A/N: It's been a while since I've uploaded, but I finally finished Chapter 18. For anyone still following, updates will be much slower from now on, but there are only a few chapters left. R&R and enjoy the story!
Chapter 18: The Sinjoh Ruins – The Grieving Grudge
"Oh no…Archer!" Ashlyn cried in fear. "It can't be!"
"What's wrong?" Ash, Dawn, Max, and Bonnie asked.
"It's nothing," Donovan assured. They had just encountered Archer, the final Team Rocket Executive. "I'll take him from here! You guys go!"
"Right," they all agreed.
"Quilava, use Smokescreen!" Dawn commanded. Then they ran off.
"Not so fast!" Archer snapped. "Go Crobat! Use Sky Attack to pierce through the smoke and stop them!"
Crobat rushed out at a blinding speed. Fortunately, Ash, Max, Dawn, and Bonnie were able to make it out. However, Ashlyn was not so lucky.
"No, Ashlyn!" Donovan cried. "Leave my wife alone, Archer!"
"I don't think so!" Archer raged back. "Push Ashlyn back in front of Donovan using Heat Wave!"
Luckily, Donovan caught Ashlyn just in time before she got hurt. However, the three young adults were alone in their area of the ruins. It was just Ashlyn, Donovan, and Archer. Suddenly, Archer decided to drop from his levitating position. He walked up to Ashlyn and stood only six inches from her body.
"Hey Ashlyn," Archer said smoothly, "remember me? It's been so long…..you don't know how much I've missed the lovely person you are."
"Hmph," Ashlyn pouted. "I don't miss you at all. I would never miss a man like you. Now get out of my personal space."
"Oh, but I can never live the same without the young, beautiful Ashlyn in my life," Archer whispered enticingly. "Why else do you think I'm here? You are the one, and only you can satisfy me." Archer then slithered his arms around Ashlyn's waist and tried to pull her close to him.
"Eeek! Help!" Ashlyn retaliated. After Ashlyn slapped Archer in the face, Donovan became infuriated!
In the meantime, Serena, Kenny, Drew, Clair, and Conway were watching the entire ruins utilizing the many cameras set up. When they heard Ashlyn's shriek, it immediately caught their attention.
"What was that?" Serena asked in shock.
"Someone's in trouble!" Drew answered.
"I wonder what could have happened," Kenny thought.
"It came from this camera," Conway pointed out.
"Okay, zoom in to that camera for the time being," Clair told Conway.
"Yeah," Kenny stated. "I want to see what's going on."
"Me too," Serena agreed.
"Certainly," Conway agreed, zooming in the camera.
On both Serena's tablet screen and the Blackthorn computer screen, the camera showing Archer, Ashlyn, and Donovan became the main focus. All five of them were now listening in to what was happening between the three young adults.
"ENOUGH!" Donovan yelled, stepping in front of Ashlyn to protect her. "Ashlyn was mine back then, and she's still mine today!"
"Get lost, Archer," Ashlyn remarked. "We've been married since then, you hear me?!"
"What?!" Archer howled. "Married?! You two got married?! No…..no…no…NOOOOOOOOO!"
"Ouch," Drew cringed.
"Getting rejected like that must hurt real bad," Kenny said.
"Wait, who's that running towards them?" Serena pointed out.
It was no other than Looker. Looker had just finished placing electromagnetic devices around the ruins, so he ran to Ashlyn and Donovan since they were the closest. However, he didn't want to reveal his identity as a member of the International Police, so he threw on a disguise.
"Psst," Looker told Ashlyn and Donovan, "It's me Looker."
"Looker?" Ashlyn said confused.
"How did you get here so fast?" Donovan wondered.
"Let's just say that I carry a portable hover segway that let me zip around the ruins like it was nothing. That's how I was able to place the devices so fast!"
As the adults were talking, Archer stepped into their conversation.
"Ah, I know your face," Archer stated. "You're no other than Looker, member of the International Police."
"Yep, that's me," Looker smirked confidently. "You should know why I'm here then."
"Of course," Archer agreed. Archer acted both smooth and cockily. "I also know that you were an integral part of the fall of both Team Galactic and Team Plasma. Your efforts were priceless."
"That's cool," Donovan commended. "Looker, you must have plenty of experience in the field."
"But Looker, it is advisable for you to understand that these two, Ashlyn and Donovan, are the real wrongdoers," Archer explained. "A police's job, after all, is to bring people to justice."
