Okay, needless to say, I am adding a new chapter. I think its gonna be longer cause it should be. Hope the action is good. Ready? Okay? Here we go. Also sorry for the delay.
Chapter 11: Saving a Train
Wind rushed past Lookers face as the police agent advanced on the moving train. So far every attempt to lift the train was being thwarted by Shaymin. The grass type rolled in loops and corkscrews through the skies and kept their attention away from the periled transport. Looker was hoping that the legendary would provide enough time to launch a counter attack. He knew that if he didn't, it was likely that the Magnamite would catch onto what was going on and alter their tactics. With Brock behind him, Looker rushed to attack.
"Gardevoir, we need assistance." Looker said, releasing the psychic type from a Poke Ball.
"Croagunk, you too." Brock said shortly after.
Gardevoir appeared with a small purple Pokemon that was roughly as tall as Brock's knee. Without further waste, the psychic type used Shadow Ball while the poison type fired poison stings which only seemed to annoy the Magnamites.
"Hey, I could use some help over here!" A voice called out.
Shaymin flew in front of the humans with many steel types furiously chasing it, all the while mirror shots and thundershocks trailing behind.
"Gardevoir Psychic!" Looker responded. With this command the magnamites temporarily rammed into themselves and lost direction. Before a response could be formed, they were violently thrown to the side. In their place stood Magnazone, unleashing Thunderbolt.
The psychic type fell onto her knees instantly and struggled under the attack. Croagunk leap at the steel type and attempted to use Brick Break on it. The poison type was quickly dealt with. Ignoring Gardevoir, Magnazone redirected the thunderbolt onto the poison type. Since metal naturally conducted electricity, it didn't take long for the attack to take effect on the poison type that clung onto the magnet Pokemon. Croagunk cried out in pain, unable to escape the electric attack that coarser through its body. Its cry was the only thing its trainer heard before it was thrown backwards by the bolts of energy and off the roof of the train.
"No, Croagunk." Brock screamed out in desperation.
"Look out!" Looker interrupted before the former gym leader could take action. A mirror shot was fired at them from Magnazones body. The attack would have collided and knocked the trainers off the train as well had it not been for Gardevoir's light screen. The trainers backed behind the shield that held off their attacker, but they realized that they had no way of advancing forward and confronting the steel type. At this rate, they would be swiftly defeated.
For Shaymin, it was a different story.
With the Magnazone preoccupied with the humans and the Magnamite only starting to return to the train, the grass type had an opening. Opening its mouth, the natural energy around him composed itself into a green sphere. The orb glowed as bright as the strongest lightbulb if not more, and was hurled towards Zero's loyal stooge. While not all that effective in terms of typing, Magnazone clearly felt the force that was associated with the attack. If it was made out of flesh its skull would have been split open. However, since it was made out of metal, the only sign of damage was a scarred blast mark that was visible only a few inches away from its antenna. Looker and Brock were thoroughly impressed when the steel type lost control and crashed to the roof before sliding off the transport altogether.
Before being able to even breath a sigh of relief, a swarm of Magnaton surrounded them and began to fire fresh new attacks. One thought coursed through everyones mind, which Shaymin promptly stated.
"They're back!"
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded as Magnamite rushed to attack the two trainers. It didn't take long for the passengers to understand that Ash and Dawn were there to help, not hurt. Piplup and Pikachu were making a good combination; Thunderbolts supercharged Whirlpools and Volt Tackles provided cover for Bubblebeams. They could not be separated; their coordination was too balanced and controlled. However, the battle was far from easy.
It didn't take long for the Magnamite and Magnaton to take back the element of surprise. When Ash and Dawn had managed to reach the passengers, they immediately found a lone Luxray battling two Magnaton at once with several Magnamites pelting it with thundershocks. With Ash and Dawn, however, the steel types were once more under assault. Normal trainers would have been intimidated by the sheer numbers of the steel-electric types, however Ash and Dawn were far from ordinary trainers.
"Piplup don't let up! Bubblebeam!" Dawn called out as her starter Pokemon attacked the hordes of enemies. Piplup and Dawn had been allies from the start. Wherever Piplup battled, Dawn was sure to be around; wherever Dawn trained, her starter was never far behind. Most water types would be at a severe disadvantage facing so many adversaries that had type superiority. The concept of a Piplup single handedly defeating an army of Magnamite was almost unheard of. Still, Piplup was a powerful Pokemon, despite its charming and cute appearance. It was well trained and a tough foe to intimidate.
Dawn was grateful to be his trainer.
As a brilliant, beautiful, flurry of bubbles crashed into the many attackers Dawn realized two things. The first being that if the passengers were to remain unscathed, she had to draw them away. The second being that Ash was being cut off. If they were divided, they could be conquered. If conquered, they were all doomed.
"Piplup, Whirlpool towards Pikachu." She redirected.
