What's up you guys, I'm back with the electrifying new chapter of BPL, Chapter 7! We find that Ariana and Proton are now battling Rahl and Clemont. What shall happen now? And what is Team Rocket's true objective? Is it just to cause a bit of mayhem, or is it something bigger?
Also, there shall be Laserbladeshipping in this.
Scizor streaked forward, its pincer glowing a metallic silver. Luxray roared loudly, electricity coursing through the ground and coloring it a dull gold. Electric Terrain had been set.
Vileplume yowled loudly as it was struck by Bullet Punch, the strong attack pushing it back a few meters.
"No..." growled Ariana. "How can that Bullet Punch be so powerful?" she demanded.
"That's Scizor's ability, Technician," said Rahl apathetically. "What, do the all-powerful Executives of Team Rocket not know this?" he taunted.
Proton went red with rage. "Weezing, use Venoshock!" he ordered.
"And Vileplume, use Razor Leaf on Luxray!" screamed Ariana.
Vileplume shot a bunch of glowing leaves at Luxray, while a dense purple ball of goo was thrown at Scizor, courtesy Weezing.
"Luxray, use Swift to knock away those leaves!" commanded Clemont.
"And Scizor, use Silver Wind!" said Rahl.
As glittering stars checked Razor Leaf in midair, Scizor's Silver Wind blew every single attack towards Vileplume and Weezing, and it hit hard. The two Pokemon fell back and groaned in pain.
"Get up!" snapped Ariana angrily. "Use Poison Powder!"
"Silver Wind," said Rahl simply.
The Flower Pokemon tried its best, but the purple powder it produced was harshly blown back by the more powerful move. The super effective Silver Wind hurtled into Vileplume once more, and it fell to the ground squealing in pain. "Vile plume, plume vile vile!"
"Weezing, use Poison Gas!" howled Proton furiously. "Don't show any mercy to those brats!"
"Weez!" The Poison Gas Pokemon breathed out a thick cloud of yellow gas, which floated all around them. Luxray and Scizor winced, obviously affected. Serena and Bonnie both started to cough.
"Push through, Luxray!" ordered Clemont, sweeping his arm out. "Wild Charge!"
Luxray shook its head, and generated a powerful cloak of crackling thunder around itself, charged up by the preset Electric Terrain. It charged and smashed into Weezing hard. Weezing flew backwards and smashed into the wall where Archer and Petrel were standing. The shocked Rocket Executives struggled to keep their footing as Weezing slumped to the ground, unable to continue.
"Weezing!" roared Proton, storming over to his wounded Pokemon. "What are you doing?" he asked angrily. "Get up, get up!"
But the unconscious Pokemon did not respond, so with an angry curse Proton returned it to its Pokeball, and ran away to God knows where. The other two Executives watched him go without regret.
"Proton may be beaten," said Ariana contemptuously, "but you will find that I am enough to take down the both of you! Vileplume, use Hyper Beam!"
Clemont, Bonnie and Serena all gasped, though Rahl didn't, and just watched grimly as the Flower Pokemon unleashed a large orange blast at them.
"Luxray, use Thunder Fang! Bite Hyper Beam, please!" Rahl raised an eyebrow at the reckless strategy but made no comment.
"Scizor, use Superpower!" snapped out Rahl. The Pincer Pokemon charged hard and fast towards Vileplume and started to beat it around while glowing with a blue aura. Vileplume screamed in pain, as it was brutally battered by the powerful attack.
"Vileplume-" began an enraged Ariana, but Rahl intervened.
"Forfeit," said the white haired trainer.
"What did you say, you scum?" said Ariana dangerously.
"Forfeit, and escape with your Pokemon," repeated Rahl, his eyes glittering. "None here want you to remain in Anistar. Get out, and treat your Pokemon. Or..." he left the rest unsaid.
