A New Journey
Chapter 7- Attack on Nimbasa City
XXX
Blue and Green were using two large sticks to support themselves as they crossed the sandy Route 4. Crossing the desert wasn't any fun for either of them; Blue hadn't used illusions on them to conserve energy, as they had to face sand storms and some wild Pokémon, and a little Sandile had dared to bite his tail. When the entry of Nimbasa City came into view, they hugged each other and started to cry.
"We did it! We did it, Blue!
"I know! We're never asking a Gothita to teleport us ever again!"
How had they ended up in the desert? Well you see, to reach their destinations faster, Blue would often ask a local psychic Pokémon to teleport them, but the only psychic Pokémon they'd been able to find was a little Gothita. She hadn't meant any harm, but she couldn't control her powers yet, which had caused Green and Blue to end up in the middle of the desert. They'd been lucky that a Darmanitan had given them the right directions, or else they would probably have died in the desert.
Blue used his illusions to disguise them again, allowing them to enter the city without any problems. They went to a deserted area in the beautiful central park, away from human sight, where they bathed themselves in a lake to get rid of all the sand on their bodies. Green sighed in relief as the cold water touched his body.
"Ah…. That felt great." Then Green looked at Blue. The Aura Pokémon was staring at something on a tree. "Blue?"
The fighting Pokémon went towards Blue and saw what the Aura Pokémon was staring at; there was a poster on the tree depicting a Blaziken and a brunette girl dressed in white.
"Blue?"
Blue couldn't hear his friend's voice. In his mind, he could see the girl from the poster, only younger and holding in her arms a baby chick Pokémon he had never seen before. Blue held his head as he felt a strong migraine coming on.
"Don't tell me; this girl has something to do with your dreams, too, doesn't she?" Green asked. He clearly remembered that Blue had a similar reaction when they saw that human named Gary Oak.
Blue's silence was all the response Green needed to know that he was right.
"We should look for her," Green offered sympathetically.
Apparently, that was what it took to snap Blue back to reality. "What? No way, Green. You know we're only in this city because I want to find clues about my mother."
"Can't we just go there to see what that girl has to do with your dreams?"
"My mother comes first!"
"Your mental health is also important!"
The next second, Blue and Green started to fight each other. That was how they'd always resolved their disagreements, ever since they were little. Of course, because they used some of their more powerful attacks, Blue used up the energy he'd initially put into maintaining the illusion on them, causing it to vanish and attracting the attention of some nearby people.
"Hey, what's going on over there?"
"Wow, look; it's a Mienshao! But what's that blue Pokémon?"
"That's a Lucario! Holy crap, that's a really rare Pokémon!"
"I want to catch them!"
That's when Green and Blue used their Sand Attacks on the onlookers and started to run back to the city. The last thing either of them wanted was to be caught by humans.
XXX
A green-haired figure was looking around the city. It had been almost two years since he'd first come to this particular city. He looked at Nimbasa's famous Ferris wheel, which happened to have a very special place in his heart.
The figure was actually N, the former king of Team Plasma. After discovering his father's true intentions for him, he'd left Unova to travel around the world and meet new people and Pokémon alike, but recently, Reshiram had become restless. He told N to return to Unova because the heroine of ideals was in trouble. Since N had no idea where Hilda was, he thought Nimbasa City would be a good place to start looking for her wherebouts.
"Hilda, I hope you're doing okay."
XXX
At the Musical Theater, May was helping to prepare everything for the Contest that would be happening late in the afternoon. May was now fourteen-years-old, having longer hair that reached down to her waist and looking more mature. May still trained as a Coordinator, but shortly after Ash's death, she went into a depression and ended up going on an indefinite hiatus from her career as a Coordinator. Her family became very worried about her, but with the help of her rivals and friends from the Contests, she got better and eventually managed to realize her dream of becoming a true professional. She's now responsible for bringing the world of Pokémon Contests to Unova.
"Miss May, where should I put this?" a man who was carrying a box asked May.
