After Pikachu's Thunderbolt, Aromatisse had decided she didn't want to battle Pikachu and Meowth, so she had done something very simple to distract them and run away.
She had released an odor so revolting that her rivals had to cover their noses and look away.
''Ah! What in the world did you eat?!'' Meowth said before coughing harshly. ''Am I crying? My eyes are watering, aren't they?''
''The Aromatisse species can do that,'' Pikachu said to his temporal partner, also concealing on his own fur to get away from the fetid smell. ''They can purposely smell like a delicate fragrance or stink like a thousand Koffing. But we can't just let the smell distract us from— Wait, where did she go?''
Pikachu spotted the Aromatisse next to Venomoth, already some distance away. They were facing against Serena's Pokémon—which had finally gotten to their concussed trainer—in the middle of the aisle.
''Hey!'' Pikachu was about to run over there when he heard Meowth shout.
''Pikachu, duck!''
Following Meowth's warning, Pikachu bent down and barely avoided the enemy Eelektross' Dragon Tail.
''Eelek!'' the eel Pokémon exclaimed, backing away and glowering down as it floated in front of them.
''This dude won't leave us another choice.'' Meowth extended his arms to give space for his retractable claws to come out. ''I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited about this.''
''Don't get cocky, kitten,'' Pikachu said, smirking slightly when Meowth snarled at him in annoyance because of the nickname. He went serious again soon after. ''I trust Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon to keep Serena safe in the meantime, but we still need to play this with a cool head. These guys seem fairly well trained and I don't think they like to follow rules.'' Pikachu landed on all fours as he glared back at Eelektross. ''On my mark. One, two—''
His count was interrupted by the Eelektross swinging at him again, this time using Aqua Tail. Pikachu leaped away in time, having predicted what it was going to do. Meowth remained immobile as he watched Pikachu with surprise, which means he didn't realize that a new Aqua Tail was coming for him this time. The cat got hurled some feet backward, landing on his hind paws and grabbing at his stomach with a 'Meowch.'
''I told you these guys don't play by the rules,'' Pikachu said right before jumping into the air. He did a forward spin and, with the momentum, threw an Electro Ball at Eelektross. The attack hit, though the eel recovered quickly with a shake of its head.
''You only caught me off guard because I was warming up,'' Meowth said as an excuse while rejoining Pikachu's side. ''We'll have no mercy this time.''
''Lektross, eel,'' the Eelektross said.
''Whoa, okay, no need to be so rude!'' Meowth retorted.
Pikachu rolled his eyes before he dashed to the Eelektross with a Quick Attack. The eel Pokémon saw him coming and prepared a Focus Punch, waiting with needed concentration for the mouse's arrival.
''Hey you, snake wannabe!'' Meowth shouted to try and make it lose its focus. Eelektross kept its eyes on Pikachu as he continued to rush around it. ''How can you even float? That doesn't make any sense! Oh, and I just realized that you literally have no weaknesses because you levitate. What was Arceus thinking when it made you?''
Eelektross finally got fed up and snapped at Meowth. ''Ee-ktross!''
Pikachu smiled, already in the air. His tail became white as he began to spin to his target. Eelektross looked back at Pikachu and tried to hit him, but the recent distraction made it lose its focus and it missed. Pikachu's Iron Tail landed on its back and sent it to the ground with a slam.
''Hah. The 'What was Arceus thinking' bit always works. We should team up more often,'' Meowth said with a grin when Pikachu settled back on the ground.
''And who says you won't just betray me after all of this is over?'' Pikachu deadpanned.
''Eh?! How dare you think I would ever betray y… Okay, stop looking at me like that, I get it. I still think that, if we weren't lifelong enemies, we would make a great team.''
Pikachu shrugged. ''Can't deny that.''
Meowth was about to say something, but the next thing he knew, he was getting struck by a Thunderbolt.
''H-hey! I thought we had made a truce!''
''It's not me, you idiot!''
''Oh, true, this isn't nearly as powerful as yours.'' Meowth shrieked when Eelektross intensified its Thunderbolt. ''Y-you Pokémon and your fragile ego!''
Pikachu dashed toward the Eelektross again with a Quick Attack, making it stop its Thunderbolt, but wasn't able to hit it this time as it backed away. Meowth's fur was partially burnt after the electric shock, his hair standing on end as if he were made of static. He shook his head to push away the dizziness that always came after attacks like those.
''You're gonna pay for this!'' the cat exclaimed, and he was the one moving forward this time. Eelektross wasn't budging, even after it noticed he was approaching.
''Meowth, wait!'' Pikachu warned, but it came out tardy.
When Meowth got close enough, ready to use Fury Swipes, Eelektross finished preparing a Focus Punch. This time there wasn't a distraction to prevent the move from hitting Meowth straight in the belly. It took the air out of his lungs as he crashed on a nearby rack.
Meowth breathed in as soon as he could and immediately coughed by the sudden intake of air. Try as he might, he couldn't stand up. That move had been super-effective.
Pikachu was about to cry out for Meowth when he felt foreign electricity engulfing him. He looked back at the offending Eelektross and scoffed.
''You call that a Thunderbolt? I'll show you what a real Thunderbolt is like.'' He slapped his cheeks and got on all fours. ''Piiikaaa…chuuu!''
Eelektross' eyes widened when Pikachu's electricity quickly pushed its own and whined when the current reached its body. Pikachu didn't stay still for too long; still casting his Thunderbolt, he ran with Quick Attack toward his foe. Once he stopped his Thunderbolt, he prepared an Iron Tail before Eelektross could recover and sent it crashing against a wall. This time, it didn't come back up. It had effectively fainted.
Pikachu realized he was panting when the adrenaline of the battle wore off. He had already been tired from the efforts he had made with Meowth to break their chains some minutes ago, and he was already feeling the beginning of exhaustion crawling on his body and dragging him down.
Meowth's got it worse, though, he thought.
He was going to walk toward his weakened temporal partner when he heard a roar. He turned to find Clemont and his team, Luxray, Chespin and Bunnelby, fighting an Exploud. He needed to stay close to Meowth in case any other enemy tried to attack the cat again, but he could always give a little helping hand to his friends.
''Luxray!'' he called out to the lion-like Pokémon. ''The Eelektross is down for the count, you can use your Electric Terrain freely!''
After he received a confirming roar from Luxray and a thankful thumbs-up from Chespin, Pikachu ran back to stay with Meowth.
''You okay?''
Meowth huffed. ''Just dandy.''
''You did a good job back there.''
''Yeah, that's the least you can say after I saved your tail from that overpowered eel.''
''That's what you're gonna say to everyone who asks what happened today, isn't it?''
''Yeah, and you can't stop me.''
''Why am I not surprised? Come on, we can't rest here forever.''
