=Chapter 21, Mega Evolution!=
(Snagem Member's PoV)
"This is Masquerade; do you have the Key Stone?"
"Yea we have it, now get over here!" She shouted angrily as she and the rest of her fellow Snagem members ran from Mauville City. "We're on Route 111, I don't think it will take the cops long to start tracking us! Get over here now!"
"Patience, the van's already on its way!" He said calmly. "Just make sure your somewhere near Mauville City or the van won't spot you. There's a small lake just north of Mauville where you can hold out and the van will pick you up. Wait there and the van will be there in approximately half an hour."
"We'll be there, just make sure you're there!" She shouted as she turned her PokeNav off.
"So where's our escape we were promised?" One of the guys shouted behind her. "If any of them have a Pokemon that can track us, they'll be on us soon!"
"Ya don't think I know that?" She shot back. "The guy said half an hour, he told us where to go to wait for pickup. All we gata do is wait for the van and we're home free!"
"What happened to when all we had to do was snag a few Pokemon from trainers!" One of the girls in the back complained. "This is just way over the top of our heads, stealing a kid's Zigzagoon is one thing, stealing a Key Stone is another! This is major trouble we're in. What if we have to fight the Gym Leader, if they come out after us we don't stand a chance!"
"Says you, even if it's just one trainer we still outnumber them at least a dozen to one!" She yelled back, really aggravated that she had to lead this group of idiots. "Just leave the Gym Leader to me if that's the case! I have something that they'll never see coming!"
Deep down she hoped that the Gym Leader would indeed come after them; she never got the chance to become a legal trainer thanks to dropping out of high school. One of her dreams was to challenge and defeat a Gym Leader, something she couldn't exactly do given her chosen path in life. She smiled as she fingered the bracelet still in her hand while they ran.
Oh she couldn't wait to sell the thing; she could already picture what she would do with her share of the money. The sooner she sold it the sooner she could finally move on with her pathetic excuse for a life. She could actually use it to leave Hoenn and go somewhere that the law wouldn't be after her, somewhere that she could leave her memories of Team Snagem behind, and maybe perhaps become a real trainer and not just some pretend trainer taking orders from some guy over a Pokenav phone.
Not that she hated Team Snagem, but she hated being the only smart one in this group.
(Officer Jenny's PoV)
"Alright we've got a few minor injuries with minimal property damage." Officer Jenny said as she organized the officers who were gathering Intel from the trainers and other people in the Square. "From what we've gathered, Snagem was mixed in with the crowd of people here in the Square; some were pretending to admire the Key Stone while the others were stationed around the Square. About five minutes ago they released their Pokemon and caused a distraction of some kind before the group nearest the Key Stone did the actual steeling. After that they fled the Square, where I and Electra as well as two young trainers observed the incident occurring near the North entrance close to Route 111. After attempting to intervene we were instead distracted by a third group, most likely Snagem Members as well, and a Torkoal which prevented us from stopping them."
She spoke to the group of officers who she was preparing to send out after them, making sure they were aware of the situation. "I know we are down capable trackers thanks to Snagem stealing most of our trackers right in front of us. But we are still officers of the law, and we have to catch these guys before they get too far! Now I want you all to spread out and perform Search Pattern Alpha Three, Jackson you'll head Team A while Kerry handles Team B! If you find them hold and detain until help arrives! Now go!"
Everyone started leaving to begin the search to try and find Snagem before they got away, but with her officers having to search the forests around Mauville City's northern sector there is no way they would guarantee finding Snagem. That and the Pokemon they had at the moment weren't exactly battle specialists. If they had more capable Pokemon for the task she would be more confident about their odds. Her lack of confidence was evidenced by the fact that all of the Police Force's best Pokemon had been snagged while off duty, her Growlithe almost included. In total not only were seventeen of the Police Force's best Pokemon snagged, but over a dozen others were as well.
"We need some help…" She said with a sigh, turning to the trainers still gathered in the Square.
(Jacob's PoV)
"It doesn't look like Officer Jenny is confident that they'll find Snagem in time." Karen said to Jacob as they watched the officer return to the trainers who had remained after being questioned.
"I don't think they will either." Jacob said as Sara stood next to him at his feet, looking around for any more danger.
"Do you think we should help?" She asked.
"What can we do that the police can't do?" He replied, although he had a feeling that they both knew the answer to that.
"You heard her; the police have had most of their best Pokemon snagged away by Team Snagem." Karen said. "We got some tough Pokemon now, and they're tough enough to take on Snagem! We've faced em before, I say we go after them and get back that Key Stone!"
"I know but… last time we caught them off guard, they weren't expecting us to attack them in their own base!" Jacob said worriedly. "We had help that time as well, we wouldn't have made it without Segan's sister and her Gyarados, and this time they'll be expecting us to chase them!"
"So what, they have a Key Stone!" Karen snapped back. "If the Mauville Police can't handle these guys without it, imagine what will happen if Snagem gets their hands on this Key Stone and one of them uses it against the police! You know better than me how Mega Evolution works, if Snagem is capable of stealing Pokemon from under the Police's eyes and even from them, no trainer will be safe against a Mega Evolved Pokemon under Snagem's command. I say we go after them now before they figure out how to use that Stone and while we can still fight them on even footing! We're trainer's Jacob, we live to take on these kinds of challenges!"
