze was more than ready for any challenge its Trainer demanded.
The two pounded down the grated stairs and dashed through the hall, vaulting over the metal beamed doorways of several leak-stopping chambers. Only at the end of the hall did they pause, just long enough for Sennille to push forward on a wheeled handle, forcing the door further open so they could barrel into the next room.
As soon as they were clear, the admin and his brutish Pokémon scoured the new confined space for any sign of the Skitty, eyes passing over wires and monitors shoved into every nook. Seeing no grunts left checking the communications department, the furious man grimaced, and started toward another door, sure that the furred miscreant couldn't possibly be in this room.
Right up until it leaped out on top of a radio terminal.
"Skiii~tty!" The tiny creature purred through wickedly bared teeth.
"Crawdaunt, use Bubblebeam!"
Crawdaunt opened its pinchers before a volley of bubbles fired out. Then—the sea dweller didn't know what happened. One moment the attack was headed towards Skitty and the next it was ricocheting off some invisible surface and rebounding into his chin.
But that wasn't where the damage stopped. Many of the stray bullets of trapped air missed the crayfish, slamming explosively into the machinery behind the brawler.
"Crawdaunt, enough! We can't damage any more equipment."
Enraged at being made a fool of, the Crawdaunt lunged back into action, ignoring Sennille. His violent nature took hold and he started swinging massive claws, slamming two more terminals in his attempts to bash the pink feline.
Unable to stop Crawdaunt's hostile game of Whack-A-Diglett, Sennile returned the Pokémon.
The Rocket looked up from the ball in his hand barely a moment later, just to find the infuriating pest missing once again, forcing his face to a solid scowl.
No less than four pieces of technology smoked and crackled. Spliced wires threw arcs of electricity where they barely touched, which caused miniature flashes of light across the dim space. One monitor was cracked and blackened, a second just held a blue screen of death.
Sennille screamed wordlessly at the fruitless damage.
After a deep breath in, the man reached to his belt, retrieving yet another ball. With a click and a flash, an imposing black and grey dog materialized between the electronics. The hound's thick ruff stood on end at the tension in Sennille's posture as its crimson eyes locked on the Alpha, awaiting orders.
"Mightyena, there is a Skitty aboard this ship that needs to be taught a thorough lesson. It was just in this room. Track it."
With not even a moment's hesitation, its nose was to the floor.
It was hours later, and Sennile's Mightyena still followed a twisting, entangled knot of a scent trail that seemed to span the entire boat.
His canine's nose stayed glued to the floor, trying very hard to ignore the other smells that wafted in the air. The current room it searched was the galley, and the day's special was chili. But he knew it wouldn't get distracted. It'd proved as much earlier when it hadn't eaten a single bit of the dried food strewn along the pantry's floor.
The same couldn't be said for the kitten it tracked.
"Admin Sennille!" A young lad approached, an Aqua, if the lack of "sir", and the pirate-like clothes were anything to go by. Oh. And the missing fear. That would have to be corrected.
"What makes you think you are allowed to speak to me without permission, exactly?"
But rather than going pale, as expected, the kid seemed rather confused.
"I was just told to tell you that we will be making landfall soon. But we don't know exactly where to put in."
"Tcht."
Sennille clenched his teeth until they ached. He wanted nothing more than to throw that stupid cat overboard and let it drown at sea. He most certainly did not want to deal with anything else.
"The navigation center needs orders."
"Sir."
"What?" the child questioned, shifting uncomfortably.
"The navigation center needs orders, Sir." The phrase is coupled with a murderous gaze. Then, without waiting for a reply, the admin pulled out the treasure map from his back pocket, where it had been rolled up and shoved into.
Flattening it on a nearby lunch table, he looked down at the cove. Or rather, he tried to. The most vital part of the cursed thing was missing.
Sennille swore in earnest, then looked at the edges of the hole more closely. They were suspiciously neat. Almost as if they had been sliced with something very sharp.
"Awaiting orders, Sir," a man said from Sennille's left. The admin looked over at his second, and grunted, unsure how to proceed. If they made landfall like Jasper suggested, and started combing the beach, they would be one step closer to finding the treasure. On the other hand, that would give the bane of his existence a chance to escape.
The leader ground his teeth so hard they felt like they would chip. Jasper, smartly, remained quiet, unwilling to provoke his superior when he was so close to the brink—the black-haired Rocket was more than ready to break things, especially humans.
Sennille's eyes cast about the vessel's top, (for the submarine had once again resurfaced) and agonized over potentially letting the Skitty go.
Evidence of the feline's passage remained everywhere within the sub, the deceptively cute monster a true conduit of chaos. Sonar had gone out an hour ago, blinding the crew. The built-in radio had long since ceased to function after the disaster in the comm room. A seal broke, flooding one of the chambers used to let scuba divers out. Somehow, seven Rockets and five Aquas spontaneously developed diarrhea. At the same time. No less than twelve Pokéballs went missing off various people's belts. It was a mess.
Sennille fought past his aggression as he looked out at the crew. They were harmless. Annoying, but harmless. The admin reluctantly turned eyes to Jasper. Even he was mostly harmless. But Giovanni. Giovanni was not harmless.
The day's task was to retrieve a very important, very ancient artifact for his boss. Not catch a Skitty. And even he did not want to be on the bad side of such a vicious, devastatingly powerful Trainer.
Decision made, Sennille finally spoke, bitterly, "Make landfall. Anchor us just outside the shallows. We don't want to run up on the beach. It would be too hard to dig out, and it should keep our pink Trubbish off the land."
"Did you want the crew to start bringing up the lifeboats, Sir?"
