Chapter 10 – Behind Locked Doors
"Close every door to me. Hide all, the world from me. Bar all my windows and shut out the light. Keep those I love from me, hate me and laugh at me." Close Every Door, Joseph and the Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat
[7:15AM] – 22nd May – Saffron City – Silph Co. Main Entrance – South – Ash
He strode through the entrance hall filled with dead and mostly dead rockets in a manner, faintly reminiscent of his appearance up at the League. Lucario was behind him, blocking up the door with whatever they could find which currently involved a large fridge from the rocket's snack room.
The raven glanced absentmindedly at his watch, as the second hand flickered up to number twelve. As if on cue the lights above him flickered and died. "Hmm," he hummed, "Seems they have a horribly good sense of timing," he mused, grey eyes taking in the various corridors and passages leading of the main reception area.
"Which one?" he asked Luca, the black jackal now pushing a statue of Giovanni in front of the door.
The dog grunted, "I'm the one doing all the slave labour here! You can make your own decision!"
Ash gave him a lopsided smirk, "Sorry," he muttered, having the guilt enough to look sheepish. "We'll head straight there and meet the others. Sound good?"
"Cario Carr," the jackal rolled his eyes, standing up straight and dusting his paws of as he ran up to his master. "RioLucarr." (Sure, whatever, let's just go.)
Ash nodded, glancing briefly at the corridors leading west and east before shrugging. "They can handle it," he reassured himself, setting off at a run north.
Really the various arrows around the place directing him were very helpful.
[7:15AM] – 22nd May – Saffron City – West Wing of Silph Co. – Erika/Zo/Sabrina
As the base was plunged into darkness Zo punched the air in glee, "They got it!" she crowed, dancing out of the way of several gunshots that whipped past her head.
Sabrina snarled silently, the bands on her wrist glowing purple as the bullets stopped inches from her. She lashed out with one hand, knocking the approaching rockets back with her psychic power. "Let's just concentrate on getting to the vaults," she hissed, her dark blue hair falling in her eyes, "We can't wander around here forever!"
The whip of an arrow echoed around the corridor as Erika shot of a deadly volley at the men. "Which way o' great psychic master?" she asked, mockingly, eyes alight with the heat of battle.
"North." Sabrina knocked away another pair of rockets, one of which was coughing up bile, a light graze across his temple showing where he was hit with one of Erika's arrows.
The purple haired human fox smirked, her form condensing into a purple cloud as from it, as the small purple Zorua leapt up. "This way!" she cried, racing away.
The Celadon and Saffron gym leaders shared a look of insufferable difference.
"Damn dark types," Sabrina cursed.
[7:15AM] – 22nd May – Saffron City – West Wing of Silph Co. – Generator Room – Va & Rai (Please note – Pokéspeech will be temporarily translated)
A tattered black eared Eevee opened its eye. "Uh…" she gazed around herself at the room.
Remains of the room.
"Uh Rai?" she spoke, hesitantly. "We might have overdone it…slightly."
The orange mouse winced. "Sorry," he muttered. "Well now we know at least why Jessie, James and Meowth also ended up being blasted up into the sky." He chuckled, "And here I always thought it was because they were Rockets."
The fox threw a shadow ball at him, making him wince again "Shut up! We have to find the others – meet them at the vault. And this time I'm leading!"
Rai followed Va, grumbling to himself. The Eevee's form shimmered as she morphed into her favourite form of a Vaporeon.
Her genetic DNA had always been unstable. It was the characteristic of an Eevee. An unstable genetic code that when exposed to a fire stone resulted in a Flareon, when exposed to a water stone resulted in a Vaporeon, and when exposed to a thunderstone resulted in a Jolteon. Should an Eevee evolve in daylight, she would traditionally evolve into an Espeon and similarly at night - an Umbreon. Near fragments of a very rare ice rock, she could become a Glaceon and near fragments of a moss rock – a Leafeon.
And she… if the other Eevee's already had unstable genetic codes then hers was positively rickety. Yet she had still remained an Eevee.
They had been fed up. So horribly fed up and sick of everything. She had been locked away, a small lost fox in a Team Rocket lab.
Then he came.
She had clung to him like glue, a ray of light and hope and aura that called to her blood. He had been her friend, first and foremost, and then her trainer. Ash, even when he had no clue of self, and even when he discovered his memories, still continued to care for her.
The League had been overconfident back then. A group of agents were sent in to join the Team. She and her trainer had been included in that foolish (oh so foolish) plan.