"Just leave that in the dressing room," May replied, not looking up from the clipboard in her hand even when a young boy approached her from behind.
"Hey, sis," the boy called out.
"Yes, Max, what is it?"
After four years, Max had grown up a little bit; he'd finally reached the legal age to get his Pokémon License two years earlier. His looks hadn't changed much, but he'd become much more mature, especially when it came to putting the sibling rivalry he'd once shared with May to rest following Ash's passing. When May became determined to bring Contests to Unova, Max decided to come with her because he wanted to help her and see the fauna and Pokémon of Unova.
"You have a visitor."
"A visitor?" May blinked, surprised. She didn't know anyone in Unova. "Who?"
Then, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Gary standing in the doorway. Gary only smiled softly at her as he walked towards her.
"G-Gary…..?"
"Hey, May," Gary greeted. "It's been a while. I haven't seen you since….."
"…..Since Ash's death….." May whispered. She shifted her head so that her eyes were hidden by her locks; she didn't want Gary to see the sadness in her eyes.
"Sis..." Max whispered, comforting his sister.
Gary scratched the back of his neck, unsure what he should do. Ash was always a sensitive subject for them, since he'd been their closest friend. Gary didn't know May that well, but he was well aware that she'd come to love Contests thanks in part to meeting Ash and travelling with him in Hoenn. Gary decided that it would probably be best to avoid talking to them about that red-eyed guy he'd met at the Pokémon Day Care and his unproven theory on whom he might be.
"Miss May?" Hugh said hesitantly, having decided to break the slight tension in the air as he came into view. "My name is Hugh, and I want to thank you for bringing Contests here to Unova. My little sister always loved seeing Contest shows from Hoenn and Sinnoh." He bowed to her respectfully.
May smiled. She was glad that she could bring happiness to the children of Unova and hopefully inspire some of them to pursue careers as future Coordinators. Maybe this unexpected reunion with Gary wouldn't be nearly as awkward as she'd initially thought.
"Would you like to stay and watch the Contest?" she asked them. "I can get you some VIP seats."
"Really?" Hugh asked. "Thank you! If you don't mind, I would like an autograph later; my sister is a big fan of yours."
Gary smiled. It was the first time since they'd met that he had seen Hugh look truly happy. Hugh had told him about how Team Plasma had stolen his sister's Purloin, which had been given to her as a gift by their late grandfather. Since then, he had been looking for clues about Team Plasma and the missing Pokémon.
"Hey, Max, I see you've finally become a Trainer," Gary said as he looked at Max and noticed the belt of Poké Balls at his waist.
"Yep! I got my license two years ago," Max said happily, "and my first Pokémon was-"
Max never got the chance to continue, as Skiddo headbutted him right in the stomach, surprising everyone, especially May.
"Max!" May exclaimed.
"Skiddo…" Gary muttered, hiding his face in embarrassment.
XXX
"How did I let you talk me into doing this, exactly?" Blue muttered darkly to his friend as they waited in line at the entrance to the building where the Pokémon Contest was taking place.
"Because you know I'm right about that girl being the key to understanding your dreams."
Blue sighed in annoyance. He didn't want to watch any Contests; he just wanted to look for clues about his mother. They entered the building and took their seats just as the houselights dimmed and several spotlights came on and shone on the stage. The show had just begun.
"Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen! How are we all doing tonight?!"
A large round of cheers and applause was more than enough to answer Vivian Meridian's question as she took to the centre of the stage for the entrance ceremony.
"Great! Now before we begin, we would like to thank May from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region for convincing our sponsors from the Pokémon League Association to allow the Pokémon Contest challenge to become a reality in Unova! May, come on out and address your adoring public!"
The crowd erupted into cheers when May walked out onto the stage. She bowed to the public and waved to them happily. She glanced up at the VIP box, meeting the eyes of Hugh, Gary, and Max as they applauded her enthusiastically. Blue never took his eyes off of May, struggling to understand why he felt like he knew that girl from somewhere, while on the other side of the crowd, N was watching the Contest carefully. While he didn't much care for the battling aspect of Contests, he was interested in seeing the beauty and skills of the Pokémon involved. From what the Pokémon had told him, they liked using Contests to show off all their moves.
