A few days ago, this story recently hit 50,000 views! I usually don't pay much attention to this (seeing where you guys are from is much more interesting), but wow it's a crazy milestone. This is a pretty old story so I guess I was going to get there eventually, haha. Must be all the updates I've been doing as of late.

Thanks for sticking with me for so long and putting up with my intolerable delays, my dear readers!

Enjoy!

Chapter 78
Breakout

It was less like sleeping and more like several power naps, but Marina had attained some rest and the sun was finally rising. Comfortable in her bed but reluctant to continue the restless sleep cycle, she decided to stay awake. She quietly sat up in her bed, stretched, and looked at the soft sunlight streaming through the blinds. The sunrise was accompanied by distant twittering of bird Pokémon, and all was silent inside the building.

Considering how peaceful everything seemed to be, she hoped that Raikou was still safe and sound downstairs. She also hoped that Kenta was able to get better sleep than she did, and wondered if he was still loyally guarding the Legendary Beast.

King stirred, peering up at her with half-closed eyes. Marina guided him over to her pillow, where he crooned and happily stretched out across it with a triumphant grin. She smiled and scratched behind his ears a little.

Perhaps Kenta was right; maybe Raikou had learned to trust them. At the very least, him. The way Kenta approached it before it passed out was very reminiscent of what Pryce had taught her to be around her Lapras. He was calm, confident, and honest—and it may have resonated with Raikou, letting it know that he would bring no harm upon it. She could only praise Kenta for his bravery and level-headedness in that situation.

Speaking of Raikou…

She reached down for her backpack that rested beside her bed. Pulling out her Pokédex, she scrolled through its virtual pages to the very end.

I wonder where Suicune is. Maybe it can tell that its friend is in danger?

Though it took her a moment to remember how to access the tracking system, she tilted her head in disappointment when she did so. Curiously, the map was empty. Just to make sure, she checked Raikou's location, where it was still present on Route 45.

"That's weird," she whispered. "Oh well."

After a while longer of simply relaxing with her Pokémon, she got herself dressed and ready before heading downstairs. The small dinner she had combined with her restless night left her feeling pretty hungry, so she once again headed for the food court. She checked on Kenta beforehand and was relieved to see that he and Raikou were both resting in the infirmary. Kenta had fallen asleep haphazardly on the sole bench in the hallway, with an arm and leg dangling off the side. Suppressing a laugh, Marina decided to leave him as he was.

Compared to how full it was the day before, the deserted cafeteria felt almost eerie. It was too early for cooked meals to be served, but a juice box, muffin and bagel suited her just fine. She settled down and ate her breakfast at a leisurely pace. It would be a few hours before Jackson and Professor Elm began calling her again, and she wondered what to do until then.

I could do warm-up exercises with my team, she pondered with a grin. Yeah, I think I'll do just that!

Just as she finished up, a rather muted Eusine walked in.

"I'm surprised to see you up so early," he said as he sat down across from her with a stack of napkins and some food of his own.

"Early to sleep, early to rise," she returned blissfully at first. "Though I couldn't really get much sleep."

"That's a shame; it seems there wasn't any trouble throughout the night."

"Yeah. Did you stay up late? You look pretty tired."

"Quite the opposite; I woke up early," he replied and paused to eat. "I figured that the most probable time for them to strike would be in the morning, when everyone is weary from trying to stay up."

"That's true. Kenta's out like a light."

"That he is."

Marina covered her mouth and yawned, folding her arms to rest her head on the table.

I guess I'll have to wait until all of this is done before I talk to Kenta about what happened, she thought. For now, we really should just focus on Raikou. Then I'll try to get this all sorted out.

Although…

"Hey, Eusine," she began, "If you know about Aura, have you heard about Maya?"

"Hm? Maya?"

"Apparently, there was a girl that Aura took care of. Her name was Maya. Do you know anything about her?"

"Unfortunately, that's the first time I've heard of her," Eusine answered her frankly.

"Oh well…" She shrugged. "Never mind then."

"Where did you hear that from?"

