Continuing on with Ash and Misty. Like I said, things won't be slowing down for a good while. Eventually we'll get to a point where we can all sit back and take a breath, but it will be a moody breath haha.
Also, got a few replies for some of you :)
ViktornovaMK2 - I never noticed that it resembles Mass Effect, but I can't argue that it does! Don't worry though, I personally promise it will have a much better ending. I can't tell details (for obvious reason haha), but sleep easy my friend.
JordanMax - Yeaaaaa, that list will most definitely get bigger as we go on. To help unease your mind, let's just say that only 1 person is safe throughout the entire story. Isn't that a scary thought? Even I think so! Haha
AaronAmerican - Suffering? What suffering? This is the sweetest story I've ever read :p haha. To answer when will the suffering end? NEVER! Mwahahahaha!
SpencerDorman - In some cases I try to tone back the gore, only a little bit, but I do try. Dominion's are vicious, brutal, blood thirsty creatures. There's only so many non gory ways to show that haha. Once we get further along, and we can breath for a moment, the gore will tone down.
Amal mania - Yes, yes they are!
I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story so far!
Anyways, enjoy Chp. 5!
The siren droned on into the night, fading in and out to alert the citizens of Indigo. League Officials ran up and down the streets, shouting "remain calm" and "proceed to the Plateau orderly but swiftly". A detonation went off in the distance, muffled by the mountain tops. Advanced League forces had left less than half and hour ago to try and head off the incoming Dominion's.
Families rushed down the roads, scurrying towards the safety of the towering Plateau building. League Official Adam ran up to the front gates, looking between the iron bars, down the winding path into town. It was steep, with stony stairs to make challenging trainers feel as if they were climbing towards their goals. Tonight, it was a stairway away from Hell.
Adam flipped out his keycard, and swiped it through the lock as the first family rushed towards him. The light on the pad turned from red to green, and he flung it wide open. At night the Plateau was shut down, and all gates were locked. There were a lot of strong and rare Pokemon in the Plateau, so security was always a must.
The stairway became cluttered with the Indigo population, but each person helped the other. Younger adults helped the elderly climb, and carried the children so they wouldn't be lost in the massive crowd. Adam held the gate open, allowing each person access into the courtyard. Other League Officials rushed to assist, and guide the civilians to the airfield out back, for evacuation.
They would have to cross the garden first, filled with exotic plants and Pokemon from around the world. Adam was worrying about them stepping on and ruining a few of the plants, but he quickly shook that off. The Dominion's would ravage the plants anyway. Speaking of...he squinted his eyes, looking towards the east mountain top. Just on the other side, he could swear he could see the glowing fires in Viridian. Was the fire that massive?
He squinted harder...little dots were beginning to litter the night sky, and we're growing much larger, way too fast. Realizing that that men't the advanced forces were gone, Adam pulled out his PokeGear and tapped a number onto the screen. 1147, the authority code Lance had given him. Within a ten mile radius, all League Official PokeGear burst to life, allowing Adam to speak to each and every one of them.
"This is Adam Johnson, using authorization code 1147" he spoke into his PokeGear, "the Dominion's have arrived, I repeat, they have arrived. All League Officials involved in PsyDefense 54, head to your stations immediately. All Officials involved in PsyDefense 54, head to you stations immediately. This is not a drill"!
The Dominion's reached the edge of town, one of them striking with yellow lightning. An explosion went off behind the buildings in Adam's eyesight, and he then pressed a button that had lit up on his Gear. The Indigo Plateau's lights shifted to a deep red, and a siren went off from the tower.
Screams began to echo up the mountain side from the stragglers still in town. Adam's eyes flashed the colors of explosions caused by Dominion's, and Pokemon being released by League Officials, as he stared down into town.
Lance barged out into the hall, ignoring the fact that he had slammed the door so hard a hole cracked in the sheetrock. Under different circumstances, Kyle would have made a sarcastic remark, but tonight, he simply followed Lance as he ran down the hall.
Ash and Misty ran out after them, Pikachu clinging to Ash's slightly too large shirt. Another muffled explosion went of outside, causing Lance to pick up his pace. Ash began running towards the stairs, but Lance turned down a different hall right before them. Misty nearly crashed into Ash as they both stopped suddenly to change direction. They sprinted after the Dragon Master, listening as muffled screams began to be heard.
Lance slammed himself into a metal door labeled 'Exit'. It opened with a loud pop, and Ash found himself standing on a balcony overlooking the Plateau Gardens. The blood red lights mixed horribly with the lights posted along the gates. Casting awkward shadows across the fleeing civilians as they hurried through the garden. Misty gasped, and her hand found Ash's arm. He followed her gaze and spotted them...the Dominion's assaulting the Town of Indigo.
