=Chapter 11, Rescue Mission=
=To Shatter Innocence=
(Jacob's PoV, one hour before sunset)
"So that's where they're hiding?" Jacob whispered as they took shelter behind an old bulldozer several yards away from a cave entrance.
"Ya, that's what Mightyena seems to be telling me." Zarak replied as his Mightyena gave few more sniffs before nodding confidently. "Yep, they're in there all right, the trail is fresh. We're lucky this guy that Segan got ruffed up by didn't take a shower for a week, makes him all the more easily to track."
"Speaking of Segan, do you think he'll be fine?" Karen whispered in a worried voice.
"Segan didn't look too hurt; at most he has a few bruises and cuts. It's his Froslass I'm worried about." Zarak replied.
=Several Hours Earlier=
"Segan!" Fera shouted hysterically as she watched Jacob and Karen helped an exhausted Segan limp into his Salon's office. "What happened to him?"
"I was… attacked… by a bunch of goons… Team Snagem by the looks of them!" Segan said as he took a seat in the office. "Glace and I were ambushed… near Route 116… minding our own business and picking berries."
"Where's Glace, don't tell me they…" Fera whispered worriedly before Segan nodded sadly. "Oh no… they took Glace?"
"It's all my fault…" Segan cried, holding his face with his hands as he cried angrily and sadly. "It was all my fault, I should have paid more attention to our surroundings! I should have kept a closer eye out for trouble, but I was so caught up in having fun with Glace that I didn't see them until it was too late! But then I was surrounded, they had a Primape and a Scyther on me before I could get away, there was no way I could have fought them off on my own."
"Why didn't you have Glace fight back?" Fera asked. "I know you're not a real trainer, but I know from traveling around that Froslass is a powerful Ice and Ghost type. She should have been able to take on two Pokemon Types that she's immune to!"
"She tried… but she's a grooming Froslass with absolutely no battle experience!" Segan moaned. "She tried one Blizzard, but it was absolutely useless and didn't stop them from counter attacking. One of the goons ordered his Scyther to attack with a Night Slash… it brought her down instantly…"
"But what do they want with a Froslass that only knows how to groom other Pokemon?" Karen asked now. "I mean, Team Snagem is out to steal Pokemon and sell them on the Pokeblack Market if what I hear about them is true. What good would a Froslass that only knows how to groom do them? I doubt many trainers or anyone would buy her even under the best of conditions knowing that was her only skill and knowledge."
Jacob agreed, he was worried about Glace as well, but that question was bugging him as they helped carry Segan back to his salon. He had a real grudge against Team Snagem, but he had to think logically like Arky taught him to do in any situation. "Yea, why would they want Glace in the first place?" He asked himself as Sara looked up at him from his arms.
"In any case I'm going to the police first, I'll tell them what happened and we'll start sending out search parties!" Fera said, grabbing her jacket from the chair and running out of the office, leaving Segan with Jacob, Karen, Sara, and Zarak.
They sat in silence as Segan started crying in despair. "Oh my Glace… what are they going to do to her?" He moaned more to himself. "She's a peaceful, gentle Froslass. She wouldn't hurt a Rattata, what kind of a battler would they turn her into?"
"They aren't interested in JUST Pokemon that can battle Segan." Zarak said as he held one of his Pokemon's balls in his hand. "They steal Pokemon for other reasons."
"Like what, what could Glace do for them that none of the other Pokemon here can do?" Segan asked angrily, snapping his head and glaring through his bloodshot eyes at the Hunter.
"Yea, you talk like you know what's going on?" Karen asked suspiciously.
"When you're a hunter you learn about these things." Zarak said, still eyeing the ball in his hand. "Froslass are known to be ghost types, and rarely are they seen to cry tears for any living creature. However, if they develop strong feelings for any living creature, such as their trainer, and should something sad happen to them or that trainer, the Froslass in question will cry tears."
"Yea so, what's the big deal with Froslass tears?" Karen asked.
