Chapter 83 – The Machines of the Gods

Part Three: Legend Fulfilled

I had to look twice! It looked exactly like Marc, except with glowing red eyes. The scientist said, "Meet MechanArcanine Advanced Prototype Unit 59-002! We constructed him from the same batch of parts as you, Prototype 1! I suppose that, in a way, makes him your brother." Marc addressed Marc2, and said, "Don't give in! They're only using you! Join us in our fight against this evil!" The scientist laughed and said, "Your petty attempts at diplomacy are useless! This mechanical Arcanine's AI programming has been overridden – he is loyal only to Team Rocket now, and will only do what we tell him to do!" At that, the scientist walked away, back towards the building, escorted by 4 NIDOs. Marc2 then said, "Prototype 1, you're mine!" then ordered the NIDO army, "Attack!" This was it! The NIDO army came charging at us! I sincerely hoped that Simon got that shield disruption signal sent out. I, in turn, shouted, "Let's do it!" Tauros reared up on his armored hind legs, and crashed his front armored legs to the ground, before charging us ahead, towards the attacking NIDOs.

Meanwhile, in the transmitter room, Martin, his Feraligatr, May's Blastoise, and Simon's Charizard did their best to hold down the door, but the 2 NIDOs on the other side overpowered them and crashed through the door! The 2 NIDOs entered the room. Simon leapt up from his seat and ran at one, shouting, "Yaaaahhhh!" May shouted, "Simon!" He leapt onto the back of one of them! It struggled to get him off it's head, but Simon held on tight. Feraligatr, Blastoise, and Charizard teamed up on the other NIDO, and managed to pin it to the floor together, but it was fighting them, and it was unclear how long they could hold it in place. Simon managed to open a panel on top of the head of the NIDO he was holding onto, and he reached inside the circuitry and was able to deactivate it! After that, he ran over to the one that Feraligatr, Blastoise, and Charizard were attempting to hold down, and he did the same thing, deactivating that one, as well! "Well at least we know the electronic shielding has been deactivated – otherwise, the Pokemon and myself would've just bounced off of them without even being able to touch them!" Simon said. May replied, "I just hope it worked on all the ones out there." Martin asked, "Simon, do you think it's possible to reprogram these NIDOs to do what we tell them?" Simon answered, "Certainly! It'll just take me a few minutes to figure out their programming. After that, I'll enter new programming, and they can give Team Rocket a taste of their own medicine!" Martin replied, "That's excellent! Get right on it!" Simon hooked his laptop up to the circuitry inside the NIDO's head and started to enter data. "This'll be a cinch" he said.

Outside, the battle was under way! Tauros shredded NIDOs open with his sharp, golden armored horns, dismembering them and also crushing some with his armored hooves. I got in on the action, myself, wrecking a couple NIDOs with my sword, while still on Tauros' back. Flamefox and Firestorm tore open some of the NIDOs' outer casings with their sharp clawed golden foot armor, and then hit the inner circuitry with fire attacks, melting it and causing the NIDOs to malfunction. The NIDOs attacked my fire foxes by swiping at them and whipping their tails at them. But Flamefox's and Firestorm's agility, even with the added weight of their armor, proved to be too much for the NIDOs, and they successfully evaded all of the NIDOs' attacks. The NIDOs even attempted to tackle and body slam my fire foxes, but the metal giants ended up belly down on the ground! Vaporeon and Jolteon also used their armor claws to tear up some NIDOs, and Vaporeon whacked a few with her armored tail, as well. Then they launched water and electric attacks at the inner circuitry, effectively short-circuiting them! Scyther was a terror to behold, flying down at NIDOs and slashing at them with his sharp, golden armored scythes, slicing up their inner wires, and tearing at others with the sharp claws on his foot armor, while successfully evading their swipes, tail slams, and body slams! Some of the NIDOs launched actual fire and electrical attacks at my Pokemon, but the armor truly protected them! Kadabra destroyed several NIDOs at once with his psychic attack, literally dismantling them with telekinesis. Suicune, whose golden head armor also covered his crest, destroyed several NIDOs at once with his powerful hyper beams! Tauros reared up and impaled a NIDO through the chest, causing some of the debris to land on me, which I brushed off with my hand. Maury did much the same, slicing some up with his golden armor covered horns, and crushing others with his armored hooves. Mel rolled at some NIDOs, crushing them in his path. MechanCharizard flew at some, tearing them open with the sharp claws on his armored gloves, and then melting their circuitry with his fire attacks. He also hit one in the face with his armored foot, then crushed it to the ground! Marc and Marc2 continued to battle, knocking each other around. Marc slashed at Marc2 with his clawed foot armor, tearing it's face open. Undaunted, it tackled Marc, knocking him down, but he bounced right back. Meanwhile, one of the NIDOs whacked Tauros with it's tail, knocking me off Tauros' back. Another NIDO lunged at me, but I struck it with my sword, and thrust it aside. Tauros stood right back up and got back into the action, more than getting even with the NIDO who whacked him! All of my armored Pokemon, the armored renegade MechanPokemon, and armored Suicune continued to battle to hordes of attacking NIDOs.