Sennille's look questioned Jasper's mental capacity as he replied, "No, I want you to swim." The voice dripped sarcasm.
Jasper saluted, and power-walked away.
A small boat pulled by three Carvanha made its way into a sand-strewn cove, carrying the first round of Rockets and Aquas.
More than one grimaced at the expanse of shifty ground leading up to the rocky cliffside. The only saving grace to this hopeless endeavor was a thankfully absent boss. (Sennile had opted to continue searching for Skitty aboard the submarine.)
Other than that, this mission was going to suck. The crew had suffered massively at the paws of the four-legged monster, and they were going to be stuck doing back-breaking labor.
The thing was, not only were they going to have to dig up most of the sand on this beach, but they were also going to have to do the same to two adjacent beaches.
"I can't believe your stupid admin lost the map. Archie would have never made a mistake like that," a lean, pirate-esque teen accused at an older, black-cladd shipmate.
"He didn't lose it; someone sabotaged it. Probably that Skitty," the gruff voice replied, an affronted frown just visible behind the quiet man's scrappy beard.
"Same difference! Archie wouldn't let anyone mess with him," the Aqua retorted, haughty.
The older Rocket just stared at the upstart, face going expressionless as the obnoxious kid lounged against several bagged supplies.
Thinking the argument won, the witless water-lover just smirked.
"Car-car-VAH!" Two of the lifeboat's organic motors turned sharply to the left, while the third swerved right. The craft continued to jet straight forward even as the Carvanha released the ropes in their mouths, throwing the boat's pointed tip up toward the sand.
Before it had even stopped moving though, a small pink blur exploded out from under the sacks the cocky teen leaned on. It landed on the small vessel's "railing", turned a complete 360 to whack the Aqua upside the head with a fluffy tail, then bounded off the boat and onto the beach.
Without even thinking to check on his annoying, temporary team member, the burly Rocket vaulted out of the wooden transport and pelted after the Skitty.
The cat cried out in mild alarm and redoubled its efforts, moving slower on the sand than expected as its tiny legs proved a handicap. Still, with the little head start it had achieved, it reached the cliffside moments before the older Rocket.
Flinging itself up at the rock, it used its claws to gain enough purchase to immediately pounce on a higher ledge. Just in time, too, since a hand slammed down on the freshly vacated space.
The Skitty started to sigh, but stopped short, jumping to an even higher outcrop to avoid more grasping fingers.
From its vantage, it peered down on a determined, angry man pulling himself up the crag.
"Skit!" The cat called tauntingly over its red bow, before bounding up the precipice in an impressive display of acrobatics.
Reaching the top, it padded a few feet away from the drop off and stopped for a breather (out of sight so as not to ruin the effect, of course).
What it didn't account for, however, was a potent combination of rage and testosterone. As the Skitty started to leave, the Rocket was halfway up the cliff. When it disappeared into the brush fifteen feet away, the man was cresting the peak.
A flash of light, and two new Pokémon materialized amongst the trees. Both a massive, stone rhinoceros and a fanged bat turned to their quiet, well-loved Trainer for instructions. "Pulverize."
"Iiiiii," the kitten yelped, dashing deeper into the woods with wingbeats and reverberating footsteps pounding behind it.
Having finally given that psycho the slip, the exhausted Pokémon laid down under a gathering of boulders. Sighing, as there was no time for a cat nap, Skitty pulled the slip of paper back out of his bow.
Hmm. The next cove over. I thought so. After a short break, the feline stretched, yawned big, and set off again. It wasn't long before he reached his destination.
Calculating eyes looked for landmarks off the edge of a new cliff. There was significantly less sand here, (much of the beach consisted of stone and pebbles) and a tall, swiss-cheese-like rock that stood defiant in the surf. Bingo.
The beach was not yet swarming with criminals. But it will be soon. The kitten rallied, and scaled down to the water's edge.
Checking the map again, he looked back up at the cliffside from the base. There. An Unknown with four legs branching at even intervals from its eyeball was carved crudely into the rock.
Skitty ran over to the wall just below the marker and looked out to the ocean, eyes zeroing in on the column of basalt peppered with holes. Seven steps from the wall, he mused, and walked forward. Stopping only two feet away, he pulled a face and backtracked. Seven, roughly-human-step-sized leaps later, he halted again, and started digging.
Little paws worked furiously for a solid minute before the owner noticed a complete lack of progress. This is taking too long. Skitty's two-toned face grimaced, the tan center scrunching inward as he looked around for a new idea. Spotting a Wingull, the young cat waved frantically.
It took a little bit to catch the bird's eye, but that was better than alerting the humans in the cove next door.
The wind-sailor landed nearby, and cocked a curious head. [What did you need, Child?]
[I have to dig up this spot. It's an emergency.] The kitten pulled down on his bow, flashing an insignia sporting three webbed fingers embroidered onto the back edge. Wingull's eyes widened comically at the emblem.
[We finally found out what happened to Atlantice. They were sealed and hidden away. Right here. Under our very feet.]
[WHAT!? Atlantice!? Here?!]
[Keep your voice down,] the operative bit out through clenched teeth. Just because a Wingull screaming would probably go unnoticed at any Hoenn beach, didn't mean he wanted to test the theory. [Team Aqua and Team Rocket found out they're here. We need to rescue them, ASAP.]
Continuing in a much lower volume, Wingull asked, [But what can I do to help? I don't have hands,] at this, the avain lifted a wing. [The most I can do is wet the sand for you so it doesn't slide back in.]
[Not true. You can Fly, and you know your neighbors. We need someone who can Dig, and fast.]
