Pokémon: Adventures in Sinnoh Chapter 16: Skorupi: The Scorpion Scoundrel Scandal!, a pokémon fanfic

Layers of cold sweat had built on Nick's face by the time they reached the path leaving Hearthome City. They had followed Mr. Sidian and, after almost losing him in the now-busy streets, the thief had led them to this wooded area that ran by a still lake just visible through rich trees. He had leapt into a truck and began tearing down the dusty trail as the panting heroes approached.

'He's… getting away…' gasped Nick as the debris met his lungs.

'Go… Kirlia…' wheezed Pearl in reply, 'Disable.'

Her newly-evolved Pokémon appeared and instantly began to glow with a blue aura. Moments later, this same force surrounded the distant vehicle, which came to a juddering halt. The tyres writhed furiously but refused to turn, its grey, mud-coated sides rattling.

'What the…?' growled Mr. Sidian. In a rage, he jumped over his seat and pulled himself onto the back of the stationary truck and glared at the trainers.

'Give us back the stuff you stole!' bellowed Nick, finding his voice again.

'When Team Obsidia are gonna pay me so much for 'em? No way!' replied the crook. This was the first time they had heard him speak; he possessed a rasping voice and spoke in slang tones. He removed his sunglasses to reveal beady brown eyes

'I might have guessed you were working for those slimeballs!' spat Pearl, 'You had no right to take those stones and items!'

'If you kids wanna fight for 'em, I'll give it to ya good!'

He dropped two Pokéballs from the top of the vehicle; from them emerged Magmar and a black, hound-like Pokémon with skeletal armour.

'What's that?' wondered Nick, opening his Pokédex.

'Houndour,' it answered, 'The Dark Pokémon. It is a cunning, nocturnal Pokémon that hunts in packs. It is capable of many dark- and fire-type attacks.'

The canine growled at them.

'Two fire-types.' said Pearl, looking to him. 'You know what to do.'

'Right!'

Two more bursts of light and the water-types Shellder and Prinplup appeared.

'Flamethrower, both of you!' cried their opponent. The two creatures raised their heads for a moment before spitting a burning rush of flames across the battlefield.

'Water Gun!' commanded Nick and Pearl in unison. Their allies released jets of water that dissolved the fiery attacks and drenched Magmar and Houndour. The former sank to its knees, while the latter dropped completely and lay motionless.

'You useless weaklings!' shrieked the man, taking off his hat to reveal thin, dark brown hair. 'Magmar, Fire Blast, and keep 'em coming!'

The brightly-coloured Pokemon struggled to its feet and spat out several star-shaped walls of flame. The water-types instinctively avoided the attacks, diving through the gaps and leaping to the side of the fire.

'Shellder, use Bubblebeam!' cried Nick after his quick-moving partner.

'Prinplup, you use Brine!'

Nick looked on as Magmar was hit by a flurry of scalding bubbles before Prinplup, with a flap of its wings, brought needle-sharp drops of rain down on it. He had never really seen her battle with the Pokémon before and was impressed by its prowess.

'Would you like to do the honours?' she said, apathetically. This was essentially the friendliest that she ever got.

'With pleasure,' he grinned, 'Shellder! Tackle!'

The little bivalve Pokémon propelled itself forward and slammed into the weakened Magmar. The fire-type flew back and crashed into the truck, which shook and threw Mr. Sidian from the roof. He crumpled in pile by his two defeated monsters.

'Wailmer, pin them!' shouted Pearl, throwing another ball forward. The colossal whale creature appeared, giggled, and rolled onto the villain, its powerful fin holding him firmly against the ground.

'Good job, Wailmer.' she congratulated formally.

'Whaaaaaae!' it whined with a toothy grin. Nick glanced at her to see a soundless, fleeting giggle leave her lips. This Pokémon always seemed to have this effect on the normally conservative girl.

'What a performance!' came a voice from behind them. Spinning on their heels, they saw Leo, Imelda and two police officers approaching at speed. It had been Imelda who spoke.