It had, inevitably failed. The traitors were found and killed or captured. Their Pokémon were taken to Lavender Town to be broken into the rocket regime, or used as experiments by the new mad scientist they had managed to get their filthy hands on.
They hadn't recognised her (Thank Arceus) – she was just another nameless Eevee among a group of Pokémon.
Previous experiments regarding her species had failed. They were tiring quickly and were trying the impossible – to create a new evolution for her kind.
The Vaporeon winced at the memories, shaking them from her mind. Whoever had thought throwing an Eevee into a vat of toxic poison and sludge was a good idea obviously had been dropped on their head one too many times as a baby.
Her already rickety unstable genetic code couldn't handle it. Under none of the usual stimuli, it was forced to change, to keep her alive. Under none of the usual stimuli it couldn't decide which to evolve her into.
So it chose them all.
She wasn't a success. She was just a Vaporeon after all.
They tossed her out, the poor little failure, half dead and poisoned half to death.
Then he came.
Again.
History did love to repeat itself.
The pair skidded around the corner, Rai almost skidding into her but he stepped forward at the last second. "North, right?" he asked.
She nodded. "Race ya'," she challenged.
He smirked, "You're on."
[7:15AM] – 22nd May – Saffron City – East Wing of Silph Co. – Lance
Petrol stopped, a few feet from the door as the lights in the complex completely died. Behind him Archer swore violently.
The woman made an approving noise, "They're clever at the very least," she admitted, "They go for the power - we can't track them. The locks are broken and the men are in the dark."
Petrol narrowed his eyes, "What are they going for?"
In the supply closet, Lance subtly moved, blocking out the light from his softly glowing dragon. Damn. If only he could get through a phone call to tell May or Dawn what moves actually worked on reviving Pokéballs.
A glitter of red light appeared as there was a quiet cracking noise. The figure emerged silently, solidifying into form. "Chikor?" (Hello?)
The footsteps outside his door receded as Lance bent down to examine the small thing. "Hush. I'm Lance. You were trapped in your Pokéball."
The small green Johto started blinked at him, "Ri? Chikori?" (You're getting me out?)
Lance stood, moving closer to the crack in the door to listen to the elites.
Archer was shaking his head, "We could." He said in response to something Petrol had told him, "Or we could get out of here and have nothing to do with it."
There was a pause.
The three Team elites nodded in unison, "Yeah, that's for the best."
As it was, they didn't get much choice in the matter as there was a loud growl and a crackle of lightning and a curse from Petrol.
Lance took a risk, scooping up the Chikorita and another two Pokéballs, stuffing them in his pocket as he leapt out of the supply closet.
He was met with an alarming sight.
A black cloaked Ash stood, a blue blade of aura pressing Archer against a wall while Lucario stood with a bone staff in front of the other two. From the other intersection, Vaporeon and Raichu had appeared, and they stood tensed in the hallway, lightning crackling and the Vaporeon's form fogging slightly around the edges.
Heads snapped around to look at him as the Chikorita in his arms gave a loud squeak.
There was silence for a few moments before Ash stepped backwards, blade dissolving. "Archer," he acknowledged with a curt nod.
Said man in question looked like he'd just seen a ghost and Adrianna was choking on air behind him.
"Wh-How-Where-Why-Wha-" he couldn't get the question out.
The raven narrowed his eyes which were now a blood red, stepping back towards Lance, "I trust Giovanni won't hear of this."
The blue haired man's mouth snapped shut and his head shook. A small smile crept onto his lips.
Ash stared at the trio once more before calling to Lucario. "Let them go."
"Rio," the jackal snorted, his aura appendages glowing blue as he stepped backwards, the bone rush dissolving into pretty sparkles. For a moment, the three Team Elites stood there, staring at Ash, eyes flickering around to Lance and then back. Their faces contained a mix between fear and shock and confusion, although Lance thought he saw a little mirth in their expressions to.
Petrol was the first to move, making a mocking saluting with his hand, "Sure thing bosso. We weren't here anyway, were we?" he elbowed Arianna.
The red haired woman shook her head. "No." she denied. "We'll be off then. Nice seeing you and all that crap." Without another word she stalked off down the passage, Petrol trailing after her, shooting them another glance over his shoulder.
Archer still appeared at loss for words so he simply swallowed, holding one hand to his brow following his companions. Unlike Petrol, he didn't look back.
Lance stared after them before turning to Ash.
"What the hell was all that about?"
