Draco: The worst time to be so inspired to write that you can't sleep is when you want to fall asleep early.
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Chapter 21: The Snagem Hideout
"Told you it was fun."
Lucario rolled his eyes at Rui as they pulled up at Eclo Canyon; they'd stopped at the Outskirt Stand to stock up, and the Aura Pokémon had eagerly returned to the sidecar once they had. The two of them dismounted Wes' bike once it was out of the wind, and Rui started forward. So, this is where Team Snagem kept their base, huh? she mused. What was Cipher bringing Wes to some abandoned-?
A voice from nearby cut off her train of thought. "I mean honestly. It's not worth raising a fuss over."
Rui started; several Team Snagem grunts were standing around the arc of the canyon, and Rui quickly ducked herself behind a nearby boulder. Lucario came up behind her as she closed her eyes, watching them with her aura. "Cipher already knew about this place, it's not like that means we're given away."
"We still need to keep an eye out," another grunt insisted. "They might have had someone on their tail. There was no reason for them to come here first."
First? Rui wondered. Where did they go then?
"Didn't they have Wes with them?" a third grunt inquired. "You think they just wanted to try and get on the boss' good side?"
"Not happening," the first grunt observed. "They haven't done us any favors since before Wes defected. I think they were just trying to show off."
Rui glanced at Lucario, who nodded; then she stepped out from behind her cover. "Say," she called, drawing attention, "any chance you guys could tell me where they went?"
The grunts started at the voice, turning around. "Who's there?"
"Just a innocent little girl lost in Wonderland," Rui insisted, "who can't find the Buneary she was chasing."
"You're the chick who's been hanging around Wes!" one grunt realized. "And wait... you've got the Snag Machine!"
Lucario stepped forward as Rui reached for her belt. "Where did Cipher take Wes?"
"Like we're gonna tell you anything when you're carrying the one thing we wanted off him," the grunt retorted. "Hold it right there!"
You are challenged by Team Snagem Grunt!
Rui sent out Metagross to join Lucario as the grunt sent out a Rhyhorn and Vigoroth. The Wild Monkey Pokémon charged at Lucario, landing a rough Slash as Rhyhorn stomped the earth to loose an Earthquake; Metagross charged straight through the tremors, tanking the damage and driving a Meteor Mash into the Spikes Pokémon as Lucario threw Vigoroth back with an Aura Sphere.
The two Pokémon were knocked out quite quickly; the grunt withdrew them, sending out a Zangoose and Grovyle to take their place. These two were much better suited to fighting the opponents; Zangooze rushed Lucario, striking him with a ferocious Brick Break that the Aura Pokémon barely managed to hold on through as Grovyle lashed a retreating Metagross with a harsh Pursuit. Lucario managed to take out the Zangoose Pokémon with another Aura Sphere, and Metagross bashed Grovyle with a Zen Headbutt, leaving the Wood Gecko Pokémon stunned long enough for an Extreme Speed rush to finish him off.
Rui quickly drew out a Hyper Potion as Lucario retreated, spraying it on him to ease his wounds as the grunt withdrew his Pokémon. "So," she mused, "can I get my information peacefully, or are you all gonna make me fight you?"
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They all made her fight them; only once Rui had taken out those three grunts was she able to continue into the canyon. Team Snagem's hideout was surprisingly intact, considering Wes had lit it up with enough explosives to be seen from Mt. Battle; there were enough walls still standing to make maneuvering through the base at least as mazey as the Pyrite Building.
Six more Team Snagem Grunts gave her trouble as she made her way through; there were three floors to the hideout, but Rui had found herself coming back down to the second before she heard the voice of the boss, Gonzap. "Why the heck would they bring Wes back here if they weren't gonna drop him off?"
Rui hunched down to keep herself hidden, working off auras as a grunt responded. "I don't know for sure," he admitted. "But they came here just long enough to give us a scare before heading in the direction of Mt. Battle."
Mt. Battle? Rui wondered. What's going on in Mt. Battle?
Gonzap huffed. "So their drive-by was just a decoy, huh? Plant a little false trail so whoever comes after him comes and gives us trouble instead." He turned towards Rui's hiding spot, and she cursed under her breath as she realized he'd noticed her before she'd hidden. "Like you, huh, missy?"
Rui got to her feet. "You got me."
The grunt who was standing before Gonzap was wearing a familiar pair of round shades; Rui realized that this guy was the first Snagem Grunt she'd ever seen Wes fight, way back in Phenac when they'd first met. "What are you doing here?"
