Chapter 8: Mauville Maniacs

"So, nerd, how's the league challenge coming along?" May asked.

"Well, I've got 2 badges now," Jake replied, annoyed, "And if you would kindly get OUT OF MY WAY, I can get my third."

"Okay, but you have to fight me first," May flaunted.

"You know what?" Jake said. "No. I just had to go through an ENTIRE CHAPTER OF FILLER, do a contest AGAINST MY OWN WILL, and I will NOT take any more delays for getting to Mauville. So GET. OUT. OF. MY. WAY."

"Wait," May tried to stop him, "Y-you can't leave! This battle's mandatory! You can't pass until you've beaten me!" However, Jake simply walked past, with Eren giving her the middle finger as he walked by.

"Let's just catch something and leave," Jake said.

"How about me?" A Minun asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Why not?" Jake agreed.

Wily the Minun joined the party!

They walked through Route 110, completely ignoring trainers who asked for battles until finally…

"Mauville! Thank Arceus," Jake said as he walked through the door into the giant mall-like city.

"Hey, isn't that…" Cami pointed out.

"It kind of looks like…" Eren said, squinting.

"Oh no," Jake realized, his eyes growing wide. "Guys, run." The team turned to run away, but screamed when Wally appeared right there.

"Hello… Jake…" Wally said, his expression not moving away from psychotic.

"Oh, ah, hey, Wally," Jake said, trying to get away. "So, um, what brings you here?"

"I was… looking for you…" Wally said, not even blinking.

"Well, you, ah, found me, so-"

"We're not done…"

"Okay, what do you want with me?" Jake asked.

"I want…" Wally said, his eye twitching, "Your Pokémon."

"Sorry, but they're mine," Jake said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll just-"

"You don't understand… your Pokémon… they're very powerful… just imagine… what I could do…"

"That's it," Jake said, fed up, "Wally, you're creepy, and I don't like you. Now GO. AWAY."

"Well… if that's the case…" Wally murmured, turning his head. "Ralts… show him your power…" The Ralts Wally caught appeared, concentrating. Suddenly, Jake felt an immense pain in his head, and his movements left his control. Wally walked into an abandoned building, Jake and his team unwillingly following him.

"Listen… b-brat," Harrison started, "Either you… l-let me go or I'll-" He was silenced by Wally clamping his beak shut.

"Now…" Wally began, "Take over their minds… and kill the trainer." The Ralts began glowing purple, causing Jake's migraine to grow and grow…

Until Jake found the strength to kick Ralts in the head, knocking it out. Jake's team fell to the floor, each barely conscious. "No…" Wally cried. "NO!" He drew a knife from his pocket and lunged at Jake, but a streak of electricity hit Wally's hand, shocking him and sending the knife to the floor.

"Don't touch him," Wily ordered, standing up.

"Oh… it's a wannabe Pikachu…" Wally said, glaring at Wily.

"Wannabe… Pikachu!?" Wily yelled. "THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD!" Wily sent a large spark of electricity at Wally, but before it made contact, Wally and Ralts were gone.

"Th…thanks, Wily…" Jake said, barely able to stand.

"Don't mention it," Wily replied. "Now, let's just get out of here."

"Yo fellow teenager," a man who was well into his fifties said once they left the building. "My coolio name's Rydel, and I'm a super cool biker dude!"

"Cool, don't care," Jake said, walking by.

"Woahseph, broseph," Rydel said, jumping back in front of him. "You can't just leave like that! I've got a wicked awesome proposal for you!"

"Whatever it is, no," Jake said, trying to leave.

"I'll give you a super-coolio Mach Bike if-"

"MACH BIKE!? Jake cried. "I'll do it!"

"Awesome, bro!" Rydel said. "Now, see that wicked radical dude over there?" He pointed at an old man in a Hawaiian (Or I guess Alolan) shirt.

"Yeah?"

Rydel placed a gun in Jake's hand. "I want you to kill that old geezer!"

"WOAH WHAT THE FU-" Jake screamed, but Rydel got punched in the face by Eren.

"Grab the bike and go!" Eren yelled. He jumped on the bike with Jake, racing off.

"Where are we going?" Wily asked.

"Far from that nutjob," Jake replied, racing out onto Route 117. Suddenly, the bike flipped forward, causing the whole team to fly off.

"What the hell did we just hit?" Harrison asked.

"Ow," a Marrill groaned, tire marks lining her face.

"Ooh," Harvey said, leaning into Jake's ear. "You're in trouble!"

"Shut up before I put you back into the PC," Jake threatened.

"Well, rules are rules," Eren said, throwing a Pokéball at the Marrill.

Alice the Marrill was sent to the PC!

"Is that legal?" Cami asked.

"I don't know," Jake answered. "Let's go get ourselves a Marrill."

They trekked back to the Pokémon Center in Mauville, watching out for Wally or Rydel.

"Welp, I'll miss you guys," Harvey said. "Actually, that was a lie."

"What do you mean?" Jake asked. "I'm boxing Eren."

"WHAT!?" Eren and Harvey both cried.

"Yeah, Eren's just deadweight now," Jake said. He immediately jammed Harvey into his Pokéball, boxing him. "Actually, that was a lie."

He punched some commands in, and Alice rolled out of the PC, visibly annoyed.

"Alright, so you caught me," Alice said sarcastically. "GREEEAAAT."

"Well, I'm in dire need of a water type," Jake explained. "So it'd be great if you could help out."

"I will," Alice replied. "But only for that bird over there."

Harrison started blushing. "Wh-what!?"

"Well, let's get a move on, cutie," Alice said, brushing against Harrison.

While they walked to the next route to train, Harrison talked to Eren and Wily. "So, do either of you know what was up with that Marrill?" He asked.

"Dude, she was obviously hitting on you," Eren explained. "You're the token tough guy who is out of touch with his emotions. You'd obviously be the one to get a love interest."

"L-love!?" Harrison sputtered.

"Well, how do you feel about her?" Wily asked.

"Um, well, it's not like, you know, I have a crush or anything, I just met her."

"Ooh, TOTAL Tsundere move," Cami said, eavesdropping.

"I'm not a damn Tsundere," Harrison shot back.

"Sure you're not," Cami said coyly.

Soon, they came across a house with a sign out front.

"Winstrate House," Jake read, "Battlers welcome. I'm a battler!" He walked up and knocked on the door. After some audible shuffling around, a young girl answered the door.

"Ma, pa, we got ourselves another sucker!" she called into the house.

"Granny!" a woman yelled. "It's lunch time!"

"Oh," Jake realized. "You're cannibals."

"Let's eat, fellers!" Granny cried.

"Harrison, get them!" Jake yelled. Harrison flew inside, beating up the Cannibal Winstrates and their Pokémon. He flew out happily, until he fell on his face.

"I'm not… feeling too good…" He stammered.

"Oh crap, is he okay?" Alice asked, visibly concerned.

"Hold on, he'll be fine," Jake told her. Harrison's body began to glow, growing into a larger form, then…

Congratulations! Harrison evolved into Swellow!

"Woah," the entire team remarked.

"Check me out," Harrison gloated.

"Yeah, that wingspan," Alice added. "Makes you look like a total hunk."

Harrison started blushing and hiding behind his wings. "Y-yeah, sure…"

"Well, guys," Jake said. "Only one thing left to do: get the Mauville gym badge."

Apologies for the hiatus, but I've had no time to write these past few weeks. However, now that summer has rolled around, I have a lot more free time on my hands, so lookout for more Grounded within the early days of June.