Chapter 5: Super Aerial Battle!
Blanche Vs. Hyde
~When you lend yourself to the sky, the sky shall return freedom. It is only when you fully give way to the shifting forces of the wind that you can cast free the shackles of the earth. Then, and only then, can your heart become free.
Lucy and I called our Pokémon back to their balls, and I watched as Lucy glared Hyde down. I could feel her will to fight in the air as I found strength in it and brought myself to my feet. Thick blood ran down the side of my face as my legs wobbled beneath me, and my vision blurred. Aerodactyl landed beside Hyde and bellowed into the air with a prehistoric roar.
"My, my child, aren't you a rather impetuous one. To think, you actually believe that you can best me in a contest. It's ludicrous."
"It's not a belief, it's a calculated fact," she shot back.
"Then by all means, show us how you will test that hypothesis."
Lucy turned back toward me and looked me in the eyes. I felt something strange in that moment. It was almost as if our minds had connected and we each shared the same thought. I grabbed Pidgeot's ball and called him into the battle. Lucy took a ball from her bag and called out Pikachu.
"You ready to bury this guy, Ryan?"
"Let's do it!" I grinned.
Lucy and I climbed on Pidgeot's back, and her Pikachu hopped on her shoulder. I glanced at Pidgeot with concern.
"You good to fly with us, buddy?"
Pidgeot chirped in agreeance and nodded with a sense of confidence that we really needed. I commanded him to take flight and in a few short moments, we were breeching the trees and taking off into the open sky. Hyde climbed on his Aerodactyl and was hot on our trail as we soared through the sky.
"So what are we gonna do about the prisons down there?" I asked.
"We're not gonna be able to do anything about them if we don't stop Hyde." Lucy said as she grabbed her Pikachu and put it on Pidgeot's neck. "We need to zap that Aerodactyl but we're going to have to get a clear shot first."
"You hear that Pidgeot! We need to get in range to fry that Zapdos!" I instructed.
Pidgeot let out a loud caw before increasing in speed and ascending directly upward as Lucy and I wrapped ourselves around him tightly.
"Aerodactyl, hit those children with your stone edge attack!"
"Don't let that hit you, Pidgeot!" I ordered.
Pidgeot swerved left and right as we dodged the jagged stones and circled around Aerodactyl. Lucy's Pikachu jumped into the air and unleashed a powerful thunderbolt that Hyde and his Aerodactyl evaded swiftly.
"Dammit. We're in a bad spot. I can tell that Aerodactyl is really powerful. We may have to land multiple hits if we want to put it down. Unfortunately for us, that may not be the same situation if reversed." Lucy fretted.
"Well fuck. There's gotta be something we can do to get at him."
"We're just going to have to keep trying to find a weak spot in their defenses and once we do, we have to hammer it with all we've got."
"Fine. If that's what we have to do, then we'll do it. Let's go, Pidgeot!" I called.
Pidgeot continued on Aerodactyl's tail as we gained speed, and another flurry of rocks flew our way. Pidgeot zoomed around the trees and used them to shield against the attacks as we navigated around the thick branches.
"Rise, Pidgeot!" I commanded.
Pidgeot began to climb as we turned to face Aerodactyl.
"Use Hurricane on the trees!" I ordered.
Pidgeot beat his giant wings as the wind picked up severely and began to tear away at the trees and send branches and trunks soaring through the air. Hyde and his Aerodactyl were forced to stop abruptly to avoid getting caught up in the vicious tunnel of wind. Lucy ordered Pikachu to unleash a thunder attack. Aerodactyl tried to back away but it was too sudden of a change in direction for him to make. The electricity slammed into his body as Aerodactyl and Hyde screeched in pain.
"Don't relent! You have to keep hitting him with all that you've got, Pikachu!" Lucy pleaded.
"Come on, Aerodactyl. Let's show these kids why we are one of the five leaders of Team Rocket. Hit them with your hyper beam!"
Aerodactyl struggled through the electricity to open its mouth and take aim. I could feel the tension building up in my chest as Aerodactyl and Pikachu fought their battle of wills. Pikachu's stamina began to falter and in that moment, Aerodactyl found an opening to attack.
The beam shot out and hurdled our way as I ordered Pidgeot to retreat, but we didn't have enough time to escape Hyde's assault.
"Intercept!"
A massive blast of Ice collided with the hyper beam as the two attacks erupted violently, sending us flying backwards as Pidgeot began to spiral out of control.