Jacob nodded and looked down at Sara, who nodded in agreement, speaking to him psychically through their connection. (She's right Jacob, Snagem will be worse if they get their hands on a Key Stone!) She said. (We aren't helpless like before, we're all stronger!)
Jacob nodded in understanding, knowing that what she was saying was what they were both thinking. Besides what Karen said was also right, he and she were Pokemon Trainers, they had no choice but to go after them. "Alright then, it's decided, we go after them!" He said.
"Now you're speaking my language!" Karen said with a mischievous grin, sounding just like her usual self, always ready for a battle. "Let's go kick some Snagem butt!"
Jacob nodded and with Karen leading the way, left the Square while Officer Jenny and the remaining officers were still busy talking to the witnesses of the Square incident. Before they left Mauville they stopped at the Pokemon Center to drop off their backpacks so they wouldn't be slowed down. Once that was done they headed toward the north entrance to go after Snagem, only to be stopped by an imposing figure.
"And where do you two think you're going?" Electra said with a raised eyebrow, flipping her metal pen around which had a fresh Pokeblock on it in one hand.
"Going after Snagem, who else?" Karen said bluntly. "You saw what they stole, a Key Stone, someone has to go after them!"
"You two are Pokemon Trainers, not a police force." Electra said with a frown. "Not to mention your both underage, leave this matter to adults and the Police, that's our responsibility, not yours."
"Look every minute those guys go uncaught is another minute that Key Stone gets further and further away!" Karen shouted, pointing at the entrance to emphasize her point. "We overheard Jenny saying that they don't have any good Pokemon capable of tracking Snagem. Jacob and I have good Pokemon that can track them; we can have eyes in the sky in like ten seconds and noses that can track for a mile! There's no way they'll catch these guys in time before they get away!"
Electra however looked unconvinced as she continued to toy with her pen, now chewing on the Pokebock while staring at them, as though she were contemplating some incredibly difficult to understand conundrum that only she could answer.
"Please let us go after them Electra, if nobody else goes after them they'll get away!" Jacob said, hoping that unlike Karen's blunt and direct approach would be overshadowed by his reasoning approach. "Roran my Swellow can easily find them if we give him the chance, and our Mightyena's are better trackers now that they've evolved! And it's like Karen said, time is of the essence, the sooner we find them the faster we can get the Key Stone back!"
Electra however still didn't look convinced, and shook her head with a sigh. "You two are still kids, trainers or not this is something you should really leave to us adults." She said, chewing the Pokeblock end so much that she ended up eating it and had to pull out a small case to put a new one on it. "I'm only suggesting to you to leave this incident to the police, why risk your Pokemon against criminals you know will steal them if given the chance? As a trainer your priority is to think about the Pokemon who fight alongside you and their safety."
"We know the risks and our teams know them as well, and this is a Key Stone we're talking about!" Karen finally shouted, taking out Ziggles' ball in preparation for battle. "Someone has to go after them and Jacob and I are the only trainers here willing to chase after them it seems. Look your wasting time just standing here talking to us, we need to go after them now! If you won't get out of our way then Ziggles and I will force our way through and get that Key Stone back ourselves!"
"Karen!" Jacob said, astonished that his friend would so brazenly just say that.
Electra however, remained cool and calm; in fact she gave a small smile. "Whoever said anything about me stopping you?" She replied, causing Karen to pull a one eighty take back on Electra's presence. "I only suggested that you leave this matter to the police, I said nothing about stopping you guys. In fact if you're going after Snagem then I'm going with you."
"Wait what?" Karen said, dumbfounded.
"Yep, I'm going with you guys to help out." Electra said, taking out two Pokeballs to show them. "Now come along, I'll explain why I'm joining you as we go!"
Not needing anymore encouragement, all of them followed Electra as she led the way out of Mauville City. After they were outside Jacob quickly released Roran from his Pokeball and into the air.
"Swellow!" Roran cried out as he took to the air after Jacob and the others.
"Roran, Team Snagem just stole a Key Stone, you're the only flying type we have that's fast enough to find them!" He said, trying to be as brief as he could while they ran along route 111. "Go on ahead and see if you can spot a large group from the air, and I mean a large group! As soon as you spot them come back and lead the way!"
"Swellow!" Roran cried as he flew faster, going higher and out of sight as he obeyed Jacob's instructions.
"Okay so why are you so into chasing Snagem?" Karen asked as they made a turn to keep to the road.
"Let's say that I have a thing for Key Stones!" Electra replied. "Jessy's Key Stone isn't the first one to enter my shop; ever since I first studied them in school I've been interested with them! You could say it's an obsession but I prefer to see it as a healthy dose of intrigue into Key Stones and how they work! I believe that Key Stones deserve to be used for what we've learned from about them, battles! They shouldn't be treated like currency or for whatever purpose Snagem has for this one, that's why I'm joining you guys to help stop them!"
As they continued along the path Jacob saw a small break in the woods and was about to suggest maybe one of them check down the woods, but Electra told them to stick to the road.
"Why are we sticking to the road?" He asked. "Wouldn't Snagem want to try and avoid us however they can?"