Suddenly, a barrier of purple energy began to materialize and grow around the Plateau, its borders following the gates. Stationed in even intervals behind the iron bars, League Officials, and their Psychic Pokemon were raising the purple shield.
Lance's cape billowed behind him in the harsh mountain air, his red hair whipping him in the face. Kyle walked up beside him, stone faced with anger.
"Are we really going to leave them like this" Kyle asked, not taking his eyes off the bolt of yellow lightning that coursed across a street.
Lance clenched his fists, "we have to...if we want to have a hope of stopping these things we need to get Ash to Sinnoh".
With that said, he removed his eyes from the carnage, and marched back inside the red lit hall. Kyle waited a second longer, and then followed. The door closing behind him.
"Pika...".
His ears tucked behind his head. Misty shivered from the wind, or was it the sights? Regardless, she turned her head away from Indigo, and gently pulled on Ash's arm. Ash took a few steps back still facing the town, then turned and sprinted after Lance.
He jerked open the heavy metal door, and stopped instantly, almost crashing into the back of Kyle. Lance was two feet in front of them, seething with anger at an unfortunate League Official who had tracked them down.
"HE'S HERE" Lance shouted, glowering fiercely, "of all times to return, he chooses NOW"!
"Um...y-yes sir" the woman trembled, "I took him to the conference room to find you. He wishes to have a word before you depart".
A vein bulged in Lance's temple, and Ash could swear his face was as red as his hair. Ash couldn't believe the sheer, uncomfortable rage, emitting from Lance. Even Kyle seemed to be taken back by the Dragon Master's emotion. Ash refrained from wincing as Lance half cocked his head to the side to look at him.
"FINE" Lance gave in, turning back to the official, "he has five minutes".
With that said, Lance stormed off past the Official, and the others followed hesitantly. If that coward, and his ridiculous nickname, wanted to see Lance, then by God...he would see the fury of a Dragon Master!
Adam stood at the gate, cursing himself as he watched the Dominion's growing closer. The Psychic barrier prevented anymore civilians from entering to safety, but that was protocol. He had to keep the ones that had made it safe...but how long was safe? People pressed up against the dome of Psychic energy, screaming for him to help, to let them in. Most of them didn't have a clue as to what was happening in town, but they could certainly hear the detonations and dying screams of the ones still trapped back there.
A little blonde girl, no older than six, pressed her tiny hand against the energy wall. She was five feet from Adam, and he could clearly see the plea in her bright green eyes. A stuffed Clefairy doll was clutched in her arm, and she pulled it tighter.
Adam looked down at her, trying to remove his gaze so that he could maintain his pose, and keep following protocol...but her watery eyes had him stuck. That was someone's daughter….someone's future….
"Williams" he suddenly called, turning to the nearest League trainer, "you have a Golduck right"?
"Uh, yes sir" Williams replied, caught off guard by the sudden question.
"Have it use Psychic to counteract a ten foot square at the entrance" Adam ordered, "we're letting these people in"!
Williams nodded immediately, and enlarged his PokeBall, "right away sir"!
With a flash of light, Golduck appeared, and Williams commanded it to open a spot in the barrier. Its eyes lit up blue, and then the Psychic energy at the entrance shimmered briefly before disappearing. The crowd of people surged through the tiny hole, shouting cheers of joy. Adam looked around for the little girl, but she was gone.
Then, from the stairway up to the Plateau, a terrifying metallic shrill pierced through his eardrum. He winced violently, and covered his ears attempting to stop the splitting of his skull. The people near the back of the crowd began to shout in fright, and shove against the ones in front of them.
Adam glanced past the crowd, and his stomach dropped. Creatures, more horrible than he imagined, were flying towards them at lightning speed. A boom overhead caught his attention, and he saw yellow lightning clashing against the Psychic barrier. Sending harsh ripples in all directions, but the protective dome was holding strong.
Random strikes of lightning, and blasts of yellow balls of energy, hit randomly among the citizens. Some shouted, and dove out of the way, others weren't so lucky. One woman had been struck directly by lightning, and exploded upon impact. Blood and flesh rained across the immediate people in the area, only causing more hysterics. A ball of energy struck underneath one man, and in a yellow blast, blew off his legs. Causing the remainder of him to be trampled by fleeing feet.
"Assault Squad" Adam shouted, "NOW"!