"Thank you, Vivian," May said as the announcer handed her the microphone. "As many of you know, Pokémon Contests first got their start in my homeland, and since then, they've gone on to become popular all around the world. I was sad when I heard Contests hadn't reached Unova yet, but now here we are, getting ready to kick off Unova's very first Contest! I'm truly honored to be a part of this groundbreaking moment. I can hardly believe that only a few years ago, I had no interest in anything having to do with Pokémon until a dear friend of mine, who is no longer with us, introduced me to the joys of Pokémon and helped make me what I am today- a professional Coordinator. I would like to dedicate this Contest to his memory- to my dearest friend, Ash Ketchum!"
The majority of the audience applauded the Coordinator, but Blue on the other hand, was now in shock over the mention of the name "Ash Ketchum." Again, images were running throught his mind involving the girl in the ring, but she was younger and with a boy who was younger than him. Green glanced at his friend worriedly when he noticed how pale he was.
"Blue, are you alright?" Green asked. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea coming here, after all."
"No," Blue said suddenly as he looked at the girl again. "I think it was a good idea coming here. You were right; she may hold the key to figuring out why I keep having those dreams and what they mean."
Green said nothing; he just looked at Blue with concern. He looked at the stage as the announcer introduced the judges of the Contest, who were head judge Mr. Contesta; Nimbasa's Gym Leader, Elesa; and the director of the Pokémon Fan Club, Sukizo. Before the main show got under way, May announced to the audience that she would give a short demonstration on how Pokémon were to be used in Contests. She got two Poké Balls from her belt, and when she threw them in the air, from the light emerged a powerful Blaziken and an elegant Shiny Mienshao. That got Green's attention.
"Mienshao, Rain Dance, then follow up with your Ice Punch!" May shouted to her Pokémon.
The Shiny Mienshao nodded and did what she said, first summoning rain with her Rain Dance and then using Ice Punch to freeze the rain drops.
"Now Blaziken, spin in the air and use your Blaze Kick!"
Blaziken cried out as he jumped in the air. He spun in the air while using Blaze Kick, and the fire from his attack made all the frozen raindrops glitter like stars. When they finished, they posed as the audience gave the Pokémon's performance a standing ovation.
"Blue, I think I'm in love!" Green shouted dreamily with hearts in his eyes.
Blue couldn't help but sweatdrop as he looked away in embarrassment. Green's reaction somehow reminded Blue of someone else, but he couldn't really remember who it could be.
"That was an amazing performance, Ladies and Gentlemen! I wouldn't expect anything less from the Princess of Hoenn!"
The audience once again applauded May's performance, including Gary. May had really improved herself since the last time he'd seen her in a Contest on t.v..
Suddenly, the lights went out, confusing everybody. May was confused, too, as her Pokémon gathered around her defensively. They felt danger. Blue growled as he felt danger, as well, along with a familiar presence.
Then, the lights came back on, revealing three members of Team Plasma up on stage, two males and one female.
"Sorry about this, but now it's our turn to give you a show," said a male Plasma Grunt.
"Who are you?" May demanded as Blaziken and Mienshao placed themselves between May and the members of Team Plasma, protecting her from the strangers.
"We are Team Plasma!" said the female member of the trio. "The future rulers of Unova!"
Then, the female member threw two small devices at May's Pokémon, which attached to their foreheads and caused the Pokémon to cry out in pain as a surge of red light coursed through their bodies.
"Blaziken! Mienshao! What's wrong?" May cried out, concerned for her Pokémon.
When they turned around, she saw her Pokémon glowing red in fury. They growled at her maliciously, as if they were about to attack May. Blaziken readied a Blaze Kick and Mienshao prepared a Force Palm, and May cried as she closed her eyes, expecting the impact of the attack. But nothing came.