"A bunch of crooks with brains and the stamina would indeed use the woods to lose the police, but with the wild Pokemon in the area, they wouldn't risk stirring up a hornets nest!" She answered. "Snagem wouldn't be picking on weak Pokemon like Zigzagoons and other Pokemon if they were tough enough to take on more evolved Pokemon or more heavily trained ones. That's why they would stick to the road, fewer risk of running into wild Pokemon and they can try and avoid battles if they can."
"Well when you put it that way, I guess we should stick to the road!" Karen shouted. "So where would Snagem go, do you have any idea?"
"Well pretend if you were in Snagem's shoes, you just stole a Key Stone right in front of a crowd of people, your exit wasn't exactly stealthy, and you know the police and trainers will be after you, so where would you go?" Electra asked as she paused in running to take a quick rest.
"Well, if that were the case, I'd go somewhere I could hold out!" Jacob said, thinking for a moment. "Somewhere that we could wait for an escape because even with Pokemon, over a dozen people running as fast as they can will be noticeable."
"Hey, look what I found!" Karen shouted suddenly, drawing their attention.
She held up some kind of piece of cloth to them. "I think it's a bandana of some sort, probably belongs to one of those Snagem guys!" She said. "Might be worth having our hounds sniff em out with this?"
"Might be worth it!" Jacob said, nodding in agreement as he made sure Sara was secured on his shoulder before releasing Ivan from his ball as Karen released Laura and Nora.
"Rawr?" Ivan barked as the three of them were released together, curious about what was up.
"Ivan, Laura, Nora, Team Snagem just stole a Key Stone and ran off with it!" Jacob told them.
"That's right, right now Roran went off to try and search for them by air but we need you three to help us track them here on the ground!" Karen said before she held out the bandana to them. "We think this belonged to one of the Snagem members and they dropped it in their rush. See if you can pick up a scent for us to follow!"
The three Mightyenas nodded and each took a sniff of the cloth. After a few seconds the three wolves started sniffing the ground repeatedly, before finally picking up the scent and charging off north, continuing along the path Jacob and the others were running before.
(Snagem Member's PoV)
"Alright we're here; let's rest up while we have time to wait for the van!" She said as she and the others panted heavily after running for so long.
Sure it was only for like ten minutes or so, but all that running really tired them out to the brink of collapse.
"How much… longer before… the van gets here!" A guy asked as they stood near the lake the guy on the phone told them to wait near.
"A good, ten or fifteen minutes more!" She replied, falling to the ground to take a rest.
"I am so outa shape!" A girl complained as she rubbed her sore legs. "My feet are killing me; I am not made for running for so long. These are legs meant for long relaxing walks not long breathtaking runs!"
"Oh stop complaining; we got this darn stone didn't we?" She shot back.
As she spoke of the stone she held out the bracelet and eyed the stone embedded into it. For some reason the stone didn't seem as beautiful as she was always told it was. It looked just like the other Key Stones she's read about, or at least the few times she bothered researching the subject in any big detail. It seemed rather bland and boring, or at least now it looked that way. Before when she was admiring it along with all of the other people in the Square, it was gleaming brilliantly, especially just an hour before the last of their group got into position. At that moment it was probably the most beautiful stone she had ever gazed upon, now however it seemed rather dull and bland.
"I sure hope this thing isn't a fake." She said to herself as a Swellow flew by overhead. "If this thing is a freaking fake, someone is going to pay for this! I am not missing out on a share of half a million Pokedollars because some merchant tried to pass a fake Key Stone off as the real deal!"
(Jacob's PoV)
"I think they're close Jacob!" Karen shouted as their three Mightyenas slowed down to pick up the scent again.
"Yea I think so too!" Jacob replied as he took the brief moment to catch his breath. They'd been following Ivan, Laura and Nora for a good six minutes, with only the brief pause to let them pick up the scent again before now. The three Bite Pokemon had gotten fiercer and more excited now, a trait they inherited lately whenever they were being confronted with an opponent, a clear sign that they were getting closer to Snagem.
"Slow down you guys!" Karen shouted at the three Pokemon, trying to get them under control.
"Yea slow down, let us catch up with you!" Jacob called out.
Of the three of them, only Electra seemed to be still capable of running as she easily kept pace with the three Mightyenas. Jacob figured that working with rocks and running to keep Mauville's electrical systems updated and secured gave her that kind of stamina. "Hey, isn't that your Swellow?" She asked Jacob as she pointed to the sky.
Jacob looked up and sure enough, spotted Roran swiftly soaring down to where they were. "Roran, did you find them?" He asked as his flyer landed in front of them.
"Swellow!" Roran chirped with an affirmative nod.
(He says yes, he found them!) Sara translated.
"Alright where did you find them, and how much further away from where we are?" Jacob asked as Karen, Ivan, Laura and Nora all came over to listen in.
"Swellow, Swellow low low Swell!"
(He says he spotted them near a large lake about four minutes away from where we are now!) Sara said.
"Alright now the big question, how many of them are there?"
"Swellow…" Roran chirped worriedly.
(A lot, he says there were at least thirty of them when he flew over.)
"Thirty, why do there have to be so many?" Jacob replied. "Maybe we should head back for help?"
"We can't go back; we are literally four minutes away from them!" Karen snapped at him. "Jacob we can't go back now, if we go back to get help Snagem will get away!"