Hordes of fire Pokemon, and their League trainers, rushed forward a few feet from the barrier. Fireblast's, FireBall's, Flamethrower's, all kinds of fiery attacks launched into the air. The Psychic Pokemon emitting their domed protection, opened up small pockets for the attacks to zoom through. Dominion's ducked out of the way, swerving through the sky to avoid the heated assault. They attacked back, shooting their lightning towards the holes along the dome. The Psychic Pokemon began to close them one by one as the lightning tried to break through. Waves rippled across the energy barrier, working the Psychic Pokemon harder.
Amongst the dozens of metallic shrieks Adam was hearing, one in particular stuck out. A shriek of joy almost, or realization. Then Adam saw it…a handful of Dominion's had spotted the ten foot hole created for the civilians, who were still surging in for safety. They dove straight towards it, their eyes glowing viciously.
"CLOSE THE BARRIER" Adam bellowed, "SHUT THE HOLE"!
His voice was lost amongst the chaos, only to be heard little too late. Two of the Dominion's coursed through, seconds before it had shut. They swooped through the League Officials at the gate, slicing fatal gashes across their chests, and decapitating some too slow to duck. Adam dove to the ground as one Dominion sliced at his head, and he was caught across the back. A burning pain seared between his shoulder blades, and he gasped in response.
"Protect the PsyDefense Squad" one League member began shouting, only to be cut short by a Dominion piercing its third arm through his chest.
The other Dominion gave a terrifying call, and charged lightning between its three arms. It flicked its arms swiftly, and the lightning struck an Alakazam in the back.
Adam pushed himself to his knees, and looked up as more Pokemon began to cry out in pain. The lightning was chaining through each of the Psychic Pokemon spread across the gates of the Plateau. Each one exploding into a burst of blood, or dropping to the ground burnt to a crisp. Their Psychic dome protection, began to shimmer, and fade.
Adam stood up, he had to warn Lance to leave immediately. He pulled his PokeGear to his mouth, but an agonizing pain burst through his stomach. He tasted blood spurt into his throat, and heard a metallic hiss directly behind him. A long, thin arm raised into his vision, and the sharp claws swung down at his neck.
Ash rubbed his left hand, more precisely his fingers. They had started to ache, and upon inspection, turn black and blue. This had thrown him for a loop, until he remembered they had been stepped on back in Pallet Town. A few were probably broken…
His head still ached, and he wasn't so sure if it was getting worse or not. Various places over the rest of him coursed with pain, and he knew he would probably need medical attention soon, but now was definitely not the time.
He glanced over to Misty, quietly inspecting her to see if 'physically' she was ok. She seemed to be, so that eased his mind somewhat. He was then pulled back to their current situation by Kyle.
"Lance" Kyle called, "Lance"!
The Champion continued marching at a quick pace, heading back towards the conference room.
"Goddamit Lance" Kyle shouted, "who the Hell is important enough to show up at a time like this and delay our departure"?
Lance cocked his head back to look at the three following him, "Red".
Ash's head tilted to the side. A color? Misty had somewhat of the same reaction, but Kyle…his jaw dropped open in disbelief.
"No way" he retorted, "he's been gone for over twenty years now".
Lance shook his head, and returned his focus forward, "not gone, 'training'. Or so he says".
"Wait" Misty interrupted before Kyle could speak back, "who's Red"?
Lance hesitated, and looked back to Ash and Misty for a moment before replying, "Richard Eugene Denton. He likes to go by his initials".
Ash was still at a loss, but Misty's jaw dropped this time.
"THE Richard Denton" Misty questioned as they rounded the corner to the hallway with the conference room, "the man who claimed Championship of Kanto and then vanished"?
"The very same" Lance said, with a glance from Misty to Ash.
He then paused outside the conference door, and turned to face the pair of them.
"This will more than likely cause a problem" he spoke swiftly, and he had a hint of nervousness hidden in his voice, "just remember we have to leave for Sinnoh. Five minutes, and we are gone! Do I make myself clear"?
He stared the two of them down with his dark, powerful eyes. They felt as is if they were shrinking under his gaze, so the two nodded in agreement.
"Good"!
And with that, Lance shoved open the door. Within the last five minutes, any confusing behavior Lance had done, or said, suddenly made sense to Misty. The man called Red stood before them, leaned against the giant oak table, with a purple hue from the Psychic barrier shining through the window. He had jet black, messy hair, and a red and white ball cap on his head. He was sporting a black t-shirt, with a red overcoat, and dark blue jeans with white sneakers. His eye's were a deep brown, and he had and aged face. Like a man in his 40's. He smiled at them as they walked in…a remarkably similar crooked smile…
Misty quickly shot a glance to Lance first, and he was staring straight ahead to Red with a stone cold glare. She then turned to Ash, hoping beyond hope, that he didn't notice the same thing she had….he did….