"No…that's a lie!" Ashlyn roared. "Don't forget you're the one on a criminal team!"
"Yeah," Donovan agreed angrily, "leave my wife alone!"
"Wait…..what?!" Looker burst out in confusion. "Huh? What's going on? I'm out of the loop here! Are you three connected somehow?!"
Donovan sighed. "We have a history all right."
"It's complicated," Ashlyn sighed.
Archer also sighed. "For me, it was a total heartbreaker. Guys, please allow me to explain just this once."
"Fine," Ashlyn and Donovan agreed reluctantly in unison.
"Of course," Looker listened intently. "Tell me more."
It just so happened to be that the gang back in Blackthorn and Serena were going to be listening in as well.
"This is going to be some story," Kenny stated.
"No doubt," Drew agreed.
"Intriguing," Conway commented.
"Well since everyone else is just running and fighting," Clair said, "I guess listening would be the most stimulating thing to do right now."
"You're right," Serena agreed. "Especially since there's something interesting involved."
Flashback
"It all started 20 years ago, when I was just five years old," Archer began. "During the first day of kindergarten, I met Ashlyn. After we met, we became very good friends and shared a close friendship for the next five years."
"I see," Looker responded. "You have known her for your entire life."
"Yes," Archer affirmed.
Of course, the group back in Blackthorn and Serena had their thoughts.
"20 years?!" Kenny said in shock while watching.
"Those two go very far back together!" Serena exclaimed.
"I wouldn't be surprised if their parents knew each other," Drew commented.
Archer, however, was far from done.
"What happened after five years?" Looker inquired.
"Well," Archer said, "Ashlyn and I could both became Pokemon Trainers since we were both ten. So I asked her to go on a Pokemon journey with me."
"I said no to that," Ashlyn told Looker.
"Yes, but here's the thing," Archer explained. "Both of us wanted to become professionals in the business world. The only reason I wanted to go on a journey was because I had previously thought that business school gave no Pokemon experience whatsoever. Ashlyn told me that business school does let you raise, train, and battle Pokemon, so both of us continued going to school."
"So where does Donovan come in?" Looker asked.
"Not for a while," Archer answered. "It wasn't until I was 14 when I met Donovan for the first time. He had transferred to our business school from the nearby region."
"And I'm guessing this is where Donovan meets Ashlyn, right?" Looker said.
"Yeah, you got that right," Archer replied. "For the next four years of business school, Donovan and Ashlyn got closer and closer while I got further and further from her. Despite that, I still made every effort to show Ashlyn my feelings for her."
Archer paused for a while, and then he picked up where he left off.
"And then, the last day of business school came and the three of us were 18 years old. After the ceremony, I asked Ashlyn if she would go out with me. But, Donovan was also there, and he asked Ashlyn the exact same thing. When the beautiful Ashlyn made her decision, she told me plainly, 'Archer, I don't love you.' I didn't want to accept it. I told Ashlyn that we had known each other ever since kindergarten and reminded her that we had known each other for our entire lives. But then Ashlyn told me, 'Just because we have a history does not mean we have true love. I'm sorry Archer, but I love you Donovan!' And that was it. The happy couple ran off in the sunset, but I was left heartbroken. I couldn't understand it. She was the only one I wanted."
"Wow," Looker sighed.
"Man, even after Archer knew her for so long, he still didn't get her," Kenny sighed, watching from Blackthorn City.
"Guess having a history with her didn't make a difference," Serena commented.
"Well, just because you have a history with someone doesn't mean you can have a future with them," Clair pointed out.
"Yeah," Kenny and Serena both said.
"True," Drew replied. "A lot can happen in a few years."
"Precisely," Conway agreed.
Archer was almost in tears. But Looker knew that the story was not over.
"So," Looker asked, "what did you do after that?"
Archer continued. "I knew that if I wanted her to notice me, I would need to have power and control. Power and control. It was all about power and control. That's what Donovan had, and I needed it too. My friends knew the best way to have control – by joining Team Rocket with them. Using my business skills, I climbed up the corporate Team Rocket ladder. Eventually, I was able to lead Team Rocket operations in the Sevii Islands with the Pokemon I had trained and my unmatched leadership. I was even able to lead an operation involving the Johto Radio Tower in Goldenrod City. Now, I am here today as the head Team Rocket Executive!"
"Of course, Ashlyn and I also had our lives settled seven years after business school," Donovan told Looker.