"It's like your boss said," Rui replied. "I came here following Wes' trail, and Cipher saw that coming, so they detoured through here." She shook her head. "But you said they were going to Mt. Battle, and that's all I needed to know. There's no reason for me to be here; what do you say you let me go, and I don't give you trouble?"
Gonzap laughed mockingly. "Tell me you didn't think it was gonna be that easy," he taunted. "Maybe Wes comin' here was just a decoy, but it did us some good - brought the Snag Machine right to us." He stepped around his desk. "Hold it right there, missy - we're taking that thing back!"
You are challenged by Team Snagem Boss Gonzap!
A Breloom and Crawdaunt were sent out first; Rui quickly sent out Raikou and Entei in return, earning a scoff from Gonzap. "I still don't know how Cipher got their hands on some legendary Pokémon."
"You guys didn't do that?" Rui demanded.
"Not by a long shot," Gonzap confirmed. "We never got the chance, and didn't like our odds if we ever did - even Wes wouldn't trust himself to try and catch a legendary Pokémon. That takes skill and patience way beyond anything any of us could pull off. If a legendary Pokémon ever showed up, we'd be better off trying to take it out!"
Power gathered around his Pokémon - power that Rui knew in an instant would come at a price. Breloom charged forward, slamming into Entei with a brutal Giga Impact, and Crawdaunt aimed his pincers at Raikou, loosing a ferocious Hyper Beam. Rui quickly drew out a pair of Hyper Potions, spraying them across the legendary Pokémon as quickly as she could; then, while Gonzap's Pokémon were still trying to recollect themselves, the two attacked, Raikou bringing Thunder down on Crawdaunt as Entei released a Fire Blast to strike Breloom.
Gonzap's Pokémon were knocked out by the blows; he quickly withdrew them, sending out a Granbull and Armaldo to take their place. Rui withdrew Raikou, sending out Suicune in his place as Gonzap's Pokémon both gathered that power again - and the beasts braced themselves as each was struck by another Giga Impact. Again did Rui draw out Potions in response, spraying the legendary Pokémon to heal them so that they could attack while Gonzap's Pokémon were incapacitated by their own blows.
Another Fire Blast from Entei washed over Granbull, and Armaldo was hit by a fierce torrent of Hydro Pump; Gonzap growled angrily as they were knocked out, withdrawing his Pokémon again and sending out a Machamp and Gyarados to take their place. Entei was withdrawn this time, and Raikou sent back out to take his place as Gonzap's Pokémon erred a third time; a Giga Impact from Machamp slammed into Suicune as Gyarados unleashed a Hyper Beam in Entei's direction.
This time, the legendary Pokémon attacked first; Raikou brought down a second storm of Thunder on Gyarados, and Suicune's next Hydro Pump took out Machamp. Only once the battlefield was empty did Rui draw out two more Hyper Potions, healing them as the battlefield was empty.
"You know," she observed, letting the empty Potion bottles fall to join four more, "if you're gonna use a strong attack that's gonna leave you vulnerable, you should try and make sure the attack actually does some lasting damage."
Gonzap scoffed as she withdrew the legendary Pokémon. "Looks like you weren't just hanging around Wes for no reason, were you?" he observed. "And here I thought when he ditched, he'd just be running around Snagging for himself."
Rui slipped the Balls back onto her belt, and found herself grabbing Lucario's just for security. "Why did he join up with you lot, anyways?" she asked.
"Ask him yourself," Gonzap retorted. "I don't ask why, I just make sure they can."
"Then do you know why he left?" Rui demanded.
"I don't know," Gonzap insisted, "and I'm not gonna give him the satisfaction of asking. He trashed this place, wrecked our Snag Machines, and took the only one that still works. That's all that matters."
He huffed. "Get out of here. Before I decide I wanna brute-force that thing off your arm myself."
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"That was a needless waste of time."
As Rui retreated to Wes' bike, Lucario gave her an accusing cry. "Okay, fair," Rui conceded, "we did figure out where he went." She shook her head. "But why would Cipher take him if he didn't have the Snag Machine on him? What do they want from him?"
Lucario growled uncertainly for a moment.
Rui shook her head, starting the bike. "I guess it doesn't matter," she insisted. "We know where they went, now. Let's go find him."
With a nod, Lucario hopped in the sidecar, and Rui proceeded to drive off.
Draco: This one is short, but I don't have a good chapter name to encompass these events and the next events, so... expect the next chapter to be much longer.
That curb-stomp has more to do with the level-ground legendary Pokémon than it has to do with Gonzap's tactics. My first time through Colosseum, I got my hindquarters kicked in Realgam Tower until I purified and levelled up Raikou, Entei, and Suicune; then I crushed him like a Durant.