[I guess. I suppose my Keen Eye will come in handy for that as well.] The Wingull ducked down, offering Skitty a ride only for the feline to decline with a shake of the head.
[I'll keep watch. Now go, no time to waste.]
The seabird launched into the air, circling upward on the warmest air currents.
It seemed like forever that Skitty dug at the hole, anxiously awaiting the civilian Pokémon's return. He made little progress, but doing nothing was unacceptable.
Finally, only ten minutes after the Wingull had left, she returned, a Pelipper lagging behind. At first, Skitty believed the mission was doomed. They hadn't found anyone who knew Dig, and he could hear the voice of a human now, muffled and echoey, from beyond the edge of their sheltered bay.
Then, as the two laridae got closer, he spotted an odd-shaped mass in the Pelipper's gular. Could it be?
The birds landed, and the Pelipper's fibrous skin pouch wiggled, prompting the second stage evolution to open its mouth. Out jumped an incredibly small fox, red fur bristling.
[I'm never doing that again. You hear me, Jackson? NEVER,] A shudder started at the vulpine's nose, travelled all the way down his back, and up three cream-colored tails. [That was disgusting. The fishy smell alone...] His eyes glazed a bit as he looked down at semi-wet fur, the crimson coat no longer holding the luscious shine common to his species.
[Focus!] the agent whisper-hissed, causing the Vulpix to startle out of his daze. [We need to get Atlantice out of there, now!] The cat threw an anxiety-ridden gaze out to the barely visible submarine just beyond the bend.
[R-right,] the young fox responded, and immediately got to work.
The next two minutes passed in relative silence. Every once in a while one of the birds would spray the surrounding sand with a Water Gun to ensure the grains didn't cascade back into the pit, but otherwise Vulpix made good progress.
[Oh, oh no!] The cry came from six feet deep.
[What?] Skitty's attention snapped back to the pit from a furtive glance in the direction of the muffled human voices.
[It's all rock. I d-don't know R-rock Smash!] Vulpix whined, anxiety cranked up to max at the pressure.
Skitty's stomach dropped. He should have predicted that. Stupid. So much of this cove was made of hardened lava, why wouldn't this spot be as well?
[Ah, Muk! Okay; let me think.] The agent's cute fuzzy eyebrows furrowed as he looked around the beach, frantically searching for a solution as Vulpix climbed out of the sandy depression. Water Gun isn't strong enough to bore through rock without substantial time. I have none of my normal gear. Cut's not gonna cut it. My ace, Thunderbolt, is worthless against rock. And I don't think we have time to get anyone else.
Realizing that brainstorming was taking too long, he changed gears, [Wingull. Can you run surveillance? And pull any nearby Pokėmon you find? We need to know what our timeframe looks like, and get help for defense if we don't make it. Report on the criminal's movements before you go looking for help, though.]
[On it!] she cried, beating her wings hard for an immediate take off.
Skitty turned a calculating gaze to the pelican and the fox. [Movesets?]
[I know Water Gun, Wing Attack, Stockpile and Swallow. Which I'm not sure will help. Sorry,] Jackson spoke for the first time, breaking his quiet nature.
The kitten sagged, having hoped a second stage evolution would have better moves, and not expecting much from a Vulpix with only three tails. It was surprising enough the child knew Dig at all.
Hearing the pregnant pause, Vulpix chimed in, [Obviously I know Dig, but I also know Tail Whip, Confuse Ray, and Heat Wave. Oh, and my special ability is Flash Fire.]
Heat Wave?! Surely this was a sign. Skitty's eyes lit with a new fire (pun intended), and addressed the two helpers, [I have a plan. Vulpix, I need you to super-heat the rock. It is very, very important that you do so from outside the hole, then step back. I don't want you getting hit by debris. If we can get the basalt hot enough, then hit it with a Water Gun, it just might fracture. I don't think it will send up shrapnel, but I'm not willing to take any chances. If it works, we can grab the chunks out as we go.]
A call came from above, the voice moving in a great circle around the Pokémon as it reported, [The group of Aquas we were hearing is on the other side of the bluff at the end of the beach. It looks like they just started digging their current hole, and I expect them to come this way next. I think we have roughly ten minutes 'till discovery. Maybe sooner if we make.. to..mu..noise.] The bird's words got indistinct as she zipped away, ready to fulfill the second half of her job.
Turning back to the task, the operative Skitty noticed a glimmer of panic had crept into Vulpix's eyes. [C'mon, kid, let's get started. You're doing great so far.] Seeing very little change, he moved over to the lad's shoulder, and rubbed his side against the fox in an affectionate gesture common to cats. It seemed to be just enough, as the fire-type took a shaky breath.
Pattering over to the hole's edge, the kitsune let loose a massive wall of heat from his mouth. The very air distorted in wavery patterns as it disappeared into the pit, making the sand dance dizzyingly while never actually moving.
Or was it? The water in the loose earth started to steam and evaporate, sending miniature landslides of silt tumbling down. Vulpix noticed, and went to cut the ability off.
[Keep going!] The pink feline insisted, and the fox reluctantly upped the temperature. The depression started to cave more, until something miraculous happened. The very top layer of sand stopped crumbling, and started to stick together, just enough to quit sliding as parts of the rock turned a glowing coal red. [Vulpix, get back. Jackson, you're up,] Skitty barked.
Jackson blasted the rock, causing a loud crack. Skitty immediately looked to the far end of the cove, refusing to even breathe. Nothing happened. An exhale. He surveyed the entire area once more, for good measure, and spotted two ghosts levitating down the cliff. Toward the dig site. Arceus must be on our side. There is no other explanation.
