"Malamar?! You... bastard!" Jenny cursed in anger. It was none other than the psychotic evil Pokemon himself.
"Mala Mala Mala Mar!"
"Madame X! How nice of you to show up!"
"Don't you DARE call me that!" Jenny replied. Her Pokeball containing Manectric at the ready.
"Ma Mala Malamar Mala Mala Mar."
"And Madame Y, how... unfortunate that you decided not to join the cause."
Serena clenched her fist tightly, now wanting to let out the rage in her. It's what Malamar wants to see in its enemies.
Weakness.
"Malamar Ma Mala Mala Mar."
"Such a shame, you would have fit perfectly in our ranks."
"I am NOT a pawn of your games!" Serena shot back. Her face turned red in anger. Pancham fired a Dark Pulse towards Malamar in retaliation, but was deflected when it reached it.
Malamar let out a laugh at the panda Pokemon's attempt at attacking.
"Ma Ma! Mala Malamar Ma!"
"Electromagnetic shield my friend! You won't be hitting me with your attacks anytime soon!"
Serena clenched her teeth. She wanted revenge for hurting Ash. But she couldn't do anything about it.
"Meowth! What are you doing?! You're on our side!" James yelled. His Inkay also filled with anger, vowing revenge for using Team Rocket when they first crossed paths.
"Ma Mala Ma Malamar."
"I'm afraid he works for me now."
Meowth then took out a switch and raised it so everyone could get a good look at it.
"Ma Ma Malamar Mar, Ma Ma Malamar Mala Mala Ma!"
"If you wish to survive you best better start running, this camp is rigged with bombs filled with Napalm!"
Everyone froze.
"Na... Na... Napalm?!" Mike said.
"Mala Mala Mar Ma Ma Mala Malamar!"
"You got 10 minutes before everything within a 4 kilometer radius is reduced to ashes!"
At the side of the detonator displayed the numbers 10:00 on the timer.
Jenny cursed. She was so close! But Malamar has drove them into a corner. Jenny had to make a difficult decision, evacuate everyone out of the area. But everything, along with the truth, burns to the ground with it. The other option was to try disarming all the bombs that were in the camp but would be putting all her men at risk.
"Malamar! Mala Mala Mala Mar!"
"You'd best hurry up! Clocks starts now!"
"No!"
It was at that moment Serena sprang forward, the whole world slowing down around her. She could hear her heart beat faster and faster. She didn't know what she was thinking, but there was no turning back now.
Serena kept forward and slammed Meowth onto the ground, throwing the detonator from his hand. The detonator slammed onto the ground trigger down, a beeping noise emitted and the timer started counting down.
"Dammit! What were you thinking?!" Mike yelled.
Serena mentally kicked herself, she didn't know why she suddenly became reckless in that split second of a moment. Maybe Ash's personality was rubbing off her? No matter, if she can't stop the bombs, she can at least save Meowth.
"GET OFF ME!" Meowth yelled, struggling out of Serena's grip.
"Listen to me Meowth! You got to break free of Malamar's control!" Serena pleaded.
"There is no more Meowth. Only a follower to a new future!"
Meowth raised his arms, Fury Swipes readied and lunged it at Serena.
"Serena!" Clemont yelled. Fearing the worst was about to happen.
Serena grabbed Meowth hand, just centimeters away from her face.
"I don't think so!"
She turned the feline Pokemon's hand around, the Fury Swipes facing him now. She prayed that this would worked. She started using Meowth's Fury Swipes and slashed his face, each slash harder than the other.
"What are you doing with Meowth?!" Jessie screamed.
"Saving him!" Serena replied.
Malamar, who saw the entire thing simply smiled and floated away from the scene.
"He's getting away!" Mike yelled as he stared chasing after Malamar.
"No." Jenny ordered.
"But-!"
"That's an order Lieutenant!"
"Ye... Yes Ma'am..."
Serena finally stopped slashing, her hand aching. Meowth's face was covered with slash marks. He then opened his eyes, the red glow gone.
"Urgh..." Meowth grunted. "Could you have used a less painful method to wake me- Eh...? Twerpette?!"
It worked! She couldn't believe it actually worked!
"Meowth!" Serena exclaimed. For the first time she's actually glad to see of all people like Meowth to be alright.
"I... I remember now, Malamar, something about a weapon..."
"There's no time! We got a big problem on our hands!"
Serena lifted Meowth to his feet and dusted him off
"Alright everyone! We got to evacuate from the area now! Mike! Order the men to regroup at Rally Point Alpha."
"We're not going anywhere." Serena said.
"What?!" Everyone screamed in surprised.
"Serena! What are you doing?! The bombs are about to explode!" Clemont said.
"We've got some loose ends to tie up." Meowth replied, the calmness of his face hiding the rage that was within. Serena too, felt that way as well.