'Thanks!' grinned Nick, blushing.

'Why, it was a battle worthy of the Pokémon League.' finished the old woman.

'I'm trying to enter the League!' he chirped back, excitement rising inside him, 'I have three badges so far.'

'And with a battle style like that, I'm not surprised.' she beamed back. Pearl tutted and turned away and, realising the young girl felt left out, Imelda congratulated her too. Pearl simply nodded in return and turned back to Wailmer, who was still sat on the dazed Mr. Sidian.

'Thanks so much for helping us.' smiled Leo, patting Nick firmly on the back. 'I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your names back at the church…'

'Oh!' exclaimed Nick, realising this was true, 'I'm Nick, and this is Pearl.'

'Well, thank you, Nick and Pearl. Those goods are too rare to be stolen by the likes of him.'

'We were happy to do it,' replied the boy, 'He was working for Team Obsidia, and we've had too many bad experiences with those goons.'

One police officer, a dark-haired woman, pulled Mr. Sidian to his feet and ordered him to recall his Pokémon, which he did. She then clicked handcuffs into place around his wrists as her colleague came out of the truck carrying the worn sack of stolen evolutionary items.

'I'd like to give you both something for your efforts.' continued Leo, taking the bag from the officer and reaching inside. Pearl, now intrigued, stepped over and stood beside Nick as the man removed two stones. One was as dark as coal but shone with a black light while the other was a bright white colour and sparkled like a diamond.

'These are Dawn and Dusk Stones,' explained Leo, his smile now more formal, 'They can be used to evolve certain Pokémon.'

He looked down at Kirlia and then to Pearl, whose eyes moved away in thought, before handing her the Dawn Stone. Nick cautiously lifted the Dusk Stone from Leo's other hand. They stood in a curious silence for a few moments before the gruff voice of Mr. Sidian stirred the calm.

'Team Obsidia ain't gonna be happy with you brats.'

'They weren't happy with us anyway, so we're not worried. Enjoy your time in jail.' fired back Pearl instantly, without even looking at the man. Nick couldn't help but grin at her as he tucked his new item into his backpack. He stood enjoying the victorious silence for a few moments before asking the Hearthome residents a burning question:

'When will Fantina be back? I want to challenge her to a battle.'

'Oh, who knows…' sighed Leo instantly, 'She's done this before. The Pokémon League is too lenient with Leaders sometimes… they can pretty much do whatever they like, even if it inconveniences trainers, and get away with it.'

Nick was crestfallen; he had hoped she had left town for a night and would be back tomorrow, taking on all challengers.

'I think your best bet is to go to Woodsthrone and challenge Ant.' suggested Imelda. 'He uses bug-types, like myself.'

Nick thought for a moment.

'So I would have an advantage if I used… a rock-type?'

'Correct.' she nodded. 'Impressive knowledge – but it will take more than a type advantage to defeat him. He's been a leader for some time.'

'But Gardenia told me the Woodsthrone Gym only opened recently!' blurted Nick. Deep down, he was hoping that the gym being new meant that the leader would be inexperienced and easy to beat.

'It did,' grinned Imelda, 'But Ant was a leader in another region for a long time before moving here. In fact, he trained under me… my star pupil. Perhaps the finest Leader in Sinnoh just now.'

Nick looked from the old woman's face to the sky. A flock of Starly flew overhead, visible only as black silhouettes against the sun and clouds.

'Woodsthrone is further down this very road.' offered Leo, hoisting the sack over his shoulder and pointing south. He then followed Imelda, the police officers and the apprehended villain back towards the city.

'Shall we go there then?' he smiled, turning to Pearl. She was still stony-faced.

'You can,' she sniffed, 'I'm going back to Hearthome to watch contests, then head to Canalave City.'

'You mean you aren't coming…?' he stammered, unsure of what he was trying to say. He was somehow taken aback at the fact they were parting ways, but the truth was that they had never agreed to travel together; their whole journey since Eterna City had essentially been a series of coincidences.