"As much as I'd agree with Karen in that regard, taking on thirty trainers is indeed a daunting goal for the three of us." Electra said as she pulled out one of her Pokeballs. "Listen you two; do you think you can hold Snagem at bay for a few minutes?"
"Yea I think we can stall em, why?" Karen asked.
"I need to send Volt to go and get something he and I left behind." She said with a smile. "You two go ahead and I'll catch up, don't worry I'm not abandoning you, but do what you can to keep Snagem from getting away with the Key Stone! I'll be right there with you but I won't be able to fight without him."
"How long will your Manectric take?" Jacob asked as she released Volt.
"Volt, Snagem has a Key Stone, we can't take the risk of letting them get away with it or using it against us!" She said, ignoring Jacob's question. "You know what we need, go back and fetch that item and get back over by the lake just north of here! Be fast Volt, I have no idea how long we'll be able to hold them back."
"Manec… tric!" Volt said before he started sprinting back to Mauville, moving much faster than Jacob thought a Manectric could move.
"Don't worry, Volt is trained for speed, he'll regroup with us near the lake soon." She said with a smile. "Now let's go and hold Snagem at bay while he's off fetching that item I forgot!"
"You heard her Jacob!" Karen said determinedly.
As they all resumed running, Jacob watched Roran soar alongside them, staying close to Jacob while keeping a slow pace. This gave Jacob an idea. "Roran, go on ahead and stall Snagem for us!" He said to the flyer. "Don't directly attack them, but make sure they don't leave! Ivan you go with Roran as well and keep Snagem from getting away however you can!"
"Laura, Nora, you both go on ahead with Ivan and Roran as well and help them out!"
"Swellow!" Roran replied as he picked up speed and raced ahead of them while Ivan, Laura and Nora ran ahead to keep up with the bird.
(Jacob, will they be alright on their own against Snagem?) Sara asked as the four Pokemon were soon out of sight as Roran led the way.
"Ivan and Roran are both strong Sara, and Nora and Laura aren't pushovers." Jacob said confidently. "They'll be alright, they just need to stall Snagem so we can catch up and prevent them from getting away."
As he looked forward however, noticing that the wind had pushed the smell of water toward them, a pang of worry crossed his mind. He knew Snagem might try to steal them if they were too slow, and without help against thirty Snagem Pokemon, Roran and the others wouldn't last long in a fight.
"Please be alright you guys." He whispered to himself as he picked up his pace.
(Snagem Member's PoV)
"How much longer do we wait?" A girl asked as they finished catching their breaths. "This is taking too long; I want to get out of here as soon as possible!"
"We still have less than ten minutes I think." She shouted, although she was getting anxious as well.
"Hey watch out!" A guy shouted, drawing everyone's attention, but not before a Swellow came flying in and grabbing a bandana from someone's head.
"Hey give that back you thief!" Another guy shouted.
The Swellow dropped the bandana and came swooping down again for another run, raking his talons forward and grabbing at yet another person's item, this time a bag. "Hey get lost you stupid bird!" A girl shouted as she released her Pokemon, a Fearow. "Fearow, teach that swindling bird a lesson!"
"Fearow!" The bird Pokemon cried as it flew after the Swellow, however the Swellow ignored the call for battle and merely flew down to take another swipe at another guy's bandana.
*Wait a minute, no lone wild Pokemon just goes around picking fights with large groups of humans.* She thought as she watched the Swellow continue to ignore the Fearow, even as it tried to keep up with the swifter flyer.
"Uh guys… ignore the bird…" Another guy said as they were all focused on the Swellow attacking them.
"Why's that, this bird is stealing our headgear!" A girl snapped.
"Because we have bigger problems…" He said to them all.
She turned to look at what he was talking about, and nearly dropped the bracelet with the Key Stone in it. Standing just a few feet from the group, completely obscured because they were all so focused on the Swellow, was a pack of three very tough, very angry, teeth snowing while they snarled and growled at them Mightyena. A few of her fellow Snagem members backed up a bit as one of them barked loudly at them.
"Oh stop being babies, it's just three of them and there's like thirty of us!" She snapped, remembering how Mightyena behaved from her brief encounters. "Just send out some Pokemon and take them down!"
"Alright you heard her, Fearow!" The girl who owned the Fearow yelled, calling her bird down for battle.
A moment later two other Snagem Members released their Pokemon, adding a Dodrio and a Primape to take on the Mightyena Pack alongside Fearow. The three Mightyena didn't make any move to attack or retreat, instead they continued to growl and look intimidating.
*Something is odd here.* She thought as her fellows began to battle. *Since when does a Pack of Mightyena take on opponents in greater number then the pack itself?*
"Fearow use Drill Peck on the Mightyena on the left!"
"Primape show that one on the right your Cross Chop!"
"Dodrio use your Drill Peck on the on in the center!"
All three Pokemon charged forward to carry out their instructions, and still the three Mightyena refused to budge or react in any way. At least until two orders came out across the field, not from any of her Snagem Members.
"Ivan use Leer!"
"Nora, Laura, use your Leers as well!"
All three Mightyena nodded in unison, and like well-trained and highly disciplined Pokemon, their eyes glowed at the same time, causing all three of their Pokemon to stumble and slow in their attack.
"Now Triple Howl into Take Down!" Those two voices shouted again, and once more the three Mightyena reacted like a well drilled force, howling at the top of their lungs before charging headlong into their Pokemon.
