Pokemon Heart Soul Adventures
Here I am! A series of problems almost prevented me from adding this new chapter today... but luckily, I managedto work around them, and now I'm proud to give you the next part of Misty and her friend's venture in the dephts of Chrono Island, as they try their best to discover what Team Rocket is up to and put a stop to them!
Of course, Team Rocket won't just stay put and let our heroines do what they want... Ariana and Proton, in particular, are ready to greet our heroines with their mighty Pokemon... and they're not going to go easy on them, as the Chrono Island stronghold hold a very important piece of Team Rocket's plans. If Misty, Dawn and the others can get ahold of it, Team Rocket's plans will surely take a big hit. And in the meantime, Ash and the other guys are off to Fortune Island, where Archer and Petrel are waiting for them... along with many other mysteries!
So, get ready for a nice confrontation! This will be an action-based chapter... and next time, we're going to switch point of view! But for now, I hope the fight will be enjoyable!
See you soon, and happy reading!
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Chapter 32 - Ariana's Tricky Trap
A strange, foreboding feeling.
An oppressive feeling of danger that was getting closer and closer.
Something approaching.
The Pokemon murmured some incomprehensible words in a strange language no human could possibly have understood, uneasily shifting inside the chrysalis that had been holding it for a quite a long time now, in an attempt to get free from that shell that was holding it in place. Its spindly arms fruitlessly struck the hard material surrounding it. It knew it had to get away... to run away from there as long as some time remained...
But would it... whatever it was... let it free?
oooooooooo
Lorelei's Lapras and Misty's Gyarados, with the group of female trainers still on their backs, had managed to navigate the watery maze, and were now in yet another underground lake... only, this one was much larger than the ones they had gotten through, a beautiful and calm place whose walls were crusted with seaweed and corals, the ceiling rising about forty feet high above them, and some beams of natural light filtering through a few cracks in the rockbed. Sometimes, a few small Water-type Pokemon, mainly Tentacool or Feebas, could be seen placidly swimming underneath them.
Following the indications given by the emerging rocks and Lorelei's intuition had proven a wise choice: that cavern was so intricate that they would surely have gotten lost, had it not been for their observation skills... and instead, here they were, only a few steps away from their target!
"Well, these islands hide more surprises than even I could ever imagine!" Miyu commented in wonder. "And to think I live nearby here... I never suspected such a baeutiful place could be hidden underneath Chrono Island."
"Well, that intricate maze we just got through has discouraged many a visitor." Lorelei pointed out. "So, it's only natural that few know of this place. In fact, I myself have to wonder how Team Rocket managed to find their way here."
Lapras and Gyarados were listening intently, their ears ready to catch any single noise as they quietly swam ashore, agitating the water as little as such massive Pokemon reasonably could. After a short while, which Misty and her companions took advantage of to admire the natural beauty they were immersed in, the two mighty Water-type reached a small beach, covered in fine white sand, on the borders of the huge underground lake, and the trainers let out a breath of relief as they dismounted. The sea tortoise and the huge serpent joined the girls as, after complimenting them on a job well done, they tried to be as unconspicuous as possible...
"Phew... here we are, at last!" Misty said, stretching her arms a little. "Thanks, Gyarados... and thank you as well, Lapras! You were great!"
"Lapras!" the cute tortoise-like Pokemon answered, raising one of his flippers. Gyarados, for his part, growled lightly, and his terrifying jaws cracked a smile.
"Thanks from all of us... but now, you'd better get back in your Pokeballs. We might need your help later..." Lorelei stated, stroking her Lapras' neck before recalling him. Misty did the same with her Gyarados, and the girls double-checked to see whther everything was in place before walking towards the interior of the cavern, Ursula's Vaporeon scouting ahead, searching for any hint of Team' Rocket's presence in those underground tunnels. Everything was still calm and peaceful... but all of them were too experienced as trainers not to suspect that a trap could be lying ahead.
"Gee... this place sure is beautiful, but it gives me the shivers..." Ursula stated, her hands never straying too far from the Pokeballs she kept at her side, and her eyes never leaving her Vaporeon. Of all the girls, she was the only one who had never been in such a dangerous situation, and while she was putting up a brave front, it was plain that she was nervous and worried. "And to think it all started because I decided to go to Kanto instead of Hoenn for my training..."
"Sssh! Keep that trap of yours shut, for once! You wanna get us caught?" Jessie called her out, secretly enjoying the chance to get back at the spiteful snob. Ursula wrinkled her nose, but knew better than to take the bait, and simply turned away in indignation as Miyu narrowed her eyes at the two of them. Finally, the small group was able to get closer to a bunch of pointed rocks that provided an ideal natural cover for sneaking a peek ahead. Dawn, her faithful Piplup and Ursula's Vaporeon quickly sneaked behind the rock formation, casting a careful glance ahead... and managing to see some rather recent buildings standing only a few yards away from their hiding place!
"Girls, I'm seeing something right there!" the youngest of the team whispered to her friends and not-so-friends. "Look there... don't you think that could be Team Rocket's hideout? I'm practically sure of it..."