"What?!" shouted one of the Plasma Grunts.
May opened her eyes and saw Gary and Hugh in front of her, with a Blastoise and a Serperior blocking her Pokémon's attempted attacks.
"I won't allow you guys to ruin this Contest!" Gary shouted angrily.
"I dunno what you guys are planning here, but I won't let you succeed!" Hugh added.
Hugh and Gary glared at Team Plasma. Meanwhile, Max and Elesa were helping Officer Jenny evacuate the theater safely.
The tension in the air was heavy. Gary rolled Blastoise's Poké Ball around in his hand anxiously as he waited for the last remaining stragglers from the audience to exit. He wasn't nervous about the battle, per se, although he was well aware that it could easily go either way since Blastoise had a type advantage over Blaziken, who, in turn, was strong against Serperior, while Mienshao stood an equal chance against both Blastoise and Serperior. What he was nervous about was the fact that the Pokémon he and Hugh would be battling against didn't belong to their opponents, and should the two men win, it might mean having to seriously injure May's Pokémon. Gary hated the thought of hurting May's Pokémon, but he couldn't see any way around it.
Ultimately, he decided that his best course of action would be to try to finish this battle as quickly as possible, and so, as soon as the last of the civilians was out of harm's way, Gary pointed to May's Blaziken and shouted, "Blastoise, Hydro Cannon, now!"
"What?!" Hugh yelped in surprise. Wasn't Hyrdro Cannon the ultimate Water-type attack? Why would Gary decide to use it as his first move? Hugh understood that he probably wanted to end this battle as quickly as possible, but an attack that powerful against a Pokémon with a type disadvantage could easily kill it. What was Gary thinking?
"Gary, are you crazy?!" May shouted as she watched Blastoise charge up the attack; apparently, she was thinking the same thing Hugh was. "You'll kill my Blaziken if that attack hits! Call it off, n-"
May's outcry came too late, and she was cut off as a powerful blast of water shot out of Blastoise's cannons and struck her Blaziken dead on. The force of the blast knocked it back, and May screamed in horror as she watched her beloved starter slam against the wall. The attack went on for nearly a minute, Blastoise having sensed Gary's anxiousness to finish the battle quickly and minimize the damage they'd have to deal to May's Pokémon and pouring all of his strength into the attack, until finally, Blastoise ran out of energy and the Hydro Cannon slowly diminished in strength and eventually ceased.
In the aftermath of the attack, Blaziken lay slumped against the wall, seemingly fainted. Hugh and May were both clearly appauled by Gary's lack of restraint; although, while Hugh would never admit it out loud, he was secretly relieved that Blaziken was no longer a threat and couldn't pose any danger to his Serperior. Gary, meanwhile, only offered Blaziken a pitying glance and a silent apology before he set his sights on May's Mienshao and muttered calmly, "One down, one to go."
"You think so, huh?" The female Plasma Grunt asked smugly. She snapped her fingers, and to her enemies' surprise, Blaziken's eyes shot open and he quickly rose back onto his feet as if Blastoise's attack hadn't affected him at all. "No matter what attacks you throw at them, you'll never win. The devices we placed on these Pokémon have the ability to increase their power and strength, as well as their aggression. Type advantages, type disadvantages, none of that matters as long as these Pokémon are under our control. Would you care for a demonstration? Blaziken!" The grunt snapped her fingers, grabbing the Fire-type's attention, before she directed its gaze toward Gary's Blastoise. "Overheat!"
Gary's eyes widened in alarm as a large fire blast exploded out of Blaziken's mouth, and in a desperate bid to dampen the blow, he ordered Blastoise to use Withdraw. The Water-type hadn't even begun to withdraw into its shell before the attack reached it and engulfed him in flames. To the group's horror, the attack delivered an instant, one-hit knock out, rendering Blastoise unconscious.
"Blastoise, return!" Gary yelled, returning Blastoise to his Poké Ball before the flames of Blaziken's Overheat could leave any lasting damage on his starter.