[7:20AM] – 22nd May – Saffron City – Silph. Co West corridors – Basement Level – Sabrina/ Erika/Zo
"We're running pretty promptly," the Saffron gym leader commented as they turned the corner. Having descended the stairs the number of rocket grunts had decreased and the number of random scientists and cleaners had increased slightly. Most of them dived into storage cupboard, hiding from them but some tried to stop them, only to be knocked aside.
They paused at a four way intersection. "Which way now?" Zo asked, the fox blinking
Sabrina frowned, closing her eyes. Her wristbands shimmered slightly, engulfed in a faint pink light. "Straight," she told them, her eyes still closed, eyelashes fluttering slightly. Then they flickered open glowing an eerie purple which faded, drawn back into her dark blue grey depths.
Erika was already half-way down the corridor, led forward by determination and a burning vengeance.
She had to do something.
For years she had been trapped, imprisoned, and unable to do anything as her own gym, her own city (her world) and all she ever knew was lost and torn to shreds. And when it burned to the ground (burned in fire and flames and ash and anger) and she was free (as a bird, but she never had wings to start with) and she was lost in the strange new world (but free, and that was so much better than not).
They would pay. The oppressors. The criminals. The murderers.
She would find…somewhere… somehow… her light in this world. She would find peace at the end of the suffering.
But first she had to deal with getting the world back to normal.
Yeah. Easier said than done.
She let out a shallow laugh as she notched another poison tipped arrow to her bow, raising it as they came to a corner, voices drifting around it.
"So you're friends with them?"
Next to her, Sabrina and Zo slowed to a halt at the approaching footsteps.
"No, they just listen to what I say."
"Since when? When are they 'friends' with anybody?"
Zo's purple-black ears pricked up and she bounded around the corner at the same moment Sabrina gently pushed Erika's arrow towards the ground.
"Since it's useful to them."
There was an audible growl of annoyance and a chirp of amusement.
"Stop avoiding answers!"
"Stop asking questions."
The Celadon gym leader blinked as the two elites skidded around the corners. The raven's eyes flashed green with relief, although whether it was from seeing that they were safe or whether he had an excuse to avoid any more pestering questions, it was hard to tell.
Erika was distracted as Va and Rai appeared, skidding slightly on the shiny floor, a small green Pokémon trying in vain to keep up with them. Her eyes widened, and a small noise escaped her, an audible 'aww' as she knealt down to greet the little thing.
The small green herb Pokémon blinked its large green yellow eyes at her, and then squeaked happily as it bounded forwards. It bounded happily into the grass trainers arms and Erika picked it up, cuddling it to her.
Ash turned to Lance with a frown, "Oh, yeah, that's another thing. What were you doing hiding in a cupboard?"
The red head ignored him, mainly because Sabrina had glided past him, raiding his pockets of the two Pokéballs he had filched. "How did you get them working?" she queried, turning them this way and that as she examined them.
Lance smirked, and the dragon that was wrapped around his neck slid down to his arm. "Dratini uses a mixture of safeguard, thunder wave and dragon pulse. It cracks the lock on them."
One eyebrow raised slightly as the psychic gym leader looked at him. If Erika didn't know any better she'd say Sabrina looked mildly impressed. "The safeguard keeps the Pokémon safe. The thunder wave activates the electronics. And the dragon wave meshes it together overcoming the time block." She nodded, "Not bad. You didn't manage to nick any more, did you?"
He shook his head ruefully.
"KorRita!" the Chikorita in Erika's arms chirped.
Said girl looked at the small green Pokémon, "Say? Want to come along with me?"
The herb leafed Johto starter nodded its head enthusiastically, green eyes blinking cheerfully. Erika smiled, "Great!"
"VaPri! Vi Vi Apri Reon Eon!" (Come on! Let's move it people!) the water fox pranced up and down. Raichu was standing just behind her, his tail slicking from side to side as his cheeks crackled impatiently with electricity.
Ash nodded, "We need to keep moving. Now."
If that wasn't added incentive, the pounding of feet behind them started the group into moving quickly, Raichu and Vaporeon racing out ahead, skidding around corners.
"PriaEonEe," (I'm still leading the way) the fox spat.
The mouse rolled his eyes, "RaiAi." (Whatever)
Behind them were the four humans, Lucario and Zorua just behind and Chikorita in Erika's arms. There was a shimmer, similar to a heat wave as Vaporeon morphed into a Jolteon, one paw reaching up to an electronic door pad, sparkles of electricity racing up her arm. The numerical pad blinked feebly, faint green numbers flashing on the screen as it gave a small whine of approval as the bland, grey metallic door slid open. It matched the rest of the dull, stark grey and blue passage, broken up by regular white doors.