"Let's take a look..." Misty said, approaching her friend from Sinnoh. Trying to stand out of her hiding place as little as possible, the young girl looked towards the place Dawn had pointed to... and widened her eyes in amazement: there was a large, grey building standing right there, faint and eerie lights coming out of the rare windows interrupting the dull coloring of the walls, and there were a pair of grunts, both wearing the standard black Team Rocket uniform, standing guard near the entrance, a very robust iron door that would not have been out of place in a prison! "Ouch... Man, Dawn, that's them! Team Rocket... I have no idea what they're doing here, but we must try and stop them... or Chrono Island will be in great danger as well!"
Lorelei's glasses shone dangerously for a second, a sign that it was personal for her as well... but the elite Four, faithful to her claim to fame, repressed hr first impulse to just call her Pokemon and attack the criminals that had messed up her native island. Instead, she began thinking of the right move to make. "Good. Then, let us wait and see. They surely have set up turns of guard... at the moment of changing guard, they will drop their defenses, and that's when we can strike."
"Hold on a second, miss Lorelei. We don't have to wait that long!" Ursula interjected. When Misty and Dawn turned to her, wondering what she meant bythat, the rich heiress smiled cunningly and shook her finger no. "Do not forget, we have a way to catch those people off guard before they can even call for help! Vaporeon, show them what I mean by that!"
"Eon!" the Water-type Eevee evolution answered. His shimmering azure scales shone brightly for a second, and the graceful creature's features faded gently... and in a few seconds, Vaporeon had become completely invisible, aside from a few ripples in the place where he was standing. Misty nodded in approval - at least, something she and Ursula agreed on! - as she recognized Vaporeon's trademark defensive move, Acid Armor, which allowed the elegant mermaid-like Pokemon to turn invisible for a while.
"Exactly, that's what I meant!" Ursula said in satisfaction. "Cool... Vaporeon, you know what to do now. Take those goons down, and check whether their little friends are preparing a trap for us!"
The now-invisible Vaporeon nodded and leapt silently out of Misty and Dawn's hiding place... and Miyu, approving of Ursula's idea, decided she might as well help out, letting one of her Pokemon out of a Pokeball. A graceful and elegant Umbreon, his midnight-black fur adorned with glowing golden rings, leapt out... and wisely dimmed his brightness in order to be able to better blend in the darkness. "Good... follow Ursula's Vaporeon, and help him out if there are problems. Make sure you don't get discovered though." Miyu instructed her Pokemon.
"Umbreon!" the dark creature answered, before blending in the shadow and following Vaporeon as he invisibly approached the Team Rocket grunts. Ursula wrinkled her nose, as if saying that she had no need for help... but she decided not to look at the gift horse in the mouth.
"It's not like we really needed it, my Vaporeon could manage by himself..." the rich heiress commented. "Still, I appreciate the thought. Thanks."
"You're welcome." Miyu said with vague sarcasm. Vaporeon and Umbreon slid among the shadows and managed to get near the grunts, who were casting bored glances around themselves. They were probably wondering why did they have to stand guard, as they were sure that their hdeout was safe and unreachable... and they had no idea what was about to befall them, in the form of two extremely stealthy Eevee evolutions!
The grunts only had time to hear something descending upon them before Vaporeon and Umbreon jumped out of the shadowsand smacked them upside their heads with their tails, knocking them ut and sending them sprawled on the rocky ground, two huge lumps sprouting comically out of their hats! Keeping his Acid armor active, Vaporeon approached the half-open door to the Team Rocket HQ, and sneaked a peek inside, before turning to Umbreon and motioning that the way was clear.
Lorelei, who had been observing itall from their hiding place, told her younger friends that the situation was now under their control... and as quickly as they could manage while still being tealthy, the girls came out and walked to the entranceto the HQ, only stopping to allow Myu and Ursula enough time to recall their Pokemon.
"Great job, Vaporeon! But that was only to be expected from you!" Ursula stated as she patted her champion on the head. Miyu simply scratched her Umbreon behind an ear, and he let out some kind of meowing sound before both girls recalled their fighters and followed Misty, Dawn, Jessie and Lorelei inside the base. The Elite Fourmoved one f the doors and carefully entered the place, soon finding herself inside an empty, sterile-looking corridor, dimly lit by a series of lamps hanging from the ceiling. The place looked completely deserted, and the fact that the girls knew this was not the case only made thing more disquieting... danger could strike at them any moment now...
"This place gives me the chills... do you know where can we start looking?" Dawn asked, keeping her Piplup close and taking care not to hit anything.
Lorelei seemed to think about it for a second as the team began walking along the corridor. "Maybe the best thing to do, right now, would be to split up in two groups... Miyu, Jessie and I on one side, and you three on the other. So, we will be able to quickly scout the entire place. Be careful though. We'll be more vulnerable this way, and I'm sure these people have set up several traps for us. They don't want to face us in a fair fight..."
Jessie sighed, thinking that it did make sense... the Team Rocket executives knew they were no match for an Elite Four, and they were probably going to take Lorelei out of the fight without letting her even call on her Pokemon. "Alright, let's try this... but if I fin those scoundrels who left us for dead in Flowe Island, I'm calling first dibs on kicking their butts!" she exclaimed, thirsty for revenge!
Misty and Dawn were okay with that, even if neither of them enjoyed the idea of teaming up with Ursula... but at that point, they simply had to stand her arrogance and try to be team players. Ursula herself was not thrilled at having to go with her rival and that red-headed tomboy... but she could do nothing but swallow her pride and go on.
"Alright... we'll search that way, while you keep following the stairs to the upper floor." Miyu instructed Misty, Dawn and Ursula, pointing to some nearby stairs going up a shaft. "Let's try to keep in touch, though, whatever might happen. Best of luck to you."