Ariana growled. "Vileplume, return," she said, putting Vileplume back in its Pokeball. "We'll be back," she warned ominously. "Those three were useless idiots. We'll beat you ourselves."
"What are you doing, Ariana?" asked Archer coldly.
"Retreating," was the curt reply. "Come on."
"Tch," said Petrel bemusedly. The three agents left silently.
Rahl sighed. "Scizor, you were great. Return."
Clemont did the same to Luxray, and turned around only to be hugged around the neck by his sister. "That was fantastic!~" she said happily, letting go. "You've gotten so strong, brother!"
"Th-Thanks, I guess," muttered Clemont, a little embarrassed. Rahl clapped him on the shoulder, his grey eyes flashing. "Good teamwork, Clemont."
"Yeah, you too!" said Clemont happily. He looked around a bit. "Wait, where's Serena?"
"She went back during the battle to check on Ash," informed Bonnie mischievously. Rahl nodded. "Makes sense," he agreed.
"So you've guessed as well?" smiled Clemont.
"My dear Clemont," said Rahl, "they make it look so obvious, even a Slowpoke would be able to see it." He shook his head.
Clemont and Bonnie both snorted.
"Anyway," said the white haired trainer, "I'd better go as well." He winced. "I'm not feeling too well, obviously because of that battle." Both the Lumiose sibling knew that Rahl was referring not to his battle with the Executives, but the one with Ash.
"Will you be fine?" asked Bonnie worriedly.
"Ask that to Dedenne and Squishy instead," was the answer. "I'm pretty sure they've been affected-"
"-by that Poison Gas," finished Clemont. "Come, Bonnie, let's go to Nurse Joy, while Rahl visits the ward to have his... sickness treated."
"OK," agreed Bonnie. They entered the Pokemon Center and deposited Scizor and Luxray off to Nurse Joy, along with Dedenne. Squishy, surprisingly, was perfectly fine.
Rahl went to the ward, and Clemont turned a corner, about to head towards Luxray's room, and he found himself face-to-face with Korrina.
"What the-"
I brushed off a stray lock of slate black hair from Ash's forehead, and smiled. He had fallen back asleep, as had Pikachu. The electric mouse was snoring on a table a little far away from Ash's bed.
I loved him. I was sure of that. But as I watched over him, my fears took point, and my smile disappeared. What if he didn't love me? What if he was going to leave me, and go to another region? What if he loved somebody else?
Fear rose in my lungs. It felt like water was filling my lungs, slowly drowning my hopes.
I wiped a tear from my eye, then leaned towards the prone body of my crush.
"I love you," I whispered into his ear, and nearly broke down as I said it.
Out of the corner of my watery eye I noticed a figure watching me. I quickly wiped my tears away and looked at the whoever-it-was, struggling not to cry.
"He doesn't love anyone else," the person said, and I recognized the voice as Rahl's.
"Rahl, I-" My shaky tone was cut off by his own.
"He loves you, and only you," said the other, watching me gravely. "And I'm sure you love him back."
"H-How do y-y-you know?" I sniffled.
"Ah, that is quite easy," said Rahl, wryly. "You see," he continued, "I'm not an idiot!"
I couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at that, although I was still scared. 'Ash can do much better than you,' sneered the voice at the back of my mind. 'Why shall he love you?'
The said trainer mumbled something in his sleep and turned around so that his body was facing my direction, which startled me. I steadied him while Rahl went to grasp a thermometer and stick it in Ash's mouth.
"What does it say?" I asked, worried.
Rahl checked the display, and with a sigh of relief passed it on to me.
36 degrees. The fever had alleviated.
I let out a small cry of joy, and hugged Rahl in a friendly manner. He tensed in surprise, but after some hesitation hugged me back a little awkwardly. When I pulled away, I immediately went over to Ash's bedside once more, and he slowly woke up once more.
"So, our hero awakes," said Rahl satirically. "How do you feel?"