"Froslass tears… because of the mixture of Ice and Ghost type natures with a Froslass, their tears are all frozen once they leave their eyes." Jacob replied, knowing now why Team Snagem was after Glace thanks to Arky's lessons about unique Pokemon. "Those tears become crystalized, and are almost impossible to break, and they are the highest grade and clearest quality of any crystal ever mined. That makes them exceptionally expensive to anyone in the market for Froslass Crystals, all you'd need to do is make a Froslass sad enough to cause it to cry even one or two tears, and you'd be able to sell it at a high enough price to live off of for the rest of your life."
Zarak nodded as Jacob told the reason. "That's right; they want her for her tears." He said. "If they purposefully left you in such an injured state while she was conscious, it would cause her to worry about your safety. That worry for you would lead to sadness, knowing that she failed to protect you when you needed her most would cause her to become saddened. Thus the cause for her tears if and when she sheds them."
"But Glace never cries." Segan said sadly. "I know her as the happiest ghost Pokemon that has ever been seen here in Rustboro! I've done everything to make her happy, sure she gets down or frustrated when I'm being silly and don't take things seriously, but even then she never gets sad!"
"Then that means they'll have no choice but to use her for another reason, an even more painful method that is worth just as much as a single tear of hers." Zarak said, looking in disgust as he continued to stare at the ball. "They'll rip off her skull mask, and sell it on the Pokeblack Market."
"What?!" Segan shouted.
"Yep, if they can't get her to cry, they'll rip off her skull mask to sell it." He said. "Her skull mask sells at such a high price, that it puts to shame most legendary Pokemon. Collectors of such items pay mansions for them, because almost every Froslass that passes on takes that skull mask with them, vanishing from existence. Yet if they remove the skull mask while she's still alive, the process kills her life, but leaves the mask behind."
"YOU MEAN THEY'LL KILL GLACE?!" Segan shouted, grabbing Zarak by his coat and turning him to face him. "THEY CAN'T DO THAT TO HER, SHE'S TOO…"
Segan stopped as he suffered another coughing fit again, and this gave Jacob and Karen time to put him back in his chair. "Calm down Segan we'll find where they took Glace and get her back!" Karen said soothingly, though she looked just as angry and worried as Segan did.
"Those monsters, why would they do such a thing to a gentle Pokemon like Glace?" Jacob whispered as he recalled how Glace acted around Segan, spinning with joy alongside him as they laughed at his sister.
"Segan, did you overhear them talking about anything?" Zarak asked calmly. "Anything they said that might help us find them?"
Segan took several deep breaths as he absorbed the knowledge that his Glace was nothing but a quick Pokedollar to Team Snagem. "As they left me… they talked about… taking her… with another Pokemon they took." He whispered shakily. "Something about a Growlithe… while I was lying in pain… they said they've got a Growlithe to deliver today… other than that they said nothing."
"A Growlithe huh, sounds like this Snagem Team has my target." Zarak said with a smile. "Alright since this is the best lead I've had for days, I'll help track Snagem for you and rescue Glace."
=Present Time=
"So how long are we going to wait here?" Karen said angrily. "Let's just storm in there and get Glace back!"
"Not yet, I'm waiting for Absol to return from her scouting run." Zarak said. "She can get in and out much more quietly than we could, and she would know exactly where they've taken her. Besides I've got another reason for going after this Team Snagem, I need to make sure my target is in there as well."
"Why are you referring to a Pokemon as a 'target'?" Jacob asked. "Pokemon aren't targets."
"I know, but I'm still a hunter, and my job is to find and locate Sara for her owner." He replied. "Ah here she comes!"
They watched as a blur of white silently ran toward them, keeping to the shadow to hide her fur as best as she could. Once she was close enough she jumped over the bulldozer and landed softly next to Zarak and Mightyena. "Absol!" She said to him.
"Alright Absol, are they in there?" Zarak asked.
"Absol sol Ab!" She replied with a nod.
"Okay, is our target and Glace in there as well?" Zarak asked.
"Ab… sol Absol Ab!" She said nervously.
"I see, so they are in there but you can't locate them?" Zarak asked. "Were there too many guards for you to slip past?"
"Absol…" She said sadly, nodding once again.
"Okay, and tell me did you happen to see if they had some kind of generator powering the whole thing linked to the outside?"
"Absol!" She replied instantly with yet another nod.