"Richard" Lance said with venom.
"Come on Lance" the man said, keeping his smile, "you know I like Red".
Lance swallowed once, forcing himself not to shout, and then started to say, "let's just get to the-".
He cut himself off as Ash stepped in front of the group, staring at Red with absolute disbelief across his face. It took a second's hesitation, but Red seemed to realize what Misty already had.
Ash's father was standing before them.
Red swallowed nervously, and opened his mouth to speak, but Ash spun on the spot to face Lance.
"Did you know" he asked emotionless.
Lance stared right back at Ash, and for the first time in his life, his will power almost broke.
"Yes" the Dragon Master answered softly.
Misty was petrified with fear. This was the first time she could ever recall that Ash's face was expressionless. His body was still, his face flat, and his eyes were dim. Pikachu tensed up on his shoulder, sensing the emotion roaring within his trainer, but the lack of response was terrifying.
Slow, agonizingly slow, Ash turned back around to face his father. Red looked him in the eye as he did. Then, the two just stood motionless, staring the other down. Misty watched the silent exchange, jumping back and forth between wanting to intervene and help, and remaining silent.
Then, Red cleared his throat, and shakily asked, "so…how's Delia"?
The next ten seconds were chaos. Lance launched himself forward as Ash landed his fist agains't Red's jaw. Pikachu was thrown from Ash's shoulder by the force of the impact, and thudded onto the floor. Red crashed into the oak table, smacking his temple against it. Ash had landed another hit just before Lance wrapped his arms around him and pulled. Misty rushed forward to help calm Ash down, and Kyle ran to see if Red was alright. Pikachu chittered away from the floor, scolding Ash for his behavior, but throwing in insults about Red.
Lance had to use all his strength to hold Ash back, who had now started shouting incoherently. Misty threw herself in between Ash and Red as Kyle helped the man to his feet. Ash tried to maneuver around her, but Lance held on.
"STOP IT ASH" Misty shouted, placing her hands against his shoulders, "I SAID STOP"!
She didn't believe that had done the trick, but it did cause him to stop struggling against Lance. Red shook his head, placing his hand against his bleeding temple. He waved Kyle off him, and stood up straight. Once again, he opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment through the window to the outside, the Psychic dome began to flicker and vanish. The purple hue in the room faded out, and Lance immediately let go of Ash and ran to the window sill.
Ash, forgetting about his father for the moment, rushed after the Champion and looked through the thick glass. The town way down below was in flames, and Dominion's were swooping through the Plateau gardens. Smaller Pokemon, like Rattatta's and Pidgey's, fled for cover. While some of the bigger ones, like Arbok and Exeggutor, tried to fight back. Dominion's, however, overwhelmed them in force, and the brave Pokemon were sliced apart.
Misty walked up beside Ash, placing her hand over her mouth. Lance turned around quickly, "we have to leave now"!
He swept across the room, "HURRY"!
Kyle bolted after him, and Ash ripped himself away from the window to run to Pikachu. Bending down, and extending his arm, Ash allowed his Pokemon to scurry up to his usual spot. He caught his father's eye as he stood back up. Every fiber of his body wanted to smash his fist into the man again, but he opted to face Misty.
"Come on"!
The two ran after Lance and Kyle, but Misty hesitated in the doorframe. She cast Red a glance, he looked after them, looking at a loss for what to do. Ash's hand then closed around her wrist, and she was yanked from the room. Lance's cape, and Kyle, turned around the corner down the hall. So Ash sped up, racing across the carpet in the dark lighting.
They caught up faster than Ash had anticipated, as Lance was smashing himself against a door, which was apparently locked.
"This" slam, "door" slam, "should" slam, "NEVER" slam, he backed up breathing heavy, "be locked".
"I got it" Ash said, grabbing a PokeBall, "go Donphan! Rollout that door"!
Ash threw the ball, and the armor Pokemon materialized within the flash of light, which illuminated the hall from the red coloring for a moment. Donphan cried out as it rolled itself up, then hurled at the door. With a splintering smash, the door swung open, sending chips of wood into the air. The group ran through the opening, entering a spiraling stairwell.
"Elevators will be out" Lance explained before someone could ask, "hurry"!