"We set up our business together, and by four years we had wild success! With our millions in revenue, we could retire right now if we wanted." Ashlyn exclaimed.
"So, we built a house in the snowy area north of Johto since we love the snow so much," Donovan explained. "It just so happened to be close to the Sinjoh Ruins."
"And since we're rich, we can just fly to the grocery store," Ashlyn added.
"Grr…" Archer growled enviously.
"But there was something you forgot, Archer!" Ashlyn yelled angrily. "Your 'friends' were all thugs and you started getting worse and worse. You would go out and steal every day from the local grocery store. You would beat up other business students with your friends. You would go out to nightclubs that you weren't even supposed to be at. You would even steal from the teachers! We got further and further away because you were becoming a criminal!"
"Don't forget Team Rocket is a criminal organization!" Donovan shouted. "There's no way Ashlyn would choose you the way you are right now!"
"Wow," Kenny said in awe.
"No wonder," Drew said.
"What an interesting story," Serena commented.
"I'm done with this," Clair groaned. "Archer is such a madman. Conway, switch the camera view and check on how the others are doing."
"Certainly," Conway followed.
Archer's Advance
With Ashlyn's information, Looker came to a decision. "Ashlyn is right, and you are wrong. You made very poor decisions, and now you are facing the consequences of them. If you really wanted Ashlyn, then you wouldn't go down the evil path you did with your friends. That's the point."
"But that's not my point," Archer told them. "Nice guys finish last. If you want something, the one who breaks the rules is going to get it first. That's how I do things."
Then, Archer leisurely snapped his fingers. All of a sudden, his Crobat came out of nowhere, swooped in, and snatched Ashlyn away! Crobat's claws lifted Ashlyn into the air; Donovan had to do something quick!
"Help!" Ashlyn yelped while in mid-air.
"Ashlyn!" Donovan cried. "Go, Glalie! Use Gyro Ball on Crobat!"
After Glalie launched its hard head on Crobat, Donovan leaped in to catch the falling Ashlyn.
"If a fight is what you want, then a fight is what you'll get!" Archer sneered. "Crobat, retaliate with Sky Attack!"
"Dodge them all by using Double Team!" Donovan commanded.
Multiple "clones" of Glalie now filled the air. However, Archer remained unphazed.
"Haha, really?" Archer mocked. "Double Team? Break them all with Heat Wave, Crobat!"
The scorching heat not only burned away all of the Double Team clones, it also singed the real Glalie! Steam rose as Glalie's ice was melted; Glalie became immobilized.
"And if you thought getting burned was something, wait until you get poisoned!" Archer cackled. "Crobat, use Poison Fang!"
Now there was little the poisoned Glalie could do. Before the dazed Donovan could even utter a word, Archer executed yet another attack!
"Crobat, now use Venom Drench!" Archer told his Pokemon.
After the Venom Drench, Glalie became even more helpless. Regardless, Glalie still managed to spew out an attack.
"Glalie, try using Ice Beam!"
"Gla-lieee…" Glalie burst out weakly. The weak Ice Beam withered out before it could even touch Crobat.
"You see, Venom Drench is an attack that lowers an opponent's stats when they are poisoned," Archer shrugged boastfully. "Face it Donovan. I'm taking your Ashlyn from you and you know it!"
"I'll help too, Donovan!" Ashlyn burst out all of a sudden. "Go Froslass!"
"Froslass and Glalie, what a lovely pair of Pokemon," Archer admired. "But they're no match for my prime Pokemon!"
"Froslass, use Shadow Ball!" Ashlyn shouted.
"Dodge it, Crobat!" Archer said. Crobat's incredible speed avoided the attack with minimal effort. "Now, use Sky Attack on Froslass!"
"Of course, I have a way to dodge that attack," Ashlyn said. "Use Hail!"
The Snow Cloak ability allowed Froslass to easily evade the pulverizing Crobat.
"And of course I have a way to counter it!" Archer replied back. "Heat Wave on the Hail!"
"No way!" Ashlyn said in distress.
"You see, I always knew you two were into the snow," Archer explained. "I knew a move like Heat Wave would crush any of your Ice types!"
Meanwhile, Looker was busy on his International Police Phone trying to contact the others.
"Poison Fang and then Venom Drench on Froslass!" Archer told his Crobat. Now both Froslass and Glalie were completely helpless.
"Oh no!" Ashlyn cried.
"What are we going to do?" Donovan shuddered.