Back in the building, Simon said, "Done! Now these 2 NIDOs will obey us!" Martin said, "Great! Now all we have to do is find Ho-oh and break her out." May said, "Let's look around." As soon as they left the room, several Rocket operatives and their Pokemon showed up. "Get ready to rumble!" Martin said. "Right!" May replied. They proceeded with an impressive martial arts display against the Rockets, subduing them, while May's, Simon's, and Martin's Pokemon took on the Rockets' Pokemon. When a few more Rocket operatives came from behind, the 2 reprogrammed NIDOs took them on, whacking them with their arms and tails, knocking them down! "Good work, you two!" Simon said to his charges, who seemed to grin in acknowledgement with their sharp silver teeth. Martin said, "Good! Let's go!" The three of them continued down some corridors until they found an electronically locked metal double door. "Do your magic" May said to Simon. He hooked up his laptop to the electronic lock. "Nuts! This lock has a scrambled code! I can't override it. Whatever's back here, they don't want anyone getting in!" Martin said, "Then I'll bet Ho-oh is right behind this door!" May asked, "But how are we going to get in?" Simon answered, "I think I can still override this lock, but it'll take about an hour… maybe 2." Martin said, "I think I have a better idea." Then he said to the reprogrammed NIDOs, "You, take down these doors!" The 2 of them walked up to the doors and began slamming on them, gradually denting them in, and finally, they breathed fire to burn through the rest of the way. The doors fell in, and inside was a room full of very surprised Team Rocket scientists. In the back of the room, behind a bunch of computer workstations, was a huge cage, surrounded by a computer generated forcefield. Inside the cage was Ho-oh! "There she is!" May shouted. Ho-oh raised her head and looked at May. "And there she'll stay" said the head Team Rocket scientist, who walked up behind them, accompanied by 4 NIDOs. May shouted, "Let her go!" He laughed and said, "Oh, I don't think so. Your friend out there is quite brave – if not suicidal. I don't know how you did it, but you succeeded in disrupting the NIDOs self-generating electronic shielding. However, my technicians are working on that little problem right now, and I suspect it will be resolved in just a few more minutes. Your friend will then most likely be seriously injured, if not killed. But I would like to thank all of you for delivering Suicune, the 4 renegade MechanPokemon, and all your very strong Pokemon right into our hands. However, I don't think any of you will live long enough to appreciate our gratitude." Then he told his NIDOs, "Get them!" Simon's reprogrammed NIDOs stood in front of them, arms crossed and tails flicking back and forth. The scientist said, "Nice, but it's my 4 NIDOs against your 2, and without any protective shielding, on a level playing field, my 4 will win." The 4 NIDOs leapt at Simon's, and bounced right off of them! Simon asked, "Did I mention that I programmed a different set of shield harmonics into my NIDOs so that my shield disrupting signal won't affect them?" At that, the 2 good NIDOs attacked the 4 Rocket NIDOs, and destroyed 2 of them with their sharp metal claws. Suddenly, a technician shouted, "We did it! We got into the shield disruption program that kid loaded into our mainframe! Now we can shut it down!" The head scientist said, "You see? I'm afraid it's over. It was a noble effort, but deep inside, you must have known you couldn't win against such insurmountable odds." Then he ordered his technician, "Do it!" The technician pressed a button, and every computer in the building, except Simon's laptop, shut down. Simon then asked, "Did I also mention the firewall I installed that would automatically shut down this buildings' computers, except for the one controlling my disruption signal, if anyone attempted to tamper with my programming – other than me, of course?" The head scientist's mouth gaped open and he shouted, "No!" as Ho-oh shot a fire blast through her cage and through the wall. She then flew out of the building. The 2 good NIDOs took down the last 2 Rocket NIDOs, and then one of them picked up the head scientist by his labcoat and held him up in the air. "Put me down this instant!" he demanded. Martin said, "Oh, I don't think so!" The other Team Rocket scientists slumped down to the seats in the workstations as May stood with Raichu and said, "Unless you'd like to feel a thunderwave, I suggest you all stay right where you are until the authorities arrive." Martin patted Simon on the shoulder and said, "Well done, kid! Well done!"