He took off down the steps, taking three at a time. Ash recalled Donphan, and clipped the Ball back to his belt as he descended after the Dragon Master. They had descended halfway to the next level before Red's voice echoed down, "wait up"!
Lance glanced up quickly, spotting the older man running down the stairs after them.
"Keep up" he called up, then returned his focus to sprinting downward.
Ash's stomach churned, but he steeled himself, and continued on. Be strong for Misty…deal with this later…get out of Kanto…deal with this later…
The building shook, and the stairs rattled, as a tremor rippled upwards through the building. Misty gripped the railing as the vibrations moved around her. The metal under her hand trembled violently before it passed on and lied still, as if nothing had happened.
"That didn't feel good" Red remarked, causing Ash's lip to curl up.
"Keep moving" Lance demanded, continuing down the steps.
Pikachu's cheeks cracked with sparks as Ash began to move. The mouses ears perked up, and he turned his head to the wall beside them.
"PIKAPI"!
Pikachu pointed and chittered, jumping down from Ash's shoulder. Ash, knowing his Pokemon very well, caught the hint. He grabbed Misty's waist and dove, just as the wall exploded into the stairwell with a loud crack, and raining rubble. Ash tumbled with Misty down the stairs, Pikachu chasing after them. Misty hit her head a few times in the metal railing, slammed her elbows into the steps, and hit her knees against Ash. They tumbled down to the next landing, which thankfully, wasn't too terribly far.
Lance and Kyle spun around, only to have to shield their eyes as the concrete debris scattered down to them. Red jumped back to avoid the flying rubble, ascending a few stairs as he did so, and toppling to his rear.
Pikachu stopped on the same level as his trainer, and turned back to the creature that had destructively barged into the stairwell. The Dominiom surveyed the scene, not noticing Red behind it. It spotted Ash trying to untangle himself from Misty, and sneered with joy. The yellow eyes flashing, it dove down to them.
"CHUUUU"!
A bolt of lightning sparked out of Pikachu, striking the Dominion in the face. It howled in pain, its iron voice bouncing up and down the stairs. It slashed as Pikachu, but the mouse was too fast. Pikachu ducked under the attack with a quick dash, and Body Slammed into the dark thing.
"GO TROPIUS! Leaf storm"!
The large fruit Pokemon materialized on the stairwell in front of Red, and cried out, ready for battle. The Dominion swung itself around, glaring the Pokemon down. Tropius fired off its Leaf Storm, filling the stairwell with razor sharp, swirling leaves.
The Dominion screeched as the leaves sliced across its body, leaving thin lines of yellow blood. Ash shielded Misty underneath him as the leaves cut across his back. Pikachu quickly forced his way underneath them to avoid the storm.
Suddenly, a rough hand was hooking itself underneath Ash's arm, and pulling. He was yanked to his feet, with Misty alongside him. The same hand shoved him forward, down the stairs. He nearly lost his footing, but regained his balance. A leaf cut across his cheek, leaving a small burning behind.
Misty held onto the back of Ash's shirt as they moved, Pikachu bobbing in between their feet. Squinting her eyes to see better, and glancing back, she noticed Red had been the one to pick them up. He winced as leaves cut across him, but he remained firm and followed them down.
Lance waited for them at a doorway to the second story, shielding his face with his cloak. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu ran past him into the leaf free hall. Red hesitated at the doorframe, pointing his PokeBall up the stairs. His Tropius could see much better in the storm of sharp leaves than the Dominion. The Pokemon dodged the wild swings of the evil creature, ducking its head as razor sharp claws flew over it.
Red clicked the button on his Ball, and returned his Tropius. The Dominion continued to swing wildly, its yellow eyes glowing through the fading Leaf Storm. Red moved into the hall, and Lance swept after him, shutting the door with a click.
Ash had apparently caught on to the fact that his father had just helped them. He glared at the older man, but remained silent, breathing heavily. His back burned from the multiple cuts across his skin. Blood slowly seeped out of the cut on his face, and he wiped it away on his sleeve.
Lance bolted by them, deciding he'd deal with the tension once they were away. Red chose to reappear, but why? Twenty-three years since the two had last seen each other...he had waited so long to see Red, and give him the ass kicking he so deserved...actually, now that he thought about it, this would all have to be figured out in front of Ash. Lance actually began to to debate about staying with Dominion's here than getting on that helicopter, but...they would need him in Sinnoh.
He cast a look back to make sure the others were following him. Then he crashed into something hard, and nearly fell back. Regaining his balance, he found Bruno standing before him. He was covered in multiple deep gashes, and breathing just as hard as Lance.