The raven hung back on the other side of the threshold, his eyes flittering into blue as he passed lastly into the new room, a small ten inch blade of shimmering, dark blue-black aura slashing across the control panel. His hand darted across the gap as the door whined in protest, slamming shut with a loud sound, blocking out the rest of the base. It didn't take long for the curses and banging on the other side of the door to start, and the dead man hung around only long enough to check the door was properly sealed, before following Zo down the stairs, taking them two at a time.
The staircase rounded on itself, dark shadows against black walls. The glowing needles of Jolteon's coat and Raichu's tail illuminated the walls, making them dance with strange, shadowed images. The small Chikorita looked around nervously, but after some comforting from Erika, allowed itself to be placed on the floor where it padded along silently, next to Lance's leg.
"Where now?" Lance asked, "Sabrina?"
The Saffron gym leader frowned, "It wasn't on the blue prints. This is the vault. I don't see anything though."
Barely visible against the darkness, the black Lucario stepped forwards, his creamy white chest looking like a beam of light in the darkness and his red eyes glowing slightly. "The gears are here." He paused, looking down the seemingly endless corridor.
The psychic gym leader shivered. Something about the pair, the Lucario and his trainer gave her the creeps. Her psychic abilities negated any living item, linking to the mental power that ran through their world. Four years ago the gentle living humming background noise, that she had never taken any notice of had stopped, motionless, not moving and ground to a halt.
She had never realised that the planet had a voice before that.
Maybe it was Arceus, she wondered, or one of the great deities who had died, frozen and paralysed by the lack of movement in pasts and futures alike.
There was only the present.
And that never seemed to end.
She was startled out of her revere by a loud growl from the black jackal as he bounded in quick, deft steps, paws hanging at his side. Ash paused only to roll his eyes before he took off after the Pokémon, cursing under his breath.
Erika and Zo watched them go, the fox sighing. "Do you think we can just wait here until they come back?" she asked, hopefully.
Sabrina resolved to give the dark type a lecture of tempting fate, as the door a floor above them that they had left, creaked ominously under what sounded like a flamethrower and earthquake. The blue haired woman held a hand to her head, holding off the impeding headache. "Let's just… go. We need him to teleport out anyway."
Lance huffed, "You saying we were only here as back up for the rockets?" he asked.
Erika began after Ash, her new Pokémon skipping at her heels. "Your point? We got to kill some of the bastards. That's better than sitting around doing nothing in a freaky gym filled with spoons."
Sabrina took a moment to realise that the brown haired girl had just insulted her gym. She frowned, but the woman in question was already half way down the corridor. "Hey! Celadon! Wait up!" she made after them.
Zo gave Lance a mournful look. "There are days I just wish I'd slept in," the fox admitted, before leaping forwards, shimmering with a purple light as she made her way after the others.
[7:36AM] – 22nd May – Saffron City – Silph. Co Second Basement Level – Vaults
Lucario spun around, a fierce growl twisting its way out of his jaws as he slammed his force palm glowing hand into the wall. The brick crumbled slightly, smoking and with renewed vigour he slammed a close combat into it.
The dust got in his eyes and made him cough, a low, barking sound. In his one paw he formed a bluish black sphere, stepping back and eyeing the myriad of cracks that crept along the russet grey bricks barely visible under the plaster. In his left paw, the sphere grew larger.
"CarrRio!" he snarled, bringing his glowing, close combat aura imbued paw and aura sphere towards the weakest point in the wall, the point where all the thin, hairline fractures met. The breaking point.
Under the impact the whole wall shuddered, and Luca was relieved to see the brick his paw had impacted upon crumble into fragments.
"Need a hand?"
He jumped slightly; startled that he hadn't even noticed his trainer sneak up on him. "It would be helpful." He growled a force palm already forming on his hand, glowing faintly pink. He slammed it into the wall again, and seconds later a black aura sphere joined it. Under the combined stress, the wall creaked and the bricks cracked, shattered fragments of sand crumbling down.
Ash kicked it experimentally with a foot, knocking aside loose rubble as he ducked through the fair sized hole. His eyes flickered to a pale brown as he glanced back at his Lucario. "Jackpot." He smirked, vanishing as he made a beeline for his treasure.
