A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for your continued support!
I regret to inform you that there will be no updates next week, because I'll be out of town for Spring Break. For now, I leave you all with this ungodly long chapter. See you next week!
FIFTEEN
"Give me your Holo Caster. It's got his number in it." Serena demanded of Augustine, walking towards him and thrusting her open palm outwards. Once he had placed the device in her hands, she dialed up Teleurac and waited for a response.
"Serena, you have no proof it was him," Augustine pointed out.
"We literally had this conversation before he slapped me," snapped Serena. Immediately after she finished speaking, Teleurac's holographic image popped up.
"Professor! How can I – oh. You." Teleurac's demeanor fell when he saw Serena.
"Where are they?" Serena questioned him, her voice shaking with indignation.
"I'm sorry, Serena, but who is 'they?'"
"My Pokemon! Someone came into my home and stole them! One of yours probably, and they ate my cookies!"
"Ah, your Pokemon are missing . . . unfortunate that I had to order their seizure, isn't it? If only you had peacefully agreed to turn them over, then maybe your cookies would have not been touched."
Serena growled, and wished she could grab him through the Holo Caster and give him a good throttle.
"Don't worry, Serena. You'll be used as a riveting cautionary tale, warning other Pokemon Trainers of the dangers of noncompliance. Find some comfort in knowing that significantly less Pokemon will be taken from their Trainers, so nobody will have to suffer the same as you . . . also, if you act out in any way, you will be arrested, and I would hate for you to have to spend Christmas in prison."
Teleurac hung up. Serena slammed Augustine's Holo Caster down on the table before darting back into her bedroom and tearing into her closet. Augustine followed her; when he arrived to the doorway, he covered his eyes, for she had removed her dress and thrown it on her bed.
"What are you doing?" he asked, although it sounded to Serena like he already knew the answer.
Serena threw on a T-shirt, followed by jeans and her sturdiest running shoes. She was ready to tell him exactly what she was going to do, but at the same time she knew that he wouldn't be the only person who found out about it.
"You're going to go search for your Pokemon, aren't you?" Augustine continued, his tone conflicted.
"I'm dressed now. You can look." Serena said briskly as she slipped into a jacket.
"Serena, look . . . I hate that Teleurac's done this. I really do. But you heard him. He'll arrest you if you try to steal them back." Augustine said urgently after his hand slid off his eyes.
"But if I succeed, he won't be able to catch me," said Serena with brash confidence. She went over to her nightstand and grabbed a ponytail holder, using it to tie her hair back in a low ponytail.
"And if you don't succeed?. . . Serena, has it occurred to you that you might not win this one?"
She stared at him, trying to figure out what exactly he was thinking. To her, it was a valid point for him to be worried that she would be caught and arrested, but did he want her to get her Pokemon back or not?
"How about this: when I go back to work after my vacation, I'll talk to him. I'll see if I can get them back for you. They may not even be fit for testing."
"A lot can happen to them between now and next week, Augustine," Serena spat. "I need them back now. That's the only way I'll know they're safe." She imagined her Pokemon hooked up to those energy extractor machines, being electrocuted and injured as the life was sucked out of them. The thought of it made her want to cry and breathe a fire hotter than Charizard could ever conjure. It also occurred to her that she did not have the slightest idea of where to begin.
She walked briskly to the doorway, intending to leave, but Augustine blocked her path.
"And what's going to keep you safe, Serena?" he said, looking down at her as if that would be the last time he ever saw her.
"You could come with me," she offered.
Augustine sighed. "I can't do that."
"Why not?" she blurted out. He of all people should be helping her, she thought bitterly. Augustine pointed to his chest, at the approximate spot where the microphone was attached, and she nodded in resentful comprehension.
"That's it, then . . . you're scared of him, that he'll find out you're helping me."
"If I go too, I could put you in jeopardy. He'd know where we are and what we're doing."
Serena groaned. How hard was it to just rip the stupid thing off and break it?
"Chérie," said Augustine soothingly as he took her face in his hands, "Let's not do anything rash right now. We should wait until you've calmed down, and then decide how to handle this. I promise you that I will not allow your Pokemon to be subject to anything I would not want my own to experience, just . . . please. Stay here."