''Luxray, use Swift!''
Following his trainer's command, Luxray once again sent multiple stars from his tail toward the enemy Exploud—which, once again, destroyed them with an Echoed Voice.
For Arceus' sake, Clemont complained mentally. This Exploud was as annoying as it was strong. Every time one of Clemont's Pokémon tried to get close to it, Exploud would simply repel their moves with its own loud ones. Not even Bunnelby's Dig had worked, since Exploud was able to detect where the bunny was thanks to its ability to sense sound waves and could move away from the dangerous spots accordingly. And what was even worse—the more Exploud used Echoed Voice, the stronger the move became the next time. They needed to find a way out fast so they could help their friends out. But how?
Think, Clemont, think.
Luxray roared in frustration, which Clemont could evidently understand and relate to. Not so soon after, they heard Pikachu shouting something from some yards away.
''Pika pi!'' he said. ''Pikachu pi Pika, pika pi Pikachu pi!''
Clemont didn't understand a word, but whatever Pikachu had said seemed to have a good effect on his team. The three of his Pokémon looked at Pikachu with gratitude before they focused back on their fight. Before he could ask what that had been about, Luxray used Electric Terrain from where he was. The yellow, sparkling territory covered a space of approximately five meters. Luxray seemed to immediately rejoice as the sparks surrounded him.
''Luxray!'' Clemont exclaimed with slight panic, surprised by the decision his Pokémon had made by himself. ''What are you doing? The enemy Eelektross could also benefit from this…!''
''Bun, bunby,'' said Bunnelby to grab his attention. The bunny pointed to a wall and Clemont adjusted his glasses with a squint to see what it was. Lying against the dented wall was the fainted Eelektross.
So that's what Pikachu said to us, Clemont realized. He nodded with resolution as he turned back to their current enemy. With Luxray's powered-up Electric moves, we certainly have the upper hand. But we still need to get through that insufferable sound barrier. What to do…?
He felt someone tugging on his pants. This time, it was Chespin.
''Chespin ches, ches—'' The small hedgehog held out one of his paws and hit it with the other repeatedly, as if he were punching a wall. ''—Pin, pin, pin!''
''You mean… just going in, all of you?''
''Chespin pin!'' His Pokémon agreed with a nod.
Clemont frowned as he thought it over, and then his eyebrows rose.
''Of course! How didn't I think of it before?'' he mused. Sometimes, if strategy doesn't work, simple brute force can do wonders. And not even that big Exploud should be able to stop three Pokémon attacking it from different angles. ''Guys, please come here,'' he said to his Pokémon.
Everyone complied and Clemont proceeded to tell them his plan. Exploud looked bored when he was done, while his Pokémon seemed satisfied and ready for action.
''All right, let's go!''
Bunnelby used Dig once again. He approached the Exploud and circled around it, still underground. Exploud seemed to raise an eyebrow, as if to ask 'This again?' as it listened attentively to Bunnelby's moves. Clemont nodded at Chespin and off the hedgehog went, dashing toward the Exploud and reaching out to it with Vine Whip. Exploud saw this and started to use Echoed Voice to keep Chespin away. Stealthily, Luxray positioned himself some feet away from Exploud's uncovered side and sprinted over to the purple Pokémon.
Exploud noticed this and seemed to panic as he looked from Chespin to Luxray and then to the ground where Bunnelby was. It didn't react on time to avoid Luxray's Wild Charge—and neither Bunnelby's other Wild Charge as he emerged from the ground. Badly injured by two Electric moves that had been powered by Electric Terrain, Exploud stumbled backward. At the same time, Luxray and Bunnelby backed away, also hurt from their attacks' recoil damage. Chespin remained slightly closer to Exploud, ready to shoot Pin Missile at any second.
Exploud growled as it pushed past the pain. Then, it began to open its mouth.
Clemont wished he had understood what that meant sooner.
The sound that escaped Exploud's mouth was so strident and jarring that he was surprised his ears didn't immediately start bleeding from it. Everyone around covered their ears as best as they could. It was clear Exploud was producing the loudest Hyper Voice it was capable of. They were so shocked by it that no one was able to move to try and stop it. The sound reverberated so hard that the Electric Terrain that Luxray had created simply dissipated as if it had been a cloud of smoke.
Finally, after some seconds, the sound was over.
When Clemont and his Pokémon opened their eyes, ears still ringing from the vibration, they saw why Exploud had stopped. It was asleep on the ground.
Venomoth, completely fed up with its own teammate, had come all the way from the aisle to use Sleep Powder on it.
Seemingly pleased with what it had done, the moth Pokémon silently flew back to its own fight.
Clemont blinked.
He could understand why anyone, even its own allies, would want to silence someone like Exploud, but it was still a little weird. Why would Venomoth sabotage its teammate like that, and then leave it to the mercy of their enemies? That he couldn't understand.
Chespin scoffed as he got closer to Exploud's sleeping form, looking smug. He placed a paw under his eye and stuck out his tongue in a mocking way, like he was bragging about their victory.
Bunnelby stepped closer to Chespin and Exploud but remained a safe distance away. ''Bunnelby, by,'' he said, and Clemont could hear the warning tone in his voice. Chespin ignored him and walked in front of Exploud's open mouth—it was snoring. He pointed at it, looking amused, and said something to his friends. Luxray simply shook his head and Bunnelby muttered something under his breath, exasperated with his teammate.
Everyone was so distracted that they didn't notice the flames that had begun to build up inside Exploud's mouth.
Chespin turned back to his sleeping foe, about to say a last triumphant sentence. ''Ches—''
The hedgehog was met with a Flamethrower to the face. He whined and tried to run away as fast as he could, but the damage had been done. He fell on the ground, fainting from the super-effective move.
Clemont, Luxray and Bunnelby could only gape at whatever had just happened.
''What in the…?!'' Clemont exclaimed before it hit him. ''Wait… Bunnelby, get away from Exploud!''
Bunnelby didn't think twice before he obeyed his trainer and leaped out of the way, just in time to avoid another Flamethrower from Exploud.
''That blasted thing knows Sleep Talk,'' he explained to his Pokémon, his fists clenched at his sides. He was visibly upset; he couldn't stand to see anyone hurting his poor Chespin in the way Exploud had just done. ''That move allows it to use any of its other moves at random while asleep. Luxray,'' he said, locking eyes with the electric lion, ''we can't leave it sleeping like that. It is a threat to anyone around it that it happens to sense with its sensitivity to sound waves. Go there and use Swift until we're sure it faints, please.''
Luxray nodded earnestly. With the silence and stealth worthy of a feline, he got close to the sleeping threat and raised his tail. One by one, stars shot from the tip of the tail and landed on Exploud. After the sixth star landed, Exploud growled lowly and the spirals in its eyes gave it away; it had finally fainted.
