AN: Readers beware, swearing reappears this Chapter. Also see the end of the Chapter for updated news regarding OCs.
Two days had passed since the beginning of Tara's one woman siege of Mauville. So far the NAA hadn't suffered any casualties from the siege by utilizing the resources already stored in the base. Momo's original plan was to wait out the siege until Light returned from Fortree City, at which point he would easily defeat their emotionally unstable opponent but no word had come from Light since leaving Mt. Chimney. Since it was unheard of for a single one on one match to go on for that long, many of the troops were beginning to assume the worst. Beginning to accept the fact that Light may have been killed by Mach, Momo has called a meeting with Nate and Grunt to discuss a plan.
"Let's get right down to business. Nate what have you learned about Tara's machine from the records kept here?" Momo asked.
"Her machine is called the Feeling Frenzy, and as you predicted, turns her emotions into weapons."
"Why are we talking about her machine?" Grunt whined while nursing yet another bottle of water. "What about my machine? That crazy bitch melted my beautiful Giovanni. I worked so hard to tune it just to my liking."
"I could care less about the machine Grunt." Momo replied. "We were able to get you out of there just in time."
"Yeah dude,you were so dehydrated you're lucky to be alive." Nate broke in.
"Tell you what, we'll give you first dibs on any machine available from our acquisitions here. Will that satisfy you?" Momo said trying to appease her lieutenant.
"Fine.." Grunt replied, still unhappy about having lost his personal machine. "Now how are we going to get revenge."
"All we have to do is wait for Light." Nate replied. "Once he gets here, victory will be ours for sure."
"I'm just going to say what has been on everyone's mind, what if Light doesn't come back?" Momo asked. "We have to have a contingency to get out of this mess."
"I already told you your contingency." Nate argued, clearly in denial. "Light'll be back. He hasn't failed us before and he won't fail us now."
"There are three of us, so let's take a vote like we used to. Should we wait for Light or fight ourselves? I vote we fight."
"I vote we continue to wait."
"Well Grunt, what about you?" Momo asked.
"I have all the confidence in the world in Light but I want in on beatin' this chick." Grunt replied.
"So it's settled then." Momo announced. "Let's get down to business. How do we get past that cocoon and what do we know about emotions?
A few hours later
After careful deliberation, and quite a few more votes, the three leading members of the NAA were finally able to settle on a plan to take on Tara. Only the three of them were going to participate in the mission, following Light's philosophy of leading by example. Each of them were waiting in the hangar from which they would be launching their assault.
"Are you guys ready to start?" Momo asked, eager to end the battle once and for all.
"Give Grunt another minute. He's having a field day here with all of these potential new rides."
Grunt was running frantically from one Knight to another, carefully inspecting each element while simultaneously fanboying over their destructive capabilities.
"Oooo. This one has guns mounted on the shoulders, but, Ooo this one has thrusters and a shotgun. So many choices."
"Grunt, how about hurrying it up?" Nate called. "The commander wants to start the mission."
"Give me a minute." He responded as his eyes found a lock to another room that they had overlooked. Breaking the lock with a nearby wrench, the door opened and Grunt called out "Found it!"
As Grunt returned to his battle ready comrades, they were taken aback at the monstrosity that he had found. The Knight Grunt had confiscated stood a good foot taller than most normal models and was painted jet black. Its intimidating stature was only furthered by the vast array of weapons it had available, including a large railgun on one shoulder, two submachine guns at the sides and a hidden cannon on the torso.
"Where did you find that thing?" Nate asked.
"It was hidden in the back." Grunt responded. "I think it belonged to the base's former commander."
"Glad you found one to your liking." Momo said. "Let's go!"
With no more time to waste, the three charged out into the pouring rain to meet their enemy.
As lightning crashed around them Momo said. "I'll cover you and absorb the lightning. Get rid of that cocoon!"
"Can do!" Nate replied. "Resonate!"
Nate then began to release sound waves matching the resonance frequency of water, in the hopes of evaporating the cloud surrounding Tara. At first, nothing appeared to be happening but after a minute, the cloud began to visibly destabilize and the flashes of lightning began to focus on Nate.
"It's not working Momo!" Nate cried over yet another crack of lightning. "The cloud is reforming quicker than I can resonate it away."
"How 'bout addin' a little brute force to your attack?" Grunt suggested, obviously hinting at letting him use one of his new toys on the cloud.
"How are you going to use your guns to get rid of a cloud?" Nate asked.
"Wait a minute." Momo replied. "That might just work! If you can destabilize the cloud enough so that Grunt can fire through it, he might be able to hit Tara.."
"And break her out of this emotional state!" Nate finished. "Ready bud?"
"I'm always ready to shoot some shit." Grunt replied.
"OK. Resonate!"
Sound waves once again flew from Nate's AK and began to resonate with the water molecules surrounding Tara. Once the lightning strikes began to fire more rapidly and accurately at their location, Grunt made his move.