Ho-oh joined the battle outside, taking down several NIDOs with her powerful fire attacks. The NIDO army was falling, and in a matter of time, they were ultimately subdued, between Ho-oh's attacks, Suicune's attacks, as well as the good MechanPokemons' and my armored Pokemons' attacks. However, Marc and Marc2 continued to battle. Marc2's body was severely battered and ravaged, with pieces of it's outer skin hanging off, revealing the metallic interior, which was now greatly exposed. Half of it's face hung off, as well, revealing a metallic skull with glowing red eyes. Marc tackled it with all 4 armor-clawed feet, tearing at it's wires, and the evil MechanArcanine crashed to the ground. It's legs convulsed once more, before it lay still, seemingly defeated. "We've won!" Marc said. I just stood there with my armored Pokemon and exclaimed, "What a rush!" Just then, I heard May shouting, "Joe!" I looked over to see her running in our direction, with Amber, Redfur, Fiona, and Inferno. She ran past several downed NIDOs, as well as the downed Marc2, who, none of us noticed, followed her with it's eyes as she ran past. She ran up to me and asked, "Are you okay?" I said, "I'm fine! Where are Martin and Simon?" She answered, "They're guarding the rest of those scum Rocket scientists until Officer Jenny comes to arrest them. Simon was brilliant! I wish you could have been there to see how he really burned those Rocket scientists with his little computer bug!" I said, "He did a great job! Without the shielding, and with this armor, the NIDOs were dropping like flies!" Ho-oh flew down and said, "Thank you and your friends for what you have done, Joseph. You all put yourselves at great personal risk for my sake." I replied, "I'm just sorry I got you caught in the first place." Ho-oh said, "It's all right, Joseph. You summoned me because you thought May was in danger. You had no way of knowing it was a setup. Besides, everything that transpired here today has been predestined for a millenia – and you fulfilled that destiny well, Joseph. You were chosen wisely. You should be proud." May said, "I know I'm proud of him" and took my hand. I said, "I am proud – of all of us! We accomplished this goal as a team – there was no way I could have done it alone, and I couldn't have asked for better teammates." With that, Ho-oh flew off and said, "If you ever need me, you know how to contact me." Suicune looked up at her as she flew off, looking very noble in his golden head and crest armor, as he said, "Take care, old friend. Our paths will cross again." With that, I said, "Let's go. We probably shouldn't leave those guys alone to watch all those Rockets." May and I walked past the downed Marc2, accompanied by my armored Pokemon and May's Pokemon, as well as Suicune, and the 4 good MechanPokemon. Just then, Marc turned and shouted, "Look out!" May and I turned around just as Marc2 leapt at us! As it's severely disfigured face was just inches away from us, Marc leapt at it, hitting it hard in the middle of it's left side with his armored feet, causing it to literally snap in half! The two halves fell to the ground. Marc landed on his feet and said, "I'm sorry, my brother." The glowing red eyes gradually faded until they went out completely. May just stood there, shocked with fright. I put my arms around her and she embraced me tightly as she began to cry. "It's okay, May, it's okay. It's all over now" I said, as I hugged her. Marc and Maury ran over to us and Marc asked her, "Are you all right, May?" She released her grip from me and said, "Marc, we owe you our lives! Thank you!" and she gave him a hug, as well. Suicune said, "That was too close! I should have done a better job protecting you." I told him, "Suicune, you can't be expected to forsee every little thing that could happen. You fought valiantly by my side. You've more than made up to me the debt you feel that you owe me. I couldn't ask any more from a true friend." He nodded, and we continued towards to building. Flamefox was panting a bit, and I asked him, "Tired, little guy?" He looked up at me with his reflective gray eyes through the eyeholes in his armor headpiece and exhaustively said, "Vulpix." I picked him up and said, "Then I'll carry you." He was a bit heavier with his armor, but I was still able to carry him as we walked ahead. When we reached the building, Simon came outside, accompanied by his 2 NIDOs. I jumped back, but May said, "It's okay, Joe. Simon reprogrammed them! They listen to us now!" I excitedly asked, "Really?" Simon said, "Yeah! I only needed to change some of their programming. So I see the battle went well." MechanCharizard said, "They never stood a chance!" and Mel said, "They made a rather appealing crunching sound as I rolled over them!" Simon continued, "Anyway, Officer Jenny is on her way right now with a caravan of police to arrest these guys." Suicune said, "Then it is time we left. Joseph, even though my debt to you is repaid, if you should ever need me again, I'll be there!" I said, "Thank you, Suicune." Marc said to us, "Well, I guess this is goodbye again. It was a great honor fighting at your side, Joseph. I, too, will be there should you ever need my assistance again." Maury said, "The same goes for all of us." Mel said, "Thanks for inviting us! It was some party!" MechanCharizard said, "I shall miss you once again. I hope that our paths will cross again someday." At that, Suicune led them all into the porthole through which they had arrived, back to the safety of his hidden sanctuary. Simon asked me, "So where is Suicune taking them?" I answered, "I'm not really sure. A safe haven somewhere; in another dimension, I think." He asked, "Why don't they stay here with us?" May replied, "Can you imagine what would happen if they were ever discovered? People would want to dissect them or something – and Team Rocket would probably try to recapture them again!" I said, "Yeah. It's sad, but they could never live in this world. I wish they could, because I'd love to see them every day. For mechanical Pokemon, they all have good hearts." Simon said, "Maybe there is a way…" Then he said to me, quite straightforwardly, "Joe, I know you're planning to build a gym with a Pokemon sanctuary. I'll do all of your computer programming for you, if you'll let me build a special concealed sanctuary for Marc, Maury, Mel, and MechanCharizard. What do you say? Deal?" He put out his hand to shake. I was a bit stunned at first, but I liked the idea, so I said, "Deal!" and shook his hand. May said, "That's really nice of you, Simon!" He replied, "I guess their good hearts are catchy. Besides, I really like them, too!"