The pattering of footsteps alerted him to the others approaching.
Sabrina sniffed, "Did you really have to make such a mess?"
The black jackal shrugged, as Rai stalked up, "AiAiChuKaa Rai RaiAi," (You don't half do a job properly) he commented as he surveyed the jagged hole in the wall.
There was a flash of movement and Ash reappeared triumphantly, a large smirk on his face. "Would you look what I found," he crowed, the glint of a grey and purple shape in his right hand, while his left was pulling up his hood, cloaking his face in shadow.
There were footsteps as Lance and Erika appeared, the former panting heavily, "Arceus… I'm…out…of shape…" he breathed heavily between each phrase. "We all clear now?" he said, leaning against the wall.
Zo and Va were circling around each other, agitatedly. "We need to get out of here!"
"Now!"
In response, their trainer stiffened, eyes focussed on the corridor. "Damn." He cursed. "I'd hoped we'd have more time." Blue eyes flickered to the group, "I'd try to teleport you all out of here but I don't know if I can do a group. Pairs maybe…but…damn dark.."
Lance frowned, "I thought your Pokémon could teleport." he said in disbelief, interrupting.
The raven shook his spiky hair, "They just follow my wormhole." He closed his eyes, as if praying for an idea to appear before him.
There were shouts from around the corner and Lance rolled his eyes, standing and pulling Erika with him, "Let's get out of here," the red head snarled, "Now. Come on you're the teleporter here!"
Ash's eyes flashed open, blood red, "I can't!" he hissed in response.
"Why not?"
"There's some sort of blocking signal."
"Really?"
Lance looked genuinely interested for a moment, opening his mouth to ask another question when Erika snapped at the pair.
"Will you just stop arguing?"
To her never ending amusement the two men fell silent, looking at her slightly sheepishly. The brunette blinked before turning to whisper in Sabrina's ear, "I didn't think that would work."
The raven overheard, and he rolled his eyes, "I can't teleport around the base if you'd just been listening because the signal mucks it all up!" He growled, "We have to head this way," he muttered, gesturing to left down the corridor, the opposite side from the rockets.
Zo whined, "More running," she sighed, "Race ya'" she muttered with as much enthusiasm as a Slowpoke as she started off jogging slowly down the corridor.
Sabrina nodded as she recalled the blueprints. "He's right." She told Lance. The champion frowned.
Ash looked like he was about to make a comment but he obviously thought better of it, instead looking past Erika at the corridor where he knew rockets were approaching. Erika headed after Va, moving down the corridor.
Lance frowned at the raven haired man. Yeah, Ash was right.
Ash was always right.
Why did that annoy him so much?
[7:42AM] – 22nd May – Saffron City – Silph. Co Second Basement Level – Vaults
They managed to make their way down one corridor and around several corners as it started angling upwards. They were now moving up a steady incline when Ash paused and Sabrina's eyes lit up triumphantly.
"The signal's lessened. Come on! Let's get out of here." She declared.
"What? Now?"
"Yes. Now. Or we're rocket meat."
The ever increasing thundering footsteps behind them, made Ash take the psychic's words to heart, grabbing hold of the Celadon gym leader and the champion while Sabrina latched onto Erika's arms. The small Chikorita perched on her shoulder let out a plaintive chirp and Dratini protested mildly, the last sound that was heard before the whole surrounding world blurred violently.
Teleportation, in Lance's mind, was a lot like an airborne fight on a Dragonite flying over in circles, except there was nothing to hold onto as you were thrown violently around and about. He was surrounded by black, with flashes of images and places lighting up like pictures beamed onto the shadows, vanishing as quickly as they appeared.
Then with a violent start, as quickly as it had started, his limbs felt heavy and he found himself heading for a headlong collision with their concreted road in Saffron City, somewhere outside the Pokémon Centre he had been running past earlier the day before.
"Damn it!" Ash stumbled slightly, biting his lip, eyes closing as he fell to his knees, clutching his hooded head. "Something interrupted the jump."
Around him, the others in the group looked similarly nauseous.
The four of Ash's Pokémon were more organised, Raichu leaping up to his perch on his master's shoulder which he somehow managed to maintain, despite his precarious position, while Lucario stood at his side. Va (currently an Umbreon) and Zo were crouched, hackles raised as they spun around, looking both directions up the street.
The remaining two Pokémon looked slightly ill, the green herb leaf Pokémon cuddled up to Erika, eyes tightly closed. The baby dragon was still wrapped around the red head's neck, looking and awful lot like a scarf he had decided to don for the day's excursions.