'Watching the contests will help my Pokédex to no end, as will visiting the islands around Canalave.'

'Well, uh… bye?' replied Nick.

'Right.'

And, with that, she spun on her heel and walked away, Prinplup, Kirlia and Wailmer waddling, floating and bouncing by her sides. Nick watched the dark-haired girl move further and further away, still unsure if he liked or couldn't stand her, before slowly turning and contemplating the wide, green road before him.

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The area was beautiful. The black lake's surface was not marred with any reflections and various types of trees stood overlooking the peaceful water. Not a soul disrupted the peace; no travelling trainers but him were going this way, nor did he see any wild Pokémon. This fact did not please him. Feeling isolated, he released his oldest companion, Elekid. It appeared with a smile.

'How are you?' the trainer smiled.

'Elek!' it replied.

'Are you enjoying our journey so far?'

The creature nodded and its antennae shot out some sparks. They walked a little further before Nick realised that this was the first time he had been alone with Elekid since discovering it used to belong to Team Obsidia. He looked down at his electric companion; apart from the cruel marking imprinted on it, it did not seem to be suffering from any lingering stress. He smiled lovingly as it marched along beside him. Suddenly, however, it stopped and looked ahead with an expression that suggested neither happiness nor anger. Looking up, Nick's eyes met those of a familiar face.

'Well, look-ee here!' grinned Jay. His friendly rival's hair seemed to have turned a more golden blond in the warm sunlight.

'Jay! Hi!' laughed Nick, jogging forward and shaking hands with the other boy. 'How have you been? And what are you doing here?'

'Oh, fine,' replied Jay, unzipping his jacket and displaying the inside to reveal two badges, 'I defeated Flannery, and then I went to Hearthome and challenged Fantina but she's ruthlessly strong…'

'You managed to battle her?' gasped Nick, 'She's not around anymore.'

'Hmm… she did seem quite impatient during our battle…' replied Jay, 'As though she… had to be somewhere urgently.'

Jay's eyes landed on Elekid, and he smiled.

'So are you heading for Woodsthrone too?' smiled Nick, hoping he would say yes.

'Yeah, I'm going to challenge Ant,' nodded Jay, 'His bugs should be no match for my new Pokémon.'

Before Nick could ask what this new Pokémon was, Jay pointed a Pokéball at the air and it opened. A huge bird creature flew upwards emitting a piercing, metallic screech, its steel-coated wings gleaming in the sun. It circled overhead before landing beside its trainer, unsettling, yellow eyes scanning its surroundings.

'Its name is Skarmory,' began Jay, glowing with pride, 'It's a steel- and flying-type, and it's really strong.'

'It sure looks it…' muttered Nick, admiring the bird but trying not to make eye contact with it.

'I can sit on its back while it flies too!' chirped the other trainer, his proud tone starting to grate, 'It's some ride. I could use it to get around Sinnoh easily, but where's the fun in that? I wouldn't be able to bump into rookies like you!'

'Hey!' moaned Nick, 'I'm not a rookie anymore.'

'Oh yeah?'

'I have three badges and I caught a Shellder.' he beamed, lifting his head slightly. Jay looked back at him, uncertainty etched in his face, before grinning again.

'Beginner's luck, I guess.'

Nick seethed inside.

'Anyway old pal, why don't we get going? That badge isn't gonna win itself!' laughed Jay, and started walking again. One side of Nick's mouth raised into a smile, and he rolled his eyes before following his friendly foe.

Woodsthrone was a quaint town, several times smaller than Hearthome and lacking that city's luxuries and landmarks. It seemed new and inexperienced in the ways of the world; its lumber houses and shops might have just been quickly constructed as the two trainers were on their way there. A path of red- and white-striped canopies hung above rows of baskets and wooden shelves lined with fruit and other groceries and merchandise. Horse-like Pokémon with manes of fire pulled carts upon which strangely-dressed men and women sat along the cement-less street.