Hugh couldn't believe what he'd just seen. How had Blaziken, a Fire-type, taken out Blastoise, a Water-type with only one hit? He watched Gary return Blastoise's Poké Ball to his belt without taking his eyes off of May's Pokémon, and in that moment Hugh realized that now his Serperior was all that was left to take on Mienshao and Blaziken. He eyed May's Blaziken apprehensively. If Gary's Blastoise had been taken out in one hit even with a type advantage, what chance did his Serperior stand with its weakness to fire attacks?
"Mienshao, Hi Jump Kick!" one of the male Plasma Grunts shouted, startling Hugh. It seemed he didn't have to worry about Serperior's chances of winning against Blaziken; May's Mienshao leaped gracefully into the air where her knee suddenly started glowing with a strange, purple energy, before she came down on Hugh's Serperior with a powerful knee kick.
Not only did the powerful attack knock Serperior out in a single blow, it also landed with enough force to knock Serperior back into Hugh and send them both flying into the distant wall with an impact so strong that it caused the lighting equipment above to fall and crash down on top of them.
"Hugh!" Gary shouted in alarm as he watched the younger Trainer grimace in pain, moaning pitifully. He was struck by a brief flashback of Ash lying trapped under that boulder and, jarred by the horrifying memory, rushed to help save Hugh from a similar fate, while May, in turn, hurried toward Blaziken and Mienshao to try to snap them out of Team Plasma's control.
"Blaziken, Mienshao, stop!" she begged as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You have to wake up! I know you're stronger than this! Fight it!"
But both Pokémon remained under Team Plasma's control, and Blaziken only cried out angrily as he slapped May. May yelped in pain as she fell to the ground, unconscious.
"May!" Gary cried out, leaving the newly freed Hugh to rush to May's aid.
When Gary turned her over to see if she was okay, he gasped in horror when he saw that Blaziken's attack had burned the right side of her face. Blaziken was about to attack him, as well, when Skiddo came out from her Poké Ball and tackled the burning Pokémon away from her Trainer.
"(I will not allow you to touch Gary!)" Skiddo cried.
The female Plasma Grunt looked confused, as she had never seen that kind of Pokémon before. Gary shouted at Skiddo, ordering her to run away since Blaziken would be too strong for her, but Skiddo shook her head, unwilling to leave her Trainer to fend for himself against a rampaging Pokémon.
"Aww, how sweet- the bond between a Trainer and his Pokémon. It'd be such a shame to see it broken," the female grunt said, her voice laced with sarcasm and cruelty. "I see that thing is a Grass-type. Blaziken, use your Flamethrower on that thing."
Blaziken cried out as he fired his Flamethrower at Skiddo. Gary cried out as Skiddo closed her eyes, expecting to be burned alive, but the attack never hit her. She was shocked when she saw two human boys standing in front of her protectively, the dark-haired one using a barrier to protect them from Blaziken's attack.
The others were totally shocked when they saw the dark-haired boy using Protect. How was that possible? Only Pokémon could use that move. Gary was also surprised when he recognized the boy; he was the same one he'd met briefly at the Day Care.
"I will not let you hurt anyone else," Blue said coldly to the Plasma Grunts.
"B-But how...? That was impossible!" shouted the female grunt. "No human could do that!"
"Who said we're humans, you arrogant fool?" Green said darkly.
Blue's Aura covered them as the illusion came off, revealing their true forms. The humans around them were speechless, especially Gary. He knew he'd entertained the idea that Blue might actually be a Pokémon after the strange meeting with that old miko, but contemplating something and seeing it actually happen were two entirely different things. How could that Pokémon create illusions if Zorua and Zoroark were supposedly the only ones capable of such a feat? And why did Blue's human form look so much like Ash?
"I will stop this madness!" Blue cried out at Team Plasma.
To be continued
The tension's really coming out in there. How will Blue and Green deal with the rampaging and controlled Pokémon? Wait and find out!
I want to thanks Flock o' Seagulls for beta editing this. ^^