"What are you doing here" Lance demanded, not meaning for it to sound so angry.
"The lobby is lost" Bruno started to inform him, "Lorelei and Agatha are defending the air field, but they won't hold it much longer. These creatures are overwhelming the League Trainers. I came to find you".
"Well you found me" Lance retorted, "now let's go"!
CRASH!
The door to the stairwell they had exited, burst off its hinges and smashed into the opposite wall. The Dominion appeared through it, and hissed their direction.
"I'll hold it off" Bruno barked, pulling out a PokeBall and shoving through them, "hurry to the airfield! Lorelei is holding your chopper"!
Bruno released his PokeBall, and a Hariyama appeared. The Dominion launched itself directly at the fighting Pokemon. With surprising maneuverability, Hariyama dodged the Dominion's claws by running up the side of the wall, and jumping behind it.
"Karate Chop"!
Hariyama cracked its hands several times across the Dominion's back before it could turn around.
"Bruno" Lance called as he started to back up, "good luck"!
Bruno have a swift nod, and then turned back to direct Hariyama. Lance then spun a complete 180, and bolted, shouting for the others to follow. He was doing that a lot today. As they ran farther away from the fight behind them, Lance's mind was working furiously. If the elevators were shut down, and they could no longer take the stair well...
"In here" Lance ordered, throwing open a door to his right.
Ash had to skid to a stop on the carpet, grabbing onto the door frame to help. The room was a small office, with a massive window that took up the entire wall.
"Red" Lance began, rushing up to the window and peering outside, "can your Tropius fly"?
"Yes" was all Red was able to reply before Lance was speaking again, "use it! We're not getting across the courtyard on foot".
Ash walked up to the window, Misty right beside him. The airfield was overrun with Dominion's fighting League Trainers and their Pokemon. If there had once been a structure to the League's defenses, it was gone. Everyone was running their own direction, trying to protect the few remaining civilians who were not dead or evacuated. Flying Pokemon of all kinds were soaring through the air, protecting the retreating choppers that had made it up and away.
The unfortunate helicopters, who had not been fast enough, lay in crumpled, burning, heaps all over the courtyard. Creating a giant, flaming obstacle course of metal for the few survivors to fight in.
A flash of light made Ash and Misty turn around to see a Dragonite appear in the tiny office. Lance pocketed the PokeBall and pointed to the window, "blow out the glass"!
With a obedient call, Dragonite opened its mouth wide, and blasted the glass to pieces with an orange beam.
"Stay close" Lance shouted, and mounted Dragonite.
He pushed his heel into the dragon Pokemon's side, and Dragonite lifted into the air. They swooped down to grab Kyle, who shouted in protest, and then took off through the shattered window. Following his lead, Red released Tropius and mounted it.
"Follow Dragonite" he told it.
With a small windstorm from its beating leaves, Tropius shot out the window after the Dragon Master. Ash reached back for Charizard's PokeBall. He gripped it tight, and reared back to throw it.
He wasn't sure what made him look, chalk it up to his instincts, but before he released the Ball he glanced to the left. A yellow ball of energy was hurtling at them too fast to dodge.
"DUCK" he spun quickly and tried to take Misty to the floor.
BOOM!
The energy ball exploded just below the window frame, rocking the building, and shattering the floor out from underneath them. Pikachu was knocked loose as they toppled through the floor, and Ash reached out for him, only to have his already hurt hand knocked away by falling debris. Then Misty slipped from his grasp as they crashed down onto a hard surface
Misty yelped as she landed on her back, cracking her head against something rough. She gasped for the air that had been knocked out of her. Small pieces of rubble continued to drop, but nothing too dangerous, so she took a moment to breathe. Steadying her spinning head. Warm liquid began to trickle down her neck, so she felt where her head had hit.
A sticky substance coated her fingers, and she removed her hand and found blood dripping from them. Great. Her eyesight slowed down, and she focused on the object her head had smashed into. The corner of a book? Looking now, she had landed on a pile of distroyed books.
Ash groaned to her right, and Misty immediately forgot about her head injury.
"Ash" she called, scanning her eyes for him.
More books were scattered around, along with various sizes of rubble, and the desk from the small office they had been in. Towering bookshelves lined down an isle in front of her, and the ones immediately beside her had been crushed or toppled over. Their contents scattered and ripped around the isle.
"Ash" she called again, "Pikachu"?
Ash crawled out from under a pile of small rubble, covered in Sheetrock and concrete dust. He coughed, shaking his head to rid his hair of some of the dirt. Misty crawled over the debris pile to him, grabbing his head and checking it over for serious injuries.