"This isn't the time for vengeance! You'll die if you stay here!"
"Both of us had been pawns in this grand scheme... Malamar had used me to..." She couldn't bring herself to say it, the horrible thing she had done to Ash.
"We end this now." Meowth said.
"But-!"
"You got to leave, get as far away from here as possible." Serena ordered. "And Clemont?"
"Yes Serena?"
"If... if I don't make it out of this... Tell... Tell Ash that I love him!"
Clemont was taken by surprise, her true feelings have finally come out.
"Un...understood Serena..."
Jessie and James approached Meowth, along with Inkay and Gourgeist.
"You'll make it out of this right Meowth?" James asked worriedly.
"Please, I've been into plenty of rodeos, I'm sure I can handle this."
"Well... Just make it make it back in one piece alright Meowth?"
"I will." Meowth said, with a grin on his face.
Serena picked up the detonator to check the remaining time, 7:48. Alright, they needed to be quick.
"Everyone move! GO GO GO!"
The group nodded and ran in the opposite towards the gate.
Pancham stayed behind, not wanting to abandon its trainer.
"Thanks for staying behind Pancham." Serena said.
"Cham!" Pancham said, pumping his fists on his chest.
"Alright let's go!" Meowth said.
Pancham hopped onto Serena's shoulders and they both started sprinting as quickly as they could. There was only one place that Malamar could have gone to.
The tent at the top of the hill.
"What's the status on Camp Omega!" Lysandre demanded.
"Napalm bombs have been activated, T minus 7 minutes."
" Damnit!" Lysandre slammed on his desk.
Lysandre could not allow Project ARCADIA to be discovered. He fear its discovery could potentially trace it back to him. Jeopardizing his life long goal.
"Is the extraction chopper prepped?" Lysandre asked.
"Zulu 6-1 is in the air, ETA 4 minutes."
Once the bombs explode, they will nothing but dust and rubble, and it'll look like nothing more than an extreme forest fire from afar.
That's how Lysandre hoped it would happen.
"There it is!" Serena said.
In front of them was the tent oversaw everything, and where this would all end.
"You ready?" Meowth asked.
"Let's do this." Serena replied. She knew this was the point of no return.
Ash... Please watch over me...
"On 3! 1, 2,-"
Suddenly a flash of light blinded the both of them and the two were pushed back an overwhelming force. An explosion.
Serena coughed as head started spinning and her ears still ringing. From the fires of the explosion appeared a figure looming over the stunned Serena and Meowth.
Malamar.
The duo got back up on their feet, still dazed from the sudden explosion.
"Mala Malamar Mala?!"
"You two just won't quit won't you?!" Meowth translated.
"We have a score to settle Malamar!" Serena yelled, beaming with rage.
"Malamar Mala, Malamar Mala!"
"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"
Malamar then launched an Psybeam at them. Causing them to jump out of the way.
"Pancham! Dark Pulse!"
Pancham jumped off Serena shoulders and dived straight into the battle. Launching a ray of dark energy at Malamar. But was deflected.
"No use! We won't be able to touch him with that electromagnetic shield around him!" Meowth said.
"What do we do if we can't hit it?!" Serena said.
She took out the detonator from her pocket, 4:50. They were running out of time!
Suddenly, Meowth had an idea.
"I got it!" He exclaimed.
"What is it?"
"There's got to be something that Malamar is wearing that is providing him the shield!"
"What are you suggesting?"
"If I could get in close enough, I can find the device and remove it."
"I think I know just the way." Serena said.
Malamar then used Psychic on Pancham, lifting the panda Pokemon into the air and send it flying, landed near Serena.
"Are you alright Pancham?"
"Cham!" Pancham said. Shrugging off the fall damage it had suffered.
"Alright Pancham! Use Stone Edge!"
Pancham then slammed it's hands onto ground, creating pillars of blue stone from the ground.
"Go, now!"
Meowth sprang from his cover and jumped onto the stone pillar, keeping his balance as he jumped stone pillars after stone pillars, eventually reaching Malamar, he leapt onto Malamar and held onto the top of the Pokemon.
"Mala?! Mala Mala Malamar?!"
Meowth noticed a small square chip the size of his paws attached to the back of Malamar.
"Sorry! But I'll be taking this!"
He snatched the chip and jumped off of Malamar.
"Now Twerpette!"
"Pancham! Use Karate Chop!"
Pancham's hand started glowing as it started running towards Malamar. Jumping into the air, and diving straight into the evil Pokemon. This was for all the harm it has cost to Braixen!
The attack hit Malamar, causing it to slam straight into the ground.
"Now! Finish it off with a Dark Pulse!"
Pancham, still in the air charged dark energy one more time and launched it. This time hitting its target.
The Dark Pulse exploded into a huge could of smoke, launching rubble into the air as well.