"Thanks, Miyu. Likewise... and no need to worry!" Dawn answered, using her catchphrase before she, Misty and Ursula got to the stairs...
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"They split up." Ariana noted, stroking at her sharpened chin. "Good... that's probably our best chance to take them out once and for all. Proton, you take care of Lorelei's group. Separate Lorelei from the other two, and you shouldn't have much trouble with Jessie and that Gym Leader wannabe. Our other men will trap Lorelei and attack her en masse, overwhelming her Pokemon with sheer numbers."
"Alright, Executive Ariana. No problem with that." Proton said in deference to the woman's higher rank. "So, you'll be taking out those three brats, huh? I'm a little envious, you kept the easier job for yourself..."
"Keep a few grunts with you, and you won't have much trouble yourself." Ariana commented with an ironic smirk. "And in any case, the important thing is that they must not reach the Sapphire before we do. You know that, right?"
"Of course. That little trinket has priority on anything, anyway... though I still have no idea what the boss wants to do with it." Proton commented. "Sure, it must be worth a small fortune, but somehow I doubt this is what the boss really wants to do with it."
"Whatever Giovanni wants, goes." Ariana was straight to the point as she picked up her Pokeballs. "For now, let's just worry about not letting it fall in those kids' hands."
oooooooooo
The search was beginning to unnerve Jessie. She, Miyu and Lorelei had been exploring that place for some time now, and they still had found no trace of Ariana, Proton or any other Team Rocket member... only empty, silent, darkened rooms.
"Darn it, where have those guys gone to?" Jessie said ,raising her voice only as much as she could without having anyone hear her. Even so, the walls were creating an eerie echo, and Miyu motioned to the fucsia-haired young woman not to be too loud. "Hmph... they're playing a Meowth-and-Rattata game with us... I'm sure they will leap to attack us soon enough!"
"Probably... but we don't have much choice other than push forward and be on our guard." Lorelei stated, as the trio of female trainers went through a new corridor, getting in the innermost part of the hideout. "Now, what we really need is to keep our cool... If we let ourselves..."
Lorelei was interrupted by an automatic door slamming shut behind her just as the Elite Four walked into another room, separating her from Jessie and Miyu! With a surprised yelp, Lorelei quickly turned to the door and tried to find a way to open it... but another door slammed shut on the other side of the room she was now in, effectively trapping her inside! And a second later, Lorelei discovered much to her displeasure that what had looked like a new room was actually a cleverly-disguised elevator, that began ascending and leaving Miyu and Jessie facing nothing but an empty elevator shaft!
"Aaaargh! What's the meaning of THIS?" Jessie shouted in a mixture of frustration, anger and panic. Miyu herself, while not as blatant about it as Jessie, was beginning to lose her proverbial cool, stepping away from the shaft and looking around in an attempt to find another way out. A nasty chuckle greeted the female trainers, who tuirned in the direction they had come out from not one minute earlier, and saw Proton, along with several Team Rocket grunts, standing in the doorway, a Pokeball already in his hands!
"Hehehee... look what we have here... the turncoat and the Gym Leader wannabe!" he chuckled, adjusting his hat. "I never thought I'd see you again so soon... or ever, for that matter... but I'm not complaining! So, how was our welcome committee?"
"The formallities left quite a bit to be desired, but other that that... fine, I guess!" Miyu answered sarcastically. Jessie was glaring at the rather numerous grunts surrounding the two of them, and seeing Proton among them reminded her of the treatment she, James and Meowth had suffered because of those people.
"Tch... so, you're one of those four scoundrels who tried to get us killed in the Ice Cave, right?" she asked angrily. "Glad to have you join the party... I have a score to settle with you guys! Come out, Seviper!"
Jessie let her strongest Pokemon out, and the saber-toothed adder materialized on the cold steel floor, tensing up her powerful coils and rising her razor-sharp tail like a rattlesnake intimidating a foe. Howver, Proton did not seem to be particularly impressed, and he spun a Pokeball on his fingertip as his men let their own Pokemon out.
"Oh, that's good! Someone does remember me, it seems!" he chuckled. "In fact, we didn't reallyneed you two buffoons and your talking Meowth, but you were a good way to cause those brats to waste their time, and give us a chance to get the NeverMeltIce and walk away! We had not planned for you to get out of those caves alive, but it's a mistake that's easy to rectify... go, Weezing!"
Jessie felt her heart skip a beat when Proton unleashed his Pokemon, a strange Poison-type Pokemon similar to a couple of conjoined Koffings with a distraught expression on both faces, floating in the air under the power of the gases that filled his body. It was a Weezing, the same kind of Pokemon James had four years ago, back when they were still in Kanto. To see that kind of Pokemon now was a bittersweet reminder of the past... but she quickly shook herself out of it, understanding that it was no time to be sentimental. She now had to fight that Weezing... or better say, to make sure Seviper could do it! Even Miyu had called her own Pokemon on the field - the same Absol that had broken up the quarrel between Misty, Dawn and Ursula during the trip to Chrono Island; and her faithful Mightyena, Night Sky.