The passengers saw what seemed to be a rising fountain. Only the water didn't return to the earth due to gravity as most fountains did. Instead, if formed what appeared to be a mini cyclone that twisted in the air and expanded. The small penguin below it used its wings and directed the attack to the Magnamites. The steel types were sucked into it as houses were swept into a tornado. The vortex then crashed right and ripped a portion of the side clean off. Before Dawn could even realize what she did, Luxray took advantage of the distraction and began to use discharge, sending any Magnamite that tried to re-enter crashing backwards into the trees and gravel outside.
Free of attackers, Ash must have been thinking exactly what Dawn was. With hurried movements and commands, he attempted to have the passengers remain calm as he and Dawn prepared to move forward and advance to the front of the locomotive. Some protested but Luxray was able to provide protection. Its black mane and strong body also gave a psychological sense of certainty, just as a pack respects the power of a alpha male or female. As the two trainers began to move towards the front car, they were both relieved and unnerved when they noticed an increase in the number of steel-electric types that followed them.
"We have to stop the train!" He declared with conviction.
"How are we gonna do that?"
"We'll have to figure out when we get there!"
"That sounds exactly like you."
With such a hard yet simple goal ahead of them, Ash, Dawn, and their respective starters advanced forward.
Outside, the situation could only be getting worse. Gardevoir's reflect-light screen combination defense was the only thing keeping Looker, Brock, and Shaymin from being overwhelmed by the many enemies. The Magnet Pokemon closed in around them, hitting the beautifully lit shield barrier from all directions. Each time an impatient enemy rammed its body against the clear walls, Gardevoir had to work to keep her legs from buckling under the intensity.
"How long do we have?" Brock asked.
"At most, five minutes." Looker replied with a serious tone that begged for better circumstances. "At worst, a few more seconds."
"Ah, we have to do something!" Shaymin roared in frustration.
Expecting the Magnaton to be unleashing more thunderbolts, the trainers inside were startled to see them halt their attacks and form together. Each magnet linked to an opposing current, only it was happening on a mass scale. It was as if the electric types were forming one great entity of magnets. If this were the case, nobody doubted that they would be able to punch through Gardevoir's defense as if it were made of paper. Very bright and very flashy perhaps, but nonetheless, a thin sheet of paper.
Soon, electricity was being redirected to a large orb of bright light that glowed and expanded in the center of the giant mass. The only options presented was withdrawing the shield, their only sense of protection, or simply accepting the inevitable.
Nobody would have suspected anything less. That is why is was shocking to the trainers to see a Pokemon spring in front of the shield to the trainers defense. The creature was bipedal, had a purple body with many red sacks that hung from the slimy skin, and looked strangely familiar to the gym leader. By the time Brock realized what, or to be more direct who it was, the Pokemon had already fired a Mud Bomb at the mass of Magnaton.
What followed afterwards was an example of quality over quantity. The great heap of earth that became airborne swallowed the orb of electricity in the air and crashed into the center of the Magnaton before exploding. Not only was Mud Bomb effective against electricity, however, but it also was super effective against steel; the Magnaton had no chance. The link was severed and fragments of the chain were falling off the sides in disorganized fashion. Seeing that the attack had been crippled, Gardevoir lowered the shield and fell to its knees as the individuals inside ran, or in Shaymin's case flew, to the Pokemon that saved them.
"Croagunk?" Brock asked with hesitation.
"Toxicroak!" The Pokemon beamed with a big grin on its face.
"I can't believe how close that was." Looker admitted as he nodded to the poison type. Once again, they thought that their troubles had been adverted. It didn't take long for them to be proven horribly wrong.
"Guys, they are raising the train!" Shaymin screamed.
Brock and Looker looked below to see several Magnamite surrounding the bottom of the train, sparks shooting from their bodies towards the lowest frames. With a great lurch, the humans and grounded Pokemon felt the train lose contact with the tracks. As they struggled to stay on, they managed to see a returned Magnazone behind them, unleashing high torrents of electricity downwards. Magnet Rise was in place; the train was going to be lifted and then thrown down to the earth. The passengers were in major trouble.
Dawn and Ash also felt the train rise. They had just reached the forward cabin when they felt the ground move upwards. Dawn grabbed Ash's hand to avoid falling, who grabbed onto a handrail to keep himself upright. The Pokemon below them didn't have as much mass, so they didn't feel much in contrast to the larger humans.
"This is bad!" Dawn pointed out with rising panic.
"Any ideas?" Ash asked with dread.
"Oh, this is not good!" Dawn replied with equal anxiety. The train was getting higher and higher.
Ash contemplated how he had reached this moment. He had been in so many of these equally perilous situations, yet he had never gotten used to it. He didn't ask for adventures, they found him, and the thought of doing nothing at all would have been warmly welcomed. Unfortunately, fate had dictated that he was destined for a life of chaos. A life of adventure.
He knew what he had to do. He wasn't entirely confident, and as he opened his backpack he felt a wave of nervousness. He opened a small black case. Inside were two gloves that were blue and black on the outside with circular markings in the center. Sir Aarons gloves. His gloves.
"Dawn, I'm gonna try to use aura to break through Magnet Rise. It may not stop us from falling but it could slow us down."