"No." Serena pushed herself away from Augustine and walked past him into the living room. She ran to the front door, grabbing her keys off the coffee table on the way. Her hand moved to unlock the door, and Augustine called out to her again.
"Serena, wait."
Rolling her eyes, she turned to see him shed his tuxedo jacket and start unbuttoning his shirt. Her gaze explored the bared area of his torso for a split second, before she saw the wire laying against his skin, sticking out like a crack in finely sculpted marble. Once his shirt was open, he reached to the back of his pants and pulled off the microphone's battery pack, then ripped off the tape that secured the microphone in place. He dropped it all on the floor before slamming his heel into the battery pack, breaking it and sending shards of black plastic sliding along the floor.
Her lips curved into a small smile.
"I have an idea of where we should check first," said Augustine as he buttoned his shirt back up.
"They would not be kept here," a nonplussed Serena said as she and Augustine exited the elevator and walked into his office at Sycamore Pokemon Laboratories.
"No, they're not. You're right." Augustine opened a cabinet and pulled out one of his indigo shirts and a pair of dark jeans. He glanced at Serena, then cleared his throat loudly. Picking up on the cue, Serena turned his back to him.
"It's funny how we were planning on doing it for the first time tomorrow but we still won't watch each other change clothes," she commented, trying to focus on the task at hand and not let her mind wander in a direction that involved Augustine in various states of undress.
"Why ruin the surprise?" responded Augustine cheekily. "Anyway, we're here because I wanted to wear something a little more comfortable, and the Abra we use to Teleport into the Team Flare facility are housed here as well."
"They've been here this whole time?"
"Oui. I have one in my desk, actually . . . you can look now."
Serena turned back around, in time to watch Augustine secure his Pokeball belt around himself, counting to see that all four of his Pokemon were present. He then reached back into the cabinet and grabbed a fifth Pokeball, pressed the catch, and sent out an Abra.
"Anything else you've been hiding from me?" Serena questioned as she observed the Abra, who was levitating itself over the desk.
Augustine shook his head. "Only what you're about to see. But before we go, Serena, I want you to promise me something: if at any time we're in danger and there's an opportunity for you to escape, I want you to take it. Don't worry about me, because I'll have my Pokemon. Save yourself."
Although the idea of possibly leaving him behind with Team Flare made her stomach drop, Serena nodded. "I promise," she said, smiling weakly.
She tentatively approached the Abra, looking straight at its closed eyelids as if she was actually making eye contact with the sleeping Pokemon. It hit her that she had never Teleported anywhere before.
"Uh . . . Abra, use Teleport."
Abra did not respond.
"Abra, Teleport her." Augustine intervened. "Flying Litwick."
She shot him a puzzled look, but before she could ask him what exactly he meant by "Flying Litwick," Abra had generated a purple-and-gold aura and extended it to envelop Serena. Soon, the lab and Augustine faded out of view, and she felt as if her body was being whirled around in a circle, surrounded by the ethereal light of Abra's aura, and compressed in on itself. When the world rematerialized again, she found herself standing in a dark space, the aura emanated by Abra giving off barely enough light to show her the silhouette of a nearby chair.
Abra Teleported away, leaving Serena in the dark. She heard the low hum of a running computer, and something beeping, but could not discern anything else in the dark. Her head felt light, and she felt like the world was slowly rocking back and forth around her in her wooziness.
A minute after Abra left, it reappeared, this time carrying Augustine with it. "Use Flash," he commanded; Abra radiated a soft, bright light. Flash revealed that there was indeed a computer on a desk and a chair, along with some papers posted to a bulletin board and a series of lockers. There was one solid door, and there was no telling where it led.
"You never told me Teleporting was so rough," Serena complained, reaching a hand out to him in hopes of getting some support.
"It takes getting used to." Augustine grabbed her outstretched hand and drew her closer to him.
"So, what's 'Flying Litwick?'" she asked him, leaning her head into his shoulder.
He chuckled. "It's like a code. Abra won't teleport unless she hears someone regarded as 'authorized personnel' say it."
"Huh," Serena stood up straight. "So we're here?"
"If by 'here' you mean the super-secret underground facility, then yes," said Augustine as he led her to the door. He opened it and ushered her out. Abra, feeling that its work was done, Teleported away.