They collectively let out a breath. Clemont crouched next to Chespin and carefully took him in his arms.
''I'm so sorry I didn't protect you as I should've, Chespin,'' he said. ''I'll get you to a Pokémon Center as soon as this is over. I promise.'' He took out Chespin's Poké Ball and activated it, recalling his defeated Pokémon inside.
He looked at his remaining two Pokémon. Luxray seemed to be okay for the most part, just slightly strained from the tiring fight. Bunnelby seemed worse for wear, however, as it had taken many Echoed Voices during the first minutes of the skirmish.
''Are you guys sure you can continue?'' he asked them. He wouldn't forgive himself if he were to push his Pokémon too far when they didn't feel well.
He was quickly answered by determined cries.
''Bunnelby!''
''Rawrrr!''
Clemont nodded. ''All right. Let's go check on Pikachu and then we'll go to—''
A sudden screech of pain coming from inside the aisle decided exactly where they were going first.
''Guys, let's go!''
Braixen gripped her stick tighter, focusing on her enemies. She had lost count of how many times that cursed Venomoth had used Agility by now, and it was getting quite hard to keep track of its movements. Pancham had been throwing one Dark Pulse after the other to try and hit it, but everything he had managed to do was hit Aromatisse twice instead during that period. Not that those attacks did much to Aromatisse's Fairy type, unfortunately.
Sylveon stayed alert to every move. Her feelers hadn't let Serena's wrist since they had arrived at her side. Braixen hated to see her trainer like that, so weak, so vulnerable, hurting this much. She knew Serena was doing her best to keep herself awake, but Braixen wasn't sure if it wouldn't be better for her to just sleep to get some rest.
Everything had seemed simpler when it was just the three of them against the Venomoth, but then the Aromatisse had come out of Arceus knows where to support her teammate.
The two Pokémon never wasted a chance to mock and make fun of Braixen and her friends the whole time.
The fox tried to keep her temper in check for the sake of her trainer. Serena always said that getting angry wouldn't solve anything, and most of the time it would only make it worse—but it was getting more difficult with every second that went by.
If she could just send a big, powerful Fire Blast to shut them up…
But that could endanger everyone as it would inevitably start a fire in a very narrow space, doing more harm than good. She wouldn't take such risks while Serena was in this state; she preferred exhausting herself with multiple Hidden Powers and Scratches if that kept their surroundings safe.
Pancham was cursing under his breath after missing yet another Dark Pulse when it happened.
An eardrum–breaking shriek passed through the air with the likes of a sonic boom. The resonance rattled boxes and shook racks. Braixen's eyes fastened on Serena almost as soon as it began. The honey-blonde wasn't able to resist such intrusive uproar; she passed out, her face wrinkling in a grimace and relaxing soon after. Distressed, Braixen looked back at her opponents, only to notice Venomoth had disappeared.
Soon after, the noise stopped.
This was their chance. Braixen grabbed Pancham and Sylveon's attention with a whirl of her stick, and their shock dissipated to get replaced with resolve. Hidden Power, Stone Edge and Swift were thrown in sync toward the distracted Aromatisse, striking her cleanly.
To their surprise, Aromatisse got up swiftly and wiped her fur, red eyes squinting. ''Aro, romatisse tisse?''
Is that all you got?
Braixen and her partners fumed. She realized right there that she didn't take kindly to Fairy types—with the exception of her best friend Sylveon, of course. However, no matter how much Aromatisse wanted to hide it, the attacks had taken a good chunk of her stamina. They just needed to be more forceful and they would be able to take her down. And they needed to act fast before Venomoth came back.
''Braix!'' she exclaimed, directing her friends. If Special Attacks weren't effective, getting physical was required. They all understood.
Sylveon stayed with Serena while Braixen and Pancham charged toward Aromatisse. She dodged Braixen's Scratch but couldn't stop Pancham's Arm Thrusts that came as four in a row. Braixen prepared another Scratch and was about to hit the tumbling Aromatisse when the moth came back. Venomoth used Acrobatics and struck Braixen's leg, making the fox and the bear cub fall back at Sylveon's side.
''Sylve?'' she asked with worry. Braixen reassured her. This little ache wasn't the worst she had ever dealt with.
Braixen's digits slid through her stick as she frowned at her adversaries. They needed to think of a real strategy or else they were going to lose and—
Pancham was charging toward Aromatisse again.
''Braixen!''
''Syl?!''
Braixen ran behind him as soon as she realized what her impulsive partner was up to, but she wasn't able to stop him before Aromatisse hit him straight in the face with a Drain Punch. Pancham screeched as he stumbled backwards. Braixen tried to grasp his arm but he didn't allow her. He stood in front of his friends protectively and stared their opponents down.
Sylveon was telling him to stop being so reckless when Braixen learned what other attack Aromatisse had.
Glistening pink hearts surrounded the Fairy–type and she winked at Pancham.
Oh no, Braixen thought, everything but Attract—
The hearts rushed with impressive speed toward the bear cub, which was too slow to dodge them even if he tried.
When everyone thought Attract was going to hit Pancham, a brown shape jumped in front of him and received the attack instead.
They gasped.
''Bunnelby!'' Clemont exclaimed from some meters away, voice breathy from his run.
''Pan?! Pancham cham!''
Bunnelby seemed fine when he glanced at Pancham, but then he looked back at Aromatisse and he was done for. His eyes were literally hearts when Aromatisse beckoned him closer and he complied.
Sylveon was incredibly distressed. ''Syl!'' she called out to Bunnelby, one of her closest friends since she joined their group, the first Pokémon she learned to genuinely trust. ''Sylveon, sylvee vee!''
Please snap out of it!
''Cham!'' Pancham began to prepare a Dark Pulse to aid him.
It was too late.
Aromatisse and Venomoth smirked before they struck the bunny with their strongest attacks. Bunnelby didn't defend himself from one single hit, stupefied by the effects of Attract. He fell on the floor with a thud.
Clemont's eyes were shining, though he seemed as determined as ever. Two of his Pokémon had fallen but he wasn't about to lose this battle. Even less if the enemy was going to play dirty like this. ''Luxray, Swift!''
While Clemont commanded his Luxray to try and hit Venomoth, Sylveon could only stare at Aromatisse and then back at Bunnelby on the floor. She looked up. Down. Up. Down.
Aromatisse wasn't the slightest bit sorry for what she and her partner had done to Bunnelby.
Bunnelby, who only fell because he was protecting their friend.
Bunnelby, who would do it again in a heartbeat for anyone he cared about.
Sylveon wasn't having any of this.
Her usually shy blue eyes went cold and fierce as she looked back up.