"Okay, you can do this." Dawn added with a nod. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Yeah, give me strength, Dawn." Ash replied as he began to raise his hands. He could feel the aura as it began to envelop him as water encased someone underwater.
Dawn hugged Ash's body. The boy smiled as he felt the warmth emanating from her. "I love you, Ash, and I believe in you."
He shut his eyes. Whenever he heard those words it uplifted him; his spirt soared and he felt so alive. He may have done great things, but he knew that without his friends and family to support him, he would never have made it as far as he did.
"Thank you, Dawn. I needed that." He whispered, feeling confident and strong, the feeling of ensured victory. Today was not the day he would die. "The aura is with me!"
As he screamed those words into the air, he knew his hands were glowing blue. He clenched them, imagining that he was grabbing onto the train with giant hands. He felt a strain of resistance and his body shuddered. Sweat began to drip down his skin as he fought to gain control. The Magnet Rise was trying to raise the train higher, and he was not as strong as they were.
The aura is with me. The aura is with me. I am the Chosen One, and you will obey!
He continued to say those words in his mind, both to reassure himself, and to proceed in gaining control. Slowly, he felt the train start to descend. Still, he was losing vital strength and the act of both lowering the train slowly as well as was energy draining. The Magnemite wanted to bring the train higher, and Dawn's support may have been the only thing that kept him from collapsing. He couldn't lose.
Outside, the trainers had a feeling that things were going to get worse. Even then, things already were worse in their eyes, so it was hard to see the situation getting any more out of hand.
"What now?" Shaymin asked, firing an Energy Ball at a single Magnaton out of the hundreds of steel types.
"If we defeat them we fall, and if we do nothing, we fall." Looker noted with dismay.
"Well, we're screwed." Shaymin stated rather uncaringly. "So much for this plan."
"Will you stop it, we may be able to-"
The train suddenly lurched downwards. Looker and Brock nearly fell off their feet, their reflexes the only thing that saved them from falling off the side. A sickening feeling came to their minds. Was it too late? Was all lost?
However, the train wasn't immediately falling. If anything, it was lurching up and down, as if it couldn't decide whether to fall or fly.
"What's going on?" Looker asked with alarm.
"I don't know." Brock replied. "But the train is starting to fall. We need to break control of the Magnet Rise."
Looker began to think. Gardevoir could potentially use her abilities to levitate the train, but doing so would require incapacitating the Magnemite army. If only they could find some way to distract them. Or at the least, knock them out.
Then an idea sprung. He whistled, loud and long.
Before he knew it, Luxray sprung up from the train, a large hole tearing through roof in front of him.
"Shaymin, I need you to fire Energy Balls at as many Magnaton as possible. Luxury will unleash Discharge to knock out the remaining Magnamite."
"But we'll fall!" The grass type exclaimed.
"Exactly." He replied.
"Are you sure about this?" Brock asked, catching on to the plan.
"It's our best shot." Looker began.
The train was no longer above the rails, and it was starting to turn at an angle midair. They were running out of time. It was now or never. With a tense inhaling of breath, Looker gave the call.
"Luxray, Discharge! Shaymin, Energy Ball now!" He screamed. Before the Magnamite could react in time, the attack began. A flurry of bolts shot into the sky, enveloping the steel types that were too slow to react. Looker looked above him to see Shaymin firing shot after shot towards the larger Magnaton. Slowly but steadily, the Magnamite were being wiped out in this sudden strike. Finally, without warning, the train was released from Magnet Rise. It fell with increasing velocity and Looker lost his footing as did Brock. They thought they would fly off then, but strong powerful arms kept them in place. Toxicroak had held it's ground, and the humans were saved.
"Gardevoir, Psychic on the train. Halt it's crash!" Looker cried out desperately. His loyal Pokemon touched the roof and gave out it's signature cry. The train was enveloped in a purple glow as it crashed onto the ground below. In a great leap, Toxicroak jumped from the roof as the locomotive touched down, the two humans lodged in it's firm grip. As they touched the grass below, they saw a flash of purple mass as the Toxicroak lunged for the back of the train, leaving them to watch with anticipation. It's web like hands grabbing the tail of the locomotive as it's feet dug into the ground. The train was flying forward as it approached a cliff. If it fell, the train was doomed.
Dust was kicked into the air violently as Gardevoir continued to use psychic while Toxicroak used it's strength to psychically pull the train in place. Shaymin flew from the train as debris and foliage was forced into the air in all directions. Unbeknownst to them, a certain trainer was also using all his power to keep the train from crashing. Together, they all worked for one goal. Save the train. Save the passengers.
Just as it looked that the train would collapse to the ravine below, it groaned to a halt. The dust slowly cleared and sight was astounding. The nose of the train was literally on the edge, and the surrounding ground was rooted up from the forceful landing. But the train had survived, and with any luck, the passengers would be okay.
They had done it. They defeated the Magnamite and stopped Zero's attack. Victory was theirs.
There you have it. The train arch is nearly over. Took forever to find the time to do this. I'm really thankful or all you're support. College life is not easy. Thanks again and hope to upload more soon.