Pokemon Heart Soul Adventures
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Chapter 40 - Friends To The End
"Very well... I suppose all we have to do now is wait." Drew murmured to himself, looking around in apparent nonchalance as he walked along the dusty road, following the plan he and Solidad had worked up. "Solidad knows what she's doing, but we'll need to have an excellent timing, and we will take care not to commit any mistake. There are some lives on the line here..."
The green-haired lad grabbed the Pokeball containing his Roserade and smiled ironically as he turned it around in his hand. "Well, Roserade... I guess you'll never let me hear the end of it, once this whole deal is done with. About me and May being sweet on each other, I mean. Even Soledad is completely sold on that. Although, I will admit that May is a great person, and I admire her skills as a coordinator... but this is not the right time to think of this, is it?"
Anyway, it also wasn't the right time to worry, at least for the moment. There was no sign of Team Vicious anywhere. Maybe they were still too close to the town, and the criminals were trying to keep a low profile. That wasn't a problem, though... all he had to do was get some distance away from the city, and look like he was on his own. Up until then, nothing problematic.
Drew look a left, and begn walking through a large clearing filled with knee-high grass and colourful wild flowers, before coming to a fork in the road, both direction looking like they were leading to the middle of nowhere. Without thinking about it too much, Drew took a right and glanced around, his senses keen on picking up even the slightest alarming sound.
Several minutes went by without anything happening, and Drew was starting to think hat Team Vicious had decided to wait before attacking again, so that he may lower his guard... but before he could think about it further, he heard a faint but still clear sound of momoving grass to his right, which caused him to instantly stop and turn to that direction, seeing something moving in the tall grass for just a split second. He couldn't see exactly what was it, but it was reason enough to be warned in his opinion, and Drew immediatelt reached for his Pokeballs.
The surroundings were plunged in silence and stillness once again, aside from the soothing sound of the tall grass getting moved by the wind... but Drew was not one to be fooled by appearences, and get ready by sending out one of his strongest Pokemon: his Roserade, an elegant rose-like humanoid Pokemon with a crown of white petals to act as hair, and an eye mask that made him look mysterious and charming. He had a pair of flowers, one red and one blue, instead of hands, and he seemed to be wearing a bodysuit the color of fresh grass, which made his agile and quick features stand out. The Grass / Poison Pokemon appeared in a swirl of colourful petals and stood on guard.
Drew kept looking around... and a few seconds later, a few puffs of smoke rose from the tall grass surrounding him, and enveloped him in a cloud of pungent-smelling white smoke. The green-haired boy sneezed and tried to wave the smoke away, while a few humanlike figures stood up all around him, and began advancing towards him in a clear gesture of threat. Drew couldn't help but crack a small smile of satisfaction. Apparently, Team Vicious had actually decided to show up after all... and in fact, he could see that a few Pokemon were appearing at the sides of the mysterious men! One of them was a Sudowoodo... then, there was a short, stocky figure covered in spiky fur with leaves for hands - a Shiftry, no doubt about that. His opponents seemed to have come prepared this time, and he would not have been surprised if May was among them...
"Hmm... nice welcome commitee, I have to say." Drew said sarcastically, as his opponents sent out one Pokemon after the other. His Roserade noticed Shiftry hanging back... and then unleashing a Razor Leaf attack on both of them, by throwing a handful of blade-sharp leaves as if they were shuriken! But the rose Pokemon was undaunted, and answered with a Magical Leaf attack, by doing a rapid pirouette and opening his arms, sending out a barrage of lumious leaves that came out of nowhere! The Magical Leaf attack intercepted the Razor Leaves in midair, the two attack cancelling each other out in a shower of green light, while the noxious fog Team Vicious had used as a smokescreen was rapidly being blown away, allowing Drewand Roserade to actually see their attackers. Just like Drew thought, it was a small group of no more than five masked individuals, all of them accompanied by a tough and aggressive-looking Pokemon. Besides Sudowoodo and Shiftry, the green-haired boy saw a Mothim - a large butterfly with multicolored wings, quite similar to a Beautifly - an Houndoom and a Poliwrath.
"Five to one. The odds don't look that good to me, so... allow me to even them out a little!" Drew said, taking out another of his Pokeballs. His Flygon popped out of it, now completely rested and ready for battle... and several of his opponents' Pokemon hung back, realizing they were up against a dangerous foe. The enemy Houndoom stepped up first and opened his jaws, showing an ominous-looking sphere of flames burning between them, and Drew's Flygon flew in front of Roserade to shield him from a potentially dangerous attack, but several enemies took advantage of that instant of distraction to swarm them. The enemy Poliwrath fired an Ice Beam that struck the drake's sinuous tail, causing him to shriek in pain and alarm, while Team Vicious' Sudowoodo tried for a Rock Slide attack, throwing a massive handful of fist-sized stones against his opponents! Roserade pirouetted around and managed to dodge the Rock-type attack, only to find himself within Mothim's firing range!
