Chapter Four – Risk
~How far will you go to reap revenge? When strong emotions conflict you must choose between what is light and what is dark. The darkness in your heart calling you to draw blood versus the light in your heart seeking love. Which will you let consume your heart? Will your heart embrace the light or be eclipsed by darkness?
"Keep it up Flareon! Don't let up!"
"You won't overtake us! Hold your ground!" Lucy ordered.
Lucy and I continued our battle as Flareon's flamethrower combated Blastoise's hydro pump. Blanche had us battling each day to improve our strategy, our strength, and oddly enough our hearts. She told us that for true strategy to be born, you must have a strong heart connected to your Pokémon's. She told us that if that kind of a bond could be achieved then something remarkable would happen. What exactly that was proved to elude the both of us.
"Side step and use quick attack!"
Flareon broke free of the stalemate and rushed Blastoise. Lucy called for Blastoise to use withdraw and Flareon rushed into its shell as it struck and bounced off.
"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat us!"
"We're only just getting started."
I called Flareon back to its ball and called out Gengar.
"Alright buddy, you ready to battle?"
Gengar smiled his mischievous smirk and nodded, ready to battle. I was about to make the next move when a flock of Pidgey rushed out of the entry to the forest looking distraught and weakened. Lucy called back her Blastoise and approached me and Gengar.
"Those Pidgey looked really shook up."
"You're right. That was Viridian forest right?"
Lucy nodded and Gengar looked at me anxiously as he spoke with a touch of urgency in his voice. He knew the Pokémon were in trouble.
"We should go check it out."
"But what about Blanche? Shouldn't we get her before we head into the forest?"
"Who knows what's in there? The Pokémon could be in grave danger. If you want to go get her you can, but I can't standby if Pokémon are in danger."
I rushed toward the forest with Gengar close behind and soon found Lucy following me closely with a grin on her face.
"I thought you were gonna get Blanche?"
"I figured it only made sense to lend you back up. You'd be more at risk alone than without me tagging along."
We came to a stop in the middle of the dense foliage, surrounded by tall and thick trees. I looked around our surroundings and was surprised to find the distinct lack of wild Pokémon around us. Where did they all run off to and more importantly, what was scaring them away.
"Gengar, do you sense any Pokémon near us?"
Gengar turned in a few different directions and sniffed at the air. His face fell sadly as he shook his head.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Lucy began.
"Gengar, can you take a look from up there and tell us what you see?" I said pointing at a remarkably tall tree behind Lucy.
Gengar nodded as his shadow merged with the ground and stretched its way across the grass and up the tree as he popped out of shadow form. He stood high on a tree branch and surveyed the surrounding area carefully until his eyes lit up.
"Did you find something buddy?"
Gengar nodded frantically and glided overhead as Lucy and I followed quickly behind. The further we travelled into the dark woods, the stranger the atmosphere around us felt. There was a thick and stale smell permeating the air that assaulted my nostrils. It smelt like a mix of oil and the odd scent of burning. Exactly what was burning was still a mystery, but there was no doubt about it; something unnatural was going on in this forest.
"That smell is starting to make my nose burn." Lucy said plugging her nose.
"It's getting stronger which means we must be getting closer."
Gengar disappeared into a clearing and when we burst through the opening crafted by the trees we were immediately met with a despicable sight.
There were hordes of Beedrill, Weedle, Kakuna, Nidoran, Venonat, Venomoth and Oddish were all encased by thick glass machines with wires and tubes connected to various points on their body. There were massive glass containers continuously filling with a thick and goopy purple liquid that gushed and slopped in the background as the cast iron pumps and churned. The Pokémon cringed and shuddered in fear. Amongst the unethical and heartbreaking scene, we were confronted with Team Rocket. There must've been at least twenty Team Rocket goons running the operation and something seemed off about the whole situation.
"Looks like Hansel and Gretel have gotten lost in the woods. What you say we help them find their way boys?" the lead Rocket jeered.
Lucy grabbed a pokéball from her bag and prepared for battle.
"How about you take the dozen on the right and I take the dozen on the left?"
"Sounds like a plan."
I grabbed a ball off of my belt and sent out Nidoqueen as Lucy sent out Alakazam.
"Gengar, I want you to go find Blanche. Bring her back here and have her get officer Jenny and her men here."
