R-DAY PLUS 9

"…and Make it Double"

Between a tough day of practice and the reward of a hot bath, Honoka struggled to stay awake. For some reason, tonight's bath felt more rewarding than usual. One by one, the day's worries (and her bruises) dissolved into nothingness under the soothing warmth.

"Ah, what a day," she said. "Nothing like a hot bath to cure what ails you."

Too bad life wasn't about to cut her some slack. With a loud thud by the bathroom window, Honoka snapped out of her drowsy state. She turned to the minor disturbance, almost shrieking at the sight of Kotori's roundness plastered on the glass.

"K-Kotori?" Honoka got out of the water and took her friend in. Soon enough, human and Pokémon were enjoying the bath together.

Kotori almost forgot the reason she came here. After that stark realization, she broke into a frenzied cry while flapping like a fish out of water.

"Kotori, what's wrong?" Honoka asked. "Is the water too hot?"

Not it.

"Maybe the water's too cold?"

Not it.

"Do you hate water?"

What kind of Grass-type Pokémon hates water?

"Umi and Maki were abducted by the not-so-good doctor, who refused to turn you back to normal and instead concocted a more potent serum to turn the girls into Pokémon? And now the doctor is out to capture you either through surrender or a Pokémon battle for his selfish goal of achieving the next stage of human evolution?"

Kotori drifted across the bathwater, stunned at that exposé straight out of a plot device's ass.

"Huh," remarked an indifferent Honoka. "That…didn't feel as satisfying as I hoped."

Nevertheless, Honoka wasted no time cutting her bath short. Grabbing Kotori, she made a mad dash to her room, where one phone call would lead to one more fight.

"Hello? Everyone? We have a situation."

~O~

Within minutes of sounding the horn, the girls (and bird) gathered at the base of the shrine's steps. Honoka's call for help was so sudden that Nico—the last to arrive—hurried in her bunny-themed sleeping apparel, complete with ears. It kept her warmer than toast over the chilly autumn night, though. But it won't stop a few chuckles here and there.

"Okay…I'm here," Nico gasped for breath. "What did I miss?"

"Nico-cchi, you're so cute," teased Nozomi.

"This is serious, you guys," cried Nico. "You don't know how hard it is to run across a crowded Akiba dressed up like this."

"Then why are you dressed up like that?" asked Nozomi.

"Because Honoka told me to run like it's the end of the world."

"Did she, now?"

As if the situation couldn't get more dismal, Honoka added more bad news. "But it's true! Umi and Maki are in danger. We have to save them."

"In…danger?" asked a confused Hanayo.

"How can you be sure, Honoka?" asked an even more confused Eli.

Then, from the shadows, a raspy chuckle made itself known. "It's simple, really."

Heads turned to a dark figure walking toward them, with two smaller ones flanking it. The shadowy veil lifted as the figures stepped into the light, revealing a snickering madman in a lab coat with two of his latest creations. The aghast looks on the girls' faces matched the looks of suffering on the pair of creatures partly sporting Umi and Maki's heads.

"Umi! Maki!" yelled Honoka.

"Loss for words?" the doctor pushed his glasses up. "The more potent version of this Poke-serum is a decisive success."

A closer look shocked Hanayo even more. "A-Are they…N-Nyabby (Litten) and Ashimari (Popplio)?"

"What have you done with Umi and Maki?" Eli cried in indignation.

"The same thing I did to your feathery friend over there," the doctor grinned. "This time, the process only took hours instead of days. A speed increase of over 1,000 percent!"

Reasoning with a madman was pointless. But as Hanayo found out, reasoning with creatures ready to do his evil bidding was just as useful. "Umi! Maki! Get away from him! Hurry!"

Umi and Maki refused to budge, their eyes blank under a trance. "It's useless," the doctor broke into dastardly laughter. "The new serum isolates parts of the brain that control free will. They'll listen to me and me alone."

"How convenient," Nozomi remarked.

"This is no time to be praising the enemy, Nozomi," Honoka then turned her attention to the enemy at the gates. "Anyway, turn our friends back to normal now!"

"And waste the opportunity of a lifetime? I don't think so," the doctor replied.

"And why not?" cried Honoka.

"I've come for that little bird. I shall present them before the scientific community in Sweden before this week ends. Let the world know that the next stage of human evolution is—"

Honoka had heard enough. In a fit of rage, she charged at the doctor head on. "I've just about had it with your evolution mumbo jumbo! Give our friends BACK!"

In a voice calmer than the waters of Uchiura, the doctor insisted obedience from the Fire-type Maki. "Nyabby, roast her with Ember."

A steady stream of flame from Maki's mouth barreled toward a shocked Honoka. A last-minute duck saved her from a surefire flambé, although it failed to save a bit of her hair. With her own mini torch burning like a candle, she freaked out. "Ah! Ah! Fire! Fire! Someone put it out!"

The Water-type Umi was up to the task. All she needed was the good doctor's word. "Ashimari, help her out with Water Gun."

Fresh water shot out of Umi's mouth next. It put out the fire with enough force to knock Honoka out cold. "Ha, ha…thanks…"

"Oh no," cried Rin. "Honoka's down for the count, nya!"

Now, the one-sided negotiation can begin. "I'll only ask you girls once," the doctor folded his arms in a show of confidence. "Surrender the bird to me or we'll take it by force."

The showdown reached a pivotal fork in the road. The exchange of tense faces between two parties served to heat up the chilly air. Silence seemed stuck in a loop, much to the doctor's chagrin. From a safe altitude, Kotori watched the situation take a new turn. Still with the mind of the µ's Kotori, she looked on under pressure to save her friends. Would she fight? Would she run?

The doctor's impatience reached its peak. "I've had enough of your defiance. Nyabby, roast them all with Ember. Ashimari, follow up with Water Gun."

Doom came to the girls, now glued to the pavement in fear, in the form of a fire-water combo attack. To their horror, Hanayo was front and center in the incoming mass. Such a realization was all Kotori needed to fly in and blunt the attack with Razor Leaf. A bright explosion rocked the ground the girls stood on, followed by a plume of smoke.

The smoke cleared up in an instant, revealing a determined Kotori raring for one last fight, let alone against two-to-one odds. An unscathed Hanayo watched her feathery friend glare at her opponents, which glared back in reply. "Kotori…are you sure?"

The little bird nodded. It was the only way. Fortunately, Hanayo wouldn't be fighting alone.

"You can do it, Kayo-chin," said Rin. "It's up to you to save our friends now."

"Knock him senseless, Hanayo," cried Nico.

"We're counting on you, Hanayo," Eli smiled.

Nozomi held a heavenly charioteer. For the first time since the incident began, fortune now favored the girls. "Don't be afraid, Hanayo. The cards say we can win this."

"Ridiculous," the doctor gloated. "You're all at the mercy of two perfect creatures. And one of them has the advantage of shooting fire. Surrender if you know what's good for you."

Hanayo and Kotori, with the support of their friends, were having none of that.

"Kotori, I choose you!"