''Luxray, dodge!'' Clemont commanded when Aromatisse began to launch two jets of purple liquid at his Pokémon; she was using Toxic. Luxray didn't have enough space to run away, but he didn't need to. Sylveon jumped in front of him and used Protect just in time. ''Sylveon! Thank you!''
Sylveon nodded sharply before she raised her feelers and formed a circle with their tips, pointing straight at Aromatisse. The latter's eyes widened exactly one second before Sylveon spread her feelers, releasing a powerful gust of sparkling white wind. It was so strong that Aromatisse couldn't stay put and was pushed backward inch by inch. Venomoth dodged the wind by flying up and waiting for it to fade. Sylveon wasn't about to wait, however, and she raced toward Aromatisse right after using Fairy Wind.
The Fragrance Pokémon predicted this so she got in a defensive stance. What she wasn't expecting was to see multiple Sylveon surrounding her, some floating in the air and others moving on top of the racks. They all looked like they were dancing.
With the grace and elegance only a trained performer could have, every Sylveon twirled around and threw dazzling stars from their bodies. Aromatisse could only cover herself from the sudden onslaught that, quite literally, made her see stars.
The real stars hit Aromatisse from behind, making her lose her balance. Next, the Fairy Wind surrounded Aromatisse and twirled her high in the air before slamming her hard against the ground.
Once the wind cleared up, there was only one Sylveon standing in the middle of the aisle. She linked one feeler protectively around her trainer's wrist as everyone gasped with surprise at the defeated Aromatisse across from them. Sylveon used her other feelers to envelop Bunnelby's injured body and keep it next to her, almost like she was pulling a blanket over her friend.
Braixen and Pancham stared at her in shock before giving her a wavering smile. She had grown so much. Clemont walked closer to her, eyes full of emotion.
''Thank you, Sylveon. I'm so proud of you, and I know Bunnelby will be too, once he wakes up.''
Sylveon nodded again, this time softer, but then jerked her head to the roof to remind them that there was still an opponent to defeat.
Venomoth flew back down from the ceiling, fuming at them now that it was alone once again.
''Pancham,'' the bear cub said, adjusting his sunglasses and scowling at the Moth Pokémon. He took a step forward.
You're next.
They didn't know a moth was capable of snickering until they heard the unmistakable sound of a laugh coming from Venomoth. The next time they blinked, it was nowhere to be seen.
''What… Where did it go?'' Clemont whispered to himself.
Sylveon and Braixen inched closer to Serena with apprehension. Luxray growled as his tail moved, curling and uncurling behind him.
When Pancham screeched, everyone turned at him.
''Braix?''
Pancham rubbed his arm with a wince. ''Cham.'' He had been hit and he hadn't even seen it.
''No…'' Clemont said. ''How long has it been using Agility to increase its speed?''
Serena's Pokémon shared a resigned glance.
''This can't be good.''
''Cham!'' Another screech.
He had been hit again.
''Braixen!'' The fox stood closer to Pancham and lit up the tip of her wand. She wasn't going to let Venomoth hurt her friend with no retaliation. Pancham shrank on himself and looked around frantically.
Luxray glanced at Sylveon and noticed she seemed tired. ''Lux…'' He then saw the green powder that was falling on her. And he saw Venomoth winking at him before flying out of his sight. He growled again. ''Luxray!''
''What is it?!'' Clemont asked as everyone turned at Sylveon. He looked tired too all of a sudden, but for a different reason. He was starting to hate that move so much. ''Oh, for Arceus' sake…''
''Braix?!''
''Cham-pam!''
''Syl… vee vee.'' She slowly settled on the ground next to Serena and Bunnelby, closing her eyes.
''Dang it…'' Clemont said under his breath. He didn't have any Awakening spray or Chesto Berries to wake her up immediately. They were down to Luxray, Braixen and Pancham. Not to mention that Satoshi and his Pokémon were probably fighting The Kecleon's strongest Pokémon elsewhere.
''Pikachu, go slower, this floor isn't being kind to my belly.''
''Lay off the human food a little, Meowth. You're so heavy.''
They turned to the sound of two voices well known to them. Pikachu was walking on his four paws into the aisle. Meowth was holding onto the mouse's tail, effectively letting himself be dragged on the floor.
''And I'm pretty sure you can walk by now, you lazy little— Ah, guys!''
''Braix!''
''Rawr.''
''Pam pam.''
''Pikachu, Meowth! Are you guys okay?!''
Meowth tilted his head on the ground to look at Clemont. ''Yeah, yeah, we're fine. I'm in this state because I had to save Pikachu all by myself, you can thank me later.''
Pikachu didn't even spare him a glance. He directed his attention to his friends. ''What's the situation?''
Luxray briefly explained everything that had happened, making emphasis on the Pokémon that were out of commission and the current threat with wings that was still looming around. During that time, Clemont got deep in thought about the last part.
''We need to battle speed with speed,'' he said once Luxray was done with his explanation. ''Luxray may come close to Venomoth's speed but it might be difficult for him to actually reach it. Pikachu could maybe do it as he's smaller and could use the racks to his advantage to get leverage. However, as I can see, Pikachu's still worn out from his last battle.''
Pikachu hummed in response. His eyes were locked on Serena's sleeping form as he frowned. ''I wasn't able to protect her as I could've. I'll fight till the end. It doesn't matter how battered I am.''
Clemont could tell that Pikachu was determined, though he couldn't exactly figure out what he was saying. He glanced at Meowth almost as a reflex, knowing the cat was the only (conscious) individual that could translate it for him, but thought better of it. They couldn't waste time in semantics right now—
Pancham's glasses fell on the floor. The bear cub rubbed the back of his head furiously. ''Cham!''
Clemont's eyes zeroed on the spot Pancham was rubbing. There were two small dots over the white fur, one next to the other. It was Venomoth again, and it was most likely using Leech Life, judging by the fact that it had bitten Pancham.
Leech Life would normally not be effective against a Fighter–type Pokémon like Pancham and continuing to use Acrobatics would make more sense, but Clemont had learned that these Pokémon knew how to use their potential to the fullest. He racked his brain to remember what abilities Venomoth could possibly have, and it hit him.
The ability Tinted Lens worked almost like a Trick Room of sorts, in the way that it completely dismissed the usual type rules. Bug–type moves aren't effective against Fighter–type Pokémon. However, if the Pokémon that uses the Bug–type moves has the ability Tinted Lens, the moves will deal double the damage. Plus, Venomoth would be able to heal itself thanks to the secondary effect of Leech Life.
The summary of all this would be — They needed to act as fast as possible for Pancham's sake!
''Everyone, please protect Pancham!''
Braixen and Luxray did their best to shield Pancham with their bodies. Pikachu and Meowth remained close by, the former ready to use Quick Attack if he found any suitable opening.