[Vulpix, make sure it isn't too hot down there for Jackson, then both of you start pulling out what rocks you can. I need to get our new help caught up.] Several lunges later saw the tiny-legged leader to the recruits.
Thirty seconds without taking a breath, and the Shuppet and Duskull were up to speed.
And they knew just what to do to help.
[We aren't great at manual labor, but we sure are good at messing with people. We'll slow the humans down. Buy some time,] Shuppet cackled, excited she had given her pesky neighbor Wingull the time of day for once. This was exciting.
Without waiting for her one-eyed friend, she disappeared into thin air. Duskull sighed, a much graver (ha) Pokėmon, and nodded to Skitty before winking out of visibility herself.
The agent ran back to the hole to help the good samaritans unload the rubble. The trio made decent progress despite the party's body types, which in all, were badly matched to the task.
From the Rocket's and Aqua's direction started a series of irritated shouts, just as the Pelipper sent a fresh wave of water over nearly molten rock.
Another sharp crack, and the damage spiderwebbed out. Under the weight and strain, the fractured rock broke. A massive cloud of dust hurled into the air as basalt and sand crashed into a cavern below, the sound the cacophony of an Onix at play. The group coughed, attempting to breathe through accosted lungs.
Just as the final pieces of gravel settled, a new commotion clamored from the other side of the cliff. In seconds, a man wearing a blue and white striped shirt burst out from behind the crag, shouting. He was the first of many.
[Crap, here they come! We need to hold a defensive line!] Skitty yelled. The three formed a small shield in front of the pit in a last ditch effort (ha). After a moment, Jackson shook a feathered head at his own stupidity and flew up—realizing that, on the ground, he was a sitting Ducklett.
Volcanic rock and finely ground silica lit up as a mass of Pokémon were released from their balls between the opposing sides.
As soon as there was a real target, Jackson sped forward, diving in to whack an Ekans and a Poochyena with a Wing Attack, even glancing a grunt for good measure as his wings pumped furiously to gain altitude again.
Having such good luck the first time prompted him to divebomb again, but surprise was no longer on his side. Dodging a Bite to the foot, he careened to the left, right into a Zubat's screech. Unable to keep his wings coordinated under the influence of Supersonic, the seabird tumbled beak over tailfeather onto a patch of the smooth, black rock peppering the beach. A Rattata lunged, fangs glowing, as Vulpix raced forward, too slow to stop the impending Hyper Fang.
Only for the small purple rat to get blasted in the face by an inky haze of warping purple. Just for a second, an undulating crimson eye blinked into existence, then quickly faded away. Jackson shook himself to clear ringing earholes, a questionable attempt to recover.
[Thanks save for the!] the Pelipper yelled, unsure where to direct his voice, and unaware of the issue with his speech. There was no answer, except for the appearance of a small, hypnotic ball that wove its way around one of the humans. Still muffle-headed, the pelican tried to fly again, barely making it a few feet off the ground before his equilibrium faulted.
Nearby, another Nightshade dispatched a Koffing while Shuppet appeared behind an Ekans—Sucker Punching its spine where the column joined the snake's head in an instant KO. The defense lasted just long enough for the ringing in Jackson's head to clear, and he immediately booked it for the relative safety of the sky.
Vulpix reached the battle shortly after, finally making it across the shifting sand and onto the stable pocket of basalt. Too afraid to get in close, he opened his mouth, and let loose his own Confuse Ray to join the ranks of Duskull's and Shuppet's.
Skitty held back by the cave, worried their opponents might try something tricky. He may have spent the day bamboozling Sennille, but had to hand it to the admin; it hadn't been smooth sailing. Besides, he had yet to see a Rhyhorn stampede the battlefield. He searched the sky. Or a Golbat for that matter.
It seemed like his comrades were all doing well, even if the fight would take a while. So many of the cobbled together defenders were heavily support based. And while that kept them from being heavy hitters, it was great for wheedling and outlasting when outnumbered (even if the Poochyena did give them some trouble, unaffected by ghost type moves as they were).
Still, the henchmen just kept coming, and Skitty's team was tiring. Something was going to give, and the agent had to force the luck in his favor. He needed to change the rules of this dangerous game from capture the flag to keep away.
[Keep them busy! I think I know what to do!] After what felt like forever, but was really only a few minutes since the fight began, the pink feline took action. He beelined for the cave, diving down into the shadows the second he got close enough.
Above, a vicious splashing came from the surf. A Crawdaunt sped backward through the waves, his tail propelling toward a destination he did not face. Exploding out onto the shore, he joined a Mightyena that loped to a stop before the battlefield. Sennille sprinted up shortly after, his second in command right behind. They had booked it for the commotion as soon as Sennile had heard the rumble, but two beaches full of pits and dunes were treacherous to maneuver.
The black-haired man took one look at his pitiful underlings, and sneered, "Wipe the floor with them, Crawdaunt, Mightyena."
"Looks like our suffering at the paws of that little demon had a purpose. It might have found our treasure for us, Sir," Jasper informed from his place at the admin's shoulder.
"Contrary to what you seem to believe, I also have eyes." The head Rocket shot a sideways glare at the man, before turning back to watch one of the defending Pokémon get knocked from the sky with a Bubblebeam. The Pelipper hit the ground hard, barely staying awake, and his sneer morphed to a sinister smile. It was only a matter of time.
Ah, yes; there went another-a Dark Pulse of energy ignoring ghostly intangibility.
Aww, even the baby fox was trying so hard to save the downed seabird. Too bad Crawdaunt detested weaklings as much as he, himself did.
The fire type didn't stand a chance as a sweeping Crabhammer slammed both it and its ally in one fell swoop. That left only one, no, make that three.