"Better," croaked the other. The sickness had left his eyes, and he indeed did look more healthy. "Serena...?" he asked.
"Y-Yes?" I answered, trying not to blush.
"I thought... I thought I heard you say some-some-something?" he asked, trying and failing to stifle a yawn.
I colored, while Rahl watched, his eyes glittering in amusement.
"What exactly do you think I said?" I asked, struggling to keep a straight face.
"Something...don't remember," murmured Ash.
"Tch." That came from Rahl. "Come," he added, walking over to the door. "Get dressed, Ash, and meet up with me, Clemont and Bonnie in the ward. Serena, you can explain what happened with the Executives."
"Executives?" asked Ash, now back to full alertness.
"I'll explain," said Serena hastily.
..."And Proton turned tail and ran?" chortled Ash. "My God..."
"Yes," agreed Serena, laughing as well. "Although it didn't seem funny at that time..."
"Yeah, it wouldn't have," agreed Ash, turning a corner. As he approached the corridor, he beheld Bonnie, Rahl, Korrina (much to his surprise), and Clemont. The latter two were chatting happily.
"Korrina?" asked Ash, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello to you too, Ash," said the Shalour Gym Leader. "Hi Serena!"
"Hi!" said Serena cheerfully.
"Korrina," Clemont explained, "was searching for her grandfather, since he was missing for a few days. However, Lucario got hurt from a fall-"
"A fall?" asked Ash slyly.
Korrina reddened. "It was a bad one!"
"Hush, hush," said Clemont soothingly. "So," he continued, "she found Gurkinn in Anistar, and saw him away to Shalour City. Then, she deposited Lucario to the Pokemon Center."
"And I met him straight afterwards!" finished Korrina happily. She flushed a bit as she said this, and Clemont did so as well.
'Hmm...' thought Rahl shrewdly. 'It seems love is in the air...and not just because of Ash and Serena, that is.'
"So!" broke in Bonnie. "Please join us, Korrina! I might not have said it before, but I'll say it now- you're a keeper! For my brother, I mean~~" she teasingly trailed off.
The two Gym Leaders turned a violent shade of red.
"My, my..." said the thoroughly amused lemon blonde. "Your faces would make a strawberry jealous. But I'm not concerned about that! What I'm more interested in is why your faces came to be that way!"
"I-I-I-I," stuttered Korrina, lost for words.
"Um- I- uh...er..." stammered Clemont, very much the same.
"Bonnie," reprimanded Serena.
Ash snorted in laughter at seeing Clemont and Korrina's red faces.
Rahl kept quiet. He looked like he was thinking hard about something, something very important. His face was scrunched up, his eyes tightly shut, hands clasped.
"R-Rahl?" asked Clemont.
"Hmm?" asked the other distractedly.
"K-Korrina would l-l-like to know where you c-come from," said the Gym Leader, hopelessly waving his hand to his supposed crush, who first looked uncomprehending, then nodded her head vigorously. "Yes, yes, please tell me!"
'So they want to change the subject,' thought Rahl. 'Tch, can't say I blame them.'
"Very subtle, big brother, very subtle," chortled Bonnie.
"Oh, shut up," sighed Serena, unable to restrain a giggle.
"Enough," said Rahl sternly.
"I hail," continued the white haired trainer carefully, "from a place called Ifrit Town."
Korrina's eyes widened. "You mean that place where one can find a lot of Fire-type Pokemon?"
Rahl sighed in relief. "That's right," he commented, relieved that someone knew about it. "It's where I got Infernape, when it was just a little Chimchar."
"So cool!" chimed in Bonnie. "So Rahl's birthplace is the home of many Fire-type Pokemon?"
"Yes," said Rahl, smiling. "We even had a small Gym," he added. "Yeah, I know," he said when the others gaped at him in disbelief. "Hardly anyone came, though."
"Hey, hey!" said Ash excitedly. "Who was the Gym Leader, what Pokemon did he (or she) use, and what was the badge they gave out?"