The giant butterfly fired a Psybeam from his antennae, shooting Roserade with a multicolored beam of psychic energy, but the Grass / Poison type was still able to defend himself by crossing his arms in front of himself and blocking the direct hit, but still taking quite a hit and being forced to the ground. He quickly picked himself up once again and decided it was time to fight back, this time by pointing his flower-hands towards Mothim and Poliwrath.
"Now, Roserade! Use Giga Drain!" Drew exclaimed. The flower-like Pokemon was quick to obey, and after he closed his eyes, a swarm of small orbs of green light was dragged from Mothim and Poliwrath to Roserade's body and was absorbed by the Grass / Poison Pokemon. Mothim seemed to shrug it off without trouble... but the more vulnerable Poliwrath swayed a little and dropped on one knee, before placing both his hands on the floor in sudden fatigue. Roserade, for his part, felt rejuvenated as soon as the orbs of green light were drawn into his body.
Flygon was still dealing with Houndoom and Sudowoodo, while the enemy Shiftry was sneaking around in the tall grass, sniping at Flygon from time to time with a volley of Razor Leaves. The black hound was trying to avoid a direct physical confrontation, his teeth wreathed in red flames as he tried to chomp on Flygon with his Fire Fang attack, while Sudowoodo was using Mimic to copy Houndoom's attacks and use them to the best of his abilities against his opponent. Sadly for them, their opponent was not about to get defeated so easily...
"Alright, I guess playtime is over. Flygon, use Earthquake!" Drew ordered. The Dragon / Ground Pokemon quickly dropped to the ground with all of his weight and strength, shaking the ground with the sheer force of the impact and striking both enemies! Houndoom howled in annoyed surprise before being thrown backwards in a stunned heap, and even the more resistant Sudowoodo had trouble standing such a powerful and relentless assault. Houndoom tried to stand up again, but after a few failed attempts, he gave up and slumped to the floor, panting breathlessly.
"Good job, Flygon!" Drew exclaimed. "And now... let's take out that two-bit ninja. Absol, you're up! You know what to do!"
Drew's elegant Dark-type jumped out of his Pokeball and ran twards the place from where Shiftry had popped up more recently, executing a flawless Aerial Ace attack by swinging his scythe-like extension in a powerful arc, which knocked the Grass / Dark type out of its hiding place and sent him rolling on the ground for a fair distance. Shiftry rolled with the blow somewhat and stood up again, but Drew's Absol jumped out of the grass like a pouncing panther and landed in front of him in a gesture of challenge, his scythelike blade shining sinisterly in the sunlight.
Roserade was still dealing with the enemy Roserade, who quickly swooped down upon him to execute an Air Slash attack. With a well-timed Double Team move, the Grass / Poison rose-like Pokemon caused the giant butterfly to hit one of his after-images... then, before the opponent could turn around and try again, Roserade conjured a boiling orb of sticky purple liquid in his hands...
"And now... Sludge Bomb!" Drew ordered.
Roserade tossed the orb of noxious sludge towards Mothim, hitting him just as the Bug / Flying Pokemon was getting ready for another attack. Mothim screeched loudly and crashed to the ground when the powerful Poison-type attack struck him, splashing the surroundings in foul-smelling slime! The butterfly-like Pokemon managed to pick himself up again and frantically moved his wings as he tried to regain altitude... but his trainer decided his Pokemon had had enough and recalled him before he could get hurt further.
"Well, I'd say we're even now." the green-haired lad commented.
In fact, with Houndoom and Mothim defeated, only three Pokemon were left, each one of them now fighting against one of Drew's Pokemon: Absol was up against Shiftry, Flygon against Sudowoodo, and Roserade against Poliwrath. And the latter one looked rather beat up anyway. The battle was not going to last much longer... and in fact, not wanting to prolong things more than necessary, Roserade sighed and pirouetted around, before Poliwrath could aim another Ice Beam. Roserade's Stun Spore attack, in the guise of a fine golden dust that fell upon Poliwrath, slowing down the gigantic tadpole's movements and forcing him to sit down in exhaustion. Flygon was having just a little more trouble with the more resistant Sudowoodo, and Drew was hesitant to use Dragon Claw or some other Dragon-type attack, as he knew Sudowoodo might have copied it with Mimic and use it against Flygon... so, he decided he might as well use a little cunning to end this battle.