"Good then this means they have a weakness!" Zarak said confidently. "If they have some kind of generator or link for a power source out here, than we can easily sever it. Do you think you can lead Salamence to it without him being spotted?"
"Absol… Absol?" She replied with a look that clearly said, 'I don't know, maybe?'
"Well if this was going to be easy it wouldn't be a challenge." Zarak said with a smirk, taking a third Pokeball out from his jacket. "Okay, then we'll just have to sneak in using that plan. Salamence come on out!"
Salamence appeared and looked at Zarak for instructions.
"Okay Salamence, here's the situation, our target and another Pokemon are being held hostage inside that cave that leads to Verdanturf Town by a group named Team Snagem." He said, pointing at the cave entrance. "You're task is to follow Absol to the source of their power and sever it from the cave entrance. If I'm correct they would have a backup generator inside just in case of such an event. Be as stealthy as you can while going there, try not to get spotted and wait for my signal before you sever the link, you'll know what it is when you see it! Also make sure you DON'T accidentally cut power to the city. We're only severing power to this cave; we don't need an entire City Power outage on us!"
He turned to Absol after talking to Salamence and began giving her instructions as well. "Absol, I need you to return to the cave and help spring me and act as backup in case me and Mightyena get captured before we can reach our targets. You know the layout a bit better than we do, stay hidden and try to locate us in there. If you can't get to us find our targets and get them out, we'll find our own way out ourselves. Understood?"
"Absol!" She replied confidently.
"Salamence…" Salamence replied as well as he walked off with Absol into the darkness.
"Okay, time to put our plan to work Mightyena!" Zarak said to his last Pokemon, who nodded and ran off around the Bulldozer toward the cave.
"You two wait here and act as our backup, if something bad happens join Absol and try to help us out!" Zarak said, also taking off toward the cave after his Pokemon.
"Hey wait, why do we have to wait here?" Karen yelled but was too late to stop Zarak as he ran off into the cave. "Why are we listening to this guy, I say we go in now!"
"No, let's do what he says and wait." Jacob said calmly. "He knows what he's doing; besides our Pokemon wouldn't stand a chance in a battle against these goons. I know from experience that they are tougher than they look."
"You know a lot about Team Snagem don't you, a lot more than you let on." Karen remarked as she glanced at him. "Let me guess, past experience with em?"
"You could say that…" Jacob replied, suppressing an angry growl from deep within.
Meanwhile in his arms, Sara shivered nervously as she looked up at him from the safety of his arms. (Jacob… are you… okay?) She asked him privately.
"Yea why?" Jacob replied quietly.
(You… feel… scary… very scary… I don't like… it.)
"Sorry Sara… it's just Team Snagem brings up… some bad memories." He said, trying to calm himself down to not scare Sara.
(Snagem took your… mother… this makes you… mad… doesn't it?)
"Yea, a bit… they took my mom, I won't let them take anyone precious to anyone if I can stop them." He said determinedly, looking at the cave and hoping that Zarak needed their help, just to have a reason to take on Snagem since that day four years ago. He's not a master, he had yet to earn his first badge, and as far as experience was concerned he was only had over two weeks of trainer experience under his belt. Yet that did not matter at all, he was a very different person from the Snagem Raid four years ago, when all he did was run in fear.
*You guys took my mother, now you want to take Glace from Segan? Well not if I have anything to say about it!*
=A Froslass' Tear=
(Glace's PoV)
Glace slowly opened her eyes, feeling like she had been hit by her master's sister after she froze all of her paper work. Wearily waking herself up, she tried to use her powers to float and look around her surroundings, but before she could even sit up fully, her head hit something hard and cold above her.
She looked around, blinked several times to clear her eyes, and found herself in what appears to be some kind of cage. By the looks of it, it had no bars that she could break, and it looked fairly new. Using her hands she pulled herself toward the only side of the cage that gave her a view and tried to look around.
She was in a small darkened room where her cage sat among other cages, most of which were empty with exception to one cage directly across from her. Inside of it was a very young Growlithe with a pink ribbon around its left ear and wearing a shiny bell around its neck.