"…Um…"

Uh oh, she thought as she hesitated in her response, I think Cilice told Chris to keep everything she said a secret. She didn't tell me though, so would it be okay?

Meanwhile, Eusine interpreted her silence in a different way. "Can't remember? No matter. I'll ask Morty about it. What was the name again?"

"Maya. You might want to write that down," Marina returned with a lively smile.

"But of course." The man pulled out a small notepad and recorded the name before stowing it back into his tuxedo. His eyes widened in wakefulness as a thought occurred to him. "Ah! I forgot to ask; since your Pokédex's tracking system really works, may I request that you check for Suicune's location?"

"I checked it thirty minutes ago, actually," she responded.

"Why, how convenient! Where is it now? Tell me!"

"Well the weird thing is, it didn't show up."

"On the map?"

"Yeah. I even looked at Raikou's location to see if it still worked, and it did."

"Curious," he said, though his enthusiasm deflated a bit. "I suppose it must be within a certain range for it to work properly. Or perhaps Suicune traveled to a different region? How unfortunate."

"Another region? But I just battled with Suicune a week ago."

"You've seen how quick Suicune is for yourself. It gallops like the very wind! I wouldn't doubt its abilities."

She grinned, but was interrupted by another yawn. Eusine ended up mimicking her, and she nestled her head into her arms.

"This doesn't make any sense. I've been tossing and turning all night but the moment I decide to get up, I'm sleepy!"

"There's no need for you to overstrain yourself," said the man. "I'll be standing guard and will let you know if something happens. You and your friend—Ken or whoever—"

"It's Kenta."

"That's what I said, isn't—?"

Both of them jolted as a giant crash of glass erupted from further within the building. An ominous silence followed, but Eusine dropped his breakfast and immediately jumped out of his seat.

"I knew it! Come now, with haste!"

"Right!" Marina replied and followed after him as quickly as she could. She lagged behind as he bolted ahead of her with incredible speed. When they approached the infirmary doors, she saw that Nurse Joy and Kudou were present as well.

"It's Raikou," the beset nurse said, her voice quivering.

Another bang followed by an alarmed shout came from inside. Marina pushed past them, going through the door as quickly as it could open.

"Kenta!"

"Wait! Don't come in here!" shouted Kenta. He was sitting on the floor below the viewing window to Raikou's room, covering himself from the shards of glass that surrounded him. "It's dangerous!"

He ducked as a stray bolt of lightning streamed over his head. Raikou's snarl rumbled in the air, and another explosion caused the entire building to tremble. Marina steadied herself with the nearest wall until it passed. Dust clouded the area, filling the medial bay with a tense stillness. Uncertain of the Raikou's location, she released her Misdreavus just in case. They dashed onward, squinting through the tart cloud of crumbled drywall. Kenta was dusting off any shards on him with care, preparing to stand just as Marina reached him.

"Are you okay, Kenta?" she asked, holding out her hand to help pull him to his feet.

"Yeah," he answered distractedly. He cast an assuring grin before turning back toward the wrecked remains of Raikou's room.

Past the broken window, medical equipment was scattered across the room in shambles. The cage that once held the Legendary Beast had likewise been shattered entirely, with the Pokémon missing. The last explosion had torn open a gaping hole through the wall, where sunlight shone through the haze of dust.

Beyond the rubble, Raikou's static figure could be seen facing away from them. Kenta hopped through the window, followed closely by Marina and Muu-chan. Even as they stepped outside, Raikou merely glanced at them before looking ahead again.

"Raikou!" Kenta stopped himself as he noticed the beast's behavior. "What's wrong?"

"Muuma," Muu-chan murmured. Her stare grew dark, and Marina looked up to see what the Pokémon were glaring at.

The dawn sky was mostly a clear periwinkle blue, but a wispy purple-black mass in the distance ruined the perfect scenery. Like an ink blot, the unusual cirrus clouds expanded over the mountainous terrain and remained motionless in the face of the wind. Marina's eyes widened in recognition of the sight.

"Kenta, look!" She pointed out the anomaly in the sky. "Those clouds are the same ones from yesterday!"