"Wait, I have Pecha Berries from the house!" Ashlyn realized while unveiling the fruit from her bag. "We can use it to heal our Pokemon and then fight together!"
"Good idea," Donovan agreed.
After eating the Pecha Berries, Glalie and Froslass felt much better. Archer, however, did not want to give them any additional time.
"Grr…use Sky Attack, Crobat!" Archer commanded.
"Use Double Team and then lunge in with Iron Head!" Donovan told his Glalie. Crobat got knocked hard and could not handle the force of Glalie's hard body made out of solid ice!
"Now use Blizzard!" Ashlyn told her Froslass.
"Fight back with Heat Wave!" Archer yelled back.
The two Pokemon were now clashing their hot and cold winds against each other and neither side gave in. Finally, Donovan stepped in to help Ashlyn.
"Glalie, support Froslass with Frost Breath!" Donovan commanded.
With both Frost Breath and Blizzard, the duo was able to push back Crobat's Heat Wave and win the "push-of-war". Crobat was now in a disadvantageous position.
"Finish him with Ice Beam!" Ashlyn and Donovan told their Pokemon in unison.
The chilling Ice Beam shot with unmatched force as the combined beam froze the air around it. As soon as it connected with Crobat, the bat Pokemon fell to the ground and fainted.
"Return Crobat," Archer grunted, "but I'm not done yet! Go Weezing, show them with Smog!"
"Blow it back with Frost Breath!" Donovan commanded his Glalie.
"You too, Froslass!" Ashlyn directed. "Help out with Blizzard!"
The colliding winds resulted in an explosion of smoke, and it was the perfect cover for Weezing to aim its attack!
"Now Weezing, use Sludge Bomb on both of them!" Archer smirked.
"Dodge it!" both Ashlyn and Donovan shouted.
Glalie was able to swiftly dodge the projectiles, but Froslass was not so lucky. However, the temporarily fallen Froslass would be down for the better.
"Weezing, fire up one huge Sludge Bomb!" Archer yelled.
"Bust through it with Iron Head!" Donovan responded.
"That's exactly what I wanted!" Archer laughed.
"What?!" Donovan said in shock.
"Weezing, now use Thunderbolt!" Archer commanded.
The steel of the Iron Head conducted all of the electricity; the Thunderbolt was unavoidable. After Glalie shook off the crackling blow, Donovan prepared yet another head on charge!
"Glalie, use Double Team and then use Iron Head from all directions!" Donovan yelled.
"Wait for it…" Archer cautioned his Weezing. When the Glalie launched their Iron Heads, Archer finally made his command. "Now Weezing use Explosion!"
"…No!" Donovan trembled.
When the smoke cleared, both Glalie and Weezing were unable to battle and both Donovan and Archer were forced to recall their Pokemon.
"Good thing I didn't step in," Ashlyn remarked.
"You're right," Donovan agreed.
"I'm far from done," Archer snickered manically. "Meet my new partners, the Golduck duo!"
"The Golduck duo?" Donovan wondered.
"Use Double Psybeam!" Archer commanded.
"I'll handle this!" Ashlyn declared. "Froslass, use Hail to dodge the attack!"
As expected, both Psybeams missed its target.
"What are you going to do now?" Ashlyn asked confidently. "My Froslass can dodge any attack in Hail thanks to its Snow Cloak ability!"
"Almost any attack," Archer smirked back. "You see, my Golduck are special. In addition to their hypnotic powers, they possess the strongest of all psychic attacks – an attack only ever wielded by the legendary Mewtwo. Golduck, finish Froslass with a double Psystrike!"
"Psystrike?!" Donovan yelled in terror. "But that's impossible!"
"Froslass, try to dodge it!" Ashlyn desperately cried.
But it couldn't; Psystrike created too many orbs of infused psychic energy surrounding it. When all of the spheres crashed in at once, there was nothing Froslass could do.
"Hmph, return Froslass," Ashlyn pouted and paused for a few seconds. "Now it's your turn to meet my special Pokemon! Go Luxray!"
"What's so special about that?" Archer mocked.
"You'll see," Ashlyn challenged. "Hit her with your best shot."
"Double Psybeam!" Archer commanded.
"Now this is where Luxray shines!" Ashlyn stated. "Use Dazzling Gleam!"
"Dazzling Gleam?!" Archer said astonished.
The blinding light immediately halted the psychic attacks of the Golduck. It had such an astounding effect, the red gems on the Golducks' foreheads started to crack!