'Did we go back in time?' snorted Jay, surveying the scene and wrinkling his face. Nick let out a small laugh, but he was just as taken aback by this town's anachronistic appearance.

'I can't believe this town has a gym,' continued Jay, 'It doesn't even look like it has electricity…'

'Hey, I heard that!' came a snapping voice from across the road. Turning, they saw a short, younger boy, freckles adorning a pale face that was squeezed into a worn wide-brimmed hat. He approached them, his snarling face more amusing than intimidating, 'We got electricity here! We just worked hard and built this town for ourselves, not like you city-slickers with your fashionable clothes and Pokétches…'

Nick was trying to refrain from laughing at the pitying expression etched on Jay's face as the little boy continued his tirade, but a scream from nearby interrupted the discussion.

'Eeeeek! It's back, it's back!' cried a woman, pointing at the roof of a store.

The three boys looked to where she was pointing and saw a strange beast. It was short, but still seemed to strike fear into the residents of Woodsthrone, several of whom ran indoors or backed away. It was insect-like; a segmented tail that ended in a claw protruded from its rear, while elongated, devilish eyes peered from between two sharp arms, four little legs twitching restlessly as it looked down on the scene from its perch.

'What's that?' asked Nick, not taking his eyes from it.

'I've never seen one before.' shrugged Jay. 'Ask your Pokédex.'

Complying, Nick listened to the machine's description:

'Skorupi, the Scorpion Pokémon. Usually found in deserts, it leaps from beneath the sand and injects its prey with poison from its strong tail.'

'That thing's been terrorising this town for days!' exclaimed the young boy, forgetting their feud for a moment.

They watched as the Skorupi let out a rasping cry that sounded suspiciously like laughter before jumping onto the canopy below, which collapsed and slammed against the wall, knocking over brooms, vases and other objects. It then dashed along the canopies of the different buildings as enraged men threw stones at it and poked rakes through the canvasses, destroying their own property in anger. The scorpion was too quick, making it to the end of the now-dilapidated street before leaping down and grabbing an orange from a stall and biting it with glee. Moments later, the townsfolk dashed at it, only for it to roll the fruit forward – causing one man to slip and fall – and burrow underground. It emerged from beneath the crowd, making the rest of them stumble, before disappearing back under the earth and out of sight.

'Wow…' murmured Jay.

'Not again!' squealed the youngster, 'It keeps wrecking everything and no one can ever catch it!'

'Why don't you just defeat it in a Pokémon battle?' asked Jay in a patronising tone.

'Because only a few people in town own Pokémon and none of them are good enough to stop it!' bellowed the boy. His voice was getting increasingly irritating. Even my little Pokémon can't do it…'

'Your Pokémon?' asked Nick curiously.

'Uh-huh,' nodded the boy as he withdrew a Pokéball and dropped it on the ground. It opened and, in a flash, a small tree-like animal appeared.

'A Bonsly!' exclaimed Jay excitedly, forgetting the seriousness of the situation for a moment.

'Bonsly is my best friend,' beamed the boy for a moment, before his smile faded, 'But the Skorupi is too fast to attack. Isn't that right?'

He looked down to his Pokémon. Its eyes began to water before a gush of tears erupted from them, a high-pitched wail more annoying than its trainers rattling their eardrums.

'You think we can catch that thing?' yelled Jay over the din, covering his ears.

'It's worth a shot to get Bonsly to stop crying!' replied Nick.

'You city folk will help us?' asked the boy, looking up at them from his Pokémon's side.

'We can try, but we'll need to hatch a plan.' mumbled Jay.

'Shouldn't we be going to the gym?' interjected Nick. He could see the large building several blocks away and would much rather be going there than battling some wild pest.

'Nah, come on, this will be fun!' laughed Jay.

I guess it's for the good of the town… thought Nick, remembering what a good trainer should be like.

'Let's think of a plan at my house!' yelped the boy excitedly, 'Come on, it's this way! Oh, and, by the way, I'm Ricky.'