Venomoth seemed to understand what they were doing and decided to form its own opening. It used Leech Life on Braixen this time, taking everyone off guard, before biting Pancham once again while they were startled. It was just playing with them at this point.
Pikachu clenched his teeth. He was about to climb on the racks to at least try and do something when he saw something flying close to the roof. Or, more than something, a certain someone that was more than able to match Venomoth's speed.
Talonflame flew over the aisle in silence, its long and sharp wings moving up and down with prolonged flaps. The Scorching Pokémon made eye contact with Pikachu and nodded stoutly. Pikachu nodded back. After a blink, Talonflame was nowhere to be seen.
No one else had noticed Talonflame, and Pikachu hoped Venomoth hadn't been the exception.
''We can't keep this up,'' Clemont said, and Pikachu could see he was in his deep-thinking stage. ''Maybe, if all of us keep moving too… No, that wouldn't change anything and would only exhaust us more…''
Pikachu wanted to tell him that it was okay, but doing so would blow up their cover, so he just limited himself to see what was about to unfold.
Another screech was heard, which meant Venomoth had bitten Pancham again. This time, however, a big red silhouette zoomed right behind Venomoth's smaller purple form now that it was visible. The two forms dashed through the air all around the aisle. It was a chase.
''What the…'' Meowth said.
Pikachu allowed himself to smirk when the red form enveloped itself with fire. Talonflame was using Flame Charge; it was quickly gaining the speed it needed and was closing the gap. When a loud squeak resonated in the aisle, Pikachu knew Talonflame had succeeded.
Venomoth crashed against a rack with all the momentum it had gained before. That, alongside the effectiveness of the Fire–type move, was enough to one-shot the Moth Pokémon, which everyone could see fainting seconds later.
Talonflame landed on the ground and threw a last glance at the defeated moth before addressing its friends. ''Flame.''
Everyone but Pikachu blinked at it with surprise.
''Ta… Talonflame!'' Clemont exclaimed. ''You were so amazing! I should've realized it was you sooner, but that speed was just out of this world! Thank you very much for your help.''
Meowth quietly gulped, finally standing up. ''I probably shouldn't mess with that one,'' he whispered to himself.
Talonflame chirped affirmatively. Its gaze darkened when it saw Serena, Sylveon and Bunnelby unconscious on the ground. Pancham was sitting down, looking almost ready to sleep with the rest of his friends. The numerous attacks had taken their toll on him.
''Pancham, you should stay here,'' Pikachu said. When Pancham protested, the mouse shook his head. ''You're too weak to contribute to a fight right now, and it would be better if you stayed to guard them as we…'' He remembered something and almost slapped himself for not remembering sooner. He whirled toward Talonflame. ''How's Satoshi holding up?!''
Talonflame's gaze darkened even more. It told Pikachu and the others a quick summary of what was happening as Meowth translated the key details for Clemont. Satoshi and his Pokémon had been fighting The Kecleon's Aegislash and Hydreigon this whole time, as everyone had thought. Hawlucha had fallen to Hydreigon's Tri Attack not so soon after the battle had begun when he'd stepped in front of Noivern to protect it. Talonflame explained that they had been able to hear many attacks from skirmishes happening around them—more than anything that piercing scream courtesy of Exploud—but weren't able to leave and check on the others. It was only after Greninja managed to entertain their opponents that Satoshi commanded Talonflame to go and make sure everyone was okay.
When the topic changed to Satoshi and Greninja, Talonflame frowned. Pikachu could already tell what must be happening.
Satoshi is almost running on adrenaline alone, were Talonflame's words. His bond with Greninja being active for so long was becoming incredibly dangerous, but every time one of his Pokémon asked him to stop it, he bluntly said no. Greninja was doing his best the whole time to give him strength through the bond itself, and that was the only thing other than adrenaline that was keeping Satoshi on his feet. Talonflame feared Satoshi might reach a point of no return if they didn't come to his aid soon. Besides, Serena needed to be taken to a hospital and, in order to do that safely, they had to defeat The Kecleon.
They didn't need to hear anything else. Everyone rushed out of the aisle, following Talonflame's lead. The only one who remained was Pancham, who had listened to Pikachu's words and knew it was for the best. He would protect his friends till the end. He picked his glasses from the ground and placed them on Serena's eyes; that way he could pretend she was just sleeping like any other night they've spent together and was not heavily concussed like right now.
Sitting next to his friends, he kept his dark eyes locked on the unconscious Venomoth, just daring it to open its eyes back up.
This wasn't good.
Greninja was tired, Noivern was spacing out from exhaustion and Talonflame hadn't come back yet. Were the others okay?
After Satoshi had finally made an opening with Greninja to let Talonflame go and check on the others, Greninja received a rather nasty hit from Aegislash. And did that one hurt. Satoshi was still holding onto his forearm from that blow. But pain was the least of his concerns now.
Aegislash could protect Hydreigon and itself with King's Shield all it wanted; everyone could notice how weaker its defense was becoming. The Kecleon and his Pokémon had been taking on a two vs. three battle for a long time now and the effects were showing on everyone present.
And speaking of The Kecleon.
Satoshi wasn't usually a vengeful person. His soul valued justice more than anything, but he usually left karma (and authorities) take care of bad people who wronged others just for the sake of it. However, in this case, it wasn't so easy. This guy wasn't Team Rocket and their almost daily schemes to get his Pikachu. Yes, they had kidnapped Pokémon and even some people before, but no one had been as devious and vicious as this guy was all by himself. Even his Pokémon were expertly trained to do evil. Satoshi could see it in their eyes.
Even then, Satoshi wasn't sure what angered him the most about this guy. The obvious reason was out there: The Kecleon had wronged everyone for his own desires, and he had to pay.
But that wasn't entirely it.
He wanted to steal Pikachu.
Well, Satoshi was more than used to people wanting to steal his best friend. Read: Team Rocket. That fact will always annoy him and he will always act to protect Pikachu, so he was easily able to recognize that wasn't what angered him the most.
He kidnapped Serena.
It wasn't the first time Serena had gotten kidnapped, he reasoned.
But it is the first time she's got directly hurt because of it.
And that was it.
Satoshi finally had the revelation.
Seeing Serena on the ground, not even able to stand up because of how much she was hurting, all of this because The Kecleon didn't want her to escape and didn't even care about the consequences his actions could have for Serena…
He had his answer.
Not like he needed one to make this guy pay.
''Aren't you getting tired of this?'' The Kecleon spoke from the other side of the unofficial battlefield. During the battle, his reflexes and commands were enough to measure up with those of Satoshi. The main difference was his intent. Every command he issued, every word that carried his voice, every motion he did were full of nothing but contempt. Like he would do anything to get what he wanted, screw everyone else and what they were feeling. Satoshi hadn't needed any confirmation of this after first arriving at the warehouse and seeing Serena, but he still got the vibe more than enough with their fight. ''You can scowl at me all you want, kid. The result will be the same.''