"That's it, Flygon! Now, try using Dig!" the green-haired boy exclaimed. Immediately, the lion-ant Pokemon dropped down and began digging a hole, before rushing towards Sudowoodo like some sort of underground missile... but that seemed to be exactly what Sudowoodo's trainer wanted!
"Heheheee... not very smart now, are you, boy?" the Team Vicious grunt sneered. "You should know that Earthquake can hit even an opponent that is hiding underground... and is actually particularly effective against those! Sudowoodo, use Mimic to imitate Earthquake!"
The stone tree waved his arms in the air... and one split second later, he jumped up to land heavily in the place where Flygon was. However, Drew did not seem worried in the least... rather, his opponent's naivete caused him to smirk arrogantly!
"I'm afraid I will have to contradict you, and to tell you that the joke is on you." Drew said. "Did you forget about Flygon's Levitate ability? Or were those wings not enough of a hint? Now, Flygon!"
The lion-ant Pokemon was just waiting for that. With a sudden lunge, he emerged from the ground, spraying earth and stone all around before taking altitude, avoiding Sudowoodo's Earthquake attack in the nick of time! The heavy Rock-type Pokemon landed just one moment too late to hit Flygon, and the ground, which had been weakened by Flygon's tunneling, collapsed and left the surprised Sudowoodo half-buried in the rubble! Writhing in alarm, Sudowoodo tried getting free, but his frantic attempt to free himself only managed to make him sink further!
"Just like I was hoping." Drew stated. "Let's wrap this up with Dragon Claw, Flygon!"
Flygon swept down and struck Sudowoodo with a powerful swipe of his right claw, which was wrapped in a multicolored aura... and the Rock-type Pokemon, having already been weakened in the previous clashes, could not hold out any more and fainted, still half-buried in the soft ground. Now, all that was left was Absol fighting Shiftry... and just then, the ninja-like Pokemon had managed to slip through Absol's guard and hit him with a super effective Brick Break attack, which caused the white-furred Pokemon to flinch dangerously. Emboldened by that brief advantage, Shiftry smirked and threw a Feint Attack, hitting Absol in the side... but this time, he was unable to get away in time, before Absol grabbed one of Shiftry's thin arms and held him tight.
"This should do it... Absol, use Superpower!" Drew ordered. Absol narrowed his eyes, giving the impression that he was smirking narrowly... then, he leapt up in the air and began spinning around in midair... one, two, three times... as soon as he gained enough momentum, Absol let go and slammed the opponent on the ground!
...
*KA-BOOOOOOM!*
There was a deafening boom and a huge cloud of dust was kicked up in the air as Shiftry hit the ground with incredible speed, and Absol somersaulted through the air and landed nonchalantly, straightening out his fur as he did so. When the dust cleared, Drew could see that even the last enemy Pokemon was laid out on the ground, and the Team Vicious assault squad had nothing more to send against Drew and his Pokemon. However, the young man didn't drop his guard, knowing that it could have been a simple diversive, or an attempt to weaken him before a much tougher battle. With a wave of his arm, Drew recalled Roserade, Absol and Flygon, who stood around him like a bunch of well-trained bodyguards, and glared nastily at the Team Vicious grunts.
"You are the ones who are forcing May to attack those trainers, right?" the young man said severely. "What are you planning? I'd guess you wanted to force me into joining your little party as well..."
None of the five grunts replied as they recalled their defeated Pokemon... but just thwn, another masked figure, smaller than the others andwith a decidedly feminine countenance, emerged from a nearby bush and walked towards Drew, while at the same time motioning for the rest of the grunts to step aside. As his Pokemon gathered closer to him, Drew narrowed his eyes, recognizing who was that...
"May... I knew you'd be here." the green-haired lad said. "I can imagine why you're working with these guys... but I'm afraid I'll have to inform you that I won't let myself be captured. Which means, you'll have to face me in a Pokemon battle."
May stopped a few feet away from her friend and rival and got a Pokeball ready. "I have not come to chit-chat, Drew. Though I'd rather not do this, you will have to come with me, whether you want it or not." she said, hating herself for what she was about to do. "If you are going to oppose this, I will have no choice but to make you come, so... get ready! Glaceon, spotlight!"
"EOOOON!" the graceful Ice-Type Pokemon chanted in his melodious voice as he popped out of his Pokeball and landed on the dusty street with a feline grace, taking a good look at the three Pokemon surrounding Drew. His insticts told him that it was not going to be hard to defeat Roserade and Flygon, but he was more uncertain about Absol...