"You're right. Then those weren't coming from Raikou?" He furrowed his brow in intense thought and turned to her. "It must be Team Rocket."

"What? How?" She asked.

"The machine they used—The Crystal System—it's creating those thunderclouds to attract Electric-type Pokémon."

Marina turned her head toward Raikou. "Then…!"

They flinched as a lightning bolt struck nearby. Raikou bolted a couple steps forward in automatic response before galloping toward the black clouds.

"No, Raikou, don't go!"

"Wait! It's a trap!"

Raikou disregarded the young Trainers' words of warning as its silhouette disappeared into the distance. They stood watching it, at a loss—there was no way for them to catch up to it in time. Kenta then pulled out a Poké Ball, clasping it firmly in his hand.

"I'll follow it," Kenta said. Marina took an adamant step closer.

"I'm going too!"

"Do you have a flying Pokémon you could use? I don't know if my Pidgeot will be able to carry us both easily."

"Well—not on me," she looked back at the Pokémon Center, "I'll go get my Fearow from the PC, so you go on ahead!"

Their exchange was interrupted by a loud revving of an engine. The sound grew closer, and they turned in the direction of its origin just as a vermillion red car screeched around the corner of the building. It stopped a short distance away from them, and Eusine tucked his head outside the car window.

"Come in!" he bellowed. "Quickly!"

Though bewildered, Kenta, Marina and Muu-chan complied and rushed inside the vehicle as Eusine gave orders to Nurse Joy and Kudou, who stood by the Pokémon Center's new entrance that Raikou had created.

"Kudou! Go contact Professor Elm and Officer Jenny, and keep watch here!"

"Got it!" the archeologist replied. "Seriously, Eusine, don't do anything stupid out there!"

Drowning out his voice, the car roared and sped precariously through the gaps in the woods. The automobile didn't seem built for the rough terrain, but it powered through with impressive speed as the four inside endured the bumpy ride.

"I didn't know you had a car," Marina managed to say while holding tightly onto the seat in front of her.

"I don't," said Eusine, somewhat smug. "I'm borrowing it from Kudou."

The trees thinned into ever-shrinking shrubbery as the forest opened up to a rugged, craggy area. The monstrous form of Steelix sprouted from the earth, shaking the ground violently enough for them to feel in the car. Raikou collapsed onto the ground ahead of them, and the young Trainers cried out its name as Eusine jerked the steering wheel. He maneuvered around it and stopped in between Raikou and the metallic snake. Kenta got out of the car immediately, followed by Eusine and Marina.

Steelix was accompanied by his owner Bashou, who, along with his partner, had arranged a similar setup to what Marina and Kenta had seen the day before. The Crystal System hummed ominously, maintaining a small supercharged field around it. Buson stood atop of his robot, crossing his arms confidently as Bashou remained still and collected.

"So you've returned as well, Hero Boy!" Buson shouted.

"Must be hard for you to get up so early," Bashou commented.

Movement behind Eusine's car alerted them to Raikou, who muttered quiet hisses as it attempted to stand. Kenta aggressively whirled back toward the Team Rocket peons.

"Don't you lay another hand on Raikou!"

"Take a good look at the Pokémon before your eyes," said Bashou.

"You're trying to save a wild Pokémon," added Buson, "You Pokémon Trainers are supposed to catch and discipline wild Pokémon, yeah? Yet here you are letting it run amuck."

"We catch and train Pokémon, but not like this," Marina interjected. She bravely stepped forward, placing a hand on the collar of her jacket. "The reason why Raikou's here isn't because it wants to test you, but because it wants you to stop catching Pokémon with that…system thing!"

"Exactly," Kenta agreed and turned back to Bashou and Buson. "It's your methods that are the problem! If you want to catch Raikou, fight it fair and square."

Bashou seemed almost bored by their exclamations, and he looked down at the two young Trainers with a poised, pragmatic stare. He seemed to choose his words carefully before speaking.

"It's an animal, and Pokémon exist for the sake of humans. We want Raikou's power to achieve our ambitions. You Pokémon Trainers and your desire for strong Pokémon are just the same."