''The result,'' Satoshi repeated, pretending to think about it deeply. ''Hmm, yes. I see the result. My friends and I will continue with our lives and be happy while you spend the rest of your life in a cell. I'm glad you finally see things my way.''
''Where is all this sass coming from, I wonder? Not really threatening coming from someone that's breathing as irregularly as you. You sure you're okay?''
Satoshi ignored another concerned look from his Pokémon and kept his eyes locked with The Kecleon's obscure ones. ''I will be once I defeat you. Greninja—''
''Satoshi!''
The raven-haired turned to the voice of a young inventor very dear to him. Clemont. The blond came to the backside of the warehouse and supported his hands on his legs, panting. Right before him, Talonflame chirped to announce their arrival, and right after came the rest of the Pokémon. Satoshi was immediately relieved to see Pikachu was okay. (He decided to also ignore the worry in Pikachu's face.)
Besides his best friend there was Meowth, Braixen and Luxray.
Meowth, Braixen and Luxray…
Braixen.
Braixen was here.
Where was her trainer?
Satoshi had only been able to hear some of the things that had been happening inside the aisles, but he didn't know anything concrete. Seeing the person and Pokémon that were still standing was the direct confirmation that, for once in their lives since they began to travel together, if he were to call out to her…
She wouldn't be able to hear his voice.
''Where's Serena?'' were the first words that came out of his mouth; the first words he could formulate. The summary of the thousands of thoughts, every new possibility worse than the previous one, that his mind was providing to make sense of where and how she was.
Clemont locked eyes with him and his brows furrowed. That wasn't a good sign either. ''Satoshi—''
''Pika!'' his best friend warned.
Satoshi had lowered his guard. A mistake. Greninja had lowered his guard too, as he felt similar conflicting feelings as his trainer. The second mistake. When both of them turned, Hydreigon was already too close to Greninja, Fire Fang in full display.
The only one that didn't seem to be distracted was Luxray… as he rushed in front of Greninja to take the Fire Fang head on, countering as he could with his own Thunder Fang.
The two attacks clashed, but Hydreigon quickly got the upper hand as Luxray's power weakened. The lion was sent many feet back and crashed on a rack, the inertia being so strong that the rack collapsed from the hit.
That rack happened to be part of the aisle everyone had been in some minutes ago. When it fell, it revealed the unconscious form of a person and two Pokémon, plus the conscious form of Pancham. A fainted Venomoth was resting on the other rack that hadn't been hit.
Serena.
If the rack had fallen to the other side, it would have crushed everyone next to it.
Which of course included her.
''Luxray!'' Clemont cried out before the word could even manifest in his mind. Pancham was looking back at them with wide eyes from the now awkwardly opened aisle.
Pikachu knew exactly what Satoshi was looking at. Pikachu also knew this wasn't the moment to get distracted.
''Pika–pi,'' he said, calling out to Satoshi. ''Pika-cha pikachu pika pika pi!''
Satoshi forcefully tore his gaze away from Serena to look at Pikachu. His eyes were asking a million questions, though he knew that Pikachu was right. If they wanted to help Serena and the others, they had to take care of The Kecleon first—
''Night Slash until you hit, Aegislash!''
A light-purple sword slashed the air next to Noivern, who barely had time to react and fly away. Everyone stood on alert and dodged the multiple strikes, which were aiming at both the Pokémon and the trainers present.
''Greninja, Water Shuriken! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!'' His Pokémon complied and sent their attacks. The Aegislash protected itself just in time with King's Shield. Satoshi stopped mimicking Greninja's Water Shuriken as the attack ended and had to shift his footing to remind stable. He scowled at The Kecleon. ''You won't defeat us with continuous attacks like that!''
''I know,'' was The Kecleon's simple answer.
No one had noticed the Hydreigon getting closer to the open aisle.
The only defense Pancham could send was his Dark Pulse, but Hydreigon's Tri Attack countered it, getting past it and into Pancham. The bear cub was unable to contribute anything else to the battle; he lay close to his friends on the floor, fainted.
Not even a blink later, Hydreigon sent yet another Tri Attack at the same location. Now that Pancham wasn't in the way, it was going straight toward Serena.
Satoshi's insides screamed and everything else happened in slow motion.
In one moment, Hydreigon was preparing its Tri Attack.
In the next one, Braixen's figure appeared in front of her unconscious trainer and friends, counterattacking with a Flamethrower. The prolonged attacks met in the middle and a power battle began.
Braixen kept the attack going with all the strength she could muster, but not so soon after, she had to change her weight to one of her legs as the other had been damaged not so long ago. This weakened her and her Flamethrower wasn't holding back Tri Attack as it had done before. Hydreigon was now duplicating its power and pushing its way through Braixen's defense, about to reach her. Braixen closed her eyes and continued doing her best, waiting for the inevitable hit.
Satoshi didn't remember when he had started running.
Greninja didn't know when he had either. He stepped in front of Braixen right before her defense broke down, preparing a Water Shuriken, launching it like a boomerang toward Hydreigon… and also getting hit by the whole power of the Tri Attack soon after.
The attack sent Greninja spiraling to the ground. Braixen watched in horror as the ninja painfully tried to stand up and could only get on his knees. Satoshi had felt everything as well. He had completely paused his run right after the hit and was staring at Serena's general direction with lost eyes.
The Satoshi–Greninja synchronization ceased. As if on cue, their bodies gave up and trainer and Pokémon passed out.
Satoshi! Clemont screamed, but this time, it was in his mind. Satoshi was out of commission. Everything and everyone depended on him. He couldn't get careless.
A quick glance at The Kecleon's pleased expression was enough to tell he was distracted. Clemont's eyes fastened on the Hydreigon, who was still dizzy after Greninja's Water Shuriken.
He clenched his fist and adjusted his glasses.
As silently as he could, he tapped all of the Pokémon around him to grab their attention; Pikachu, Meowth, Talonflame, Noivern. Everyone looked at him and seemed to realize the same thing at once.
Clemont was giving the orders now.
They nodded.
Clemont pointed at Hydreigon and his glasses shone ominously, hiding his eyes.
Give it all you've got, he was saying.
Pikachu's Thunderbolt surprised Hydreigon enough for Meowth to Scratch it in its three faces. Talonflame hit him with a swift Flame Charge and Noivern managed to get in a Dragon Claw; this last attack almost made the Brutal Pokémon collapse right there. Braixen had taken the hint soon after the storm of attacks had begun and launched her best Flamethrower.
She wasn't able to hit it because Aegislash protected Hydreigon with King's Shield, but the damage had been done.