"You seem to be serious about this, girls... fine then! Weezing, use Sludge Bomb!" Proton ordered. His Pokemon spat out a huge bullet of stinking, purplish mud against Jessie's Seviper, but the huge venomous snake defended herself with a Poison Tail attack, smacking back the Sludge Bomb as if she was playing baseball with it, and scattering the filthy substance around the room! Then, Seviper dashed towards her opponent, her jaws wide open and ready to bite... but Weezing eluded the attack by shooting a Smokescreen attack, which enveloped the viper Pokemon in a black, stinking cloud. Seviper barely had time to coil herself up in a defensive position, before Proton attacked again. "And now... let's heat things up a little! Weezing, use Fire Blast!"
"What? That Weezing... knows such a powerful move?" Miyu asked herself in surprise while her Absol and her Mightyena began doing away with the enemy Pokemon. Weezing opened both its mouths and summoned a kanji-shaped firey symbol in front of itself, throwing it towards the Smokescreen it had surrounded Seviper with. Jessie let out an alarmed yell, and Seviper was just quick enough to throw herself out of the smoke cloud, just in time before the Fire Blast struck it... and the reaction between the fire and the gases caused a huge explosion that blinded everyone for a split second! An hellish booming sound reverberated in the room, shaking it from its foundations, and deafening everyone as several of the closest Pokemon were thrown away! Seviper hisssed in pain and anger as she was thrown away by the sheer force of the blast... but she quickly managed to recover in midair, and while the other trainers and Pokemon had been forced to hit the floor in order not to be thrown away by the sheer force of the blast, Seviper thrust her coils upwards and landed in a guarding position, right next to her trainer! The walls of the room had turned black in several places because of the explosion, and there were debris scattered on the floor... but all in all, the situation still looked salvegeable!
"Heheheee... very nice, Seviper!" Jessie exclaimed, her dread soon turning into elation. "But that was only to be expected from a Pokemon trainer by yours truly! C'mon, Seviper, let's strike back at this guy! Use a Swagger attack!"
"Seviper!" the adder-like Pokemon answered. After catching her breath, Seviper turned to the floating Weezing and, before it could try another attack, her eyes lit up, shining a supernatural-looking shade of emerald green which soon surrounded Weezing as well. The gas-filled Pokemon looked confused for a while, as if not understanding what was going on... but soon after, it growled in anger and repeated its name with its raucous voice, as if understanding all of a sudden that Seviper had insulted it! With all the speed it could muster, Weezing attacked Seviper head-on with a Double-Edge attack, but the poisonous snake had seen the attack coming and managed to dodge just in time, causing it to miss the target and slam against a Team Rocket Machop, that was just them trying to blindside Miyu's Absol with a Karate Chop. The Poison-type and the Fighting-type clumsily rolled on the ground and slid upon it for several feet... and while Weezing was able to pick itself up, Machop was out cold!
"Yay, that's what I like to see! Great job, Seviper... I knew a nice Swagger attack would be useful! Sure, it enraged Weezing to the point where its attack power rose... but it also made Weezing confused!" Jessie exclaimed, explaining her simple yet effective strategy. Seviper hissed proudly and slid her forked tongue between her lips, while Proton's grin died down slightly... and Miyu's Absol executed a flawless Psycho Cut with his crescent moon shaped blade, taking out several opponents.
"That was a nice idea, indeed!" Miyu complimented her temporary partner. "But don't get cocky now, okay? The worst is yet to come!"
"Hmph. Not bad at all." Proton commented grudgingly. "I never thought you could give my Weezing a run for his money... but let's see how long you can resist!"
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Lorelei looked nonchalantly around herself as the elevator she was in stopped, and the doors slid open and allowed her to walk out... and into what looked like some sort of huge gladiatorial arena, with numerous members of Team Rocket sitting all around and glaring viciously at her. However, the Elite Four kept her cool once again and calmly took two of her Pokeballs, glaring back at the hostile-looking crowd.
"Let me guess. The welcome comittee." she coldly stated. "Either that, or a surprise party."
As an answer, all the Rocket grunts opened their Pokeball and made their Pokemon appear right in the arena, surrouning Lorelei with creatures of several types and species, though it seemed that the Poison-type Pokemon were prevalent. All the Team Rocket Pokemon, forming some sort of living wall around Lorelei, began advancing towards her... but she refused to be daunted and reacted with absolute panache.
"No surprise party, I guess." she commented. "Works for me. Dewgong, Cloyster... come out, I need your help!"
Before the Team Rocket Pokemon could aim an attack, Lorelei threw two of her Pokeballs... and once second later, she was joined on the battlefield by a huge white manatee, with short triangular fangs, powerful flippers and tail and a small horn on top of his head... and by what looked like a giant oyster, whose outer shell was filled with sharpened spikes, and whose body was black and spherical, wearing a mischievous expression on her face.
"Tch... don't be spooked by that! We're more numerous!" a Team Rocket grunt, who clearly had no idea who he was dealing with, exclaimed. "Gang up on them, they won't be able to keep up for long!"
Lorelei's glasses shone again, the Elite Four sliding into her cold, detached persona she adopted during battle. If those scoundrels really thought that numbers could avail them in such a situation, she was going to roughly wake them up to reality!