Drew sighed, recalling Roserade and Flygon. "Well, if this is how you want it, May... I have no choice but to do my best to defeat you. Absol, your turn again. Do you feel up to it?"
"Absol!" the Dark-type answered, even though the hits he had taken from Shiftry earlier in the battle had left a bit of a mark. He crouched down on all fours, ready to lunge at his opponent... and May shook her head and gave her first order.
"As you prefer, Drew... Glaceon, use Bubblebeam!" the girl answered. The Ice-Type Eevee evolution's eyes lit up, shining with an intense whitish-azure light, and he opened his mouth, shooting out an high-speed stream of bubbles that struck Absol head-on, causing him to flinch and be stunned for a moment. Drew began fearing that his Pokemon was too tired to go on fighting, but much to his relief, Absol stood up again, shook his head and got ready for another round.
"I'm afraid I've been too hasty this time..." Drew murmured to himself. "That last Superpower attack has weakened Absol, and he might not be able to last long in a marathon fight. Well, if that's the case, I'll just have to end this quickly. Absol, use Night Slash!"
"Sol!" the Dark-type answered unhesitatingly. Just as Glaceon seemed about to start a new attack, and some hail was beginning to fall down around his lithe body, Absol dashed forward and struck out with his claws, surrounded in a barely-visible black aura. Glaceon howled in pain and staggered, but managed to stand... and when May made a motion with her head, the Ice-Type's small body began glowing in a strange azure light, which meant he was about to use a powerful attack...
Or at least, this was the plan. But something interfered at the last moment.
A Mist attack, seemingly coming out of nowhere, completely enveloped the battlefield, catching both May and her Glaceon by surprise, and spoiling the Hail attack that Glaceon was about to use! With a surprised yelp, May looked around himself, seeing the other Team Vicious grunts stepping backwards in fear, and hearing somebody else's swift pacing coming from an unknown direction! She turned around, hoping it was the right direction... and in the midst of the blinding fog, she suddenly came face to face with a huge azure-skinned sea tortoise with big, peacweful eyes... and with a tall, elegant-looking rose-haired girl, whom May had no trouble recognizing!
"Yo." the girl said, smiling and winking at May.
"So... Sol... Soledad?" May exclaimed, caught off guard by the smile and the affable tone that the winner of the latest Hoenn Grand Festival was using with her. May sure was not expecting to see her so early on, and under such circumstances! Her plan was to face Soledad only after dealiong with Drew and Harley, and only with enough Team Vicious grunts at her side. "What... what are you doing here?"
"Well, can't I go say hello to an old friend of mine, while I was passing through?" Soledad answered cheerfully, as if the fact that a Pokemon battle was about to rage around her was none of her concern. "Especially since somebody told me that this friend was in a bit of a pinch, and I could have helped her get out of it."
May stood on the defensive. She knew that she was being spied upon by Demitri, and she was not going to risk Max and Hilde's life because of an imprudence. She stepped away from Soledad and took another Pokeball, probably her Blaziken's... but much to her surprise, Soledad's expression didn't change at all. "Oh, and if you're worried about being spied upon... don't fret! My Lapras' Mist attack should interfere with trasmission devices, so we can have some time to chat to ourselves. Pretty neat, huh?"
"La Lapras!" the sea tortoise chanted.
May blinked behind her visor, then looked at her shoulder, where she knew that Demitri had placed a trasmission device. Now, the bean-sized trasmitter was blinking in an odd manner and emitting unusual red lights... which probably meant that the Mist attack was actually hindering its functions.
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One thing Demitri loved was advanced technology. Thanks to the transmitter he and his minions had placed on May's uniform, he was able to monitor his new underling's progresses by simply sitting upon his desk, and to verify whether May was actually doing what she had been ordered to. It had been that way up until then, and Demitri had to admit that he liked the way he was holding her in thrall and how the fight with Drew's Absol was going.
Which was why he was more than a little annoyed when the screen in front of him began malfunctioning!
"What? What... is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed in irritation, hitting the screen which was now showing nothing but static. The transmission had been interrupted, and he couldn't even hear what was being said anymore. "I had been assured that our transmitter would have allowed us to keep a watch on that brat wherever she went! Why is the transmission being disturbed now?"
Much to his chagrin, the only people in the room were low-ranking grunts who had no idea how those things worked. "Er... we... we really have no idea, master Demitri!" one of them meekly answered. "There must have been an interference or something... or maybe the transmitter suffered a blow during the battle!"