"Railgun, firing!"
As the shot neared its target everyone silently hoped that it would do the job. Once it reached the cloud cocoon, it disappeared inside and soon flew out the other side.
"Fire at the center!" Momo cried excitedly, knowing that the plan was going to work.
"K, sorry about that, I'm not used to firing a railgun." Grunt replied. "Fire in the hole!"
Another shot flew toward the still destabilized cloud, only this time after disappearing, it pushed their target out with it.
"All right!" Momo cried, "Push the attack!"
Slightly dazed by the surprise attack, Tara said "You'd stoop so low as to launch a surprise attack when your opponent is having an emotional crisis. You really are scum."
"That doesn't really apply to you." Nate replied, charging with sword in hand. "Your emotional crisis is a deadly weapon."
As Tara's temper rose, the clouds around them faded, only to be replaced by a nearly oppressive heat.
While Tara was distracted by Nate's charge, Grunt took the opportunity to ask, "You want me ta head back now, in case she uses that Desert Sun attack?"
"Na, you wanted revenge so take it." Momo replied, "Besides, I'm pretty sure she won't be using that technique this go around."
"All right! Time to dual wield." Pulling out his two submachine guns, Grunt went to join the fray, Momo close behind.
"I've held off your entire force for nearly three days now!" Tara cried as she pelted Nate with fire. "What makes you three think you have a chance against me?"
"Because we're fighting for something important." Nate replied, blocking the incoming attacks with Sword Resonance. "We're fighting for.."
"We're fighting to avenge Giovanni!" Grunt cried. "Nate, let me have a crack!"
"Who the hell is Giovanni?" Tara asked.
As soon as Nate was clear, Grunt began to fire both of his guns at their mutual enemy. Most of the shots were simply thrown off target using wind but the few that did make it through were dealt with using the intense heat that had been coalescing around Tara since her awakening.
"Who is Giovanni? WHO IS GIOVANNI?" Grunt cried, intensifying his assault by adding the occasional railgun shot. "Giovanni is the one you destroyed with your Desert whatever last time we fought."
"I don't remember killing anyone with that attack." Tara replied, trying to piece it all together. "The only thing I did break was your.."
Once all of the pieces fell into place, Tara began bawling over in laughter to the point at which even Grunt stopped his attacks.
"Oh, this is just too precious." Tara said, barely able to contain her laughter. "You're doing all this because I broke your Knight! How simpleminded can you get? HAHAHA"
"Don't mock him!" Momo replied, jumping into action to defend her comrade, "He isn't fighting for the machine, but what it represents!"
"He is?"
"I am?"
Both Nate and Grunt looked at each other in confusion. Ignoring them, Momo continued.
"It isn't about losing the machine; it's about losing the tools needed to fight against what this world has deemed as the norm."
"And I suppose you're going to try and do something about it?" Tara replied sarcastically, blocking Momo's onslaught of Iron Tails and Leaf Blades.
"Yes, we are." Momo declared, ending her assault. "Together with Light, the New Age Alliance is going to turn this world on its head, creating a new world in which humans and Pokemon alike feel safe and can trust one another."
"Trust, TRUST?" Tara yelled. "How can you talk about trust when you don't even have it in your own ranks!?"
"We trust each other with our lives!" Nate broke in. "All of us here would gladly give our own lives for those of our comrades."
"I don't doubt the convictions of anyone here; it's your leader I'm talking about. He doesn't even trust you enough to tell you his real name!"
"It's not his name, but his actions that matter!" Momo replied.
"Keep telling yourself that sister, but if I were you, I wouldn't be following someone who hides his face and past from his closest followers."
"It's a good thing I'm not you then. Nate, Grunt, resume your attack!"
"OK. Time to turn the volume up on this thing!" Nate said before unleashing a slew of Sonicbooms from his speakers.
"I just love shooting me some crazy psycho bitches!" Grunt cried, firing his guns once more.
Feeling quite pleased at her attempt to shake her enemy's faith in Light, Tara was able to easily counter each of the attacks thrown her way.
"We've come too far to back down now." Momo cried, joining the attack with a Bullet Seed of her own. "We take Mauville today!"
"You weren't able to take this city from me two days ago and you won't today either! It's time to end this. Never Ending Desert Sun!"
"Get ready!" Momo yelled.
The temperature slowly began to rise around Tara, stopping each attack in their tracks, however it soon became apparent that the technique was not working as it should and the temperature soon leveled off.
"Why isn't it working?" Tara cried through clenched teeth, trying to raise her temper further.
"Keep up the attack boys!" Momo commanded before walking slowly toward her enemy. "Your attack won't work because you've felt too much."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tara replied.
"You've been awake for nearly three days straight and have been having intense emotions for a good portion of that time. The human body can only be pushed so far. You're experiencing emotional burn out."