Their three Pokemon were all knocked down before they could react fast enough to give instruction, knocking them flat out as the recoil of the attacks took their toll on the Mightyena's legs. That was when she noticed the three trainers's coming up from the road they had been traveling before. She cursed under her breath.
"They found us already… where is that blasted van?" She growled under her breath as the three trainers stood behind their Mightyena.
(Jacob's PoV)
"Alright Snagem, hand over the Key Stone or else!" Jacob shouted when he, Electra, and Karen rejoined the Pokemon they had sent ahead to slow them down, just as Roran soared down and landed in front of them.
Sara hopped off his shoulder so she could focus her powers in preparation for battle.
"Yea, we have your number this time!" Karen shouted as she held Ziggles' ball in case she had to throw him out for battle. "You may have overpowered us last time in Rustboro but this time we're ready for you!"
"No way, it's those twerps from Rusturf Tunnel?" The guy with a Primape shouted. "They're the ones who trashed our old hideout with that girl and her Gyarados!"
"Well they don't have a Gyarados this time; I say we teach them a lesson!" A girl with the Dodrio said.
"We don't have time for this, the van's going to be here soon and we need to lose these guys!" Another girl way in the back yelled angrily.
While Snagem argued Jacob looked around for the Key Stone, and saw that the one in the back who was yelling seemed to have it clutched in her hand. He could just barely see the bracelet in her hand. "Snagem, hand over that Key Stone!" Jacob yelled. "It doesn't belong to you!"
"You kidding kid, you have any idea how much this thing's worth?" The girl yelled, holding up the bracelet to show them. "This thing's going to make us rich; we got a guy willing to pay half a million for us to steal this, plus a sweet bonus after we deliver it! There is no way we are letting this thing go without a fight!"
"I'm warning you now, surrender that Key Stone or we're going to get rough with you!" Electra shouted warningly, pulling out her Pokeball. "We won't ask again, surrender it or else!"
"Then how about we skip the talking and jump straight to the part where we get rough?" Another guy shouted, pulling out his Pokeball. "Let's go Venomoth!"
"Yea, let's teach these twerps who they're messing with!" A girl shouted, pulling out her own Pokeball as well. "Let's get em, go Yanma!"
As a group, five Pokemon were released alongside the two that were called out. Fighting alongside the Yanma and Venomoh were a Raticate, a Houndour, a Poliwhirl, a Beedrill, and a Mightyena of their own. In total it was seven against four.
"Ivan, are you and the others still good to fight?" Jacob asked his ever confident wolf.
"Arf…" He replied with a sharp nod, not taking his eyes off their opponents.
"Swellow!" Roran chirped, signaling that he was ready for action.
"Alright Jacob, you handle the three on the left, I'll take the four on the right!" Karen shouted with a fierce grin as well as determined expression on her face as she was faced with the prospect of being outnumbered. "Laura, Nora, show them how tough you two are with Howl!"
"Ivan, Roran, move in with Tackle and Wing Attack on the Beedril and Mightyena!" Jacob called out, and instantly the Pokemon carried out their attack orders.
Ivan charged the opposing Mightyena as the opponent counter charged with a tackle of its own, Roran flew headlong at the Beedrill and flew by with a swipe of his wings. Karen's two wolves Howled and moved in with another Take Down charge, even as the Poliwhirl and Houndour countered. However they were still outnumbered, and once the first blows were exchanged, the counter attacks were made.
"Yanma, Venomoth, Bug Buzz!" Two trainers shouted at once.
"Yannnnnnn…"
"Venoooooo…"
The two bug types buzzed their wings loudly, causing sound vibrations to hit Ivan, Laura and Nora hard, they moaned and cried as they tried to shut out the sound. Only Roran seemed resistant to it thanks to his flying type nature, but the Raticate came up on him and knocked him down with a Hyper Fang, severely wounding the bird.
"Nora, Laura!" Karen shouted out fearfully as their Pokemon were taken down quickly. "Quickly, return you two!"
"Ivan, Roran, return!" Jacob called out as well, holding up their balls and recalling the wounded Pokemon into the safety of their balls.
In a flash Roran, Ivan, Laura, and Nora were recalled safely into their balls. Snagem's Poliwhirl, Houndour and Beedrill were down for the count as well, but their Mightyena still looked battle capable.
"Keep wearing them down with numbers, get more Pokemon out there!" The girl with the Key Stone shouted. "We need to stall for a little longer, don't give them any chance of winning!"
Four Snagem members nodded as the three with fainted Pokemon recalled theirs, before sending out a Machoke, another Houndour, yet another Raticate, and a Scyther. "Coral, Harold, you two are up!" Jacob called out, releasing his two remaining members besides Sara.
"Ziggles, Shew, rise to the challenge!" Karen shouted as she sent her two best Pokemon out alongside Jacob's.
As one Coral, Harold, Shrew, and Ziggles emerged in flashes of light to battle Snagem's team. Harold the Grovyle, Shrew the Breloom, and Ziggles the Linoone were fairly sized Pokemon, but all three were dwarfed by the serpentine Milotic as she coiled herself for battle.
"Whoa now that's a Pokemon!" A guy shouted as they all beheld Coral.
"Can I just say that thing is amazing?" A girl said.
"Yea it's so beautiful!" Another girl squealed. "Do we really have to hurt it?"