The Shuppet wouldn't last long with Mightyena down there, but there were two new wild Pokémon coming down the cliff. He assumed they were here for the fight, based on their trajectory. Still, a Wingull and a Meditite were hardly a concern.
"Idiots! Catch those wild Pokémon!" the admin screamed down at the grunts. Several of them, mostly Rockets, instantly grabbed spare balls from their utility belts, and raised them up to throw.
He could not think of a better punishment for the defiant creatures: servitude to the very people they opposed.
Skitty was having a rough time. The only thing keeping him from full-blown panic was several years of vigorous training.
He had entered the cavern fully intent on snatching the artifact and spiriting it away, allowing his allies to retreat. What he had not expected was for the small turquoise statue to be missing. He knew where it should have been, but all he could find was piles upon piles of chunky sand from the cave-in.
Time was ticking, and every moment the feline spent sifting through the tan silt was one moment closer to losing everything.
Bile rising in the back of his throat, he continued to dig.
The gull swooped in first, rushing past her allies, and whipping her wings furiously. A twenty foot tall air column kicked up, forming into a swirling current of gritty debris that sucked several red and white spheres inside. Then, Wingull spat water into the Gust, turning it into a full blown Twister. She did this not once, but three times, creating a barricade of violent wind that left only Sennille's Mightyena in close quarters.
The Meditite arrived right as the final Twister was created, ramming into Mightyena with the full force of a High Jump Kick. The canine lurched, head thrown back and eggplant-colored sludge spewing from her mouth. Rather than the sickly purple vomit coating her opponent (the floating bedsheet with eyes) as intended, it spewed straight up.
The psychic fighter then ended the kick to her body by springboarding away, sending Mightyena sprawling under her own Toxic as it rained from the air.
Now Badly Poisoned after a powerful super-effective hit, the dark-type lay prone on her side, catching ragged breath.
Meditite stood guard, giving Jackson a chance to Stockpile and Swallow some energy.
Fully healed from the brink of fainting, the pelican looked ready to kick some butt. Until a calm, calculating voice slashed his resolve, [You need to remove the child and the Duskull. They are unfit for battle, and we cannot afford to watch them. Our foes have started to bring out empty Pokéballs. If one of us gets distracted for even a moment, it could spell disaster for these two.]
Jackson blanched, and hurriedly scooped the three-tailed fox into his gular. Waddling over with a few added flaps, he also crammed the Duskull into his mouth. It was a tight fit, and it hurt to stretch his skin that far, but not as much as seeing them be captured would. In moments, the beleaguered avian was laboriously winging back toward the cliffs, far from the battle.
The wind cover protecting the group slowed, dropping sand, shells, driftwood and water back to the shore, before fading into nothing.
Meditite dropped into a fighting stance, ready to face off with the Crawdaunt that lunged through the last bit of haze.
Sennille watched in growing irritation at the wall of torrential water. His few minions that could still attack were shuffling in place, unwilling to charge into any of the three Twisters. He was about ready to force Crawdaunt to rush one, consequences be damned, when they started to dissipate. With a Cheshire grin, the man followed his eager crawdad through the misty sea air.
The smile dropped as soon as he reached the other side.
How in Arceus' name did they defeat Mightyena so quickly?!
Pissed, he screeched at the territorial crayfish, "Crawdaunt! Get in close!"
The violent Pokémon smirked, and rushed the Meditite. The small martial artist grinned back, having an advantage in close quarters, and slipped into a different stance.
Sennille knew a Counter when he saw one, and changed tactics in a heartbeat, "Sludge Wave!"
Too close to dodge, and expecting a physical attack, the Meditite took the full force of the brutal hit. It was thrown back, chemical burns dotting its skin.
The Wingull dove in, redirecting a follow-up Crabhammer with an Air Slash. The crustacean's claw slammed hard into a small section of sand upon the volcanic rock, sending up a spray of salty earth.
While this was happening, a Golbat flew in from the treeline, its awkward wing beats sending it careening toward Crawdaunt. Sennille's lips pulled back in a snarl.
That dropped when the vampiric bat took a Bite out of the Pokémon attempting to lob a Curse at Crawdaunt.
Despite the interference, the move still landed. The victory was hollow for the Shuppet, however, as the ghost that had just lost half its health to cast the affliction fell to the dark-type move.
Finally.
It was unfortunate that two of his Pokémon were no longer fit for battle, but it was hard to be bitter when all that stood between him and the artifact was a tired Wingull.
And, for once, some of his underlings did something right.
Poison stings and smog cut off the avian's every evasive maneuver. Trapped, the Wingull could do little when the poison-immune Golbat took great joy in knocking it around.
The noises from above had finally stopped, causing Skitty to break out in an anxious sweat.
The pedestal that should have had the statue on it had been empty of all but debris, which had prompted him to start clearing the floor in desperation.
He'd messed up big time, bringing in all those civilians. What if the statue wasn't even here? It could have been taken from the cave years ago.
Skitty took a breath, and moved to the other side of the pedestal.
He probably just got those good samaritans captured for nothing.
If he had only done more scouting, thought things through better….He should have never panicked under the time crunch.
If he hadn't they could have just stopped when they hit basalt. Covered it up and scattered, then looked for another way in after verifying the cave wasn't disturbed. Without the map guiding him, Sennille most likely wouldn't have looked past the sand anyway.
Acidic scented air followed Skitty as he continued to dig sand away from the base. (Why couldn't it have just had the statue on it?!)
Then, a hint of turquoise peeked from a background of tan, sending the cat scrambling.