"You see, Luxray may be the Gleam Eyes Pokemon, but most Luxray cannot learn the attack," Ashlyn explained. "That's what makes my Luxray special!"
"Special indeed," Archer smirked subtly.
"Use Ice Fang on the first Golduck and then on the second one!" Ashlyn told her Luxray.
Archer, however, started plotting on using her Luxray after seeing it using Dazzling Gleam. Taking the Ice Fang allowed Archer to see another of Luxray's four attacks.
"Get up!" Archer yelled at his Golduck. "Use a double Hydro Pump!"
"Ha, a water move!" Ashlyn pointed out. "Use Discharge!"
The electricity surged up the water and travelled right into the Golducks' bodies for direct hits.
"Excellent," Archer thought to himself deviously. "Luxray also knows Discharge."
It was then that Archer decided to give his Golduck another command.
"Get up Golduck!" Archer shouted. "Use your psychic powers to pick up a rock and hurl it at Luxray!"
As the rock came flying towards them, Ashlyn knew exactly what to do. "Use Double Kick to smash the rocks!" Luxray was still unharmed after breaking the rocks.
"Ah yes," Archer grinned diabolically as he thought to himself. "Her fourth move is Double Kick! Now it's time for her to be mine!" Archer turned his thoughts into actions as he told his Pokemon what to do next.
"Golduck #1, use Hypnosis on Luxray!"
"H..hh..hypnosis?" Ashlyn shook in fear.
"Ashlyn, look out!" Donovan shouted.
But it was too late. Luxray had already been hypnotized, and now Archer could do whatever he wanted with her.
Saving Luxray
"Luxray, snatch Ashlyn with Ice Fang and throw her in this cage!" Archer exclaimed wickedly.
"Stop this, Archer!" Donovan yelled. "You're pushing this way too far!"
There was nothing Donovan could do. Seconds later, Ashlyn was thrown and trapped in Archer's iron, cube-shaped cage. After that, Archer directed his new hypnotized Luxray to use Ice Fang on Donovan!
"Use Ice Fang on Donovan!" Archer commanded. "Freeze him up so he can't move!"
"Looks like I have no other choice," Donovan stated. "Manectric, stop it with your own Ice Fang!"
The two frozen fangs collided fiercely and created an added chill to the already cold stone ruins. Manectric and Luxray both jumped back after a few seconds of butting fangs.
"Grr, hit him with Discharge!" Archer yelled.
"Thunderbolt!" Donovan countered.
The two Pokemon collided once again, this time creating a sharp crackle in the air. In the midst of all the electric sizzle, the Golduck obeyed Archer's orders and stole everything Ashlyn had on her while in the cage. Ashlyn's expensive jewelry, hat, scarf, special gadgets, snowmobile keys, wallet, money, jacket, and Pokemon were all taken from her because Archer wanted to show his dominance. And with Donovan watching all of this, Donovan became even more furious than before!
"That's it – now I'm MAD!" Donovan bellowed. Donovan charged in and ran towards Archer's open metal cage to try to save his girl.
"Don't let him free her!" Archer commanded. "Stop them with Discharge!"
"Use Substitute!" Donovan roared. Manectric took the hit with no damage and then vanished instantly.
"Huh?" Archer thought. "Where'd he go?"
"Right above you!" Donovan smirked as he pointed to Manectric. Manectric was somehow standing right on top of Luxray's body while being perfectly balanced.
"Why you….this ends now!" Archer shouted in anger and irritation. "Discharge!"
The clever Donovan, however, had a solid counterplan. "Redirect the electricity and fire it at that Golduck #1!"
"No!" Archer cried.
With Golduck #1 down, Luxray was freed from the mental clutches of the insanely powerful psychopath. Luxray was now free to do whatever Donovan, Ashlyn's husband, needed.
"Mancetric, use Thunderbolt on that other Golduck!" Donovan declared. "Luxray, help out with Discharge!"
Now that the second Golduck was down, Ashlyn was free to use one of her special gadgets that Archer had not yet removed from her body.
"Quick Ashlyn!" Donovan shouted to her in the cage. "Hurry up and return Luxray!"
"Right!" Ashlyn responded. Ashlyn quickly pressed a button on her waist that returned Luxray into its ball. She then reached out her hand and pressed another button to take Luxray's Pokeball back from Archer.
"Thanks Donovan," Ashlyn thanked lovingly.