*I know that Growlithe… that's Sara, the Growlithe that Master Segan was grooming several days ago for that rich little girl!* She thought worriedly. *But why are we here… and where is Master Segan?*
Then she thought back to her master and remembered everything that happened and how they got there, or at least until she blacked out.
=Flashback=
"Alright sis Glace and I are off for now!" Her master Segan called out as he and Glace prepared to leave with empty bags for collecting berries. "We're off to Route 116 to go and find some Berry Trees. Be back in a few hours!"
"What, what do you mean you're leaving to go find Berry Trees, and don't even THINK of wearing that smelly, dirty trench coat!" Fera, his sister yelled angrily, brandishing a schedule at them from the lobby. "We've got an interview to do later today, and you need to help me shop for more shampoo and help pose for the magazine issue! Not to mention we need to make some phone calls to our big shot customers to let us use their Pokemon in the magazine issue and schedule interviews with them! And there's still that boiler you need to co-sign with me so we can purchase it and have it shipped here by the end of the year!"
"Oh you can handle all that stuff without me sis, tah taaaaah!" He giggled as the two of them walked and floated out the front door, taking a left and quickly racing to get away from the Salon before his sister inevitably tried to spoil their fun, again.
"YOU GET BACK HERE THIS ISTANT BROTHER!" She roared angrily as she raced after them, running into a full blown sprint with a clipboard in her hands. "SO HELP ME IF I CATCH YOU!"
Glace giggled as she and her master raced down the street with his sister hot on their trail, chasing them for all she was worth to prevent them from having any fun today.
"Okay Glace, you know the drill, execute Operation: Escape Grouchy Sister!" Her master Segan said with a laugh as they came across their favorite alley that they used to lose her.
Glace nodded happily before they turned a corner down the alley and took a deep breath. Then as his sister reached the alley she turned around, and let loose with an Icy Wind. It wasn't a very powerful one; at most it just chilled Fera to the point that she stopped moving because of the sudden freezing cold during the early spring day. Once she was distracted by the cold Glace turned back around and caught up to her master as he continued to head toward their destination, Route 116. As they made their way toward their favorite Berry Tree gathering place Glace once again thought about why so many asked him about her never using her powers.
Ever since she joined Master Segan she rarely battled Pokemon, and her powers were almost never used other than so she and her master could escape from his sister to have fun from work.
(Master Segan, may I ask you a question or two?) She asked him as they left the city behind for the wilderness of Route 116.
"Oh Glace you really don't have to call me 'Master' all the time!" He said happily as he took a breath of fresh air. "Segan is more than sufficient, really being called 'Master' all the time makes me feel like some kind of mayor or really important person. I much prefer being called Segan. Also how many times have I told you to stop calling me 'Master', I've lost count?"
(Six hundred and fifteen times, today.) She said with a giggle.
"That sounds about right."
(Yes well, Master, I just prefer to call you that!) She said with a smile. (So forgive me for calling you Master Segan still.)
"Okay, now what's your question?"
(Tell me, why do you always do this to get out of working with your sister?)She asked him. (Will she not just make you do more work later?)
"Oh I know she will, but really don't worry about my dear sister. After all she still works for me, and no matter how mad she gets at me all she can do is make me do paperwork."
(You really don't like paperwork.)
"Of course I don't!" He said jokingly, acting as if he had been insulted. "Do you know what paperwork involves, a lot of reading, signing, organizing, and a ton of other boring stuff! If she had her way I'd being doing paperwork all day. All work and no play make Segan a dull boy! Besides do you really think I'd let her ruin my fun on the day you and I first met?"
(If she did I'd have frozen her coffee!) Glace replied with yet another giggle. (You know how she gets without her coffee!)
"Oh do I…" Segan said, before changing his voice to mirror his sister's. "Segan, Segan, where's my coffee, I can't read this exceptionally long and boring contract without at least seven cups before four in the morning!"
(Indeed.) Glace said happily. (Master Segan, tell me what was your plan that you were talking about with Miss Fera? You said something about it concerning that young boy's Feebas, Coral.)
"Oh that, well if you must know my plan was to see if he could get that Feebas to evolve." He said with a smile. "That's all; I gave him Coral because he was the first to see beyond the outside, now it's up to him to get it to realize its true potential."