The island's Officer Jenny soon arrived, with several other police officers and the island's tribal elder, who helped us to explain everything to Officer Jenny while leaving Suicune, Ho-oh, and the good MechanPokemon out of the conversation. The Rocket scientists were all taken away, the destroyed NIDOs confiscated, and the 2 reprogrammed NIDOs sent to Professor Oak's lab temporarily. They also confiscated all of Team Rocket's fainted Pokemon, which were taken to the Pokemon center for treatment, before being sent to Mr. Fuji's house in Lavender Town. Afterwards, the elder told us, "You all did very well. You saved the sun goddess and rid this island of Team Rocket's evil mechanical army. We are very grateful to you. Is there anything that I can do?" I answered, "Well, I was wondering if I could possibly keep all of the Pokemons' and my armor, and my sword?" The elder laughed and said, "Of course you can! They were all designed for you and your Pokemon. They're yours to keep." May asked, "What about the vault?" He replied, "It has sealed itself in, now that it's purpose has been served." I told the elder, "Thanks!" Then May asked me, "What are you gonna do with the armor?" I answered, "For now, I'll have it sent to my parents' house in Johto. But once my gym is open, it's all going on display!" May said, "Sounds cool!" Kadabra then said, "It was a great honor helping you win this battle, Joe. But I must return to the Unown now. Always remember, if you ever need me, call to me and I'll be there!" With that, he teleported, leaving his armor behind. I said, "I guess we should remove all the other Pokemons' armor, too. They must be getting hot under there!" May nodded, and Simon and Martin helped us to remove the armor. Tauros, however, wouldn't let us! "How about that? First we couldn't get it on him. Now, he likes it too much!" I said. We all laughed. However, he did look regal and noble with his golden headpiece and golden horns, and I really felt like royalty riding on his back into battle. However, I finally persuaded him to let us remove the armor, citing that he's strong enough on his own to defeat other Pokemon. He gave me a look that read, "You'd better believe it!"