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Misty, Dawn, Piplup and Ursula were having problems of their own - once they had climbed their way up the second floor, they had found themselves lost, and were now navigating their way through the HQ in the hope of finding something that could aid them understand what Team Rocket's plans for Chrono Island were. In the end, after unsuccessfully exploring several rooms, the girls had found their way inside an unfinished corridor that ended up in one of Chrono Island's natural caves... a darkened place, filled with spectacular coral formations, that sported several signs of excavation, among which a few tables and mattocks that had been scattered carelessly throughout the place. It was strange to see such a drastic change of scenery, and as Misty motioned for Dawn, her starter and Ursula to follow her inside, she kept her eyes open and her ears perked up, just in case Team Rocket was on their tracks again...
"Boy, these people sure are organized... but what are they looking for, in such a place?" Dawn asked herself, as they went deeper and deeper inside the cave. A few old computers, still active and working, were visible on some of the tables, and there were some heavy and ponderous-looking machinery lying around... along with a strange, mystical blue brilliance coming from the opposite side of the cavern, which immediately attracted the three girls' attention. "Hold on a second, what's that I see there? It looks like someone lit up some sort of blue lamp..." the blue-haired girl stated, looking at the strange light which was dancing on the rocky walls, creating an effect not unlike ripples in the water. There was something very strange about that phenomenon... Dawn thought it was soothing, and innatural at the same time... but, and here was the strangest thing of all, there was nothing scary about it. In fact, it almost seemed like the blue light was beckoning at her and her friends (and not-so-friends) to come closer.
"Let's go check it out." Ursula said, carefully approaching the thing from which light was being emitted: there, lying half-hidden beside a huge mass of rock, was a spherical jewel the size of a grown man's fist, whose deep luminescence was bathing the surroundings, making it look like that part of the corridor was immersed in seawater. Piplup chirped in curiosity, getting close to the strange jewel and pecking it to no effect. He could only gather that some strange energy was being emitted from the bright blue stone...
Misty herself felt some strange feeling come from the artifact, as if she was staring into the deepest oceanic dephts, and she felt herself filled with wonder and dread at the same time...
"This is... so beautiful..." she murmured, as if mesmerized by the beautiful gem. She was about to kneel and touch it with her hand, but she snapped out of it at the last moment, and took a step backwards in puzzlement." "What's this supposed to be? And... what's Team Rocket planning to do with this thing?"
"I'm afraid that... thing, as you call it... will be your downfall, girls." Ariana's cold, self-assured voice broke through their reverie, and the three girls immediately jumped up in startlement before turning to the corridors they had left behind. Ariana, along with a group of Team Rocket grunts, had blocked the way, keeping them from going back the way they had come from. She certainly didn't look like she would be content with just stopping them, as Dawn read murderous intent in her snake-like eyes...
Ariana too a few slow, calculated steps forward, until she was only a few feet away from Misty and her friends. "You! You are that Team Rocket executive I saw in Floe Island! Ariana, was it?" Ursula yelled in a fit of rage.
"That's me." the female executive answered curtly. Waving her hand almost nonchalantly, Ariana opened one of her Pokeball and let out a large Vileplume, a Grass / Poison type Pokemon that looked like a purple bulb with a huge, fleshy red flower sprouting out of the top of its head, looking too large for the Pokemon to even move, and a face consisting simply of a pair of black eyes, not much bigger than coffee beans, and a small mouth. It had a pair of short, stumpy arms, and its legs were so short that it seemed that its feet were directly attached to the main body. "That gem, the Sapphire, in a cornerstone of our project, and we can't have you waltz in and take it as nothing happened. Therefore, we'll have to take you out here and now. Nothing personal, just business."
The Rocket grunts let out a few more Pokemon, mainly other Grass-types, in order to stop the girls from trying to go through them and escape, while Ariana let out a new Pokemon... this one, a huge and ferocious-looking Victreebell whose vine-like hands were shaking with anticipation. The Weepinbell evolution began crawling towards Piplup, possibly sensing that it was the most vulnerable target...
"Is that so?" Misty asked snarkily as she tried to stall for time while going through her Pokeballs. "And... what does this plan of yours consist of? You see, when I hear of some kind of evil plans that's about to be finalized, I can't help but ask..."
Ariana shrugged. "I don't know much about this myself... only our leader Giovanni knows, and I just content myself with carrying out his orders! And now, brats... defend yourselves, if you can!" she exclaimed. Her Victreebel waved its vine-like arms in the air, and threw a volley of Razor Leaves against the girls, targetting Piplup most of all and causing Dawn to widen her eyes in alarm as the little penguin looked like he was going to be struck down by the attack! Luckily, Piplup was faster than Ariana anticipated, and executed a flawless backwards roll, causing the sharpened leaves to embed themselves in the rocky ground! A Tangela, clearly bellonging to another grunt, tried to extend one of its vines and grab Ursula's wrist, but Dawn was fast to react: she sent out her Togekiss, and the beautiful Normal / Flying type slashed the Grass-type's tentacle-vine with the edge of her wing, forcing it to stagger backwards! Despite her enmity towards the blue-haired preteen, Ursula turned to her and thanked her with a nod... before grabbing one of her Pokeballs and letting out her warm Flareon, which appeared in front of Tangela in a burst of scarlet flames! The fluffy Fire-type let out a war cry and shot an Ember attack at the enemy Grass-type, unleashing a volley of dancing flames that struck the ground around Tangela, scalding it and giving Misty thetime to call forth one of her own Pokemon!
"Misty calls... Starmie!" the redhead exclaimed, letting her trademark starfish Pokemon appear in front of her... and, as fate would have it, her Psyduck popped out of his own free will and rushed forward, literally slamming upon the enemy Victreebel! Even Starmie, despite the lack of a face, seemed to be quite nonplussed about the whole thing, and the gemstone in the core of its body blinked several times to express its confusion!