Rahl said, "We had a pretty old Gym Leader who was also the mayor. His name was Helios, and he used-"
"Fire-type Pokemon, let me guess," sighed Clemont.
"Spot on," agreed Rahl. "He gave out the Demon Badge, since 'Ifrit' is a mythological fire demon. So there you have it."
"Wait a minute," said Serena. "You said 'had'; does the Gym still exist?"
Rahl shook his head. Everyone gasped.
"What happened to it?" asked Bonnie, shocked.
"Like I said, hardly anyone came, and the people who did come were pretty weak, and were easily beaten by Helios and his Houndoom," explained Rahl. "Soon, Ifrit Town was forgotten, and it fell. Helios died, and the people left, one by one. It's now a ghost town, but many Fire-types still live there."
"That's so sad," whispered Korrina, stricken. Clemont looked at her worriedly, then glanced sympathetically at Rahl. "This must be hard, I'm sorry."
"Don't say sorry," said Rahl heavily. "What's done is done, after all."
"But still!" argued Serena.
"Serena, he's right," said Ash.
"Ash, you can't be serious," Serena said shrilly. "His town was forgotten because the Ifrit Gym was too tough to beat? Isn't that ridiculous?!"
"Yeah, I'm shocked too," said Ash. "But I'm saying it again; Rahl is right. What's done is done, Serena. No one can do anything about it."
"Fine," exhaled the Performer in defeat.
After that, a thick silence hung in the air, and no one spoke for a few minutes. Korrina edged closer to Clemont and rubbed her eyes in in exhaustion. Clemont yawned, and simultaneously, Korrina's head hit the other Gym Leader's shoulder, and his head rested on hers. They both fell asleep almost instantly.
Serena's mouth opened up as well in a big yawn, and Ash quietly took her in his arms and laid her on his right shoulder, falling asleep as well. Bonnie gave a great snore, having fallen asleep already beside Clemont.
Rahl gaped at them in astonishment. 'Have they actually fallen asleep?! Idiots," and no matter how exasperated he was, he couldn't help but feel amused.
"Well," sighed Rahl, getting up and snapping out three Pokeballs, "guess I have a bit of work to do. Infernape, Scizor, Carracosta, come out," he whispered, and the Pokeballs split open to reveal the aforementioned three Pokemon, who silently awaited Rahl's orders.
"Okay guys," whispered Rahl, "here's what I want you to do..."
"...And that's done," said Rahl triumphantly. He, along with the help of his Pokemon, had dragged the sleeping five (seven, counting Dedenne and Squishy, who had been fetched by Carracosta from a very drowsy Nurse Joy, and eight counting Pikachu, who was already in the room) to the ward where Ash had slept. Infernape lifted Ash and Serena in each of its arms, Clemont and Korrina hung from Scizor's pincers, and Rahl himself carried Bonnie. Dedenne and Squishy were cradled safely in Carracosta's flippers.
"Good, now put Ash and Serena on that bed, and Clemont and Korrina on that one..."
Soon, all the people were snoring in their respective beds. Clemont and Korrina were almost hugging each other, and Ash's arm was being crushed by Serena's body. Bonnie slept a little way away from the rest of them, her two friends sleeping beside her.
"Return," whispered Rahl, and the three Pokemon went back into their Pokeballs. Rahl checked the time on his watch.
1:10 am.
He sighed.
Going over to the corner, he found a nice comfortable chair and nestled himself in it. He watched over them for a while, his eyes drooping slightly. Them. His friends. His friends.
Rahl smiled, his thoughts dissolving in a warm current of sleep.
HAHA, did you think I'd forgotten about you guys? Not a chance!
Aaaah, I love this chapter. Laserbladeshipping has come out with a bang and Amourshipping proceeds on!
Read and review please guys! I love it when I see a new favorite or a new follow, or a new review!
-Nirgends101