"Come on, Pidgeot! Pull it together!" I yelled against the force of the wind.
Pidgeot barely managed to regain its balance. When we finally settled in the air, Lucy and I gazed upwards and saw Blanche sitting atop Articuno.
"I came as soon as I could. Thankfully Gengar is a remarkably fast Pokémon, or else I might not have made it in time." Blanche began as she set her sights on Analyst Hyde. "Now who do I have the pleasure of destroying today?"
"I am Rocket Analyst Hyde," he said gazing at Articuno's glorious icy form. "That's quite the regal Pokémon you have there. I'm sure our boss would like to have that for herself."
Something shifted in Blanches eyes as she glared at Hyde.
"I won't let her get her hands on Articuno! If you want it so bad, come take it," she challenged.
"Gladly!"
Hyde and Aerodactyl took to the sky as Blanche and Articuno led them higher into the sky. Lucy and I only took a brief moment to gather ourselves before giving chase. Neither of us needed to say it for we both knew what was at stake here. Articuno and Aerodactyl were both incredibly powerful Pokémon who, type-wise, each held the advantage on the other.
Whoever took the first hit would surely lose.
"We've got to catch up to them, Pidgeot!" I shouted.
Pidgeot picked up the pace as he began to soar through the clouds like a bullet from the barrel of a gun.
"Destroy that woman with your stone edge attack!"
Hyde's commanded echoed through the trees as his Aerodactyl launched a vicious cascade of large rocks that flew towards Articuno. Blanche grinned as she and Articuno ascended upward into the sky and a strange chill fell from its wings, freezing the rocks solid. She gazed in our direction, and I knew from the look on her face what she was thinking.
"Pidgeot! Use your hurricane on the rocks!"
Pidgeot beat its wings and sent out a harsh wing that carried the rocks through the air and sent them right back at Hyde who struggled to evade the attack. Blanche commanded her Articuno to use its blizzard to attack the Aerodactyl, and Hyde retaliated with a fire blast. The two forces of energy collided and detonated with enough force to topple a great deal of trees below. It was remarkable to see both Pokémon fight with such strength and raw power. It was especially troublesome and incredible to see Hyde's Aerodactyl standing up to a legendary Pokémon.
"We need a way to make an opening for Blanche!" Lucy yelled over the harsh wind.
"I've got an idea! We just need to make him lose his focus! Go in closer, Pidgeot!"
Pidgeot did as instructed and we moved toward Hyde, passing right by him and doing a U-Turn. I grinned and shouted to our leader.
"You can handle this clown! We're going to go smash their precious prisons!"
Hyde's eyes filled with wild fury.
"I didn't spend years making those cages just to let a punk like you tear them down!"
"Then catch us if you can!" Lucy jeered.
"I won't let you get in my way!" he shouted. "After them, Aerodactyl!"
We soared as fast as we could heading for the clearing as Hyde hunted us down. The sharp and large rocks began hurdling toward us as Lucy guided Pidgeot. She shouted left when the rocks came on the right and she shouted right when they honed in on the left.
"Can you see Blanche?" I called back to Lucy.
"No! No sign of her at all." She said with a worried tone.
"Good."
I leaned closer to Pidgeot's neck and whispered for him to dive for the ground and fly low. He gazed back at me with a moment of concern and doubt on his face. I gave him a reassuring look before telling him how much I believe in him. He nodded and dived for the ground as Hyde followed from the sky. He continued his attacks but we were masked almost flawlessly by the trees.
"You worms want to hide from me? Nobody can hide from Team Rocket!"
Hyde ordered for his Aerodactyl to pursue us and it only took a few moments before he fell right into the trap. Moments after entering the tree clearing, Aerodactyl clipped its wing on several trees before wiping out with Hyde on his back. We landed swiftly and I grabbed Pidgeot's Pokéball.
"Good work, buddy. Take a long rest."
I called him back as Lucy gazed at me and asked what was next. As if answering her question, Aerodactyl let out a might roar, and we decided fairly quickly that it was time to run like hell. Lucy and her Pikachu were close behind me as a massive shadow eclipsed us. Hyde was in a state of rage stricken hysteria as he shouted down at us.
"We will wipe you clean off of this plane of existence!"
Before Hyde could attack us, Blanche cut off his path with a grin.
"Looks like someone could use a time out. Let's freeze this fool in his tracks, Articuno."