"I was told that it was too robust to be damaged so easily!" the young Team Vicious commander shouted, slamming his hand on his desk. "So now you get to work and repair this screen! This is an order!"
The grunts quickly got to work... or better say, they got to the screen and tried to make it function again with the most mundane methods they could think of, by tilting the screen or hitting it... all of which they had to do under Demitri's hateful stare, which made them think he was ready to pounce on them at a moment's notice...
Demitri grit his teeth and looked around. Where was that good-for-nothing Stefan, when he needed him?
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"Don't worry, May, now there's no way they can spy on us while we're talking." Soledad said as she and her Lapras were approaching the chestnut-haired girl in a way as not to make her go on the defensive. "In fact... while we're here, couldn't you take that mask off for now? You know, I don't like chatting with what appears to be a faceless robot..."
May hesitated a little... but the truth was, she was actually hoping for someone to help her, and she wanted to get rid of her oppressive secret just as much as Drew and Soledad wanted to know about it. So, after a few long seconds, and after making sure drew and his Pokemon were still there, May brought both her hands to her helmet and took it off, letting her long chestnut hair flow down both sides of her head. This was when Soledad was close enough to see the almost pleading expression in her young friend's deep eyes, and that there was no need to be as perceptive as Drew and Soledad were to understand that May was desperate to tell them what was really going on.
"May..." Solidad said, appearing more and more like a patient older sister trying to support a younger one. "I told you, we can talk safely now. So... what happened? You are not the kind of person to join those people of your own free will, I know you all too well."
The younger girl stepped forward, with Drew standing at her side in an encouraging manner. "Solidad..." she said, her eyes wavering a little. "I... yes, it's true... I didn't join these people... Team Vicious, they call themselves... of my own will. They have Max hostage... and they are forcing me... to kidnap other trainer, just like Harley a few days ago. It was I who captured him and brought him to them... oh, good heavens, what kind of person am I? How... how could I...?"
"May..." Drew said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Please, don't let your disconfort get to you. It's not the time to play the blame game. Let's just say... you couldn't see any other way out, and you were trying to keep your brother safe."
May nodded slowly and regained her composure, now feeling angrier than she had ever been. What she wanted to, right at that moment, was to walk up to Demitri and punch him out. "Yeah... that's true. They caught Max and a girl who's a starter trainer just like him." she answered. "I was ordered to capture you, Drew, as well as Harley and soledad in exchange for Max and Hilde's safety. But... frankly, I am afraid they might turn back on their word even if I did what they wanted."
"I think any other person, in your place, would have done what you did as well." the Pewter City coordinator stated. "And I have to say, those criminals look like they're thinking pretty big. Kidnapping some of the most experiences coordinators around... they must have something huge in the works!"
"They probably want to build up an army of skilled trainers and coordinators. Either to storm the Pokemon League, capture some Legendary Pokemon, or what have you." May answered. She noticed that Lapras' Mist attack was beginning to fade, and when it did, they would not be safe anymore. "But... this isn't the time to think about what Team Vicious might or might not do. If we don't get an idea soon, we'll be discovered."
Drew smiled and rubbed at his chin, getting an idea already. "I think I know what to do. Admittedly, it's kinda risky, but... if it works, we can get to Team Vicious' hideout and rescue Max and the others. After all... Max is kept in the same place you have to return to, right?"
May nodded. "Yes... hold on, Drew, I think I understand what you mean!" she affirmed. "In other words, you and Soledad are going to pretend having been captured, and I'll take you straight to Team Vicious' hideout. Did I get it right?"
Drew winked gallantly, while Soledad nodded in approval. "That sounds like a good idea... if that is the case, then, we need to make it look like you defeated us in a Pokemon battle, May... so they won't be able to suspect a deceit!" the Pewter City coordinator stated. "And when they least expect it, we strike! Those scoundrels who captured Max and Harley won't even know what hit them!"
For the first time ever since Max had been kidnapped, May managed to crack an hesitant smile. "Well... alright then! Drew, Soledad, I'll let Blaziken and Venusaur out as well! I need to make it look like it had been a difficult battle, after all..." she affirmed. Quickly, the brunette put her helmet back on and sent out her fully-evolved starter and her strongest Grass-type, before whispering something in their ears and in Glaceon's. The three Pokemon all nodded in assent, while Drew and Soledad whispered something to their own Pokemon in a similar way. Before the Team vicious grunts could see them ;venusaur, Blaziken and Glaceon placed themselves in a circle around May, panting as if they had just sustained a very hard fight... and at the same time, Absol, Flygon, Roserade and Lapras laid down on the ground and acted like they had been defeated, in order to make the whole charade look believable. Drew and Soledad knelt on the ground beside their Pokemon, as if checking on them... and that was the scene that the Team Vicious grunt saw before them as soon as the Mist attack faded away.