"Yep," Donovan said in return while giving Ashlyn a thumbs up. "It's a good thing we got that part taken care of."
"Uhh….hey Donovan?" Ashlyn asked her husband nervously.
"Oh….that's right," Donovan remembered sadly. "Now how are we going to get you out of there?"
"You won't," Archer interrupted, breaking into their two-way conversation. "It's time Houndoom!"
Hound Hierarchy
The ferocious Houndoom leaped out of its Pokeball and viciously stomped on the cold, stone floor. Manectric, though slightly battle-worn, still had the capacity to continue fighting.
I always knew that it would end up like this..." Donovan stated, "…dog versus dog. When my Electrike and your Houndour fought back in school, I tried to make sure that I was the dominant one.
"Yes," Archer said, "this fight will decide who is the real alpha male!"
"If losing to you means giving up Ashlyn then I'm leaving this as the top dog!" Donovan began. "Use Overheat!"
Archer, however, just laughed as he watched Houndoom take the attack. "You fool! Don't you remember that Houndoom's ability is Flash Fire? My fire attacks will be much stronger now!"
"Donovan!" Ashlyn wailed from her cage. "What was that for?!"
"Dang it, I forgot!" Donovan answered regretfully. However, Donovan realized something the next moment. "But guess what Archer? My Manectric has the ability Lightning Rod! All the electricity from Luxray's attacks have only made my dog stronger!"
"Oh really now?" Archer cackled. "We'll see about that. Use Flamethrower!"
The giant fire stream rocketed towards Manectric with incredible force; the stone floor tore up as the flaming beam pierced through the air. But Manectric was prepared to fight it back.
"Use Thunderbolt!" Donovan yelled. The equally large blast of electrical energy sizzled in the air and collided head-on with the Flamethrower. Both blasts pushed against each other angrily like a wild Zangoose fighting its archrival Seviper. However, after only a few seconds of the power struggle, a clear victor emerged.
"No! Manectric!" Donovan yelled as he watched his Pokemon get pulverized by the Flamethrower.
"Looks like Houndoom is stronger Pokemon," Archer chuckled manically. "Statistically speaking, Houndoom has a greater special attacking power than Manectric. And don't forget that the Overheat you gave me is far more powerful than that puny Luxray Discharge you absorbed!"
"Statistics, eh?" Donovan also chuckled with a smirk. "Well I've got a new record for you to add to your database! I never thought I was going to use this, but with someone at your power level, I have no other choice!"
Donovan boldly held out his Key Stone that he had carefully stored inside his pocket. "Mega Evolve!"
All of a sudden, a bright glowing light shined from both the stones and Manectric and a sizzling electrical power could be felt surging through the air. When the light finally disappeared, a transformed Manectric was ready to fight with even more power than ever!
"What do you think of my Mega Manectric?" Donovan asked with a confident smile.
"You have a mega-evolved Pokemon?" Archer gazed in wonder. "Hmm…his makes things even more interesting now. Still, it's no match for my – "
ZA-BOOM!
Before Archer could finish his sentence, Houndoom was blasted by a lightning fast and powerful Thunderbolt attack! Houndoom lay weakly on the stone floor.
Archer paused in shock. "That's it. You think you're still the alpha male? You thought wrong – I too wield the power of Mega Evolution!"
Unlike Donovan, Archer placed his Key Stone in a specially crafted Mega Ring. As Houndoom's body glowed a bright light, the cold air heated up from the increase of Houndoom's fire energy. Mega Houndoom then stood up tall as if it had never taken the Thunderbolt at all.
"No….but how?!" Donovan cringed. "How did you obtain the power of Mega Evolution?!"
"Let's just say that one of your friends was kind enough to give it to me!" Archer cackled. "Use Iron Tail Mega Houndoom!"
"Use Substitute to avoid it!" Donovan quickly reacted. Mega Manectric threw out a substitute and then quickly maneuvered a considerable distance behind Mega Houndoom.
"Just face it Donovan," Archer shrugged cockily. "Your Manectric's Thunderbolt is the only attack that can do real damage to me. Your Ice Fang and Overheat are not very effective, so just give up."
"Well one attack is all I need!" Donovan shouted. "Use Thunderbolt!"
"Block it with Shadow Ball!" Archer responded. "Then use Crunch!"
Mega Houndoom leaped mightily right in front of Mega Manectric's face with its vicious fangs.
