CHAPTER 32: Erika!
"Bane, use HypnoZen! Belle, use Sleep Eater! Mambo, Feather Sword Ace!"
"Bellossom, Jumpluff, and Victreebel, use Giga Drain!"
All three of her pokemon root themselves, powering up for their attacks.
Bane flies in first, targeting Bellossom. He sends a wave of energy, putting it to sleep instantly, then slamming into the grund with a psychic powered head butt. Bellossom goes down, and won't be getting back up for a while.
Belle sends a wave of hypnotic energy at Jumpluff, then lathes on and drags the sleeping pokemon into the air, before throwing it up, and sending a malicious wave of dream-devouring power at the grass type, causing it to fly back, off the platform. It doesnt come back up.
Mambo goes last, but certainly not least.
He throws a thick covering of down on the Victreebel, then summons his celestial power swords, before shooting beak-first into the Victreebel, but it barely budges.
It grabs Mambo, and holds him out, sending a deafening attack straight into Mambo's face, knocking him out instantly, and healing itself in the process. It throws Mambo's unconscious body to the side, where he bounces a couple times before skidding off the platform.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bellossom suddenly jump up, and launch a Giga Drain assault, right into Belle, who happened to be to close at the wrong time.
Belle screeches, as the green energy takes her to the ground with a loud THUMP!
"BELLE!" I yell, but her eyes are glazed, unconscious.
I return both Belle and Mambo, who Misty ran and grabbed for me, and call Bane over.
"Okay bud, this is it. You got this." I kiss his forehead, and he smiles, flapping back out.
I send out Beatrice and Alto.
"Bane, Hypnosis on Bellossom! Alto, Sing on Bellossom as well! Beatrice, protect them with a Defend Order!"
"Bellossom, use Giga Drain again! Victreebel, Vine Whip!"
Bane and Alto circle the Bellossom, sending round after round of hypnotic energy and soothing melodies into its ears, as Beatrice controls hordes of bee minion's, covering the two bird pokemon.
Bellossom is trying to grab one of the birds using Giga Drain, but they are to fast, and it keeps missing them, or hitting the minions.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see Victreebel unleash a devastating Vine Whip... at Bea.
"BEATRICE!" But it's to late.
The vine catches her by the wing, throwing her out of the field, and she skids a couple feet before coming to a dead stop.
I return her, cursing myself.
Then Bellossom gets Bane, and renders him unconscious in seconds, throwing his body like a ragdoll, across the field.
Alto barely makes it out, before Bellossom can land another hit.
None of Alto or Bane's attacks made contact.
"Alto, use Chatter!"
Before Erika can call an attack, Alto lands on top of Bellossom's head, and slams it with a loud array of noise. Bellossom succumbs to the attack, as it knocks it out.
I didn't hear Erika call an attack, but i must have missed it, because out of nowhere, a large vine wraps around Alto's talon, and throws him violently into the ground, where he doesnt move.
My heart drops, realizing I just lost the gym battle.
I return them, and start to walk across to accept my defeat, when i feel a tugging on my shirt.
"Pidg? Pidgeot!" Ace chirps determinedly, but i shake my head.
"You are still injured, Ace. I cant... no, i wont let you battle." But he shakes his head vigorously.
I keep trying to convince him, when the ref comes over.
"Miss, were those your last pokemon?" Ace shakes his head violently, and the ref winces at the bandages, before shrugging and walking back to her position.
"Challenger is left with one pokemon, as is Erika! BEGIN!"
Before i can protest, Ace hops off of our little challengers pedestal, and waddles into the field.
Victreebel watches him warily, with a look in its eye that seems... almost sad.
Erika gives me a signal almost to say Are you sure?
I shrug and point at Victreebel.
"Ace... Peck!" I order, trying to think of moves he could use without his wings.
He waddles slowly up to Victreebel, who laughs in his face as he approaches.
"Victreebel, Vine Whip!"
But before it can call on a Vine Whip, Ace jumps into action.
The bandages from his wing fall to the ground, and he launches himself up with his good wing, so hes cartwheeling through the air. Ace brings his damaged wing down HARD on Victreebel's face, with a deafening CRACK! Victreebel goes down, and Ace lands a quick succession of Peck's and wing attacks, before the ref calls it.
"Victreebel is UNABLE to battle, victory goes to the challenger!"
My mind is still processing what just happened, when Ace jumps onto me, throwing me to the ground.
"ACE!" I laugh, kissing and gently hugging him as he chirps and tweets happily away.