As Momo continued, Nate and Grunt's attacks began to penetrate Tara's defenses.
"Right now you're realizing that your emotions aren't burning as intensely as they once were. Soon you'll go completely numb and lose any power you have left along with your feelings."
The rest of the battle unfolded just as Momo had explained, Tara's burnout soon became so severe that she lost her ability to feel any emotion and was swiftly defeated by Nate and Grunt.
"You planned this didn't you?" Tara asked, sprawled on the ground exhausted.
"It wasn't my original intention to draw the battle out this long but once we learned of your AK's ability and were put under siege, I saw no other option."
"Yeah, that's what you deserve for badmouthing Light!" Grunt added.
"Ah yes your fearless leader." Tara began as other NAA soldiers arrived to take her away. "Mark my words: You may trust him, but he doesn't trust you. Ask him about his past when he returns, I bet he'll find a way to change the subject or avoid it altogether. Mark my words, MARK THEM, HAHAHA!"
With that, Tara was carried out of sight, leaving the NAA's top three officers to ponder her words.
"Do you think what she said was true?" Nate asked.
"It doesn't matter." Momo replied. "We haven't heard from Light since he left for Fortree, odds are he's dead. We don't even have to think about her last words."
Each of them then turned to the troops and began repairing the city for their use. About a day later they received Light's message.
"This is Light reporting in. Can anyone hear me?"
"Light!" Momo, Nate and Grunt responded simultaneously.
"What have you been doing for the past couple of days? The entire Alliance was getting worried." Momo asked.
"Sorry, the fight with Mach took longer than expected and knocked me out of commission for a couple of days otherwise I would have called sooner."
"So? Don't leave us in suspense man, Did you win?" Nate broke in.
"It was a rocky start, but Mach has been defeated and Fortree is now ours."
"Yeah!" All three leuitenants said into their communicators. As they began to give High-fives to one another, Light continued.
"However.." Light began.
"However is never a good way to start a sentence after giving someone good news." Momo said, knowing bad news was coming.
"I made a deal during the battle with Mach to a third party that was integral to my victory."
"What didja promise them?." Grunt asked. "It can't be that bad."
"I promised Genma the command of Fortree City."
"Genma?!" Momo cried. "The same Genma we fought in Fallarbor Town? Can we even trust him?"
"I have that covered." Light replied. "All we have to do is send some powerful officers to keep him in line and one more thing as an insurance policy."
"What do we have to do?" Nate asked.
"Find his family." Light replied. "He seems scared to death of his wife. If we can locate his family we can hold that over his head and insure his loyalty."
"I guess that could work." Momo said, still pondered the implication of having their former enemy commanding s base in the NAA.
"Oh, I can't believe it took me this long to ask but how did the battle for Mauville go?"
"Mauville is now ours as well." Momo responded.
"Just like your battle it was a little rocky at first." Nate began.
"But I guess you could say we braved the elements." Grunt broke in.
The communicators all went dead silent for a few seconds.
"No. Just No." Nate said. "Not funny."
"I thought it was clever." Said Grunt.
"I don't understand." Light said confused.
"We'll explain it to you when you come to Mauville for the next strategy meeting." Momo said.
"OK. Sounds like a plan." Light responded. "I'll see you then."
Turning off the communicator, Momo began to ponder the ramifications of their victory.
We've taken four bases back from the two biggest powers, but at what cost?
Content to let that question wait for later, Momo walked over and joined in her comrades celebration of their simultaneous victories.
AN: I'm back fajits and with a new chapter to boot! This chapter both ends the 'divide and conquer' storyline and is going to set some serious stuff up for the future. Also if you haven't noticed, Chapters 2-4 are now updated and the entire story is now 3rd person POV! Check them out if you haven't and leave a review letting me know what you think!
-Now, regarding OCs. I've done some thinking and have successfully(I believe) planned out the remainder of Pokemon New Age. Listed are going to be the cities to come in the order they appear, along with a couple extra slots I'm going to keep a secret. Same rules apply, simply send me a message or leave a review with your character's name and backstory.
Human Knights(like Grunt's) are based off Code Geass' Knightmare Frames and the AKs(like Nate's or Tara's) are based off of Infinite Stratos' IS Units.
Available Slots
Mt. Pyre- Humans. NO SUBMISSIONS, FILLED BY AUTHOR!
Slateport- Pokemon. NO SUBMISSIONS, FILLED BY AUTHOR!
Verdanturf- Pokemon. FILLED!
Petalburg- Human. FILLED!
Character 1(Would appear around Mt. Pyre)- Possible love interest for Light? I'm still not sure. FILLED!
Character 2(Would appear in the Third Arc, which begins after Petalburg). FILLED!
Character 3- Human(Would appear later in the Third Arc)
Character 4- Pokemon (Would appear later in the third arc)
Thanks in advance for the submissions!