"No! Lapras!" Soledad exclaim, acting as if she had actually just lost a battle.
Drew shook his head. "I can't believe this..." he murmured. "I'd never have expected you to become that powerful..."
May took a short breath, hoping her actin abilities were as good as her friends'. "I told you, didn't I? By joining Team Vicious, I became a lot stronger than I could have if I had remained a licensed trainer." she said, trying to sound direct and self-assured. "And now... enough talking, you've lost! Men, take these two and keep them from running away! Make sure they don't try anything funny until we're back to HQ."
Somewhat surprised, the Team Vicious grunts soon got their act together and saw that things seemed to be under control, so they got closer to Drew and Soledad, forcing them to recall their Pokemon before tying their wrists together with strong ropes and start pushing them forward.
"Ow!" Soledad exclaimed, when a rough shove hurt her wrist. "Enough with pushing already! I can walk on my own, thank you very much!"
Drew, for his part, was faking indignation very well. "Ugh... don't you try hurting my friend, you scoundrels!" he exclaimed. "Where are you going to take us now? What do you have in mind?"
"Enough with your complaining, you two!" a grunt shouted while tying the green-haired boy's wrists. "Your interference has vexed Commander Demitri quite a bit, and you aren't going to get away this time! From now on, you'll start a new life as servants of Team Vicious, soon to be the most powerful organization in the world!"
"We will never serve you." Soledad hissed, trying to get free of the ropes tying her hands together.
"Hmph, this is what we're going to see. Your former friend who just now defeated you didn't seem to be so hesitant about it." another grunt mentioned. "And now, move! And you, new grunt... you did a good job, and I'm sure commander Demitri will be satisfied when we'll show him these two champions on a silver platter!"
"I don't care about what you want to do." May answered. "I only care about having my brother back. I hope for your sake you haven't even put a scratch on him."
The grunt who had spoken before chuckled in amusement. "Heheheee... don't worry, a pact is still a pact. And commander Demitri is a honorable person. You'll soon be able to see your beloved little bro again. After these two are safely locked up behind bars, that is. Heheheee..."
May looked down and clenched a fist at her side. She resisted the strong urge to answer, and resigned to waiting until they were back to HQ, in order to start with their plan to save Max, Hilde and Harley. There was no room for error this time...
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"Commander Demitri, looks like our minicam had resumed working." one of the grunts in the young executive's officer stated, pointing at the screen in front of them, which had started showing once again the battle, or rather its results.
"Yeah, kinda hard not to notice." Demitri snarked nonchalantly. "Oh well. That means the plan is going on without any more hitches. May did just what we requested of her... and we'll soon have two great coordinators at our beck and call. A Grand Festival winner with a great grasp of strategy ... what more could we wish for? Okay... make all the necessary preparatives to greet our new guests... and call my idiot brother to my office. I'm going to need him soon enough."
The grunts had the feeling that their boss was being overconfident about this, but they dared not contradict him, and instead began following the order, saluting before walking out of the room and leaving Demitri to giggle dementedly to himself, satisfied about the results of his plan.
"And this is done!" he chuckled. "Hehehee... I'm sure those two losers, Cezar and Jakov, are still stumbling around looking for possible recruits... heh, it's their funeral. For my part, I'm sure our leader will praise me when I'll present May, Drew, Harley and soledad to him! Hehehee..."
La recluta che aveva parlato prima sghignazzò divertita. "Hehehee... tranquilla, un patto è un patto, e il signor Demitri è un uomo d'onore. Tra non molto potrai rivedere il tuo caro fratellino. Una volta che questi due saranno ben custoditi dietro due file di sbarre, si intende! Heheheee..."
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As much as DEmitri liked to think he had everything under control, he had no idea that one of the people closest to him was now working to undermine him. In fact, his brother Stefan was now sitting in his own room, working on a plan that could potentially be devastating for Team Vicious... and for Demitri's chances to curry favour with his boss! The young man was typing furiously at a keyboard, looking at a few files - namely, the programs controlling the security cameras and the cages in which the Pokemon captured by Team Vicious were being kept. He was looking for a possible weak point in the system, one that he could use without tipping his hand too much.