Sennille recalled his two Pokémon, as he heard yelling from the cliff, "Sorry I'm late, Sir! I've been running around the forest, tracking that Skitty. I heard the call for back-up, and came as soon as I could."
Ah yes. The Skitty. A violent hate rose in Sennille as he looked down the beach.
Speak of the devil and it shall appear.
The subject of his ire jumped out of the cave. A blue, indistinct rock was strapped to its tail with a floppy, bent ribbon that was clearly made from its missing red bow.
The man looked down through black bangs at underlings that, had they any potential as Trainers at all, should have long since captured the wild Pokémon still splayed on the shore.
Lip raised in superior disdain, Sennille shouted, "Fools! Forget them. The Skitty has our prize!"
This sent the crowd scrambling to cross the black and tan beach; only a third of the Trainers followed by Pokémon that had escaped fainting.
Seeing the pursuit, the Skitty immediately headed for the rockface, followed by the sounds of flapping, slithering and the tap-tap-tapping of padded feet.
The stupid cat seemed likely to get away and Sennile could not abide that.
A silhouette of a Clefable appeared in a burst of light. It solidified, darkening dramatically into another Pokémon entirely.
A dead-ly grin stretched incorporeal lips as the gaseous poltergeist noticed his admin's rage-filled eyes.
"Gengar. We cannot let that Skitty get away. I'm sure you understand what will happen if it does."
A high pitched cackle cut the air like so much shattered glass, as the poisonous soul lifted up and disintegrated into the breeze.
I just have to get to the tree line! Skitty screeched internally, huffing as he dodged yet another Wing Attack trying to slam him off the shear drop. The Golbat had caught up much faster than the others.
Three more lunges saw the exhausted kitten close to the top.
A final jump, and the earth shook.
Claws scrambled for purchase to no avail, as the rock beneath pulled away and detached. Skitty fell backward, eyes widening as he looked up at the smug face of a Rhyhorn, its armored foot still planted in the ending posture of an Earthquake.
Twisting mid fall, the cat braced all four feet, ready to take a hit from the ground. With only ten feet left, an intense pain ripped up the base of his spine from near the end of his tail, and jolted him to a halt.
Apathetic red eyes glowed back at him from a deep purple face as an acrid scent of ozone and sulfur saturated his nose and coated his tongue, making his already dazed head swim.
A movement out of the corner of his eye. Jackson.
High above, the pelican flew into the glare of the sun and started a nosedive.
Turning on the Fake Tears, Skitty looked pathetically at his captor. Right before he seized all his muscles at once in a violent sit-up, Cutting the ribbon on his tail as Jackson dove past him.
The stone dropped, fluttering on fabric wings as the Pelliper opened his beak. Snapping, the sea bird just managed to grab the ribbon, and beat his arms hard.
The shiny red cloth pulled taunt.
Then, the turquoise statue flipped over and over, unravelling from its bounds and casting the stone against the cliffside.
The first hit only chipped the lovingly carved tail, but the second and third caused the entire thing to shear and crack into multiple pieces.
For a second, the world took on a deafened horror.
Then, a high-pitched whistle broke the silence. Followed by a massive wind that tore through the area, swirling and whipping around the cove as the sound grew louder and louder—finally leveling on an earsplitting screech.
The fragments of statue glowed until the light seeped out of them and sucked toward a single point. The spot grew, forming into a tiny nudibranch, merely a foot in height as the noise and harsh arctic gale abruptly stopped.
The patterns along wing-like limbs were reminiscent of snowflakes, allowing the many tones of blue to coexist in dramatic contrast. Black fingerlike protrusions spread from all six legs while a matching stripe crawled down its spine, ending in a sharp, pointed tail.
Raising an eyeless head, the organism glowed, a luminescence lighting beneath its skin as its Aura spread outward.
It did not like what it Sensed.
The corrupted were everywhere. It could feel the greed and apathy of the warped souls around it, infecting the peace of this world and turning the glowing blue of its almost-vision to a darkened smog of vaporous ill-will.
Body still illuminated from within, the glaucus atlanticus stiffened the essence around its frame and lifted into the air.
Blind head casting about, it honed in on the darkest spot in "sight".
Then, like the hunting of a Nocturne, it soared on quiet wings.
Sennille had watched the fall of the statue in apt horror, knowing what Giovanni's response would be. Sleeping with the Qwilfish.
Then, when it had lit and condensed into the form of a Pokémon he'd never even heard of, he had mixed feelings. If it was captured, perhaps he wouldn't die this week. Still, Giovanni would punish him regardless for such a blatant failure.
He'd been Persian's plaything once before, and did not relish the thought of a repeat experience.
The black haired man took a deep breath, the Skitty forgotten.
Then, rather than shout instructions to Gengar as intended, Sennille went slack-jawed.
In the time it had taken him to inhale, the tiny sea slug attacked one of the Aquas. On his side of the cove.
That thing's faster than a Ninjask!
Scrambling at his belt, Sennille released his last Pokéball. Even if it wasn't his strongest or even meanest Pokémon, Gengar was much too far away.
Raticate solidified on a hard, black surface, just in time to see a purple-edged blur ram into one of his boss' underlings. The human female fell. Which wouldn't have been all that concerning except for the scream. Filled with agony, it set Raticate's incisors on edge. Catching a glimpse of a terrible red welt forming beneath shaking fingers, he rushed into action.
Intent on getting between this new Pokémon and his bipedal teammate as fast as possible, he Quick Attacked—halving the travel time and smacking the aura-user back. It didn't seem particularly phased, just physically displaced.
Growling at the opponent in warning, he held his ground as the girl behind him started vomiting.