Ursula blinked in puzzlement before the psychic duck's unusual way of butting in the scene, as both Psyduck and Victreebell picked themselves up from the ground... and as Misty put the palm of her right hand to her face and sighed in exasperation, Ariana frowned annoyedly and decided that it was time to go all out. "Hmph... what's with that stupid duckling, little girl? Let me show you how it's done... Victreebel, use Vine Whip! And you, Vileplume... attack with a Petal Dance!" she ordered.
"Psyduck, use Protect to shield yourself!" Misty countered. Luckily, the clumsy duck Pokemon did as he was told, creating a barrier in front of himself and blocked the whipping that the larger Grass-type was about to give it with his vine-like arms. Vileplume, on the other hand, performed an elegant pirouette on the place where he was standing, and several pink petals sprouted from his top and circled around him for a moment... before swooping down on Psyduck and Starmie, threatening to inflict them some serious damage!
"Piplup, stop them cold! Use Ice Beam!" Dawn exclaimed. The penguin Pokemon fired a freezing beam just in time, and Vileplume's petals were hit by the wave of cold and frozen in midair, before shattering harmlessly on the rocky ground. Misty smiled and gave her blue-haired friend a thumbs-up, just as Psyduck picked himself up again and prepared to attack again.
"Alright, then... Psyduck, let's do this again! Use Psybeam on that Victreebell... and you, Starme, attack Vileplume with Psychic!" Misty ordered. The starfish-like Pokemon glowed with an eerie light and sent out a wave of mental energy that struck Vileplume head-on, freezing it in place before slamming him upon the wall and letting him slide down in a daze! Psyduck, on the other hand, jumped backwards to avoid a Leaf Blade attack Victreebel was about to hit him with, and seemed to concentrate hard, as if trying to remember that it knew that particular attack... and a second later...
...he opened his beak and sprayed out an Hydro Pump attack!
"Ugh... no, Psyduck! That's not what I wanted you to.. ugh, why do I even bother?" Misty exclaimed in frustration. Luckily, it turned out well in the end, as Victreebel was hit by the powerful Water move, and while his type allowed him to weather the damage inflicted, the sheer pressure of the blow washed over him and propelled him backwards, throwing it with incredible strength against Vileplume! The rafflesia-like Pokemon, who had just picked himself up from Starmie's crushing Psychic attack, widened his eyes for a moment before being trampled by his own companion and knocked out cold, remaining sprawled upon the floor with his eyes turning into swirls!
"Vile... plume..." the flower-like Pokemon murmured before fainting under Ariana's disbelieving eyes.
"Well done, Misty! That'll teach her!" Dawn complimented her friend, before her Togekiss was shocked by a Magnemite's Thundershock attack! The kind-hearted Normal / Flying Pokemon squeaked and lost altitude, frantically beating her wings, but managed to stay airborne as Dawn breathed asigh of relief... and Piplup rushed to the aid of his friend, shooting a powerful Bubblebeam attack at the offending Magnemite! The Steel / Electric Pokemon was hit right on its single eye and was forced to float back, electrical sparks going off from its body every time a bubble found its mark, and Togekiss thanked Piplup with a nod and a smile before getting back to the task of taking out Team Rocket's henchmen. She lowered herself on the ground and motioned for Piplup to climb on her back... and when the penguin Pokemon did so, Togekiss soared again, heading straight for the enemy!
"Hmm... okay then, it's worth a try!" Dawn murmured to herself, before addressing her faithful companions. "Now, Togekiss... use your Aura Sphere attack! And you, Piplup... usa Aqua Jet!" An azure aura surrounded Togekiss' graceful frame, who darted towards her opponents while Piplup turned back and shot a gout of pressurized water out of his beak, acting as a propeller and pushing his companion forward with even more speed, turning both of them into a bullet-fast projectile of blue energy that shot gouts of water in all directions! The Rocket grunt shouted in fear when the powerful combo of attacks fell upon them, sending both them and their Pokemon flying through the air and land on the rocky ground in disarray... and a second later, when the dust settled, Misty and her friends could see Togekiss and Piplup fly out proudly, leaving several grunts and Pokemon lying on the ground in a stunned heap!
"Awesome shot, Dawn! Now that's good thinking!" Misty cheered.
Ursula wrinkled her nose. "Hm. Not half bad, I saw much worse than that." she commented, trying not to be too generous towards her rival. "But where did you get this strange idea from?"
"Hehehee... I really don't know myself, to be honest..." Dawn admitted with an embarassed giggle. "I kinda thought that I could use Piplup's Aqua Jet to speed up Togekiss' Aura Sphere, while at the same time creating something spectacular... and it worked! I'll have to use that in my next Grand Festival!"
The drill-haired girl sighed, wishing she had had such an idea herself. She really needed to think up a new personal trick, if she was to keep up the pace... however, she still wanted to show everyone that her Pokemon were top-notch as well, and as a show, she let her powerful Gabite out of his Pokeball! "Hmmm... well, not a bad idea, Dee-Dee, but just wait and see what I can do! Go, Gabite! Use your Sandstorm attack... and yu, Flareon, support him with Lava Plume!"