I gazed up at Blanche, and she nodded at us in approval.
"She's got this, Ryan, let's take out those prisons!" Lucy urged.
I nodded as we took off. It didn't take much time to reach the Rocket wreckage. When we had reached the water-drenched clearing, most of the rockets had retreated, and as soon as the few remaining Rockets saw us they had whimpered off. Now that we had reached the prisons, our new task was figuring out how to break them. I was at a loss in that department.
"Hey, I've got a plan."
I gazed at Lucy with curiosity.
"What are you thinking?" I inquired.
"We just need one last favor from your Pidgeot and your Vaporeon."
I grabbed their pokéballs and called them out. I apologized to Pidgeot for calling on him again but he didn't seem too agitated about it. Lucy pulled me close and whispered her bright idea and I couldn't help but feel my face turn hot as she whispered in my ear. I smiled nervously and turned toward my Pokémon abruptly.
"Alright, Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Lucy commanded.
Pikachu took off full speed at the prisons as it became cloaked with electricity and that was when it was our turn.
"Pidgeot, use Hurricane! Vaporeon, use Hydro Pump!"
My Pokémon unleashed their strongest moves as the energy of the attacks began to combine. The wind and the water spiraled around Pikachu's body as it spun in the center of the powerful attack and connect with the center of the prison glass. Pikachu smashed straight through the first sheet of glass, freeing several of the trapped Pokémon, but there were still dozens of those cages left.
"Damn. I thought we'd be able to shatter a few on that go," Lucy fumed.
"It doesn't matter. We'll hit em as many times as we have to until those Pokémon are free," I said with tired confidence.
"That's a nice attitude you've got there."
Lucy and I turned abruptly and saw a boy around our age riding in on a skateboard with spikey yellow hair, leather pants, and a black and yellow jacket. The boy had a bright and giant smile on his face as he stopped near us.
"Who the hell are you?" I asked.
"Hiya! The name's Spark. I'm the leader of Team Instinct!" he beamed.
As he said that, a massive bird covered in flames fell from the sky and descended upon the prisons. The giant bird's attack shattered the prisons holding the wild Pokémon, and they sprinted off almost immediately. Lucy and I looked on in shock.
"Pretty cool, right? She always was a showoff." Spark grinned.
A girl with dark skin, a white and red jacket, and brown hair jumped off of the bird and landed before us. Her eyes almost looked like pools of flame and embers. She grinned much like Spark, but her grin was full of something else… a burning determination that almost roasted me.
"Name's Candela," she said eagerly. "I'm Team Valor's leader."
We didn't have much time to respond before Hyde came crashing down atop his Aerodactyl. We scattered before it could crush us all. Blanche descended from the sky with a rather icy look on her face, her attention firmly focused on Hyde.
"Yo Blanche! Finally got your call. Bout time you called me back, girl." Candela smirked.
Blanche remained silent.
"You're not even gonna say hi? Man, that's cold!" she shot back.
Hyde and his Aerodactyl rose from the fallen trees and turned their sights on her.
"I won't lose! Rockets never lose!" he seethed with anger. "Finish this wench off with Giga Impact!"
"Articuno. Sky Attack."
Articuno began glowing with a bright red energy as it prepared to strike. Aerodactyl built up speed and charged forth as the two flying type Pokémon headed straight at each other for one final confrontation. The two Pokémon struck with enough force to send a shockwave across the whole forest that flattened the trees and blew us backwards. I flew into Spark who toppled over, and Lucy flew into Candela who caught her and held her ground. The collision created a massive cloud of smoke that permeated the air around us and blocked the combatants from our view.
"Oh no! Is Blanche okay? Is it over?" Lucy asked amongst the chaos.
"How the hell should I know? I can't see a thing," Spark called out.
"Relax, she's fine! She's a team leader," Candela retorted.
When the debris and smoke began to settle, Blanche stood standing tall on top of her Articuno with ice and snow falling from its wings and landing on the ground. Hyde and his Aerodactyl lay on the ground amongst broken bits of trees, leaves, and a thick layer of frost, unconscious. I felt a rush of relief and a wave of fatigue wash over myself as I let out a deep breath. It was finally over, and we freed the Pokémon. Lucy grinned at me as we high-fived each other with giant grins on our faces. Candela wrapped Spark in a friendly and rather violent looking headlock and celebrated. I looked back toward Blanche to see her gazing at her unconscious opponent.
"Looks like you just did," she grinned.