"Where do you want to start looking?" asked Serena. She found herself in a hallway very similar to the one she had previously encountered in the facility, only it was lined with more doors and there was an upward-leading staircase at the end of it.
Augustine sent out Garchomp. Before he could answer, Serena had made her way to another door and opened it. Inside, she found stacks of cardboard boxes of various sizes, all taped shut. The boxes were labeled with the names of Pokemon, and she didn't recognize the names of any of hers. After seeing a dark red and brown stain on the side of one box labeled "Pancham," she jumped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Pathetic excuses for human beings, that's what they are," she hissed, shaking her trembling head as she went to the next door. Behind her, she heard Augustine rattle a doorknob, followed by the swipe of Garchomp's arm and the sound of wood crash onto the ground. The next room she checked was full of more cardboard boxes, labeled with the names of more Pokemon that weren't hers, as were the next two rooms she checked. The first thing she resolved to do once she got her Pokemon back was to have Charizard burn the whole place down.
"In here!" she heard Augustine shout. Serena ran into the room whose door was laying in pieces on the ground. Inside, she found Augustine examining models of towers, all lined up together on a table. Garchomp stood nearby, clawed arms bared and standing vigilant.
"You really think they'd keep my Pokemon in a random locked room? We should be looking for, like, a grand pedestal or something that's guarded by a laser security system and some Houndoom," she said, curious as to what he was doing.
"Then go look for your grand pedestal. I, on the other hand, have been trying to get into this room for weeks," Augustine told her. Upon closer inspection, Serena noticed that the model towers had long, slender cannons on the top of them, and a map of the Six Regions was lying on the table.
"I think I see why this room is for authorized personnel only," he added glibly, running a finger over the top of one of the model towers.
"You wouldn't see it until you believed it, huh, Professor?"
Serena and Augustine turned to the doorway to see a male Team Flare Admin. The Admin had his Holo Caster in one hand and a Pokeball in another.
"I heard a something break, so I came to investigate. It's so nice of you to join me tonight, Professor. Working Christmas Eve is the pits and I'm glad you're keeping me company . . . and look, you brought your girlfriend! The boss told me to keep an eye out for her!" The Admin released a Scrafty from his Pokeball.
"I suppose you're going to try and arrest me now, aren't you?" Serena asked the Admin, trying to sound intimidating.
"That's right . . . and how are you going to stop me?" smirked the Admin. He pointed at Augustine's Garchomp. "Scrafty, use High Jump Kick on that beast."
Serena leaped out of the way as Scrafty charged towards Garchomp. Scrafty jumped high into the air, and as it came back down it swung out a leg that came crashing down on Garchomp's head. After Scrafty backed off, Garchomp's head was still bowed as he recuperated from the hit.
Once he got over the initial shock of what happened, Augustine glanced over to Serena, who gave him a determined nod, communicating her confidence in him. He waited for Garchomp to straighten up before issuing a command.
"Dragon Claw!"
Garchomp stepped forward and swiped his arm at Scrafty, striking his opponent with enough force to send it falling onto its back. Scrafty soon got back up, displaying a long dark gash across its body from where Garchomp had struck.
As Augustine and the Admin did battle, Serena sidled a wall, waiting to see if the Admin would step out of the doorway or otherwise create an opening for her. That opening came when Garchomp swung another Dragon Claw at Scrafty, with the Dragon-type being in close enough proximity to the doorway that the Admin had to take a step back to avoid being hit. The attack fainted Scrafty, and Serena sprinted out of the room and into the hall.
"I was going easy on you!" the Admin snarled as he took Scrafty back into its Pokeball. "But I suggest you both run for it, because the Governor will be here very soon once I call him!" He waved his Holo Caster at the pair of them before taking off.
"That doesn't leave us much time," Augustine told Serena as he recalled Garchomp. He glanced down at the floor, looking at the models of the towers that had been smashed during the fight, then ran to meet Serena. She took his hand and led him up the staircase at the end of the hall, not knowing where it led but desperate to keep moving.
The two of them wound up in an open area with stone walls and floors; in the center was a circular chamber with a metal frame and glass panels that extended up through a hole in the ceiling. Aside from the chamber, the only contents of the room were various metal construction materials and electric wiring. A few light fixtures provided illumination for the area.