"That isn't true!" Kenta swept his arm aside, as if smacking away Bashou's statement. "I don't want a Pokémon just because it's strong. I want to raise them and become strong with them!"

"But don't you need power?" asked Buson derisively. "To win your battles?"

"Pokémon battles aren't just about winning or losing. We don't battle for the sake of defeating the opponent; we battle for companionship, for the love of the contest, to get stronger, to learn about each other! When we battle, we have respect for one another! So we can be grateful regardless of whether we win or lose!"

The boy pointed at the gray-clad men with a heated glare. "Because there are people like you who wanted to use Pokémon as tools, Raikou broke off his relationship with them, and he's been alone all this time! You aren't Trainers, just criminals! You two don't deserve to even have Pokémon!"

"Even if it were 'lonely', wouldn't it have its little Pokémon friends to play with?" The muscular Rocket member glanced at his colleague, chuckling a bit. "Man, this kid's pushy as hell."

"Black and white morality at its finest," coolly replied Bashou. He focused back on Kenta, Marina, and Eusine, raising the volume of his voice for them to hear again. "Regardless, we will achieve what we desire."

"And if you interfere," Buson crackled his knuckles threateningly, "there will be no mercy!"

Kenta reached into the pocket of his hoodie without breaking eye contact. Marina noticed this and braced herself. Her Misdreavus hummed readily, shaking her tassels in preparation for battle.

With a deafening bark, Raikou jumped over them and dashed toward the poachers. Buson dropped into the seat of his robot at once, and at the press of a button the Crystal System released a wave of electricity in Raikou's direction. The tiger dodged at first, but was struck from the air. The machine offered it no mercy as it overwhelmed the fallen beast with a piercing stab of energy.

"Raikou!" Marina called.

It's not at full strength yet!

"STOP!" Kenta shouted. "Typhlosion—!"

"I shall not let you interfere," Bashou muttered and swiftly directed his Pokémon, "Steelix, Rock Throw!"

The ground shook as Steelix smacked its great tail, and a shower of boulders was sent flying toward Marina, Kenta and Eusine. The three scattered in an effort to get out of the attack's range, but Kenta stuck close to Marina as they sprinted with their eyes on the sky. Tiny pebbles pelted them harmlessly while the more lethal rocks landed around them.

"Making a Pokémon attack Trainers directly—that's just dirty!" he said with gritted teeth.

"Kenta, look out!"

He glanced up to see a group of giant boulders headed toward them. Marina grabbed his sleeve, and he returned the gesture and pulled her along as they ducked behind a fallen rock for cover. She fumbled for the Poké Ball containing Phany, whose tough hide would provide extra defense, when her sight was obstructed by Kenta's jacket. He covered her head and held her protectively, but a bright flash of light replaced the earthy rumble they were expecting to feel.

The barrage soon halted, and Marina slowly looked up at the boy when he remained silent.

"Kenta…?"

He glanced down and quickly let go of her. "S-Sorry."

The two got back on their feet as she curiously followed his gaze. A human figure stood on top of an uneven plateau above them, cloaked in a billowing black cape. Beside him, an evergreen Pokémon with a long neck watched them pensively, the wide petals around its neck glowing with the same brightness that had stopped the boulders. A lightning bolt struck some distance behind him, casting them in a dramatic light.

Seeing the person's attire, Marina's eyes glistened in excitement. "Lance?"

"What?" Kenta gasped.

I don't remember him having a Meganium, she thought briefly. But oh well!

With a wide grin, she cupped her mouth and waved with her free hand. "Hey, Lance—!"

No sooner than she said that, the figure spun around and flicked the cape out of his way. In a dramatic fashion, Jackson laughed victoriously and gestured in the direction of his friends.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He exclaimed. "Never fear, Jackson is here!"

Marina froze in place. "Oh."

"It's…only Jackson," Kenta said with a skeptical look on his face. "What is he even doing?"

I don't think I've ever felt so disappointed to see Jackson in my life, Marina thought as she let her hands fall at her sides. For a moment, I thought this whole battle was in the bag!