The Kecleon clearly wasn't looking as cocky as before.
The attacking Pokémon stepped in front of Clemont, ready to attack again. Now no one was taking their eyes off their two opponents; no more playing around.
Hydreigon wasn't looking too good, although Clemont knew not to underestimate his enemy. The Pokémon knew the same thing.
After some tense seconds passed, The Kecleon wordlessly motioned to his Hydreigon. Both of his Pokémon seemed surprised at whatever he was indicating, like this action was something they only used in an emergency. Their trainer nodded with a sharp frown that left no room for debate.
''Why do I feel this isn't good,'' Meowth muttered under his breath.
''All of you, please be careful,'' Clemont warned.
And then, the quiet stopped. Hydreigon's three heads looked up at the ceiling. Three spheres of orange energy grew on its mouths and it fired them into the sky in quick succession.
Clemont gasped. ''Everyone, take cover!''
The spheres exploded high in the air and rained down everywhere in the form of meteors. Some of them went higher than they were supposed to, crashing against the ceiling and causing debris to fall down as well. Many meteors also divided into more meteors halfway through their fall, causing more destruction. This was the strongest Draco Meteor that Clemont had ever seen.
Braixen, upon realizing what this meant, rushed to her unconscious trainer. Pikachu noticed it too and ran to Satoshi. Meowth yelped and barely avoided one of the meteors to go to Greninja's side. Talonflame maneuvered in the air, using its speed to avoid the meteors. Its stamina wouldn't last for too long, though. Noivern was flying under the same conditions.
Clemont protected himself with his Aipom Arm. He recalled Bunnelby and Luxray to their Poké Balls once he was close enough and commanded Braixen to do the same with Serena's other Pokémon. The fox nodded and took the Poké Balls from Serena's pocket, using them to recall Pancham and Sylveon. In her brief distraction she was hit by one of the falling meteors on her good leg and had to take on a defensive sitting position next to Serena, sending one Hidden Power after the other to destroy oncoming meteors. Clemont noted that Hawlucha was nowhere to be seen, which meant Satoshi had recalled him right after he had fainted.
Pikachu made use of his Iron Tail to keep Satoshi safe. He could see The Kecleon and his Pokémon also protecting themselves from the meteor shower some yards away. They were walking back, as if they were… retreating?!
''Don't you dare walk away from us!'' Pikachu shouted loud enough so everyone around could hear him over the sounds of meteors and debris falling. Everyone else realized what he had meant, but no one could do much to stop their enemies since the meteor rain was still in full force.
However, luck seemed to be on their side for once when some known voices were heard from the entrance of the warehouse.
''Gourgeist, prepare to start Operation Wobbuffet Coat!''
''Inkay, back the twerps up!''
Inkay zoomed through the air and quickly threw Psybeams at any meteors and debris that fell close to anyone from the gang.
Jessie and James were running deeper into the building through one of the aisles, covering themselves from the danger with special equipment.
''Team Rocket?'' Clemont said, shocked to actually see them there.
''Jessie! James!'' Meowth exclaimed with happiness. He narrowly cut through a meteor that was getting too close to Greninja. ''I knew you'd be back!''
''Yeah, we promised, remember?'' James said, almost matter-of-factly. Meowth's eyes watered melodramatically.
''Besides, we already called dibs on Pikachu. Anyone else who tries to capture him must deal with us too,'' Jessie said. She pointed at The Kecleon, who also looked quite shocked to see them. ''We have unfinished business with you, impostor twerp. Now, Gourgeist!''
The Pumpkin Pokémon appeared in the air, holding Wobbuffet above her head. The way Gourgeist was flying made it seem like she was purposefully trying to make Wobbuffet catch meteors, and that was when Clemont realized what the plan was. Wobbuffet was casting Mirror Coat, which meant he was in the process of absorbing the meteors to reflect the damage later.
''Wobbah!'' he exclaimed soon after. He had reached his capacity.
''Get ready, Wobbuffet!'' James said, pointing at Hydreigon. This prompted Gourgeist to move around until Wobbuffet had a good aim of his objective.
Clemont wasn't going to be fooled once again. He predicted Aegislash was going to move to protect Hydreigon, and that he couldn't allow.
''Noivern, please use Acrobatics against Aegislash! Don't let it move toward Hydreigon!''
Noivern's ears perked up as he heard the command. He obeyed by swiftly flying toward Aegislash and interrupting its course of action. Aegislash defended itself, but it wasn't the important target at the moment.
The Kecleon caught on this. ''Aegislash! Try to shake it off!''
''Too late,'' Jessie said with a smirk. ''Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat!''
''Wooobbuuuuffeeeet!''
Now that he knew Mirror Coat would hit, and now that the rain was almost over, Clemont was ready to help finish Hydreigon off.
''Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Talonflame, Steel Wing! Braixen, Hidden Power!'' he commanded, and everyone moved to comply.
''And what about me?!'' Meowth asked from his spot. Jessie and James raised an eyebrow at him. ''Um, I mean, it's not like I would obey his command anyway since I'm an independent Pokémon, but you know, it's kinda rude that he's directing everyone but me when I've been here too, and…''
''Use Scratch if you want to be useful!'' they both shouted at him. Meowth recoiled.
''Ahh! You know what? I think the rest got it already! Let's go, everyone!''
No one paid any attention to Team Rocket's exchange. The three Pokémon obeyed Clemont's command and sent their moves toward Hydreigon as Noivern kept obstructing Aegislash.
The first move to hit was Wobbuffet's powered-up Mirror Coat, followed by Steel Wing, Thunderbolt and Hidden Power. Everyone covered their faces from the big cloud of smoke that came after.
Hydreigon's fainted form was the first thing they distinguished once the smoke cleared up. Everyone had their own silent celebration. Only one left to go.
Well, everyone was silent except Team Rocket, that is.
''Let's go! That's how we do it in Team R!'' Jessie said, laughing cockily.
''We come in and save the day just like that,'' James continued. ''Aren't we the best Deus Ex Machina?''
''Guys, I wouldn't get too excited yet,'' Meowth said, surprising both of them. He had lived things today.
''He's right,'' Clemont said, frowning at The Kecleon before raising his voice to address him. ''You're heavily outnumbered; it's time for you to give up. All of this damage and destruction is futile and it causes more harm than good to everyone.''
The Kecleon scoffed at him. ''Like hell I'm letting myself get caught. Aegislash, Omega Formation.''
Aegislash nodded slowly at the command, but seemed chagrined when it looked at its opponents.
Suddenly, the Royal Sword Pokémon began to launch powerful attacks as if it had been possessed.
Both Gourgeist and Inkay were hit by Shadow Balls and recoiled for some seconds. Then, Aegislash's blade began to glow light blue as it tried to hit anyone who got close with Sacred Sword. Its opponents dodged the attacks and prepared to retaliate.