Ash saw the blood on the back of her head, staining her orange hair darker. He swatted away her hands, and grabbed her, tilting her head so he could see better. Pushing her hair aside with his fingers, he found a semi deep gash oozing blood. Thankfully, it could be treated later.
"Pikaaaa"!
The Pokemon's voice came from under their pile of flooring, and Ash realized what that men't.
"Hold on Pikachu! We'll get you out"!
Realizing he still had Charizard's PokeBall clasped in his hand, he tossed it into the air. The Dragon roared ferociously as it materialized by the rubble.
"Pikachu's trapped! Help dig him out"!
The three dug quickly, tossing aside fragments of floor, wood, and multiple books. Charizard lifted the larger sized rubble, sniffing for Pikachu has he went.
"Ash" Red's voice called from above, "are you ok"?
Ash didn't answer him, not caring too. He cared more about getting his best friend out from under the destruction.
Misty looked up to the hole that had been blasted open. Tropius hovered just at the opening, with a distraught looking Red on its back.
"Lance" Red shouted, "I see them! They seem ok"!
He then swooped down into the hole, and landed by the pile of wreckage. Doing a quick headcount, he realized the Pikachu was missing, and began to help them dig. Multiple booms went off outside that echoed down through the hole in the ceiling.
"Pikaaaaapiii"!
"I'm coming Pikachu" Ash shouted, jamming his fingers on a book that didn't budge.
Misty gripped a piece of upstairs floor, and heaved. It slid aside, and a small cry of joy shouted out.
"PIKA"!
The mouse jumped out of its entrapment, cradling up against Misty's leg.
"Good" Red immediately said, "now let's hurry"!
He jumped down from the pile and ran to his Pokemon, mounting it and glancing back to the others.
Misty scooped up Pikachu in her arms, and followed Ash to Charizard's side.
"Follow Tropius until you see Lance and Dragonite" Ash told the Flame Pokemon as he climbed onto his back, "then follow them"!
Red's eyes flickered with hurt, but he quickly shook it off, and soared upward. Ash reached out to help Misty on, pulling her arms around his waist. Pikachu wedged himself in between them for safety, and Misty tightened her grip. Charizard roared, and with a heavy beat of his wings, took off after Red. With a smooth maneuver, Charizard turned himself out of the destroyed building, and into the night sky.
The change in atmosphere was instant. Screams, booms, and Dominion shrieks, that had been muffled inside, bounced within their skulls, adding to their disorientation. Charizard swerved suddenly, causing Ash and Misty to tighten their grips in shock, as Dominion lightning tried to strike them.
Ash caught sight of Lance, ten feet above them, dodging the random attacks that would fly his direction. Kyle twisted and pulled his body away from the same attacks, as he was still dangling within Dragonite's grip. Noticing he had Ash's attention, Lance pointed down in the direction of the airfield. Following his line of sight, Ash spotted a Lapras shooting Ice Beam's at incoming Dominion's. The Transport Pokemon was protecting one of the few remaining helicopters. Lorelei, and her Dewgong, were defending the immediate area around said chopper. Dragonite swooped down with Lance's command, and flew straight for the helicopter.
"Let's go Charizard"!
Tucking in its wings, Charizard dove after them. With massive wing beats, Tropius and Red followed suit. Three Dominion's swooped up from the ground, heading straight for Dragonite.
"LANCE" Ash bellowed.
Hearing the tone in Ash's voice, Lance shouted without looking, "twister"!
In the blurry, blink of an eye, Dragonite twisted around and around. Swirling the air around it, causing particles to form. The Dominion's were caught in the twirling wind, and whipped around the Dragon a few times, before being thrown back to the ground. Dragonite ceased its twister, returning to normal flying formation. Kyle's face turned green.
Charizard blasted a flamethrower at a Dominion that had been chasing a Scyther. The dark being shrieked in confusion and pain, before collapsing out of the sky. Then, Ash's ears bled as a high pitch metal shrill came a foot from his right. Turning to the source, he found a Dominion, a few inches from him with glowing hate in its eyes. As time slowed down so he could watch the Dominion raise its claw for his death, a massive green blur crashed into the creature, sending it tumbling away.
Misty's fingers gripped his chest as Tropius straightened itself out, and Red cast a look back to check on them. Then a hard thud made her squeak as Charizard touched down on the landing pad concrete. Lance had already dismounted Dragonite, recalled it, and was rushing to Lorelei. Kyle tried to sprint after him, but was still dizzy from the twister, running in a zig zag towards the chopper.