The two city-slickers introduced themselves and followed the boy down the street that disgruntled men and women were now repairing, cursing the scorpion scoundrel under their breaths.

'Who are your friends, Ricky?' asked the boy's mother as they stepped into the small but comfortable, and altogether charming, house. A small model of a Starly popped from a clock and indicated, in a pleasant chime, that it was 3 o' clock.
'This is Nick, and this is Jay,' announced Ricky, beaming, 'They're trainers, and they're gonna get rid of the Skorupi for us!'
Ricky's moustachioed father appeared from behind a newspaper.
'You reckon? No one in town's managed to catch that beast, what makes you think you can?' he asked in a gruff voice.
'Our incredibly strong Pokémon.' huffed Jay. Nick suppressed another grin.
'Dear, be polite!' snapped the wife at the husband, and he retired to his black and white articles once again. 'Can I fix you something to eat? You'll need your strength if you're going to battle that Skorupi. It's ruined and stolen so much of the shopkeepers' merchandise.'
'That'd be great.' replied Jay, answering for them.
Smiling courteously to the woman as she approached the kitchen, they followed Ricky upstairs. The ascending wall was lined with pictures of the family, the topmost one showing a tiny Bonsly popping out of a gift-wrapped box much to the surprise of a younger Ricky.
'Was your Bonsly a present?' asked Nick politely.
'Yeah, I got it for my birthday a few years ago.' replied Ricky over his shoulder.
'Maybe one day it will evolve into a Sudowoodo.' smiled Jay.
'But I like it the way it is, I don't want it to evolve!' spat the little boy, patting Bonsly on the head as they walked through the white wooden door and into his small bedroom. It was liberally furnished with several wooden chests, desks and wardrobes that matched the lumber of which the house was made. Ricky leapt onto the pillow-strewn bed with Bonsly while Jay sat on a wooden chair. Nick looked for another place to sit and discovered that the floor was the only remaining option.
'So, when does the Skorupi appear?' asked Jay. Ricky looked up in thought.
'It usually appears in the afternoon like it did today, but there's always a mess in the morning too, so it must come out during the night when no one is around.'
'Well, we should try to catch it tonight then. We'll wait up for it.' decided Jay. 'Does it always do the same the thing that it did today?'
'Yeah,' replied Ricky with sunken eyes, 'It always runs along the rooftops and wrecks the same shops.'
They sat in silence for a few moments as Jay stroked his chin in thought. A smile slowly crept up his cheeks.
'I think I know what to do.' he said softly, standing up and looking out the window.
'What?' asked Nick.
'I'll explain later. For now, we'll need to play the waiting game.'
Before they could probe him further, the door swung open and Ricky's mother stood holding a tray of sandwiches and soup that was even warmer than her welcome.

A half-moon crept from behind blue clouds and cast a gaze down on the empty wooden town. The now-tidied street was bathed in a bright twilight as Nick peered out from behind the barrel he hid behind. They had formed a plan, and he was trembling with excitement and hope that it would work. Jay was stationed at the other end of the street, and Ricky had concealed himself in the shadows of an alley like a dark-type Pokémon. They just had to keep their eyes focused for Skorupi appearing on the rooftops. He clutched his two remaining Pokéballs tightly – his third Pokémon was also waiting in ambush for when the scorpion arrived. A long time passed, in which his head nodded with micro-sleeps and doubt filled his mind. Maybe it was a waste of time...

And then it appeared.

The purple creature crept as soundly as the moon had, over the top of the same roof on which they had seen it earlier, and crawled down, perching itself on the drain. It began to drank rainwater until Jay set the plan in motion.

'Hey! It's you again! Get out of here!'

Skorupi looked down as Jay came running at it with a stick, chasing it. It let out the same laugh and began to run along the canopies. Nick looked anxiously.

Any minute now…

Skorupi leapt towards the canopy that they had rigged. Ricky pulled tightly at the rope attached to it and it immediately fell flat against the wall for the second time that day. The creature, confused, fell straight to the ground, surprised, and landed with a thump. Before it had righted itself, Skarmory swooped down and tackled it with its steel wing, knocking it into the wall of the house – they had informed the owner this might happen – and bouncing out into the middle of the road. Sensing a worthy opponent, it began burrowing into the dirt. This was Nick's cue.