"Will you idiots focus?" The girl at the back ordered. "Stop ogling that snake, get a grip on your eyes and attack before I attack you!"
"Coral, Harold, Snagem stole the Key Stone we were talking about earlier!" Jacob shouted as they looked back at him questioningly. "We can't let them get away with it!"
"You heard him Ziggles and Shrew. That Key Stone sticks with us and not them at any cost!" Karen shouted.
They all nodded in understanding and awaited the first instructions to battle. Snagem however wasted no time and started their attack. "Coral use Water Pulse, Harold move in with Leaf Blade!" Jacob called out.
"Ziggles, Shrew, give em a taste of your Head-butt!" Karen called out.
"Grovyle!" Harold called out as he, Ziggles and Shrew moved in closer to attack their opponents, while Coral sent out a blast of pure blue water at the Houndour.
The Houndour was knocked out instantly along with the Raticate after Harold gave it a few good swipes of his bladed leaves. Shrew and Ziggles and caused their opposing Machoke and Scyther to flinch, giving them another chance to strike while the Venomoth and Yanma countered with yet another Bug Buzz.
Jacob saw this and told Coral to help Harold. She nodded and used her powerful muscles to propel herself in front of Harold to absorb the attack. She got hit with the attack but it wasn't as severe as it was for Ivan, Laura and Nora.
Meanwhile Karen ordered Shrew and Ziggles to attack as well, giving their previous targets another round of Head-butts, nearly knocking both out and evening the number of opponents at least a little. With their allies busy the Yanma and Venomoth didn't have the endurance to take on Coral's Water Pulse. Still they had Raticate and others to fight.
"Raticate give that overgrown serpent a taste of your Hyper Fang!" A girl shouted.
"Harold, take out that Raticate with your Leaf Blade!" Jacob shouted as Coral was too busy fighting the flying bugs to counter.
"Grovyle!" Harold shouted as he jumped and countered the Raticate with his leaf blades, knocking it out instantly thanks to a critical hit. However the second Raticate took up the first's task and moved past to strike Coral.
"Coral watch out!" Jacob called out.
Coral turned just in time to move her tail in front of her face, enough to avoid critical damage but still the Hyper Fang hurt. "Miloooootic!" She moaned as she swung her tail around, smacking the Raticate and breaking its grip thanks to a smack to the head.
(Jacob, Coral's really hurt!) Sara told him worriedly. (Let me help them, I can give them a hand!)
"Alright, Sara get in there and use Confusion on the Raticate!" Jacob said, not able to concentrate on all the battle positions at once.
Sara moved forward, closed her eyes and only focused for a brief moment before she sent a blast of psychic energy into the Raticate's mind. It spun around in confusion for a while before collapsing, fainted and unable to battle.
The battle continued as Jacob and Karen continued to fight more and more of Snagem's Pokemon. This time they managed to endure more but their teams were still tired out while Snagem had more Pokemon to spare. Harold and Coral were breathing heavily while Ziggles panted. Shrew had been knocked out thanks to yet a third Houndour hitting the field and getting off a flamethrower. The only one who had any strength to fight was Sara, and that was because she had joined the battle late.
However Snagem seemed to be running out of steam as well, because unlike the encounter at Rusturf Tunnel, they didn't have a healing station to keep their numbers refreshed.
"Does anyone else have a Pokemon?" One of them shouted. "I only had Seviper, and it's down!"
"Mine's too tired to fight anymore!" Another one shouted.
"Same with mine!" A third one shouted. "What do we do now?"
"Leave them to me!" The one at the back shouted calmly.
The girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old stepped forward and held up her Pokeball. "I only need to stall you guys for a few minutes; the van just called in and said it will be here in three minutes!" She said to Jacob and his friends with a smirk. "Yet I think I'll end this battle in one fell swoop!"
"We aren't finished yet girl!" Karen said, panting alongside her Pokemon, apparently the battle took its toll on both of the two trainers as they were tired as well.
"Oh yes you are." She said with a smirk, clutching the ball before tossing it out. "Pidgeot, soar and be heard!"
In a flash a large four foot tall, cream and brown feathered bird with a yellow and red crest appeared before them. "Pidgeooooooooot!" The Pidgeot declared, spreading it's extremely large wings out.
Jacob noticed that there was some kind of headpiece on the Pidgeot, and he could faintly see something gleaming atop its crest.
"Yea, show them whose boss!" Several Snagem members shouted, clearly knowing that this Pokemon was by far their strongest.
"Teach that gecko and snake a lesson!" One guy shouted.
"Show them what we're made of girlfriend!" Another girl shouted.
Ziggles, Coral and Harold tensed themselves up and braced for battle yet again, expressions set and breathing heavily. "Hang in there guys, it's just one Pidgeot, we can take it!" Karen shouted encouragingly. "If we can take down like twenty of their Pokemon in large groups, we can handle a single one three to one!"
"You have no idea how strong my Pidgeot is!" The girl said as her Pidgeot waited patiently for her commands. "Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!"
The Pidgeot took to the air and faster than any Pokemon could hope to see, swooped in and swiped at Harold with his powerful wings!
"Grooooo…" Harold groaned as he went down like a rock, but not only him as Ziggles and Coral were brought down as well.