(But aren't Feebas difficult to evolve Master?)
"Oh you bet they are, but it's up to him now, I've pointed him in the right direction, there's nothing more I can do for him." He replied with a smile.
They both gossiped until they reached their destination, a small stretch of the woods where many different types of Berry Trees grew. "Okay Glace, let's start looking for berries, you check over there and I'll check these ones here."
Glace nodded and floated over with her bag to collect berries. Many of these trees had been picked clean by trainers and Pokemon alike, probably because they had just ripened. The few berries on the path were not ready to be picked either, so she had to go deeper into the forest to find good berries.
Then she made a glorious, and tasty, discovery. A Sitrus Berry Tree and the berries were ripe and ready to be picked. (Yay, Sitrus Berries, my favorite!) She said happily, floating over and picking a berry to eat. (Mmmm, sweet and sour flavoring juice, with just a hint of being bitter and perfectly dry on the outside. These are always my favorite!)
After munching down on the berry she picked another and was about to eat it when a tap on her shoulder caused her to turn around. "I believe I said we're here to 'pick' berries, not eat them all." Segan said with a grin, reaching over and grabbing a few berries for himself. "How dare you eat Sitrus Berries without me?"
(Sorry… but they're my favorite!) She said happily, eating the next berry alongside her master.
They ate the berries before returning to their original task, with Segan wandering off to find some more good trees while she picked the Sitrus Berry Tree clean. A few minutes later she had a bag half full of Sitrus Berries.
(Hmm, there's still some more room for more berries…) She thought as she looked around for more. (Oh, Rawst Berries!)
She floated over to the berry tree and started picking some to go with her bag, and after she picked enough to satisfy her wants she picked some Cheri Berries, as well as a few Pecha Berries. Once she had filled her bag with enough Berries she decided it was time to find Segan again.
She returned to the main road but didn't see Segan anywhere. Guessing that maybe he was still searching for more berries she decided to search for him in the forest. Then she heard someone crying out in pain, and that someone sounded like Segan.
Dropping her bag of berries she floated to the source and saw three people, two males and a female, along with two Pokemon standing over her master as he clutched his stomach in pain and sporting several bruises and a few cuts on his clothes.
"This guy's got no Pokemon on him, you sure the info was right?" The female complained as one of the males picked up Segan.
"Yea, from I've heard he's a big fancy groomer with a pretty little Pokemon." He said as he searched Segan's dirty, slashed up coat and pulled out her Pokeball. "He's got a Pokeball on him but it's empty."
"Well if he has a Pokeball the Pokemon has to be nearby!" The girl shouted angrily. "I say we give this guy another thrashing, maybe that'll flush it out."
"My thoughts exactly." The second male said, clenching his fist and pulling his arm back to deliver a blow to her master.
"Froslass!" Glace screamed, pushing forward and releasing another Icy Wind, hoping to put the chill in them and drive them away from her master.
Unfortunately while her Icy Wind was effective against Fera, a girl who was a summer person and almost never wears winter clothes, and would never step near an ice cream even if it was free because it would ruin her diet, it had absolutely no effect against these thugs who were wearing their strange uniforms, each of which wore vests that had a purple hand clutching a purple Pokeball. All it did was make the Primape and Scyther turn to face her, battle stances ready.
"Hey what do you know, it showed up." The female said with a smirk. "Now that is a catch, a Froslass, boss is going to love us for this!"
"Talk later, catch it now!" The second male said, dropping her master on the ground. "Scyther, get ready!"
"Scyther!" The green Bug type declared, brandishing its blade-like arms in preparation for battle.
"Froslaaaaaaaaaaaass!" Glace screamed, taking as deep a breath as she could and using all of her power to summon forth the one attack that she figured, no Pokemon or Human could withstand, a Blizzard!