The aggressive being angled its head, giving the impression of a once-over. Bracing for impact, the rodent's muscles bunched, and his teeth started to glow.
Except it ignored him. The enigmatic Pokémon turned away and swooped toward a new victim.
Racing to catch up, the Raticate once again slammed the sea slug away, this time from a Rocket.
[Stand down. They are broken.] The normal-type flinched, but not from any move. The voice in his head had not been his own.
[Your courage and loyalty are admirable, but I need to remove the infection. If you do not stop, I will be forced to subdue you as well. I cannot treat the pure ones that have fallen without removing the threat.]
It was attacking in defense? Suddenly, the Raticate was torn. Wasn't that what he was doing? Protecting downed comrades?
In the time he had hesitated, his opponent formed a bright ball in front of its mouth. Too late to stop the Aura Sphere, the brown and tan rodent launched itself in front of the projectile.
The single hit was all it took for the young rat to pass out.
Sennile watched as his weakest Pokémon went down in record time. Disappointing though it was, it was expected. That didn't, however, stop the acid from churning in the man's stomach when an eyeless gaze pinned him next. Three of his people were down, along with two more of their Pokémon, in only forty-five seconds.
No wonder Giovanni had agreed to a joint mission with Archie. That statue had held a Legendary. A Legendary which was speeding toward him with tentacles glowing purple.
The Poison Jab flew forward, fast as a Jolteon's lightning. Sennille threw his arms up in a futile defense.
Just before it could hit his exposed hand with concentrated nematocyst though, a phantasmal limb covered in the same purple energy slammed it away.
The rest of Gengar's body materialized shortly after the arm.
At least the twerp stalled for time before he fainted. Gengar flicked his gaze over to the passed out Raticate while still paying just as much attention to the opponent in his periphery.
Unlike the others, he knew who this was. His mother used Atlantice to threaten obedience from him and his brother when they were just Gastly's.
Tales of an ice-poison type so strong and righteous that it sank an entire city in a "cleansing" used to haunt him at night as surely as any Dream Eater.
Hiding discomfort, the ghost grinned big and started the battle by vanishing back into the ether. Seconds later, he reappeared, slamming Atlantice with a Phantom Force powerful enough to throw it back fifteen feet.
Using the lull, he tried to get in the correct frame of mind for a Psychic ability.
It was hard to do. The sight of his childhood fear wiping off one of his strongest moves like a Spinarak's web was unnerving at best.
While trying unsuccessfully to calm himself, though, something unexpected happened.
An insignificant Koffing, of all things, flew in from the side and hit the ice-type point blank with a Flamethrower. The Aqua Trainer looked ecstatic, but Gengar only felt upstaged. That asmatic ball of gas was showing more courage, even if it's attack probably did nothing.
The indignation was the tipping point, letting the ghost steady his mental state.
Atlantice burst out from behind an Aura construct, the singed barrier shattering as the Legendary dropped it.
Steeling his mind, the poltergeist imagined Atlantice stuck in tar. The more it struggled, the more the viscous black ooze encased it. Outside of his mind, the blue dragon thrashed painfully against the pink mental hold. With its Aura stifled, it could not "see", and a new Pokémon hit it from behind with a Tackle as it flailed in place.
Seeing his chance, Sennille grabbed out an Ultra Ball. A Fast Ball would have been more appropriate, but how could he have known to have one on hand?
The thin man pulled back in a pitcher's stance ready to lob the first ball—he was sure it would take more than one—but paused as the temperature dropped very suddenly.
A raging wind of ice and snow tore across the landscape, slamming into Gengar and causing him to lose concentration. With a snap, the Psychic dissipated under the force of the Blizzard.
Watching his final hope for victory slow and begin to shiver fiercely rather than escape into the ethereal plane, Sennille blanched.
"Destiny Bond!" the admin screamed desperately.
And just before slipping into unconsciousness, Gengar obeyed.
Everything turned black, the only source of illumination coming from the prone form of the gaseous being, who lay white and shining. Then, gradually, color and light returned as if the whole world came back from the brink of passing out, spots of darkness blotting its vision in patches.
Shaking a bit, and fingers going numb, Sennile waited for things to warm. Only, his exposed skin began to hurt. Then, the very moisture in the atmosphere crystalized, diamond dust frosting the air. A sign that the temperature had plunged well below freezing.
A final spot of blackness receded, at last letting the man see the blue dragon.
Only, his worst nightmare lay passed out in front of the very-much-awake Legendary.
The Skitty's taunting tone and posture were absent for once.
But somehow, that was worse.
Being slammed against the wall by the tail before being dropped had really sucked; but, considering Skitty had shocked his captor right beforehand, it hadn't been unexpected. The loud pop in his front left paw when he'd landed, and the aching, sharp pain that had followed, however, was. Skitty then had had to cross the beach on said paw, causing him to put pressure on the sprain (?), break (?), whatever it was, on multiple occasions. It had slowed him considerably, and he'd just made it to the edge of the basalt platform when the Blizzard had hit.
Then, he'd heard Sennille's command. A reserve of strength Skitty didn't know he still had, had welled up inside him, upping his ungainly trot to a sprint.
Sliding into place just in time, the pink and tan mammal shifted his gaze to his adversary, and smirked as the world went dark.
In the gloom, Skitty felt the Destiny Bond sink into him like so much rotting garbage, the ectoplasmic slime clinging to his skin.
I can't believe I even made it in time, were his last thoughts before he was tugged forcefully into oblivion.
The child had protected it. Less than a hundred years old, and it still had such a developed sense of duty and conviction.