Both of the other Pokemon collapsed heavily to the ground, the Pidgeot's attack was so quick and powerful that none of their Pokemon had any time to even brace themselves. "Ziggles!" Karen shouted.
"Coral, Harold!" Jacob yelled.
Harold tried to get up along with Coral and Ziggles, but they were too beaten and exhausted from the fighting to stand. Meanwhile the Pidgeot landed gently next to its trainer and simply waited for further instructions. "Nicely done Pidgeot!" She said, stroking it's majestic feathers as Karen and Jacob recalled their exhausted companions. "So you twerps ready to surrender now? You know you have no hope against me and my friend here!"
Through their connection, Jacob felt Sara getting ready to battle; after all she was the only Pokemon they had left besides Electra's, whom Jacob realized had yet to send out since they began. However Jacob could see the difference between Sara's and this trainer's Pidgeot's strengths. She had trained this Pidgeot extremely well, and it was far above the level of her team member's Pokemon. Its speed was unsurpassed, its discipline was miles above the level of what their teams were at, and its focus was too great, it would not be defeated by anything short of an expert Trainer's Pokemon.
"Stand back you two." Electra said, stepping forward as she released her Pokemon at long last, a Magnemite. "I'll handle this from here on out."
The girl with the Pidgeot became tense but smirked as she saw the Pokemon that had been sent out. "You expect me to believe that that puny little floating magnet will defeat my mighty Pidgeot?" She asked.
Electra smiled as she glanced to her right. "Nope." She said as a flash of yellow burst onto the field, racing for Electra almost as fast as the Pidgeot flew.
Volt, her Manectric that she had sent earlier to retrieve whatever she had told him to, slid to a stop next to her, expression set and wearing something on his yellow mane that looked like some kind of necklace.
"Now that's a fast Pokemon." Someone said.
"Hey Electra, are you sure you'll be alright?" Karen asked nervously as the Pidgeot and its trainer still looked unafraid.
"Believe me, my companion Volt and I have been through a lot more than these goons." Electra said, stepping forward with her Manectric as it walked in step with her.
(Jacob… there's something about that Manectric…) Sara whispered as they watched. (He seems… different than he was before… almost as if he's… different.)
"How so?" Jacob asked.
(I don't know… but not only Volt but that lady as well.) She said. (It's like they have the same… mind… they think and feel the same way! It's as if you could separate the two and switch them around, and they'd still be exactly the same!)
As the two moved forward, Jacob noticed that they were moving in perfect unison with each other, each time Electra took one step Volt took one. Whether it was her left or right foot, he moved either a left or right paw, keeping in step with her. The two even had the same kind of walk where they shifted their weight from side to side ever so slightly. Then Electra pulled out her metal pen and started chewing on the Pokeblock on it.
"I've seen you somewhere before." The girl said as Electra and Volt finally stopped moving.
"I hope so, the name is Electra, and I've been trying to track you guys for the last few months!" Electra said. "Now here's how it's going to go, I assume you've heard of the Mauville City Gym leader being absent for so long?"
There was a moment when the girl remained calm, before her eyes opened wide. "Pidgeot get ready!" She shouted.
"Geot!" Pidgeot screeched, getting ready for battle.
"You're the Mauville Gym Leader?" Karen asked.
"Yea, sorry for not mentioning it, but hey work keeps me busy!" She said with a small smile. "In any case, this won't take long."
"Alright so you're the gym leader huh, then I guess we have no choice but to give this thing a try!" The girl said, taking the bracelet with the Key Stone and fastening it to her arm. "Pidgeot, get ready to use that Mega Stone of yours!"
"That's a Mega Stone?" A girl complained. "You told me it was a decorative piece!"
"It is without a Key Stone!" She shouted angrily. "I don't know if this thing will work or how it works exactly, but we need to try it if we're going to defeat a Gym Leader!"
"Electra!" Jacob said as he saw the girl assume a stance.
Electra however looked absolutely calm as she continued to chew on her Pokeblock.
(Snagem Member's PoV)
She was taking deep breaths as she and her Pidgeot began to breathe in sync with each other. "Okay… remember those lessons about Key Stones and Mega Stones…" She said to herself as she matched her breathing to her Pidgeot's. "Breathe in sync with your companion, have physical contact between both stones and both parties involved, when emotions are at their peak in the middle of a battle…"
She moved her hand to touch the Key Stone and prayed that this would work.
(Jacob's PoV)
"Mega Evolution… go!" She shouted with great force as she touched the Key Stone with one finger while her Pidgeot mirrored her actions and flared up his wings.
There was silence for several seconds, before the wind rustled the leaves in the nearby tree. Pidgeot looked around in confusion at its trainer, clearly not knowing what was supposed to happen.
"It won't work for you." Electra said with a sigh. "You don't have all of the ingredients needed to Mega Evolve."
"What… come on… work you stupid Key Stone!" She shouted angrily, shaking the bracelet furiously. "Come on, work… work… WORK!"
Electra finished heating her Pokeblock and started twirling her pen again. "I told you, you don't have all of the ingredients." She said. "Mega Evolution is more than just stones and tense emotions. You have to be in perfect sync with your partner as well as have the appropriate stones."
"Well we do have them; I've had my Pidgeot since I was four!" She yelled angrily, a look matched by her Pidgeot. "We've never been separated all this time, we've been through everything together!"