''Surround and attack it from all different sides! Its shield can't protect it from every angle!'' Clemont commanded, and the Pokémon complied, this time including Meowth, Gourgeist and Inkay.
Soon after, Aegislash was defeated. It felt on the ground with a faint. It was the most gratifying sound Pikachu had heard in a long time.
The next most gratifying sound he could hear was going to be The Kecleon begging him not to use Thunderbolt on him, but when Pikachu looked around for him… he was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, different sounds no one expected came from outside the warehouse. Police sirens.
''Well, I guess it's time for us to go. You're welcome, by the way,'' Meowth spoke up, walking close to Jessie and James and guiding them to an exit. They looked at Meowth as if he was crazy. He had been by Pikachu's side less than five seconds ago, and he'd had the perfect opportunity to capture him. ''What? I'm just letting him off the hook for today, 'kay? Getting Pikachu right now would be almost too easy.''
Pikachu smiled at him. Sometimes, Meowth wasn't too bad. ''Thank you for your help, Meowth.''
The cat smirked. ''Don't get all friendly with me here. I'm taking pity on you 'cause I had to save your sorry tail all day, that's all. We'll capture you and send you to our boss most probably around next week.''
So much for him not being too bad.
Pikachu sighed and shook his head. ''Just shut up and go, Meowth.''
''You gotta admit I was incredible today. You saw how I protected Grenin—''
''Shut up and go unless you want me to use my remaining energy to send you blasting off. I mean it.'' Some electricity danced around Pikachu's cheeks to seal his warning.
''Haha, yeah, no thanks. It's time for us to go, guys!''
The Kecleon ran to the backdoor of the warehouse as soon as Aegislash began Omega Formation—the last option he had prepared in case he needed to escape. It was as easy as distracting everyone with his Pokémon so he could get out. And, as predicted, it had worked.
Yeah, maybe he had underestimated that brat and his friends, and maybe he had been defeated for the first time since he had started his villainous streak, but he wasn't done yet. He would stay hidden for now, keeping a low profile until he caught more powerful Pokémon and could continue his crimes once again. That would also be easy thanks to his ability to camouflage himself among innocent people.
He would be back.
Or that's what he thought.
When he exited the warehouse through the backdoor, he was met by a Pokémon he had never seen before. It looked like a black and green canine with white eyes and it had a red hexagon on its chest. It looked strong. He would be interested in catching it if it wasn't growling at him right now.
Next to the strange Pokémon, there was a little girl with blond hair and blue eyes frowning at him. Inside her bag, a Dedenne wore a similar expression. He recognized her. This was the younger sister of that obnoxious blond inventor who was still inside the warehouse.
And, well, neither she nor the Pokémon looked happy.
''Where do you think you're going?'' the little girl asked, crossing her arms and raising a challenging eyebrow at him.
He thought about his options. He was still dressed as this girl's raven-haired friend, and she hadn't seen what had happened inside, so he could play this off. He smiled innocently.
''Hey, I'm glad to see you're safe! The impostor is inside; we finally defeated him and his Pokémon. Why don't you go back inside? Your brother is worried about you—''
The little girl stamped her foot so loudly that it surprised even him. ''You're NOT Satoshi!'' she exclaimed, pointing at him. She was livid. ''Don't you dare pretend you're Satoshi when you're the complete opposite of him! Satoshi is our friend, and he's kind, strong, and a very good person! You're a villain and you do bad things for your own twisted enjoyment! The police will arrive at any moment and you're not going anywhere.''
He was getting impatient. This little brat wasn't about to let him go, but he also wasn't planning to stay here any longer. ''I'm not the impostor. As I said, he's inside; you can check if you want. I'll just go around the building so I can meet with the police, since you said they're about to arrive, yeah? Now go back with your brother and let me—''
''Squishy!''
As the blonde girl said the word, the dog-like Pokémon jumped right in front of him and narrowed its sharp eyes. The Dedenne climbed on the girl's head and tried to appear threatening by releasing some electricity from its cheeks.
''I said that you're not going anywhere,'' she repeated. ''And if you mention my bro one more time, you're gonna get a Nuzzle from my Dedenne. Believe me, it doesn't feel good.''
''Denne–ne!''
He frowned. This girl seemed to be keen on defending everyone's honor or something. Such a useless thing to do.
Before he could answer anything else to maneuver his way out, he heard his least favorite sound.
Police sirens.
''Is everyone okay?!''
''Pikachu pi!''
''Officer Jenny! Over here!''
''What's the situation?''
''There are two unconscious people; they're my friends. I believe Serena has a concussion so she should be taken to a hospital right away. Satoshi fainted from exhaustion after he took multiple attacks, therefore his condition isn't good either.''
''Understood. I'll send my team to help them right away. Squad A and C, we need assistance over here. Two unconscious teens with delicate conditions need to be taken to the hospital now! All right. Clemont, anyone else? Any injured Pokémon?''
''All of our Pokémon did what they could in battle and I wasn't able to witness all of them, so I would like to be safe and get them to a Pokémon Center immediately.''
''That's the wisest decision. We'll get going in a second. Now, where's the criminal?''
''Pika pika…''
''He… disappeared. He must've escaped through the backdoor. Wait… Officer, did you happen to see my little sister before coming in?! A girl with blond hair and blue—''
''CLEMONT!''
''EUREKA!''
''Bro, you had me so worried!''
''I'm so happy to see you're safe. Squishy and Dedenne protected you from everything, right?''
''Of course! By the way, I have good news. Squishy, bring him here!''
''Oh! Amazing job, Eureka!''
''Is that… The Kecleon?''
''That's correct, ma'am.''
''Damn it.''
''You have the right to remain silent, criminal. Kids, get quickly to the cars outside so you can be taken to the city. Squad B, I have the criminal on sight, I repeat, the criminal's on sight, come here now!''
''Clemont…''
''Yes, Eureka?''
''Where are Satoshi and Serena?''
''I saw some officers take Serena on a stretcher. Braixen went with them. And Satoshi is…''
''Satoshi! Is he okay?! Satoshi, can you hear me?!''
''He may be able to, but he can't answer now. We're all going to get better now, including the Pokémon, okay? I promise.''
''O…okay…''
''Where's the young boy that needs assistance?''
''He's right here, sir!''
''Pika pikachu!''
''Please make sure to keep him safe, Pikachu. Come on, Eureka, let's go too.''
''W-wait, where's Greninja?''
''Here; I recalled him into his Poké Ball. I also have Serena's Poké Balls here. Come on, the sooner we get out of this place, the better!''
''I'm right behind you, Clemont! Whoa, I never thought I'd say that. You're running so fast— Are you sure you're okay, bro?!''