Atlantice looked past its pink kitten shield, to the corrupted beyond, and tensed. The humans had run out of capable Pokémon to defend them, and now it was just a matter of incapacitating the vile filth.
Its senses focused on the biped in front of it. It was only the third worst human, but seemed to be the leader of this trash. It "watched", disgusted, as the man turned tail, leaving his partner, and another human behind.
Charging up a massive ball of azure energy, it shot the fleeing anthropoid. When the human dropped and collided with a piece of driftwood, it had already turned away.
Aura Sense spreading out, it encased the entire battle in a field of knowing. With the most infected Auras faded to a light, caustic mist around downed bodies, it could finally pick apart true details. Now, with pin-point awareness, it swamped the entire area in precise Blizzards, dropping almost everyone left standing (even those trying to bolt) in less than a minute.
Amidst the carnage, several humans and Pokémon stood, confused and horrified.
Their Auras were grey or colored, but none darker than a mid-tone. It made sure of that.
Projecting its internal voice for everyone left coherent to "hear", it proclaimed, [The corrupted are purged, and they may no longer stain us. Those of you left have the potential to change, to grow. Renounce your current path and you will be spared. Defy me, and you will pay dearly.] Body dipping down to assess the small feline in front of it, it continued in a softer projection, [Those wounded who are worthy,] it paused, and shifted to face the rodent from earlier, [even if they bolstered the wrong side, shall also be saved.]
At this, it turned back to the pink one, and an easing warmth pulsed up from within. The kitten's paw straightened and the swelling receded simultaneously. Various cuts and bruises beneath the tan fur on its stomach also faded; and skin knitted together.
The child blinked heavy eyelids, slogging back to awareness. Before he could collect his syrupy thoughts enough for a thank you, Atlantice lifted back up.
Bolting off, the nudibranch traveled around the shore, Heal Pulsing quite a few Pokémon, and only one human. (A human that had jumped in front of her partner, saving it from one of Shuppet's Sucker Punches.)
The legendary finished healing the last of the worthy, then repositioned, ready to send the corrupted into a cold so deep that they would never awake.
So intent was the crusader, that it didn't notice the Tackle until it was knocked weakly—startled, really—from the sky.
One of the pure have defied me? the thought more was bafflement than anger.
Its Sense spread to its side, engulfing a lone Poochyena.
The Pokémon's aura weeped as grief saturated pleas tumbled from its lips. The puppy begged, crying an entreaty for his downed friend to be spared.
The canine insisted his Trainer would change, even as Atlantice probed the human's soul and found a cherry red so dark it was nearly black.
Regret so deep, the sea slug could drown, welled up as it thought of Atlantis. Of its human children that it could not save, not when they themselves were the enemy.
Skitty watched, a stabbing pain in his heart and a knot in his throat as the puppy beseeched Atlantice. He knew it was pointless, that the Legendary's reputation was nothing if not concrete.
The agent flinched as the marine Pokémon floated back into the air, knowing full well that it was going to finish off those it deemed "evil".
Atlantice, however, turned and shot off toward the submarine, jolting him out of his empathy.
Racing on four, fully healed feet to the edge of the water, he rubbernecked over the waves, just barely able to see the tip of the black vessel.
Wingull's voice called from above, the bird clearly back in the air, [Atlanice is gonna hit the sub!]
As much as Skitty wanted to remove one of Aqua's greatest assets, his stomach churned. Several of the sailors had stayed behind to watch the boat, and they were about to sink in their own watery grave. Somehow, that was worse. They hadn't actively been part of this conflict, not really, and drowning was a far worse death than drifting into a frozen sleep.
Another voice, this time Shuppet, shrieked, [Wait!] Everyone hushed to hear what she had to say, even Duskull and Jackson who had joined the other two in the sky, [Atlantice is glowing bright blue, but I think it's lifting everyone out of the sub!]
[You're right; I wonder why….?] Jackson trailed off, seeing a large group of blue tinged people dropping into the water a couple hundred feet from the boat. Then, the light around the legend faded as it plummeted from the sky and nosedived into the ocean.
Nobody moved. Everything was quiet.
Until it wasn't.
BAM!
Duskull observed quietly as a small form, visible just beneath the water, darted all over the submarine. Its tentacle protrusions lit with purple flame slashed across the hull, splitting steel like wet tissue paper. The sound was spine-tingling, like the scrapping of a Luxray's claws across a Safari Zone Jeep's exterior.
Then, diving beneath, the blue dragon let loose a volley of rapid fire Aura Spheres. With a whump, whump, whump, whump, whump, the craft split apart under the strain.
She heard Jackson exclaim next to her, [ Did you guys see that?! It ripped apart the sub like it was nothing!]
A minute passed, in which her neighbors, the Skitty, and the "spared" Pokémon argued over the meaning of Atlantice's actions. Even the few supposedly good-natured humans were having their own internal debate. But she stayed quiet, staring intensely out at the ocean.
It wasn't much longer before she was gifted with the sight of a glowing speck speeding even further out to sea.
[Guys, what do we do now?] Skitty heard Vulpix ask as he looked out over dozens of fainted humans and Pokémon.
Glancing at the humans and Pokémon Atlantice had deemed worthy, then back to the remaining criminals sprawled out in their respective uniforms, the kitten smirked. This. This he could handle. [Well, that depends. We either get the human police involved—]
[No!]
[You can't have my Trainer!]
[I'll fight you!]
Without waiting for the protests to quiet, he continued much louder, [—Or, we can alway bring in my bosses from the Greninja Network.]
As the complaints died, his sassy smile morphed to a full Cheshire grin, eerie in its uncanny resemblance to the one he'd been taunting Sennille with all day.