It was unlikely that her Pokemon were in here, but Serena jogged up to the circular chamber, peered inside to see some loose bits of metal and wires, then looked up to see the inside of Prism Tower looming above, visible through the hole cut in the ground.
"What do you see?" Augustine asked as he joined her side.
"A way out of here, maybe," said Serena. She grabbed a nearby metal rod off the ground and swung it with all her might at one of the glass panels, breaking the panel and sending glass shrapnel flying forward into the chamber. Augustine looked up, saw Prism Tower, and sent out his Charizard. He climbed onto his Pokemon's back and pulled Serena on after him; Charizard then flew into the chamber and up to the surface, touching down next to the opening in the ground.
When she disembarked from his Charizard, Serena surveyed the walled-up Centrico Plaza. Not much had changed yet, although there were five lines of the boxy energy extractor machines surrounding the Tower, arranged like the five major avenues of the city. Next to each machine was an empty cage, and each cage was connected via wiring to another cage in the same line, and the cages closest to the Tower had yet to be connected to anything else.
"You don't think . . . ?!" she turned to Augustine, seeing the same look of horror on his face that she was wearing.
Augustine gulped. "Should I have my Pokemon destroy all of this?"
"Not yet. Give me your Holo Caster. I have a call to make." Serena now thought it unlikely that she would find her Pokemon before Teleurac found her, but at least she had found this. That surely counted for something.
Her first instinct was to call President Oria in Unova, but she didn't know Oria's number, it wasn't programmed in Augustine's Holo Caster, and looking it up would take more time than they had. Instead, when Augustine handed the device to her, she dialed up Alexa.
"Serena, what is it?" Alexa asked.
"Check this out. I'm in Centrico Plaza right now." Serena said hastily as she turned the Holo Caster to show Alexa the base of Prism Tower. "The government's building something in here. I don't know what yet, but it definitely isn't a park." She rotated to show the energy extractors and cages. Right then, she noticed something bright red stamped onto the corner of the nearest extractor. When she looked closer, she saw it was the Team Flare insignia.
"And this is my favorite right here," said Serena as she positioned the Holo Caster to give Alexa a better view of the insignia.
"Wait, what? Mon Dieu!"Alexa gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "Serena, why are you showing me this?"
"Make sure this footage is seen by as many people as possible. Post it on the internet, hack into whichever channel's playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Stantler right now, I don't care. Just get it out there, and as fast as you can. Team Flare has returned to Kalos, and Governor Teleurac is their leader. I don't know what any of this is, but I aim to find out." She ended the call and tossed the Holo Caster back to Augustine.
"You and her will be cellmates," he said darkly.
Her mouth gaped open slightly as guilt began to sting her. What if Alexa didn't have the chance to do anything with that Holo footage before she was censored or arrested? What would the authorities do to her?
"Come on. My Pokemon aren't up here," she said flatly as she marched back to the opening in the ground. She stopped after only a few steps, for Teleurac was making his ascent on the back of his Talonflame.
"Leaving so soon?" he asked as he hopped off Talonflame and stood a few yards from Serena.
"Not quite yet. I still haven't found my Pokemon." Serena told him.
"And you really think they'd be here, in this facility? . . . it hardly matters, though. I told you that you would be arrested for acting out, and so I am now making good on that. Charges, I think, begin with breaking into and entering a restricted area – add slander as well, and sedition, destruction of government property too." Teleurac smirked.
Serena glanced over to Augustine and gave him a short nod. He nodded back in a similar manner. There was no way she would go quietly.
"Fine, you can arrest me. But you'll have to catch me first." She sprinted to the nearest wall, hoping that her speed combined with her weight could provide enough force to knock a portion of it down. When she checked to see if Augustine was catching up, she was instead met with the sight of Teleurac's Talonflame, flying her way in pursuit. Talonflame made its way over her head, then shot out a Flamethrower onto the ground, separating her from the wall.
She skidded to a halt a few feet away from the fire, close enough to feel its intense heat. From there, she backed away and started running to another section of wall. Talonflame spewed yet another Flamethrower to veer her off course and drive her back to the middle of the plaza. She saw Augustine running towards her, his hand throwing a Pokeball and letting out his Blastoise. At his command, Blastoise hit Talonflame with a Hydro Pump, knocking the airborne Pokemon into the ceiling and then falling to the ground.