The landshark popped out of his sphere and began frantically hitting the ground with his arms, breaking up the floor and sending high-speed debris everywhere... especially upon Team Rocket's stilll-standing Pokemon! At the same time, Flareon opened his mouth and shot out a gout of boiling lava, moving his head from one side to the other so that the red-hot molten rock sprayed the debris and set them alight! The result was a spectacular rain of stone and fire that washed over Team Rocket, whose grunts and pokemon were forced to retreat among fearful screaming under the red-hot rain!
"Hehehee..." Ursula smirked, regarding her rival with a superior attitude. "So, Dee-Dee, how about this? I think that, next time we end up facing each other in a competition, the judges will be very impressed with my new combo!"
"If that's a challenge, rest assured I will find away to counter this!" Dawn challenged back with an assured smile. The two preteens, taken in by their rivalry, stared at each other for a moment, almost forgetting about Team Rocket... and in fact, there was not much Team Rocket could do, as they were busy protecting themselves from the falling ash and fire!
"Aaaaargh!" a grunt screamed, trying to put out a fire on the leg of his trousers. "Wh... What the heck, Executive Ariana! You told us it would be a cakewalk! You never told us these kids were this strong!"
"Ugh... you bunch of good-for-nothing..." Ariana muttered as she tries to protect herself and her Victreebell from the burning rain. "It's always up to me, somehow... Victreebell! Use Leaf Storm and blow this thing away!"
The carnivorous plant shrieked in anger, slightly burnt by the flames, and began creating a vortex of spinning green energy in his mouth, leaving Misty just enough time to think of a counter... and then, he fired the powerful Grass-type attack at Starmie and Psyduck, creating a green beam around which a volley of shining leaves was floating! The attack blew away the embers created by Ursula's combined attack, and Starmie reacted just in the nick of time to avoid a punishing blow, by spinning on itself like a top!
"Starmie, protect yourself with Rapid Spin!" the redhead exclaimed. Like a shuriken, Starmie launched itself at the Leaf Storm, and Ariana smirked cruelly, confident that the starfish Pokemon was not going to be able to withstand the blow...
"Hehehee... you're such a fool! I can't believe you did something that dumb!" Ariana smirked. "Don't you know that Starmies are weak to Grass-type attacks? It will never be able to break through the Leaf Storm!"
Much to Ariana's disappointment, Misty smirked back. "Surprise, surprise... I never wanted Starmie to go through it in the first place! Who do you take me for? I would never be able to become the best Water-type trainer there is if I didn't know their weak points, right?" she said. Before Ariana could do anything about it, Starmie swerved to its left and avoided the Leaf Storm entirely, before passing by Victreebell and nicking him in the side with its rotating appendages, causing him to flinch in pain! The starfish-like Pokemon landed behind Victreebell... and Psyduck, who had been forgotten in all the mess, concentrating hard in order to focus his psychic powers, unleashed a Psychic attack just in time before being hit by the Leaf Storm attack!
"Starmie, use Psychic as well!" Misty ordered. The starfish Pokemon began glowing a dangerous shade of blue, and unleashed another wave of psychic energy, catching Victreebell between two attacks he was very weak to! Psyduck's attack eradicated the Leaf Storm and, while diminished in potency, went on to hit Victreebell head-on, just as Starmie's own Psychic attack connected as well... the result was, the Grass / Poison type was sandwiched between the two bursts of psychic energy and mercilessly hammered, before being lifted up and slammed on the ground with a loud thud! Victreebell screeched and collapsed as his eyes turned into swirls, and Ariana could barely contain a swear word as her two strongest Pokemon were defeated, and the ranks of her Rocket grunts were being thinned. Now there was little preventing Misty, Dawn and Ursula from getting the Sapphire themselves... but Ariana was not going to give up without at least trying to salvage things!
"Ugh... this is bad! Someone get the Sapphire, before they get ahold of it!" she ordered, and a grunt with a Bellsprout, one of the few enemy Pokemon left standing, ordered his fighter to use Vine Whip to grab the mysterious jewel. Unfortunately for him, he still had to deal with Misty and one of her Pokemon, which she quickly released from her Pokeball.
"You're not going anywhere with it!" the redhead exclaimed. "Mantyke, grab that gem!"
"Mantyke!" the small manta ray exclaimed, her wing-like fins extended as she glided hapily through the air. With a swoop, she slapped Bellsprout's Vine Whip away using a Wing Attack, and as the Grass-type retreated with a pained yelp, she grabbed the jewel between her fins and flew up again, her tail raised intriumph as Piplup, Togekiss, Flareon and Gabite all celebrated the win!
"Yay!" Dawn cheered. "Awesome job, Misty! Well done, Mantyke!"
Ursula smirked triumphantly at Ariana. "Hehehee... so, gentlemen... what will it be?"
Ariana knew when she was beaten, and this was exactly the case. "Tch... just what we didn't need... they got the Sapphire!" she muttered as she recalled her defeated Vileplume and Victreebell. "Useless... let's just retreat! The day is lost, at this point! We can just hope Archer and Ptrel were luckier than we were! Let's get out of here, all of us!"
"Careful! They're trying to get away!" Ursula warned, still unsatisfied of the beatdown they had inflicted upon Team Rocket. She was about to order her Flareon and Gabite to cut off Ariana and her men's escape route, but Misty and Dawn thought otherwise.
"That doesn't matter... for now, what's important is that we've managed to damage their plans enough!" Misty said. "Now, we need to find miss Lorelei and the others, and get out of here!"