"Meganium!" Seemingly oblivious to their muted reactions, Jackson put on a serious look and pointed to Bashou and Buson. "Launch another SolarBeam at the Pokémon that attacked my friends!"

With its attack already charged up, his Grass-type Pokémon fired another wave of bright light toward Steelix. The snake, however, took the attack without blinking. At the command of Bashou, Steelix lurched back, opened its mouth and lunged toward the plateau. Jackson cried out and jumped onto Meganium, who leapt out of the way before the slow behemoth crashed into them. It ran over to Marina and Kenta, turning toward the enemy with a fearless glare even as its shaken Trainer clung to its neck.

Steelix turned toward them and gave a swing of its spiked tail, pushing the young Trainers further back. Eusine began heading toward them to help, but the constant earthquakes caused the cliff walls to collapse, forcing him to retreat while shielding himself.

Meanwhile, the Crystal System continued to chip down Raikou's stamina. The tiger howled, unable to move as paralysis ironically took hold of the Electric-type Pokémon. Buson laughed victoriously with a malicious smirk.

"Good! It shouldn't be able to move anymore."

"We have a lot of distance to cover," Bashou told him at once. "Let us hurry."

"OK! Expanding the Crystal Field! It's going to need extra energy once it reaches Raikou, but I'm sure it won't mind."

The purple veil encompassing the Crystal System sparked and then expanded like a balloon. It grew quickly at first, slowing at a gradual but ever-moving pace. The moment it began to touch the claw on Raikou's hind leg, the beast hissed and cried out painfully. This alerted the three young Trainers, who watched in horror at first. Seeing that Steelix had also been distracted by the activities of its owners, they moved closer so that they were in direct sight of the diamond-shaped machine.

Kenta released his Typhlosion and shouted, "Flamethrower!"

More than eager, his Pokémon immediately ignited the flames around the back of its neck and unleashed a torrent of fire. The attack struck not the Crystal System, but the field surrounding it. Blinking and fluctuating, it halted abruptly.

"What?!" Buson exclaimed. "It's being held back?"

Bashou was beginning to look perturbed. "This is bad. The Crystal System's field was designed only to reflect or absorb electricity. It cannot handle any other forms of energy."

Following Kenta's lead, Marina and Jackson commanded Muu-chan and Meganium to use Psybeam and SolarBeam, respectively. The three attacks bombarded the field at an almost continuous rate. Under this immense pressure, it shrunk dramatically away from Raikou. A strobe-like white light began to surround the spots afflicted by the assault. The control panel on Buson's robot began to sound an alarm, and Buson turned around toward his white-haired accomplice.

"Bashou!" he yelled. "If this keeps up, the field will explode!"

Showing a calm but aggressive air, Bashou's sharp eyes darted toward him. "Then seize Raikou before that happens!"

"Got it!"

"Steelix! Cover us!"

Buson operated his robot with haste as Bashou's Pokémon lifted its tail once more for an attack. Before they could do anything else, however, the field's bottom twisted and caused the rest of it to burst violently. A bang followed by an intense gust of wind assaulted the area around the Crystal System, lifting blinding specks of dirt up off the ground. The gale pushed back all of the Pokémon including Raikou, who limply tumbled toward Marina. Having to close her eyes from the wind, she stumbled back blindly and fell over.

Dust blurred her vision, and she coughed when she breathed some in. She stayed completely still as she tried to make sense of the situation, listening for the sound of her friends in the explosion's aftermath. Though the fall didn't hurt her, she felt a heavy weight on her arm and part of her legs that prevented her from moving. She reached out and touched a long, curly mane, which had almost entirely draped over her. Realizing who it belonged to, she patted the beast's back and attempted to move in vain.

"Raikou," she tried to say, "Raikou, are you okay?"

The curious sound of whirring machinery entered her ears. Just as she looked over her shoulder to somehow see what it was, black metal claws pounced out of the dust clouds. They pressed her firmly against Raikou, fastening with a merciless grip. Her vision bobbed and turned upside-down, and her stomach lurched in confusion. When they were finally released, a new set of engines began to hum, and any shred of light around her was replaced by a cold, engulfing darkness.