Chapter Thirteen: Nothing but Diabolical
"Now, you wait! Enough fooling around!" Touko heard Lenora as she opened the double doors and headed down the stairs to stand behind her and Hawes. There had to be at least ten Team Plasma members and two of them blocked Lenora from the large dragon skeleton. Touko couldn't stand it already so she hurried to stand besides Lenora.
"So you've come, Gym Leader. We, Team Plasma, claim this museum's Dragon Skull in name of Pokemon liberation!" The one Team Plasma grunt told Lenora with the others behind him snickering, with one speaking up.
"To show you we're serious, we'll steal it right before your eyes!"
"Well, then, here's our smoke screen!" A bright blast of smoke cloaked all sight, Touko could barely see Lenora's outline besides her.
"Lenora!" Touko called out to the Gym Leader, hearing her cough.
"I'm here!" Eventually the smoke cleared and Lenora walked slowly up to the skeleton. "What's... going on?" She then ran off and Hawes was tingling with anticipation.
"Oh! Oh! We have to go after them!" Despite him saying that, Touko could see he was scared and stayed frozen in spot.
...
As Touko left Hawes inside, she saw Lenora looking every which way right outside the museum and swearing under her breath. It was then that a brown-haired man in a green suit approached her. "Good day, Lenora. Find any good fossils lately?"
"Well! This is a surprise visit! Are you suffering from artist's block again?" Lenora then became aware of Touko standing a ways off. "Touko! This is Burgh." She waved her over and Touko came to stand at Lenora's side. "He may not look like it, but he's Castelia City's Gym Leader!" Burgh laughed but then shrugged.
"...Eh? Just looking for a change of pace." He sighed, looking around. "Seems hectic or something around here. What's up?" This seemed to tick something in Lenora and she threw her hands up.
"What's up?! Someone just walked away with an exhibit, that's what's up!" It was then that Touko heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Bianca.
"Oh, hi, Touko!" She smiled. "What's everybody doing here?" Cheren followed closely behind her and looked around in confusion.
"Touko, is there some kind of problem?" Lenora then peered at them suspiciously.
"And these two are...? Your friends?"
"Yes, this is Bianca," Touko indicated her blonde-haired friend. "and this is Cheren." He waved at her and she nodded.
"Bianca and Cheren... I see. They're trainers. Okay then, let's split up and search." Lenora continued without any explanation and pointed one way. "I'll head this way." She walked over to Cheren and Bianca. "I want you two to stay here at the museum." The two nodded and Lenora turned to Burgh and Touko. "Burgh and Touko, you two search Pinwheel Forest. Got it? Burgh, you show the way! I'm counting on you, everyone!" Lenora waved once, heading through the town in hot pursuit. Burgh just stood nodding. "Uh-huh. You are... Touko, is it?" Touko nodded her head and Burgh clapped his hands together. "Are you raring to round up robbers?" He just grinned before heading off towards Pinwheel Forest.
"Cheren, Bianca so Team Plasma just came in and stole one of the exhibits!" Touko told her friends, in which Cheren automatically spat in disgust at the name.
"No wonder it's them causing trouble! All we have to do is protect the museum, right?" Touko nodded and Cheren headed into the museum. Bianca waved at Touko, wished her good luck, and hurried after Cheren.
...
Touko was able to meet up with Burgh near the entrance to Pinwheel Forest. "This leads to Pinwheel Forest." He told her, pointing to the path that went into the depths of the forest. "If they can manage to scuttle off into the deep forest, we might have trouble." She nodded and he nodded as well, heading off into Pinwheel Forest. Inside, the trees blocked out most of the sunlight, and it appeared darker than normal. Touko saw Burgh stopped between two paths. One paved path led North and then a grassy part lead further into the forest. "There's two paths out of Pinwheel Forest. There's the road that goes straight and the paths that winds through the woods. I'll take the road, can you handle the forest?" Touko nodded and he smiled. "Good, I'll block the exit." He walked off and left Touko there, heading into the forest.
...
Touko pushed her way through the undergrowth and long grass. Occasionally she would actually run into a Team Plasma grunt who would try and stop her. Snivy and Tympole were easily able to take care of them and she pressed on. It was when she pushed through a large bush blocking her path did she pop out into a clearing. Standing before her was a male Team Plasma member, glaring.
"A pursuer? Uh, ha ha!" He smirked and laughed. "A kid like you - beat some of us?!" He shook his head in disappointment. "That can't be helped, but..." He looked up, his eye glinting menacingly. "I'll take you on now! Steal your Pokemon and steal that egg!"
...
"Tympole! Bubblebeam one last time!" Tympole jumped up on his tail, shooting a line of bubbles straight at the grunt's Sandile who flew backwards with swirly eyes. Tympole was left huffing and puffing, tired out from battling two Patrats and Sandile in a row. "Great job Tympole!" He looked back at his trainer and grinned while the Plasma Member gritted his teeth.