"Did... Did we do it...?" Serena said.
Suddenly, Malamar emerged from the crater, covered in bruises and scratches from the impact.
"Ma Ma Mala, Ma Ma Malamar Mala!"
"I got to hand it you, but you won't be leaving this place alive!" Meowth translated.
It was at that moment roaring sound was heard, it started getting closer and closer. From the corner of their eyes they saw a helicopter flying towards them. It quickly descent near Malamar as the doors opened. The Pokemon flew towards the chopper doors as Serena and Meowth gave chase.
"He's getting away!" Serena yelled.
But it was too late, Malamar was already in, as the helicopter quickly gain altitude. Leaving the two behind.
"We were so close!" Meowth said. "There's nothing we can do... We don't have enough time to escape the area... We're through..."
Serena checked the timer, 2 minutes left on the timer. It was over... They wouldn't be able to escape on time. Pancham knew what was about to happened and comfort it's trainer. Serena thought about Ash one last time, she regretted not telling him how she actually felt. But, just thinking about Ash made her felt... happy...
"Huh? What's that?" Meowth asked. Pointing at something square in shape laying on the floor.
Meowth picked up the object. It revealed to be a tablet of sorts. Most likely dropped by Malamar.
"What's on it?" Serena asked.
Meowth tapped on the screen and the tablet flickered to life. Displayed on the screen were the words: DETONATION SEQUENCE ACTIVATED.
"Yes! I know how to disable the bombs!" Meowth exclaimed.
"What?! How?!" Serena said in shock.
"If I can override the algorithms, I can override the detonation sequence and disable the bombs!"
"Wait, how does a Pokemon like you know how to handle explosives?" She asked.
"Evil organisation remember? Now be quiet so I can focus."
Meowth then began inputting commands on the tablets keyboard.
Serena checked the timer again. 1:00. Her spine chilled when she saw it. They weren't going to make it!
"Come on Meowth! We only have one minute left!" Serena yelled. Her face dripping with sweat.
"I'm working on it!" He replied.
Everything went silent around Serena. She could only hear the sound of the timer counting down, and the sound of her own heartbeat.
45 seconds left.
This was it... She couldn't deny the fact, she was going to die... At such a young age for her, there were so many things that she wanted to do. Become Kalos Queen, see the world. That kind of stuff.
35 seconds left.
Her mind then thought about her mom. Being told that her daughter had died in an explosion. Not even a body left to bury...
Her friends as well, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor. Clemont, Bonnie...
Ash...
20 seconds left.
Maybe she had failed Ash after all... She always remembered what Ash had said to her when they first met. "Don't give up till it's over!"
But here she was, on the brink of death, with all hope lost for her...
Perhaps Ash wasn't really the one for me... She thought to herself.
10 seconds left.
She closed her eyes gently. Accepting her fate, she didn't care anymore. She had failed the person she had loved. Finally giving up.
Pancham hugged Serena tightly.
5
Perhaps the afterlife wouldn't be so bad, she always wondered was there a life after death?
4
Maybe she'll even come back as a Pokemon, like a Yamask. Old folklore always say that Yamask are actually the spirits of humans who once lived.
3
Serena closed her eyes even tighter now. Not wanting greet death in the face.
2
Here it comes...
1
Serena opened her eyes again, she was still where she stood before. She saw Meowth facing her, holding the tablet in his hands.
"Bomb deactivated." Meowth said. Tossing the tablet on the ground in front of Serena. The words DISABLED displayed on the screen.
Serena couldn't believe her eyes... She... She survived...?!
Serena began laughing hysterically, which confused Meowth at first.
I'm alive! I'm alive! She thought to herself.
Meowth began laughing as well, they survived by the skin of their teeth.
The duo both sat at the edge of the cliff, looking on at the camp in front of them. They both just remain quiet for what seemed like forever. Wanting to enjoy every second of it.
Serena then broke the silence.
"You know what Meowth? You're not such a bad person after all." Serena confessed.
"And you aren't such a Twepette after all, Serena." Meowth said, with a smile on his face.
Serena couldn't help but smile at that. It is only now she saw Meowth not as an enemy who would always try to steal Pokemon, but she saw him as... she dared even saying it. A friend.
Perhaps old grudges doesn't really die hard after all.
Oh boy! That was a really hard one to write! I have two things I want to talk about. First thing is as of writing this chapter, Pokemon The Series XY has entered its second year! And with that also the second anniversary of Amourshipping!
Secondly, I just would like to thank everyone who had read and reviewed this story. Without you guys and your helpful reviews, I wouldn't have been here. Now don't worry, there's still one final chapter before this story finally comes to a conclusion. I'll also announce the next Anpurshipping story that I'll be writing!
With that said, this is Ikcatcher, signing out.