Blastoise got to work putting out the fires made by Talonflame, and Serena closed the distance between herself and Augustine.
"Remember what you promised to do before we came here?" he whispered, looking to see Teleurac recall his fainted Talonflame.
"Yeah, but I don't have an opportunity yet," Serena reminded him.
"I'll create one. Again, don't worry about me." Augustine quickly kissed her.
The kiss was interrupted by the sound of a crackling Thunderbolt shooting through the air, striking Blastoise in the belly. Serena's eyes widened when she saw the source of the Thunderbolt was a Luxray, with Teleurac standing behind it.
"I hate to interrupt the little moment the two of you are having – oh wait. No I don't!" Teleurac stated exuberantly.
Blastoise had survived the Thunderbolt, if only barely. The large Water-type showed signs of electrical burns on its chest and stomach areas, and it panted in fatigue.
"Use Skull Bash!"
As Augustine left her side to focus on the battle, Serena turned her attention to a nearby cage and energy extractor. She opened the side panel of the machine and began pulling out its insides: wires, tubes, microchips, and a sealed flask containing some swirling green vapor. Not knowing what the vapor was, she intended to set it down gently and move on, but she saw Blastoise come her way and she jumped back to avoid being hit. Blastoise crashed into the glass cage next to the machine, having been struck by another Thunderbolt; in her haste to move, Serena dropped the flask on the ground, shattering it and letting the green vapor inside dissipate into the air.
Blastoise was now fainted, lying unconscious in a bed of shattered glass and bent metal. Augustine recalled Blastoise and sent out Garchomp next to deal with Luxray. Serena walked backwards towards the next machine in line, watching as Garchomp stomped his foot onto the ground and triggered an Earthquake. She wobbled as the ground shook, reaching to stabilize herself on the cage. Once the Earthquake stopped, she opened and ripped out everything inside that energy extractor, finding that the flask inside was empty; she smashed it nonetheless. For added measure, she stomped as hard as she could on everything she took out, breaking some tubes and microchips.
After repeating the process on the next machine in the line, she looked back to check on the battle. Garchomp had just fallen, being hit by an Ice Beam from Teleurac's Lapras. Augustine sent out his Venusaur next.
"What are you thinking?!" she hollered at Augustine, wondering if it occurred to him to have Garchomp use Stone Edge while that Pokemon was still active in the battle.
"I'm doing the best I can here!" Augustine retorted, clearly frustrated with how the battle was not favoring him.
Feeling certain that Augustine would lose the battle, Serena kept going, ripping out the insides of energy extractors and smashing their contents under her heel. For good measure, she flipped them over, although they were still heavy even when emptied out. Meanwhile, two Ice Beams from Lapras were enough to faint Venusaur, and Augustine sent out his last Pokemon, Charizard. Augustine observed what Serena was doing; instead of directing Charizard to attack Lapras, he had his Pokemon fly at the line of energy extractors and cages closest to him. As he flew, Charizard swung his tail to break all objects in his way, dodging Hydro Pumps from Lapras as he went. When an opportunity arose, Charizard shot a Flamethrower at Lapras, only to have it do minimal damage. Lapras returned with another Hydro Pump, hitting Charizard in the face and knocking him into the ground. Charizard staggered to his feet and looked at Augustine, awaiting direction.
"Try and knock a wall down," Augustine asked his Pokemon, pointing at the walls that separated the plaza from the rest of Lumiose. Charizard nodded and resumed flight, heading to the walls.
"Stop it, Lapras!" Teleurac commanded his Pokemon. "I do admire your attempt to escape, Augustine, but it won't work."
"I'm not the one I want to escape," Augustine informed him boldly. He turned to see Serena running back to him. When she was by his side again, he leaned in and whispered "Get ready to run."
Crash! Charizard collided with the wall, but was not successful in breaking it down. Lapras fired a Water Pulse, and the attack fainted Charizard.
"Or maybe I shouldn't," said Serena as Augustine recalled Charizard. Augustine sighed as he clipped Charizard's Pokeball back onto his belt, and he hung his head in resignation.
Teleurac laughed menacingly. "Good try, Professor. Good try! And Serena, you will be reimbursing me for the damage you just caused. In the meantime, I believe there is a prison cell with your name on it."