Gengar grinned and took off back down the path.
"Don't let him get away! After him Pinsir!"
One of the rockets threw his pokéball high as a Pinsir fell from the sky to attack Gengar.
"Stop him Nidoqueen!"
Nidoqueen intercepted the ambush and grabbed the Pinsir by the horns, tossing it backward. Several of the other Rockets began tossing Pokémon into the battle. Several Golbats fluttered overhead, Raticate emerged and formed a line between us and the Rocket members, several Muk slid forth and five or six Wheezing floated in the air, puffing their noxious fumes.
There were so many Pokémon that opposed us that I was beginning to worry about our chances of taking them all out. I was fearful until I saw her smile.
Lucy beamed a reassuring smile at me and in that instant, I didn't feel like we were at a disadvantage. I didn't feel like I was alone.
"Let's go Alakazam! Show them your psychic attack!
Alakazam lifted his spoons and exerted a massive telekinetic power on several of the Pokémon, lifting them into the air and robbing them of control of their own bodies. He slammed them into other Pokémon as the Golbats began using poison sting.
"Nidoqueen stop it with Blizzard!"
Nidoqueen launched an intense icy attack that blew away the poisonous attack. The blizzard overtook the poison sting as the Golbats scattered to avoided being frozen solid. Several of the Raticate burrowed beneath the ground.
"Cover Nidoqueen, use Psybeam!"
The Raticate popped up behind Nidoqueen as Nidoqueen ducked and the Psybeam struck around the Raticate with an explosion, sending them flying. Toxic sludge began flying toward us as we ducked and dodged the poisonous assault.
"Nidoqueen use Super Power on the ground!"
Nidoqueen struck the earth with her fist as a large chuck of ground jutted up and provided shelter from the attacks. Lucy and I ducked behind the pillar with our Pokémon as we tried to regroup.
"Didn't think they'd be so annoying to deal with." I fumed.
"They're numbers are certainly proving to be an issue. If we keep trying to whittle them away, then there's no way we're going to make any progress anytime soon." Lucy reasoned
"I think we need to wrap this up quickly. I could get my Pidgeot and hit em with a Hurricane?" I suggested
"No. We need to take out that machinery too. Wind won't be strong enough to shut them down, but I think I know what might." Lucy retorted.
Lucy called back her Alakazam and retrieved another ball from her bag. She called out her Blastoise and instructed us to stand back.
"Aim for the center and give it your all. Hydro Cannon."
Blastoise's cannons jutted out of his shell and with one powerful movement unleashed a violent blast of water that shattered the earth wall and rushed toward the enemy Pokémon, erupting with a massive torrent of liquid that washed away the enemy. The large pumping machine shattered but we were sadly not out of the woods yet.
"But how…" Lucy questioned in disbelief.
"The glass prisons aren't even damaged…"
"No, but you will be."
It all happened in a flash. Lucy and I were blown off our feet as Blastoise and Nidoqueen were struck with a savage impact from a Pokémon I'd never seen before. We were knocked across the forest floor in a flurry and instinctively, I wrapped Lucy in my arms and held her close as our bodies tumbled across the ground. Nidoqueen and Blastoise were unresponsive when I called for them. Lucy was incredibly shaken. I barely got her to open her eyes when I shook her, I held her in my arms as she began to come around.
"This little fiasco has proceeded far enough. This is an invaluable field test and your meddling has gone uncheck far too long."
A short man with thick rimmed glasses and a lab coat emerged stepping over his fallen Rocket men. His course black hair was messy and riddled with greasy. He walked with a strange gait that betrayed his old age. He must've been in his sixties. His brown loafers squeaked as he walked and his pace increased as he set his gaze on us.
"You're Pokémon are quite remarkable. They're still breathing even after my Aerodactyl's Giga Impact. I'll have to take them for further examination."
"No!"
Lucy's voice came out stronger than I had imagined it would be. She didn't seem like the beaten and battered woman who I barely awakened. She was filled with fire. She broke from my hold and staggered on to shaky feet as she called Blastoise back to its ball and swapped it with another.
"What's your name?" she antagonized.
"I am the team Rocket Analyst and leader or scientific operations, Analyst Hyde."
"Good. I'll remember to put that on your grave you bastard."