She was angry at these humans and their Pokemon, how dare they hurt her master, the one who saved her, raised her, took care of her, and gave her a home and a wonderful life? She summoned every ounce of her powers to let loose the fury of a harsh winter's storm, with chilling wind so deep it could freeze water solid. Yet she was not a fighting Pokemon, she was a grooming Pokemon that never used its powers outside of preparing cold water for hot summer days and cooling off other Ice types in the Salon, and her attack did not have the effect she figured it would have, all it did was cause the Primeape to rub his arms together and hop around to keep warm, while the humans merely closed up their vests and turned away to hold against the worst of it.
"Scyther, take it down with Night Slash!" The second human ordered.
"Scyther Scy!" The bug declared, its blades turning dark and rushing forward to deliver a swipe that was so powerful, it knocked her out with one strike.
The last thing she saw was Segan's face covered in bruises, trying to stand back up as she fell to the ground, before one of the thugs tossed a strange glowing purple Pokeball, and capturing her inside of it.
She remembered the feeling of being captured by a Pokeball, but this was different from when she accepted Segan's capturing of her. This was very, very different from that feeling. It felt like something was trying to twist her mind and make her forget who she thought of as her trainer. She tried to resist and break free, but she was so tired that she could not hope to free herself, so instead she focused all of her efforts on resisting that influence trying to erase her memories.
She didn't know how long she fought it, but she kept repeating the name of her master, over and over again until she finally lost consciousness.
=Present=
*My master… is Segan, he's the one who rescued me!* She thought again, pushing herself into a corner of the cage and holding herself in fear. *Oh master… please forgive me… I failed to protect you!*
When she thought that her master was injured, perhaps even dead, she felt an emotion that she had never once felt in her entire life, since knowing Segan.
She felt… sad.
Sure the Snorunt bullies that made fun of her in the past had made her slightly sad, but that was nothing compared to this kind of sadness.
She was still Segan's Pokemon; she was still by all reason and logic his protector and caretaker as much as he was hers. She was supposed to protect him from dangerous Pokemon and humans, but all she did was get herself caught by them. On top of that, she let them really hurt him, and even if she somehow got away, would he be alive? Would he still want her?
*Master… Segan… please… be alright… please!* She moaned to herself as she felt a tiny trickle of water, slip from her left eye and onto the floor of her cage, instantly it hardened and hit the floor with a loud thud.
=Caught=
(Jacob's PoV)
"So how long are we going to sit here Jacob?" Karen complained as they watched the cave entrance for this 'sign' that Zarak spoke of.
"I don't know, and I'm starting to get worried myself." Jacob whispered.
He was glad that he and Karen had left their backpacks and other items back at Segan's Salon. Knowing these criminals they would probably steal anything else he had that wasn't a Pokemon. Speaking of Pokemon, he and Karen had brought theirs because they assumed they would be part of this 'rescue' operation. Yet now he was wondering if Zarak just wanted them out of his way?
All he knew was that this was taking a little longer than he liked, sitting around do nothing was not what he had in mind when he thought about rescuing Glace. He continued to eye the cave entrance with Karen and Sara, so intently waiting for any sign that Zarak said he'd send if something happened.
"This is so boring, I say we go in there now!" Karen whispered.
"No, we wait here!" Jacob whispered quietly.
(Jacob… there's someone close…) Sara said to him.
Before Jacob could reply a hand quickly covered his mouth and turned him around, at the same time a hand caught Karen and turned her around. Both of them screamed in shock as they found Segan right behind them.
"Quiet down it's just me!" Segan said quickly, keeping his hands on their mouths to keep them quiet. "Sorry I snuck up on you, but I just couldn't take sitting at home while you three tried to rescue Glace!"
"Segan… don't… do that!" Karen whispered angrily, giving him a smack to his face. "You almost gave me a heart attack! What are you doing here?"
"I just told you, I'm here to help rescue my Glace!" Segan said seriously. "She's my friend, I'm not letting a group of thugs just have their way when her life's in danger!"
"Segan, how did you find us?" Jacob asked as he felt his and Sara's heartbeats race out of control.
"Well first of all after you left, I had to do some thinking, and left a note telling my sister where I went to search for you." Segan said. "Then I guessed where you might be going, and… well in all honesty I just found you by chance."
Segan looked over the bulldozer with them and asked about where Zarak had gotten to, to which they answered and got him caught up with Zarak's plan to rescue Glace and Sara, the Growlithe inside. "We're waiting and acting as a backup, but so far nothing's happened."