"We have to leave the city," Ash blinked, trying to stop the world from violently spinning.
Sabrina looked up sharply at this, "Now?" a tone of exasperation creeping into her voice.
Zo turned around, chasing her tail anxiously, "They'll scourge through the city until they find you and face it - you're not doing any good here!"
"But…" the strict psychic looked frantic with worry for a moment, crumbling under the pressure before pulling it together, "I'm swinging by the gym to pick up Mime and Zam."
"I'll come to…" Lance struggled to his feet, even as there was a flash of blue above him and he looked up to see his Dragonair swooping down.
"AiraiDragagDra." She chirped softly, nuzzling him. Her deep blue eyes flickered over to Ash and the raven spun around, frowning as the two shared some sort of silent communications.
The ex-champion cursed.
"Bad?" Zo breathed.
"How many damn Rockets are there?" Ash threw up his hands in frustration, spinning around once before turning to the other three humans. Erika was still kneeling on the floor, holding the Johto starter to her chest. "We've got Team members sealing of the exits and heading this way. Your Dragonite is clearing a path to the southern exit for you. If you, Erika and Sabrina head to the Vermillion Route you can get away."
Eyes narrowed, "And you?"
The raven didn't answer, even as the dark fox used thief on Lance, stealing the two Pokéballs from his pocket with a muffled protest from the man in question. "Unseal them," he said, tossing one to the man, "You'll need all the help you can get."
Wordlessly Lance did as bid, letting his littlest dragon unseal them. They cracked open and the red light seeped out of one, while the other just flipped open.
Sabrina let out a dry chuckle, "Looks like you picked up an empty Pokéball there," she pointed to the empty capsule.
The other form stayed small, condensing quickly into a little yellow mouse.
"Pichu?" (Huh?)
Sabrina glared daggers at the champion, "Brilliant choice," she snapped, "Just brilliant!"
Erika frowned, holding out a hand for the lost little baby, "Don't be harsh," he chided the Saffron gym leader who still looked startled that the quiet little Celedon leader was growing a backbone. "Here little guy." She cooed softly.
"What's up with his ear?" Lance frowned.
Sabrina crossed her arms, "Can we admire the baby Pichu another time? I need to collect my Pokémon and we need to get out of this thrice cursed city!"
There was a pause as they turned to look to the leader of their little expedition who was currently nowhere in sight. His four Pokémon had vanished as well.
"He didn't."
"He did."
"No way."
"Seriously?"
"Now?"
"How did we not notice him vanishing like that?"
Erika coaxed the little mouse onto her other shoulder where the Chikorita promptly began a conversation of soft coos and chirps with the electric type. "I'll go after him," she volunteered.
Both the champion and psychic looked like they were about to argue, to Erika followed Ash's example and took of a sprint down one of the west-east running streets. Quite why everything was north-south or west-east still puzzled her but it made navigation around the city far easier.
Lance stared after Erika for a few dumb moments before Sabrina yanked him to his feet. His briefly thought that it was all very well grabbing the Pokéballs and taking them time to cart them around when he didn't end up receiving any of the Pokémon - then he was ducking under heavy gunfire.
He followed Sabrina down an alleyway leading to the next road and they had to skid to a halt to avoid crashing into more patrolling rockets. "This way," she snapped, knocking the men backwards without a glance and the champion made a note not to get on her bad side.
A flash of green and blue and he caught sight of Ash and Erika a few streets down, fighting. The raven looked like he was drenched in blood and oblivious to everything around him, even the equally saturated Erika a few metres away. Lance blinked, not quite understanding the odd pair before he rounded the corner, racing towards the gym, even as he realised it probably wasn't blood but more like some sort of pokemon attack.
"Arceus! Saffron is a minefield!" he cursed, "There's no end to them," just in time for yet another group of rockets to come careening around the corner. With rising sorrows he noted the red and purple hair and the weird walking cat, just as Dragonair released a hyper beam.
They screamed rather oddly too, he mused, as Sabrina reunited with her Mime and Alakazam. If he listened hard enough, it was almost as if they were shouting…
No… it couldn't be.
Maybe he was hearing things.
AN ~ So? What do ya' think? They finally got the gears and got out of Saffron! Next chapter - an overview of the various characters and what they're doing and a new mission for our heroes!
My internet has been down since we've been moving and this is the first time I could get this chapter up. Apologies.
Hope you enjoyed it ~ Eclipse