He stands up off of me, and I quickly inspect his wing.
"Are you okay?" He nods, but I can see the look in his eyes that says he needs to go back to the hospital.
I go to turn, but Hilary is at my shoulder.
"You stay, I'll make sure he gets there." I hug her quick, and they head out.
"Congratulations, Serena!" Erika bows, handing me a small box, which contains a few TM's, the badge, and some cash for winning.
Thank you!" I hug her, and she whispers in my ear.
"Is Ace okay?" She pulls back, smiling, and i nod.
"Well, now it's time for the next challenger!" Misty waves, so I head out.
Hilary and Ace are just leaving, so i catch up with them, and walk with them back to the hospital.
"Ace, what WAS that?" I ask, and he smiles.
Suddenly, he slams his wing against a tree, and there is a loud THUNK!
"The metal!" I gasp, and he nods.
"Isn't that like... cheating?" Hilary asks, and Ace shrugs, causing us all to laugh.
We enter the hospital, and Ace is immediately taken away to my room, to be re-bandaged.
"I'm going to shower and get changed, I'll meet you at dad's room for lunch? We can bring him something?" I ask, and she nods, we head our seperate ways.
I open my door, and head in, placing my bag and box of goodies on the bed, when i realize something.
The bathroom light is off.
I never turn it off.
I whip around to book it out the door, when the door closes and something wraps around the bandages around my throat.
"Agh?!" I choke, as I am slammed against the wall behind the door.
"Hey there Serena! We never finished our little chat the other day!" I hear Giovanni's voice in my ear, as he turns me around so my back is against the wall.
There are two grunts guarding the door, one in a doctor's lab coat.
Giovanni is holding me to the wall, a small smirk on his lips.
"Wha... what?" I choke out, and he smiles fully.
"Well, you destroyed my little operation, so i thought you deserved a gift!" His smile turns sinister, as he throws me onto the floor.
"Don't even think about screaming, or your Dad is dead." My eyes go wide, and i shut my mouth.
"What gift?" I gasp, and he sits in the chair beside my bed.
"You have a choice! But they are both surprises!" He smiles, holding bot of his hands out.
"Pick one?" I ask, and he nods, smiling patiently.
I look between his left and right hand.
His left hand is slightly more open then his right one, signalling that whatever is in that hand is slightly larger that whatever is in his other hand.
"What... are they..." He cuts me off.
"One will genuinely help you out, and the other... well, it wouldnt be a surprise if I tell you, will it?" He smiles even wider, and I nod, sitting on the bed.
My eyes dart between his left and right hands, before i sigh and point to his left.
His smile drops a little.
"Well thats no fun!" He opens his hand, and in it is a... greatball?
I take it carefully, and he laughs.
"It's empty. That was the good gift. Now, I'm feeling generous today, so I have decided to give you both gifts!"
He opens his other hand, and i flinch... and realize what it is.
It's a phone.
I grab it slowly, and he gestures for me to open it.
I press the middle button, and the screen lights up, on a live video by the looks of it.
On the screen, is a Team Rocket grunt, who smiles when she sees my face.
"Hey there sweetheart! We have a little guest we want you to meet!" The phone turns, and I see... something... or someONE... curled up in a corner of what looks to be a shoddy hotel room, but there is no bed. There is a window, just off the corner of the screen, and I notice what seems to be... pine trees? Not much clue as to where this room might be.
"Serena?" A weak voice whispers, so quiet that I can barely hear it, but I almost scream.
"No... No..." I start to back up, dropping the phone.
"Alrighty little girl, so here's how it's going to go! You have three days to rescue your mother, before we... well, its a surprise. Also, we can't tell you where she is, because then what fun would it be? All i can say is that she is in Kanto, but won't be for long. In three day's time, she wont be so easy to find. Only you are allowed to come fore her, or I kill her. If i even THINK that someone else is coming, she dies. Got it?" I nod, tears streaming down my face, and he smiles.
"Oh, and one more thing! You are only allowed to bring two pokemon with you! Any more, any less, and she dies! Well, now that you understand the rules, I will take that! Say goodbye to mommy!"
"MOM! I love you, and I WILL come for you!"
"Serena... please... no..." The signal cuts off, causing the video to end, and Giovanni takes the phone.
"Three days, Serena. You'd better hurry, the clock is ticking!" He laughs, and releases an Alakazam, who grabs all three of them and Teleport's them out of the room.
I lay on my bed, sobbing.