"Sara, was Segan who you were feeling?" Jacob asked Sara after he finally calmed down.
(No…) Sara said privately as she turned around to look behind them. (Jacob!)
A twig snapped behind them and they turned around to see seven members of Team Snagem surrounding them, each of whom had their Pokemon out in battle positions. "Trespassers huh?" A girl said with a Raticate in front of her. "And look at this, it's our groomer friend from before, and he brought along a kid and a trainer, and do my eyes deceive me or is that a Ralts I see in your hands?"
Jacob clutched Sara tighter as Segan stepped in front of the two of them, lightly brushing his belt with his hand as he did. "Look I'm a very well-known Pokemon Groomer and my salon is very profitable!" Segan said as he put his hands in his pocket and pulled out a flyer for his salon and a check book. "We're just here for my Pokemon, that's all we want. I'll pay whatever you want for the safe return of my Glace, any amount you want just name it! Just let me have Glace back okay? She's very important to me!"
"Raticate give this Salon Owner our answer!" She replied, and Raticate charged forward and tackled Segan in the chest.
"Gah…" Segan moaned, clutching his stomach painfully as he collapsed to the ground.
"Segan!" Karen shouted as she went to help Segan up. "How dare you attack a non-trainer with your Pokémon? You want to pick a fight, well you just picked one!"
Jacob nodded and reached for Harold's Pokeball on his belt, but for some reason they were gone, and by the look of shock on Karen's face out of the corner of her eye, the same was true for her.
The Team Snagem members all laughed as a Machoke, a Primape, another Raticate, a Dodrio, a Houndour, and a Mightyena stepped forward with either cracking knuckles or teeth exposed. "A Ralts is rare, but not a threat team!" The girl with the first Raticate said. "Alright kid, I'll be nice and make you a deal, hand over the Ralts and our Pokemon won't have to get a little rough with you."
"Not in this life!" Jacob shouted angrily, clutching Sara for all he was worth to keep her safe.
"Kid, you have one Ralts, we have seven Pokemon, I think you can see how this will end." She said with a smirk. "I'll still be nice and give you one more chance to just hand over the Ralts before we take her by force."
Karen and, with her help, Segan stood in front of him to protect Sara, but Sara however looked up at him. (Let them… take me!) She said.
He was about to reply but she spoke again.
(Jacob, we don't… have a choice!) She said determinedly. (You can't find… the others… and we're outnumbered… they'll take me… one way or… another… I can tell… they won't let… us go easily… at least this… way… you won't get… hurt.)
Jacob didn't want to hand over Sara, but she was right, without his Pokemon they didn't have any options against these Snagem members. He nodded in acceptance and held Sara close one last time to whisper to her. "I will rescue you Sara… I will save you!"
(I know you… will… I believe in… you!) She said comfortingly, rubbing his cheek with her own.
He stepped forward and placed Sara on the ground, and they all watched as she nervously walked toward the Team Snagem members. The girl nodded to one of the guys and he quickly grabbed her, not showing any of the care Jacob would have shown for her. "Smart choice kid." She said while still grinning at them. "Well I'd say that ends how nice I'll be to you. Now here's how it works, you three are going to follow us into our hideout where we'll keep you until our boss decides what to do with you!"
"Yea, after all we can't let you go back to the city to tell the cops where we are!" One of the guys said with a laugh as they were forced by the Machoke to walk toward the cave entrance which led to Verdanturf Town.
(Absol's PoV, at that exact moment)
Absol watched the group head into the cave, silently waiting for her chance to go after them, having just returned from guiding Salamence safely and secretly to where the thief-hunters were drawing they're energy.
*Now I have to save them… wonderful!* She thought to herself angrily. *Zarak told me to save him in case he and Mightyena get captured… but what about those three?*
Once the group had gone underground, she made her move and got closer to the entrance. Once she was at the entrance she felt the wind blow ever so slightly toward her, carrying with it a scent she was only faintly familiar with. She took a sniff, and after a few seconds of trying to remember, only deduced that it was familiar but not a threat. Then she entered the cave to go after the Ralts and her friends.