Serena had a cheeky comeback for him, but she forgot it the moment something crashed through the wall around the plaza. A Rhyhorn had smashed through, its Trainer not too far behind and accompanied by others. She heard someone shout "She was right! This doesn't look like a park at all!"
A dozen people poured through the hole in the wall, into the plaza. Those without Pokemon took out video cameras and Holo Casters to record their own footage of what they saw. Trainers released their Pokemon to finish breaking the rest of the machines and cages, while police officers came in as well in order to stop them. Team Flare grunts and Admins emerged from the opening in the ground under Prism Tower to come to the aid of the police officers.
She grabbed Augustine's wrist and tugged him along, dodging attacks launched by Pokemon and attempts by police and Flare members to grab her. However, the same Admin they had encountered earlier clutched onto Augustine's arm and pulled him back towards him; Serena tried to tug him away with all her might, but even with Augustine's help, the Admin succeeded in yanking the Professor out of Serena's grip. Serena was sent stumbling backwards, leaving enough space between her and the two men for some Trainers to charge through.
"Get out of here!" Augustine bellowed at her.
Serena glanced around at the chaos surrounding her, then back towards Augustine, only to see that Admin drag him away back to where Teleurac was standing while he flailed about helplessly. She would have ignored him, ran to help him if she had her Pokemon, but not even then could she hope to weather the crossfires of attacks flying back and forth in the heated battles that were happening: Solarbeams, Focus Blasts, Thunders, Blizzards, all being thrown every which way. One Team Flare Admin directed her Manectric to shoot a Thunder Wave in Serena's direction; she leaped out of the way just in time, and the attack hit a nearby Tauros instead.
She looked back to the base of Prism Tower. That Admin, Augustine, and Teleurac were nowhere to be found. She felt powerless to help, presently being without Pokemon – but when she saw a Gastly launch a Shadow Ball at its opponent, she remembered that she had others.
Serena ran, going as fast as her legs could carry her, evading stray attacks and attempts by other Flare members and police officers to accost her, ears filled with yet numb to the roars and shouts of the bedlam around her, until she had jumped out of the hole in the wall and onto Hibernal Avenue and ran through a full-blown riot happening on the street. More battles between civilian Trainers, police, and Flare members were occurring, windows of stores were smashed in, and the harsh glow of a fire came from the inside of Restaurant Le Wow. She got herself lost in a group of people for a bit, covering her ears to protect them from their angry shouts of protest against Teleurac and his administration. That group dissipated once a squad of Houndoom appeared, pouncing on people and digging their sharp fangs into their bodies. One Houndoom lunged at Serena, but she ducked down and let it jump over her head, and she resumed her sprint.
The Pokemon Center on North Boulevard had a mass of people crowding around the entrance, trying to push themselves inside. Many of the people carried injured Pokemon in their arms, and many were injured themselves. That crowd was the only thing between Serena and the PC Box inside. Before she got the chance to force her way through, more police officers arrived and forced everyone inside the Pokemon Center, telling them that for their own safety, nobody was to enter or leave without permission. One officer called someone to confirm that the Pokemon Centers at South Boulevard and Magenta Plaza had also been secured. Knowing that heading in there would be a very easy way to get caught soon, Serena ran off down North Boulevard, through more riots and battles and Houndoom attacking people and burning buildings.
In front of the gate to Route 14, a Double Battle was taking place between two civilian Trainers and two Team Flare Admins. Serena slowed to a halt, crouching behind a Gogoat shuttle stop and breathing heavily as her lungs and legs cried out in exhaustion. If she could get out of the city, she could make it to Laverre City, to their Pokemon Center – the only problem was the battle, with one Admin's Houndoom continuously hurling Fire Blasts and one Trainer's Pupitar emitting Dark Pulses.
Visions of Augustine, handcuffed and confined to a small prison cell, came to her mind. She also thought of her main team of five Pokemon, and whether they were locked up in their Pokeballs somewhere or if life was already being drained from them. There was no saving any of them if she remained cowering at this shuttle stop, and yet crossing through a Pokemon Battle contained its own set of risks. Taking a deep breath, Serena rose to her feet, then dashed towards the gate to Route 14, right as the Admin's Houndoom spewed another Fire Blast.