"Fine! Take your stupid skull!" He threw the skull at Touko, who was just able to catch it as she put her Pokemon egg down. "So the dream our king had - the dream we had - won't come true..." Suddenly, an older man walked past Touko and over to the grunt, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. Touko stepped around her Pokemon Egg protectively, she didn't feel right about him.
"How are you holding up, fellow subject of our king?" The Team Plasma member gulped, turning and saluting him.
"Grom of the Seven Sages! I'm mortified that this skull, which we went to so much trouble to obtain, was stolen from us so easily." Grom narrowed his eyes, rubbing his chin.
"It's not important. We can afford to abandon the Dragon Skull. According to the results of our research, this is not the legendary Pokemon for which Team Plasma is looking. It is completely unrelated." Grom sighed and his eyes flashed as he looked over at Touko. "But we will not allow anyone to disrupt our plans and get away with it. We will fix it so you never interfere with us again." As Grom reached for his Pokeball, there was a sudden cracking sound. Stepping around her Pokemon Egg to look down at it, she realized it was hatching.
"Right now, really?" Touko hissed under her breath, though she could not contain her joy as it broke out in a smile. The Egg began to glow as it cracked wider, finally a soft white light exploded from the shell as the container shattered. In its place stood a little blue and white bird Pokemon - Rufflet. "A Rufflet!" Touko grinned and grabbed at a Pokeball, but she was aware of a sudden laugh from Grom and the Plasma member.
"Dear Rufflet," Her Pokemon looked over at Grom and cocked his head. "come join us and be free. You will know freedom of a different kind." Looking intrigued, Rufflet approached Grom and the Plasma member. "That's right, come."
"Rufflet, no!" Touko called to her bird but didn't make a move. Rufflet approached Grom's feet, looking up at him.
"Well, Rufflet?" Rufflet tipped his head to one side before letting out a caw and jumping at Grom's head, using Peck in a ferocious succession before running back towards Touko. Shocked, Touko was barely able to smile and laugh as Rufflet ran to the Pokeball and hit the middle with his beak, allowing his capture. Grom looked furious and held his bruised head.
"No matter, we will make sure you never interfere!" At this time, he enlarged his Pokemon's Pokeball but a voice made all three of them look to where Touko had crashed through.
"Oh, sweet!" It was Burgh, stepping through and coming to stand besides Touko. "The Bug Pokemon were getting all worked up, so here I come, and what do I spy with my little eye?" He winked at Grom. "This important-looking guy! Are you here to help your friends, whom I defeated?"
"Touko! Burgh!" Looking over their shoulders, they saw Lenora come crashing through, waving her hands around. "The others didn't have anything..." She came to a stop besides him, glaring at Grom. "And who are you supposed to be? Is this guy the big boss?" Grom merely stood calm, though the grunt looked nervous.
"I am one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Ghetsis, another of the Seven Sages, will liberate Pokemon with words alone!" He rose his fist high in the air. "The remainder of the Seven Sages have ordered their compatriots to take Pokemon with full force! But the odds are a little against us now." He peered over Burgh and Lenora, his companion nodding eagerly. "To you, the Bug Pokemon user Burgh and the Normal Pokemon User Lenora, I say..." He paused, keeping Lenora on her toes but Burgh with narrow eyes. "Know your enemies, know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles... this time, we shall retreat quietly." He looked over the three again, his eyes landing on Touko. "To secure the liberation of Pokemon, we will steal Pokemon from trainers!" He turned to Lenora and then Burgh. "Even though you are Gym Leaders, we will not tolerate any further obstruction from you." He shook his head. "In any case, we will settle this someday. I hope you are looking forward to that time as much as I..." It was at this time that the Team Plasma member threw down a smokescreen capsule and left Burgh, Touko, and Lenora coughing.
"They're a speedy bunch." Lenora said with one last cough as the smoke cleared. "What are you planning to do, Burgh? Are you going to chase them?" She turned to Burgh and Touko stepped back, the Dragon Skull in her arms.
"Hmmm..." Burgh tapped his chin before shaking his head and looking at the Dragon Skull. "We got back the stolen skull, and if we corner them, there's no telling what they might do. I think I'll be heading back, Lenora." She nodded and then Burgh looked back at Touko, stepping in front of her. "Well, I'll be waiting for your challenge at Castelia City's Pokemon Gym. "Yes, indeed. I'm certainly looking forward to it!" He bowed politely before heading back off into the forest.
"Touko!" Lenora grinned, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're holding the Dragon Skull you worked so hard to get back, nice!"
"I did, here you are." Touko handed the skull back to Lenora who cradled it like a baby.
"Touko, thank you so much. With a kind Trainer like you taking care of them, the Pokemon with you must be happy." Touko smiled, shrugging.
"I guess, thank you. I love them a lot too." Lenora laughed and nodded.
"Anyway, I'm going to take the Dragon Skull back to the museum. See you later! Take care of yourself!" She waved as she disappeared back through the forest and Touko waved back at her.