"Stop it using your own fangs!" Donovan commanded. "Ice Fang!"
As their fangs pushed against each other at point-blank range, the two dogs continued to fight fiercely, and it seemed like the two were evenly matched. However, what Houndoom did next would change this completely.
"Flamethrower!" Archer called out.
The two Pokemon were so close together, there was no way for Manectric to defend. Mega Manectric helplessly took the scorching attack and lay weakly on the ground.
"Sorry Donovan, but this time I'm coming out on top as the winner!" Archer declared.
Donovan thought to himself hopelessly as he watched his Mega Manectric come close to losing the battle. "How am I going to win? None of my attacks can stop Houndoom and Thunderbolt needs more power!"
All of sudden, an idea came into Donovan's mind as he stared at the melting ice in Houndoom's mouth. He also noticed that there was a nearby pillar with a lot of snow on top of it.
"That's it!" Donovan thought to himself. "Use Thunderbolt to knock the snow down on top of that pillar!" The huge heap of snow almost landed on top of Mega Houndoom before it dodged.
"Ha, you thought snow was going to stop me?" Archer mocked.
"Maybe not snow, but you're definitely weak to water!" Donovan said back. "Manectric, use Overheat on the snow and push it at Mega Houndoom!"
The Overheat caused all of the snow to melt almost instantly. When the water poured on top of Houndoom, Houndoom took massive damage!
"Impossible!" Archer yelled in disbelief.
"Finish it with Thunderbolt!" Donovan commanded.
Since Houndoom's entire body was drenched in water, Mega Manectric's powerful Thunderbolt attack was a critical hit. Mega Houndoom had no energy left to battle – this was shown by the way Houndoom reverted back to its normal state.
"I can't believe it – I won!" Donovan elated as he returned his Manectric and started running. "I'm coming for you Ashlyn!"
"Or so you think," Archer grumbled, angry about his loss. He had one last trick left up his sleeve. "Remember how I don't play by the rules, Donovan?"
"So what?" Donovan laughed while he opened the door to Ashlyn's cage. He then walked inside and embraced Ashlyn warmly. "No matter what you do I'll still be stronger than you! Ashlyn and I are together forever!"
Archer then came to a realization and sighed. "Aww, guess you're right. You two were meant to be together and you are married…"
"No doubt," Donovan said. "Come on Ashlyn, let's get going."
"Right," Ashlyn agreed. "We have to make it before they – "
CLANG! THUD! KERCHUNK!
"Sike!" Archer mocked. "You two are together, so together you two will stay! HAHAHAHA!"
Donovan and Ashlyn froze in shock as they realized what had happened. Archer now had both of them in the metal cube cage. One of the Golduck used its psychic powers to slam the door and lock it.
"No," Donovan cringed.
"Th..There's no way…." Ashlyn trembled.
"Well guess what you two?" Archer declared. "My mission was to stop intruders anyway, and I was recommended to use this cage as a method of stopping your advancements. No matter what your team does, Team Rocket's plan will succeed!"
Looker watched from a distance as he saw the trapped Donovan and Ashlyn. "Oh no, I have to tell the others. They should be nearby."
The Toughest Choice
Ash, Max, Dawn, and Bonnie made it to the top vertex of the huge Mystri Stage.
"That was a lot of walking!" Bonnie panted.
"Yeah," Max agreed, also panting in exhaustion.
"Hey Ash, there's Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus," Dawn pointed out.
"And there's Giovanni and Pikachu," Ash also pointed out while running towards his throne. "I'll go and beat him right now!"
"Really?" a man bellowed.
Ash turned around to find that Bonnie and Max were being taken away in a metal cage.
"Remember me, the fighting elite?" he said. "I crushed you all in battle about an hour or two ago."
"Let them go!" Dawn and Ash both yelled in unison.
"Why would I do that?" the fighting elite smirked. "These kids give me an advantage against your team – they're my hostages! So now there's no way anyone is going to stop Team Rocket's plan!"
"Ash, this is bad! Are you going to get Pikachu, or are you going to help me save Max and Bonnie?" Dawn asked.
"Yes, that is your question, Ash!" the fighting elite cackled. "Save your Pikachu and let your friends suffer, or save your friends but lose your Pikachu forever! Take your pick boy!"
What will happen now that Ashlyn and Donovan are trapped? Can the four trapped Team Pikachu members be saved successfully? And who will Ash choose: Pikachu or his friends? Find out on the next chapter of Saving Pikachu!