'Nosepass, now!'

The rock-type suddenly sprang up from under the ground where Skorupi had been digging and caused a small tremor that shook the bug-type back to the surface. Now severely agitated, it stuck its tail high in the air and clicked its pincers together, ready to battle.

'Nosepass, Stone Edge!'

The jagged stones flew at Skorupi, but the agile insect avoided them, bounced off of the last one thrown and let loose a spray of shining, poison barbs that stuck into Nosepass' nose.

'Whoa!' exclaimed Nick, taking a step back in fright, 'What was that?'

'Skorupi's Pin Missle attack,' explained the Pokédex from his pocket, 'A bug-type move that inflicts the damage of several attacks at once.'

By the time Nick had comprehended this, their opponent had slammed Nosepass with its sharp tail, knocking the rock-type onto its back and out of battle. Nick recalled it, frustrated.

'Now it's my turn!' grinned Jay, running closer, 'Skarmory, Steel Wing!'
The metal bird came zooming down again with a screech, its wings white-hot, only for Skorupi to quickly jump and sink its pincers into the bird's neck. The steel-type squawked and fell to the ground, dazed.

'It hurt Skarmory even though it's a poison-type! That thing is… unreal!' gasped Jay, recalling his Pokémon as Skorupi danced gleefully in success.

Nick sent out Shellder.

'Okay, Shellder, use Icicle Spear and finish it!'
The bivalve creature's horns glowed and several freezing spears shot at the foe. Skorupi countered by releasing another blast of pins that smashed through the icicles and lodged into Shellder's shell. The water-type had closed its shell so that its inner body did not take any damage.

'Try a Water Gun!' yelled Nick, growing frustrated at this little Pokémon's power.
Shellder opened its shell and shot a gush of water. The scorpion took the hit and flew backwards, before regaining its balance, leaping high into the air, and falling onto Nick's Pokémon with a vicious couple of slashes from its tail. Despite only its shell being hit, the water creature felt the pain and rolled several feet back.

'No way! It knows Cross Poison!' exclaimed Jay, sounding half concerned and half excited.

'Cross Poison?' asked Nick, a cold sweat now sticking to his face.

'It's a powerful poison-type move…' explained the other boy, 'Not many Pokémon can learn it, and I certainly didn't think a wild creature would be capable of knowing it. This Skorupi is something else!'

'Please get rid of it!' bawled Ricky, who had remained quiet until now, in awe of the battle.

Nick pointed his Pokéball at Shellder and it was pulled inside in a flash. Now he only had Elekid remaining. With worry growing at an insurmountable rate inside, he released the electric-type.

'El!' it crackled, locking eyes with Skorupi. It could evidently sense how much of a threat the scorpion monster was.

'Thundershock, now!'

The bolt of lightning missed Skorupi by inches as it leapt backwards and launched another Pin Missile.

'Dodge it, now!' cried Nick, tears of stress and determination now forming in his eyes.

Elekid did not move from the spot as the attack came closer, but then raised its hands and a strange shield of pulsating light appeared in front of it. The pins hit this cover and dissolved instantly.

'Hmm?' he wondered, lifting out his Pokédex.

'Elekid's Light Screen prevents or reduces damage received from enemy attacks.'

Nick looked to his Pokémon.

'That's great Elekid! Keep it up, and go use Thunderpunch!'

The electric-type growled and ran towards Skorupi. The scorpion gritted its teeth and continued shoot missiles, all of them being destroyed by Light Screen. Elekid suddenly sprang forward and landed a lightning-hot punch on the target. The poison-type's body jolted excessively as it flew into the air, before crashing down in the dirt. It hissed slowly, trying to stand up. Adrenaline replacing the fear in him, Nick reached into his pocket and took something out.

'Pokéball, go!'