"Okay... let's see how these mechanisms work... quite interesting..." he murmured to himself. "Looks like there's a strange locking system that recognized digital prints... so, in theory, all I have to do is bypass the memorized patterns and the cages would open for anyone. Still, that leaves the security cameras, which are a bit more of a problem. I can't deactivate them without revealing myself... I'll have to wait for a better moment, if I want to get that Ralts and all those Pokemon free. Still, the fact that surveillance isn't as fool-proof as my brother would like to think is a positive."
After saving his work, Stefan closed his laptop and took a quick look at his wristwatch, seeing that it was already kind of late. Better to get a move on, or Demitri would have started to suspect something. Still, he knew he could now help those guys... and maybe appease his conscience who was growing louder and louder every time..."
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A few hours later...
As a grunt knocked at Demitri's door, and the young Team Vicious executive murmured an affirmative before the door opened up with a brief clicking sound. Immediately, the hit squad that had been sent to capture Drew arrived, dragging the prisoners along, and a predatory grin plastered itself on Demitri's face as he saw that both Drew and Soledad were there. Talk about hitting two Taillows with one stone!
"Oh, very well!" Demitri stated rubbing his hands together as May entered last, closing the door behind her. Soledad glared at the Team Vicious executive, who ignored her and went on. "I see you've fulfilled your mission now, my dear little May! You managed to bring both Drew and Soledad to us! Now four of Hoenn's top coordinators are in our hands! You will be rewarded for your success!"
"What are you going to do with us, huh?" Drew asked threateningly. "If you want us to work for you, my answer is a big fat no!"
"Is that so, brat?" Demitri fired back. He stepped close to the green-haired boy and roughly seized him by his shirt, pulling him close until only a couple inches separated their faces. Drew was not about to give him the satisfaction of seeing him afraid, and glared back at him. "I guess you don't know much about Team Vicious, huh? Then, let me remind you that we have your friend here working for us. We always find a way to convince people... always! And to challenge us is to be tired of living! And now..."
With a rough gesture of his arm, Demitri threw Drew to the ground, and the green-haired lad grit his teeth in sudden pain as he ended up sprawled on the ground, causing May to seethe with anger. She forced herswelf to be patient, she would pay Demitri back very soon...
"Take these two to their cells. Some time on their own will convince them to be more reasonable. Of course, take all of their Pokemon before that. We don't want them to rebel, do we?" Demitri stated. "And call Stefan too. He'll take care of their cells. May, since you're the reason why this operation was a success... by all means, you can accompany them! Hehehee..."
"Laugh all you want..." Soledad thought to herself while being dragged away by the grunts. "Your triumph won't last long. We're going to wipe that smug grin off your face soon..."
oooooooooo
"So... you always wanted to find that Ralts again after that day, right?" Hilde asked, as she listened to the story Max was telling her from his own cell. She had no idea her friend / rival had already had such a touching experience with Pokemon, even before he had started on his journey.
Max smiled melanchonically as he adjust his glasses. "Yeah... and I felt a familiar feeling earlier on, here... it kinda seems to me that at this moment that very same Ralts is here, and he's just waiting for me to come fetch him. I know, I know... it's kinda ridiculous, but I noticed such coincidences do happens from time to time."
"Who knows, maybe it will actually come true!" Hilde said with a shrug. "Though... well, we'll have to get out of here before we know for sure, and it's going to be rather hard..."
Max raised a hand to motion for her to talk in a quieter voice. "Sssh! Hold on a sec here... I think I heard someone coming!"
Hilde blinked and got closer to the corridor, tending her ears and managing to hear some confused voices getting closer, and even if it was distorted by that sort of gas mask they all wore, the girl thought she recognized May's voice, along with a few others she couldn't recognize. Without knowing what to expect, the children began waiting for the Team Vicious grunts to come...
And were quite surprised when, just as they were aboutto arrive, there was a dull thud, followed by a sudden gasp... and the sound of an automated door closing, and Pokeballs being opened up! Several swift shadows darted here and there, and the flabbergasted Team Vicious grunts couldn't do anything before being knocked out like a bunch of amateurs!
"Argh... the treachery! Help..." a grunt managed to murmur before fainting.
"Well, that takes care of these guys." a clear female voice said. "Now, let's see about giving the what for to that guy as well... huh? Why is he stopping his comrades from following us?"
"What... what are they doing?" Max asked himself, not really knowing what to think. However, he was sure he had heard that girl's voice somewhere, he just wasn't sure where... "Sounds to me like they're quarreling..."
"Hold on a second!" another Team Vicious grunt exclaimed. "We don't need to fight! You remember me, May? It's me, Stefan, Demitri's brother... and I'm on your side!"