"Maybe, but not only do you not have the right stones you are also trying to force Mega Evolution upon yourselves." Electra replied. "That is the right Mega Stone but the Key Stone is wrong. I can tell just from here that it's a legitimate Key Stone, but it's been so heavily used that your DNA is being blocked from using and interacting with it. To put it simply the Key Stone won't react to you trying to Mega Evolve. It also doesn't help that your Pidgeot has no idea how to unlock its Mega Evolution, never having done it himself, in order to achieve it you must unlock it together."
"However, when both Pokemon and Trainer are in perfect sync, achieving a bond greater than most other Pokemon and Trainers achieve..." Electra said as both she and Volt moved in exact sync, shifting their legs apart ever so slightly. "And if the stones are correctly used… then the two truly become one and can ascend to the level of power that we know of as Mega Evolution. Simply knowing what the steps are is not enough; it must be achieved through your own efforts and desires, unlocked within your hearts and brought to the surface."
Jacob watched as she took her metal pen and twisted the top half off, and then he saw why it was so large. Inside the pen was a glimmering Key Stone, shining multiple colors as it responded to the call of its owner. Atop Volt's mane the Mega Stone necklace that he saw was also responding, glowing brightly as the two small stones glowed in perfect sync.
"Volt and I have been together for many, many years; we've endured many trials and achieved this level thanks to those trials. He's saved my life many times, and I would gladly suffer any pain alongside him! Now all of you observe the power of our bond, and witness the level of our control…"
"Volt… MEGA EVOLUTION!" She roared, taking one slender finger and touching the stone with it.
The stone shone brilliantly, and at the same time Volt's Mega Stone glimmered in unison, then he was bathed in light as he grew larger, his mane growing out exponentially, blinding them all as he underwent Mega Evolution. A second later he finished his evolution, and the air around them was crackling with electricity. The mere presence of this mighty Pokemon made the air crack and shimmer with energy.
(Awesome…) Sara whispered to Jacob, a thought they both shared.
"Now Volt, Wild Charge!" Electra ordered.
"Manectriiiiiiiiiic!" Volt shouted, charging forward and crackling with electricity.
His speed was too much for the Snagem girl's Pidgeot to counter. Before it could take to the air, he was smacked in his chest and sent flying back to its trainer. "Now Magnemite, attract that bracelet with your magnetic pull!" She yelled.
"Magnemite." It stated before pointing its two magnets forward. "Mag… ne… miiiiiiiiiiite."
Jacob watched the air in front of it waver slightly, before the bracelet was ripped away from the girl's arm, zooming over to Magnemite and latching onto its left magnet. "Well done, now as for you all." Electra said, looking over at Snagem. "In the name of the Pokemon League, you are all under…"
"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"
From up the road a large van appeared, honking its horns and flashing its high beam lights to blind them. Blinded, they all covered their eyes to shield them. "GET IN LET'S GO!" A voice shouted.
"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" The girl shouted as they heard her recalling her Pidgeot.
"Torkoal Smokescreen!" The first voice shouted.
As Jacob tried to open his eye to see what was going on, a smokescreen appeared and blocked his and everyone's vision. Then a door slammed and tires screeched into the distance. When the smoke cleared and they could see again, the van and Team Snagem were gone.
(Snagem Member's Pov)
"That was a close call." She complained as she took a seat in the front. "By the way, your Pokemon could be a little gentler with throwing that stuff on us!"
"Sorry but my partner doesn't exactly do gentle with others, especially when it comes to erasing your scents so the cops can't track us." He said in his usual snide voice. "So tell me, do you have it?"
"No, the Mauville Gym Leader took it back with her Magnemite just before you showed up." She sighed. "You should have gotten here a split minute sooner."
"Typical, I give you goons a simple task and you fumble the operation royally." He said. "Well nothing lost, nothing gained. Don't get used to the van; we need to lose it as soon as possible."
"Well now what, have you got some more menial tasks for us?" She said with a sigh.
"Yes, you see our next destination is Lillycove, we've set up a new operating base for you underground there." He said. "In the meantime I have some operatives to organize and prepare, we're getting ready to move with our next operation. That particular bird I received word is near Lavaridge Town, so I have work to do."
"Lovely." She said as they took a sharp turn.
(Jacob's PoV)
=Ten minutes later=
"Well Jacob, I thank you for your help, it's a pity that we couldn't capture Snagem as well." Electra said as they prepared to head their separate ways.
"Yea, same here." Jacob said.
As they walked Electra had spent a long time examining the Key Stone, holding it this way and that way, examining how it looked it the light and so on. She asked him to hold it at one point, then Karen, then herself, and then repeated the cycle again, taking mental notes every time. Now that they were back at Mauville she said she would take it over to Officer Jenny so she could go through the legalities of the stone.
"That merchant doesn't deserve this stone." Karen said sourly. "He only sees money he can make from it, that stone deserves a proper home in some trainer's hand."
"I know, but for now, go rest and take care of your Pokemon, they deserve a rest after today." Electra said with a smile. "In the meantime, tomorrow if you want to stop by at any time and we can have a battle for your Gym Badge."
"Sweet!" Karen shouted excitedly.
They watched Electra leave and both Sara and Jacob had the same thought.
*That Mega Manectric is going to be difficult to defeat.*