The ball flew through the air and rattled off of Skorupi's tail. It seemed to hover in mid-air for a moment before opening and sucking the creature inside in a red flash. The three trainers watched in trepidation as the ball slowly rocked to and fro, and all breathed a sigh of relief when the light on it went out and it sat still in the dust.

'You did it!' exclaimed Jay, before regaining his cool, 'Uh, not bad for a rookie I guess.'

Nick was not listening to his deluded words as he stepped forward and picked up the ball, caressing it in his sweaty hand. Would this rebellious creature listen to him?

'He did it! It's gone!' came a voice.

He looked up to see several people running out of their houses, their faces bright with smiles, before hands from behind began to pat him on the back. A crowd quickly gathered around him. They had obviously been woken up by the commotion and had been watching the battle.

'Nice work, son.' laughed an old man gruffly. 'You've done this town a huge favour!'

'Yes, now we can work in peace!' smiled a shopwoman.
He listened to more of their thanks and nodded courteously before approaching Jay and Ricky.

'Thanks!' chirped the youngest boy, 'That Pokémon was nothing but a nuisance. Good riddance.'

Nick found himself offended by this remark. Skorupi may have angered people, but it was now his Pokémon, and he did not like to hear someone talk this way about it.

'Now Ricky,' came his mother's voice as she and his father appeared, 'I'm sure Nick will do a fine job raising Skorupi. No Pokémon is a lost cause.'

Nick smiled at these words and decided not to voice his dislike of Ricky's tone. He looked to Jay and, for a moment, caught him gazing longingly at the newly-occupied Pokéball before quickly looking up to Nick and grinning nervously.

'Well, I bet you boys wouldn't say no to a midnight snack!' laughed Ricky's mother softly as they followed her back to the house. The assembled townsfolk smiled admiringly at Nick, but not as admiringly as the trainer smiled at the ball that held his powerful new companion.

'Sir?' asked the young man.

'What is it? I'm busy.' snapped the red-haired older man, looking up from the desk at which he sat. The darkness that hung in the room partly concealed his scarred face.

'It's that guy who was meant to bring the evolutionary items. He's… been arrested…' explained the Team Obsidia grunt timidly.

'Pathetic.' replied the man softly.

'It was… the same kids who stopped us in Oreburgh, Mauheru Town and in Wayward Cave…' continued the grunt. He was terrified that the man's anger at this news would be inflicted upon him.

'What?' came the reply, 'Why do you useless punks continually lose to children? That goes for Golding too.'

Something was lurking in the corner of the room. Eyes glinted as it moved stealthily in the shadows. The grunt gulped; he had not even been a part of any of the failed missions, yet he had been sent to take the blame from the boss.

'We thought they were… gone, after their last battle with Admin Golding.'

'Well they obviously weren't, were they?' came a snarl.

'They… seem to possess skills that none of our members do, Sir.'

He was worried this would anger his leader further, but the man sat back in his chair, eyes calmly closed.

'Well soon we will have something that they don't. That nobody does.'

There was a brief, uneasy silence.

'The cloning process, Sir?' asked the grunt. He feared that he was asking questions that were not his business, but the boss immediately replied, as though proud or excited to discuss the matter.

'Several of them are now growing exponentially,' he answered, leaning forward on his desk, 'And Professor Synn informs me that there is a good chance that at least one will fully develop. Then… we will effectively run Sinnoh, like we deserve to.'

The grunt looked to the ground.

'I want those children taken care of. I'd hate for them to have to suffer at my own hands should they continue to foil us.'

'Yes, Sir,' replied the grunt, looking up, eager to leave the shadowy room, 'I will inform Admin Golding.'

With a respectful nod, he turned and walked out the room with haste. The man turned his head to a large screen to his right and pressed a button on a handset. A view of the laboratory downstairs appeared, the camera centring on the life-form suspended in the green fluid. It had grown even since the previous day, a tiny figure now discernible.

'Hmm.'

The beast in the corner of the room moved again.