"Stefan!" May exclaimed in surprise a moment later, probably as Stefan took his helmet off and showed his face. "Drew, Soledad... we don't have to fight him! He's... different from the others, I can assure you!"
Drew and Soledad? Max's eyes went wide... so that's where he had already heard those voices! So, Drew was with May... and there was that coordinator who had defeated his sister at the Grand Festival! What was going on? Well... at least there was the chance that things were going to get better...
"Hmm... can we trust what our friend is saying... Stefan?" Drew's voice asked suspiciously. "Aren't you trying to get our trust and backstab us?"
"You can trust me, really!" Stefan's voice answered. "I can't tolerate what Team Vicious is doing any more... so I decided to help you and save your friends! And... you'll need me to save the Pokemon that are held prisoner here!"
"Alright then... we'll give you our trust." Soledad answered. "Make sure we don't come to regret it. And now... come on, guys, we have to free the prisoners and give Team Vicious what they have coming!"
In his cell, Max turned to Hilde and smiled joyfully! "Yay! I think we're saved now! My sister and her friends are coming to help us out of here! Looks like... that Team Vicious guy that had lured us in a trap, has now repented and decided to help us!" he exclaimed, much to Hilde's relief, and the girl managed a rare smile.
"What? Is... is this for real?" she exclaimed happily. A split second later, the steps became faster and clearer... and from a corner popped up May, joined by her two friends and by the turncoat Team Vicious grunt, holding the keys to the cells. Before anyone could question him, Stefan opened the door to Max's cell, allowing the young beginning trainer to run to his older sister and hug her for all he was worth!
"May!" the boy exclaimed. "And there are Drew and Soledad as well! How did you...?"
"It was thanks to these awesome friends I've got!" May answered, looking at Drew and Soledad with endless gratitude. "Are you okay, Max? They didn't hurt you and Hilde, did they?"
His sister's motor mouth did not annoy Max this time, as he could understand her perfectly. "Don't worry, sis... we're okay! They had us do a few tiring exercises, but Hilde and I are alright!" he stated, while Stefan made haste to free Hilde as well. "You, on the other hand... are you okay? Do you have your Pokemon with you? That crazy guy is soon going to realize something is wrong, and he'll send all of his minions at us! We need to escape, before it's too late!"
"Don't worry, Max..." Stefan answered, pointing at May, Drew and Soledad readying their Pokeballs. "I don't think anyone will be able to stop them from getting to my brother! You, on the other hand... you are the ones who have no Pokemon, right?"
"Yeah... Team Vicious took them away from us." Hilde answered. "Do you happen to know where they're keeping them?"
Stefam smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. That was just the moment he had been waiting for... "Luckily, I do, and I can take you there. But we need to make haste, before my former companions get to us. And besides which, Max, there's someone who would very much like to meet you again, and I'm sure you do as well!" he stated. May seemed a little puzzled, but Max caught on almost immediately.
"I'm not really sure what you're talking about..." May answered. "But in any case, do what you need to! Soledad, can you go with them? I think they'll need your help... Drew and I will handle Demitri... and I'm sorry, Stefan, but even he's your brother, we won't let him off the hook that easily for what he did to Max!"
"You don't need to apologize, May... I think my brother should get what he deserves for what he did to you!" Stefan answered. "We'll go fetch the Pokemon and come to your aid as soon as we can! I think we're in for one heck of a fight, too..."
"We know." Drew answered. "And we're obviously equipped to fight it, or else we wouldn't be here in the first place!"
"Then, let's get this show on the road!" Soledad answered, her eyes sparkling in determination...
oooooooooo
To say that Demitri's mood had plummeted would have been a gross understatement. Things had gone sour so quickly that he still had trouble processing what was going on. He was staring in front of himself in utter bewilderment, refusing to believe that everything had slipped away from his hands in mere seconds! And it had been his brother to aid those three insolent rugrats! How was that possible? How could it all be lost just then? It wasn't fair... he hadn't committed any mistake! His plan could not fail! Not when he was so close!
"C... Commander Demitri, what are you doing still here?" a female grunt asked, opening the door to his office. "We... we need to stall those intruders somehow! They're in the prison block, and we are trying to surround them... but it won't be easy, I'm afraid!"
With an angered growl, Demitri shook himself out of his reverie and ran to his desk to retrieve three Pokeballs, one of which was black with purple stripes! If he really had to take care of things himself... at least he would take down his traitorous brother and that presumptuous little girl who was out to ruin his plans!
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...