"She's right... we can be content with what we've got!" Dawn agreed, as each Pokemon returned to their own trainers, and Mantyke gave Misty the Sapphire, earning herself a smile and a gentle stroke on the back...
oooooooooo
"Dewgong, Cloyster... both of you, Aurora Beam!"
Despite being a little winded from the protracted battle against a veritable horde of enemies, the seal-like Pokemon and the giant oyster charged up for a second before shooting a pair of multicolored freezing beams at their opponents, which struck the few remaining Pokemon and encased them in blocks of solid ice, with surprised expression literally frozen upon their faces!
"And that's all. Great job, you two!" Lorelei complimented her two Pokemon, who were still smiling despite being fatigued, proud to have proved themselves to their trainer once again. A sudden alarm siren warned them and Lorelei, as Team Rocket recalled their downed Pokemon and began running for it, leaving their tired but victorious opponents in the middle of the arena.
"It seems to me that the other girls did a good job as well, to send Team Rocket running like that." Lorelei commented. "Fair enough. Dewgong, Cloyster, let's go back and get out of here. I'm pretty sure Team Rocket won't bother with this island any more."
oooooooooo
"Weezing, Body Slam!"
"Seviper, Poison Tail, once more!"
The two Pokemon violently clashed against one another, and Seviper's envenomed tail struck Proton's Weezing between the eyes, breaking its stride for a split second before the massivefloating Pokemon pushed the adder backwards, tossing her to the ground in a tangle of coils that picked herself up a few seonds later. Seviper hissed angrily and got ready to strike again, shaking her bladed tail...
But the evacuation call echoed in the room before the two of them could resume their fight, as Miyu and her Absol and Umbreon mopped up the last remaining grunts. Sighing in annoyance, Proton recalled his Weezing, and the gas-filled Pokemon disappeared in his Pokeball after glaring at Jessie and her Seviper, promising them that there wold be a rematch.
"Tch... looks like you get away easy this time, rugrats..." Proton sneered. "But next time, you won't be so lucky! Count your blessings, because they're going to end soon!"
"W-what do you mean? Who are you calling a rugrat, you old coot?" Jessie exclaimed, taking offense at the term. Proton did not even stop to answer her, and turned tail, his men following him suit... and Jessie was left to sputter in indignation! "Arrrgh! Will you look at him, just running away like that! Gah, it annoys me to no end..."
"Seviperrrrr..." the adder Pokemon hissed, not liking the idea of having to postpone the outcome of that battle. However, Miyu calmly pointed out that those things could wait until later.
"You'll get another chance at him later." she said, her Absol and Umbreon by her side. "For now, we'd better get a move and run away from here. Lorelei and the others should be out of this place, by now..."
"Alright..." Jessie sighed in resignation, motioning for Seviper to come with her...
oooooooooo
That evening, as Chrono Island continued its everyday life without anyone the wiser about what had happened below the surface, a Lapras and a Gyarados were sailing towards the open sea, bringing the six girls who had just fought their way througn the many traps of Team Rocket's hideout. One of them was holding on to the gem they had managed to snatch away from Team Rocket, and was now showing it to Lorelei as Lapras and Gyarados were swimming side by side.
"There it is, miss Lorelei... we found this strange gem in Team Rocket's hideout, and we think it might be very important to Team Rocket's plans." Dawn was explaining to Lorelei, while casting a glance at Jessie from time to time. The blue-haired girl could see how Jessie was glaring at the precious gem... "We have no idea at all what they were going to do with it... but I'm sure it's rather important to their plans."
"Furthermore, I get a strange feeling every time I as much as look at it..." Misty added, remembering what had happened in the underground tunnels...
The Elite Four looked at the strange gemstone with interest, adjusting her glasses. "Hmmm... that's a pretty peculiar sapphire, in fact... they obviously want to make use of it for something sinister, like with the NeverMeltIce... but for now, the fact that we have it means that we can rest easy of that, at least." she affirmed. "Okay... then, as soon as I get a chance to, I'll conduct a few studies on this sapphire... for now, we should go back to the boat and seek a place where we can spend the night at... tomorrow morning, we'll sail to Quest Island, hoping that the guys have had the same luck as we did..."
"Yeah..." Misty answered hopefully, her heart going out to her friends, and to Ash in particular... she was hoping that they had managed to throw a wrench in Team Rocket's plans as well.
"Alright... next stop, Quest Island... right?" Ursula concluded with a sigh. "Fine by me. The sooner we sort out this mess, the sooner I can get back to my training journey. And I still have some pent-up rage to vent on those scoundrels..."
"Lapraaaaaas..." Lapras emitted his melodious call, as he and Gyarados continued on their way, bathed in the orange light of the dusk...
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: Despite technical difficulties, I was finally able to update this! The battle against Ariana and her minions was rather hard, but Misty, Dawn and Ursula managed to pull through in the end... and once again, Lorelei proves that she's a force to be reckoned with!
This chapter was a bit tough for me to write for another factor: I had to keep Lorelei out of the main fight. Her Pokemon team is much stronger than any of the other protagonists', and if she faced Ariana, the battle would have been far too easy for our heroines. In fact, I wonder if, despite this, I didn't make things too easy on them without meaning to...
But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you next time with Chapter 33, where we will get to see what Ash, Brock and the other guys are up to! See you as soon as I can update again!