Misty slid off Charizard first, taking Pikachu with her. Ash followed, feeling the bottoms of his feet burn from the impact. Charizard roared, and fired more flames at a Dominion that had followed them. It ducked under them, and swerved towards Misty.
"CHUUUUUU"!
The bolt of electricity nailed the Dominion straight in the face. Misty screeched in pain as Pikachu's electricity coursed through her, and the Dominion hit the concrete writhing from the shock.
Pikachu ceased the current as soon as he saw this, freeing Misty from the electricity. She collapsed to the ground, and Ash lunged to catch her, stopping her head from smacking the pavement.
"Misty"!
Red landed beside them, jumping from Tropius and returning it to its Ball.
"I'm ok" she wheezed, looking up at Ash, "I just need-Gah"!
She had tried to stand up, but collapsed back into Ash.
"My legs are numb" she realized in a panic.
"I got you" Ash stated, placing his arms around her back, and under her legs.
He lifted her off the ground, Pikachu still clasped in her arms.
"Pikapi Pikachu" the mouse patted her cheeks, his ears tucking behind his head.
Misty opened her mouth to speak, but a jolt of pain shot through her, so she nodded at the mouse instead, to let him know it was ok. Ash started to march towards Lance, hurrying as fast as he dared while carrying Misty. Red moved behind them, keeping his eyes on the sky. Charizard had the same idea.
A Rhydon out on the courtyard roared, and charged a Dominion that had taken down its trainer. Another League Trainer unsuccessfully assaulted a Dominion herself, after it had slit her Arcanine's throat. Two Dominion's simultaneously struck an Electrode with their lightning, overloading the ball and exploding it to pieces. A civilian man dove to the grass as a blast of yellow energy whizzed overhead, and exploded into the ground, sending mounds of dirt into the air.
Kyle wrenched open the helicopter door as soon as he reached it, and flung himself inside. Lance halted just outside the door, looking over Lorelei, who looked worse for wear. She was sporting a long gash down the right side of her face, and her left arm was a mess of shredded flesh. Her glasses were cracked, and splattered with Dominion blood, which also covered her chest.
"Agatha has been killed" she informed the Champion, wheezing with every breath, "we can't hold out for much longer".
"Once we're in the air clear out" Lance ordered her, "don't stick around any longer! Head to the Orange Islands and begin the evacuation there to Unova"!
"Yes sir Master Lance" she coughed, eyeing Ash as he reached the chopper door and slid Misty inside.
"Lorelei" Lance said, returning her eyes to him, "I mean it! I don't wan't to lose you too".
Lorelei seemed to catch his meaning, that Bruno had stayed behind. They were the last surviving members of the Kanto Elite Four.
She nodded, and swept away to her Lapras. Lance watched her go for a moment, then turned to jump in the chopper, which Kyle had begun to fire up. Red boarded directly after him, taking a seat as Lance moved into the cockpit beside Kyle.
Ash placed Misty in a seat, taking the time to strap her in...just in case. Kyle pulled on the stick, lifting the helicopter off the ground. Ash swing himself back over to the door, grabbing Charzizard's PokeBall. He clicked the button to return the Flame Pokemon, but Charizard took off into the air to avoid the beam.
"Charizard" Ash shouted threateningly, "Return"!
He tried a second time, but Charizard once again, dodged the beam. The dragon roared at Ash and flew itself around so that its trainer couldn't recall it.
"CHARIZARD"!
The chopper was now thirty feet in the air, and a Dominion appeared directly before Ash. He stumbled back into the chopper, and Misty shouted in fear. The Dominion raised its arm to strike with lightning, but was covered in a barrage of flames from above. A screech erupted from the fire, and then the flames exploded outward in a spiral. The Dominion flew through them, unscathed, and slammed itself into the helicopter, lurching it sideways. Ash was thrown hard into the opposite wall, cracking his head against the metal. His world went instantly fuzzy, and his head spun every direction.
Kyle was shouting, Misty was shouting, Red and Lance were shouting, Pikachu was chittering, and the Dominion was shrieking. Then Ash's world went black.
Cliffhanger! Because the next Chp. will follow the other group. I hate to let everyone stew in anticipation, but it must be done!
Also, I'm in the process of reading a different story that I found, and as I was in the last stages of this chapter, I reached a point in that story where Red is revealed to be Ash's father as well...great minds think alike I suppose lol. Before I get too far with my version of Red, I'll be reading farther into that other story, so that I don't accidentally create the same thing...again haha