With our battle on Phoenix Island over, we decided to just take it easy on the beach. The Pokemon had fun playing in the sand. Martin headed back to the Ice Cave, not wanting to leave it unattended any longer, and Simon headed for Professor Oak's lab to visit his NIDOs. After all this, I still had a League Championship ahead to train for. But I knew that if my Pokemon and I could handle a NIDO army, then we could handle anything! For now, I just wanted to enjoy myself and take everything in. That evening, May and I sat on the ground, with Flamefox in my lap and Amber in May's lap, and we watched the sun set. We took the time to really enjoy the remaining days of our vacation, because afterwards, we'd be returning to the mainland for some serious Pokemon training.

Epilogue –

"The entire army, all 200 units, destroyed? They were supposed to be unbeatable! And some of my best scientists in prison! How do you explain all of this?" Giovanni angrily asked at his secondary head scientist. The scientist replied, "We're still not entirely sure what went wrong! There was some sort of signal that interfered with the NIDOs self-generating shield harmonics. However, maybe we can create a self-generating shield which constantly changes its harmonics so that nothing can interfere with it, and next time…" Giovanni interrupted, "There won't BE a next time! As of this moment, I'm cutting all funding of the MechanPokemon project! I've wasted too much money on it already!" The scientist retorted, "But you can't! We're so close to perfecting them! I'm sure that if you gave us one more chance, we could get all the flaws out!" Giovanni glared at him and replied, "That's what your predecessor said, twice before! No! I want all remnants of this project removed at once! I see now that mechanical Pokemon will not serve my purposes. However, the idea of genetic engineering intrigues me. Do you think it might be possible to use genetic engineering to create for me the ultimate biological Pokemon, the strongest Pokemon to ever exist?" The scientist said, "It will take much time and research, but I think it is possible!" Giovanni grinned, and said, "Begin research into genetically engineering a super Pokemon clone for me, and I will forget these ugly incidents concerning the NIDOs." The scientist replied, "At once!" and left his office. Giovanni stroked his Persian and said, "I was foolish to let them convince me to continue funding their mechanical Pokemon project, but a genetically engineered super clone – this shows promise! I think this will truly be my key to domination!"