EPISODE 12 – THE MARKET'S BLOOMING FLOWER!
INTRO: Team Heroes, accompanied by Bee and her Pokémon, had stopped at Greene Restaurant and Lounge in order to try their delicious, organic, famous dishes and desserts but there was a catch to get in. Adam, the owners' grandson, explained that if a customer/guest wants to eat at their particular restaurant, they must challenge the restaurant staff in a Pokémon battle and win. This will allow them to get a table and service, with the condition that the customer/guest must share their meal with the Pokémon they battled with. Team Heroes and Bee challenged the staff and the owners and won; they were able to get a table for all of them and also eat for free. They shared a family style brunch with their Pokémon, Adam and his family, and the restaurant staff before the restaurant actually opened. Finally, they were able to savor the restaurant's most famous dessert: homemade Bluk berry pie with vanilla ice cream…
[Entomo Town/Greene Restaurant & Lounge/Thursday]
"Thanks for the meal! It was outstanding and very yummy!" expressed Team Heroes in unison; their Pokémon also expressed gratitude towards Adam and his family.
"You're all welcomed!" Forrest and Marina smiled.
"I guess you guys are going to Entomo Town now, right?" asked Adam; his Kittime was on his head taking a nap after eating a great meal.
"Leaving so soon? But you guys just got here!" Daisy pouted as she wanted to play with Adam's friends and their Pokémon.
"We have to go and earn our first gym badge as a team! I am personally excited and looking forward to our first gym battle as a Pokémon team!" Francis seemed confident; his eyes sparkled.
"He's also eager to catch up to his rival, Marcus! I'm sure he and his team already got their team gym badge!" revealed Josh deliberately.
"WHAT?! That can't happen! We have to get it first!" Francis recalled his Pokémon, bowed, and waved goodbye, "Thank you for the Pokémon battles, the delicious brunch and dessert, and for your awesome hospitality! We must go now…" Francis was about to leave, but then…
"MR. AND MRS. GREENE! WE HAVE A SITUATION!" whined Rika and Augusto; they were stressed.
"What's the problem, staff?" asked Forrest; Marina got worried.
"WE'RE OUT OF BLUK AND RAZZ BERRIES!"
"WHAT?!" Forrest was shocked and Marina almost fainted, "OH NO!"
"We're out of Bluk and Razz berries?! How?!" Adam and Daisy got extremely worrisome. Team Heroes were perplexed and concerned as well.
"How could this be?! We're about to open shop and we can't NOT have our famous Bluk berry pies and Razz berry cookies! They are a staple in our restaurant!" Forrest walked in circles trying to figure out how to solve their issue while Marina sat at a chair trying to recover from almost fainting.
"We're very sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Greene!" Augusto and Rika bowed apologetically.
"It's…it's fine…we just have to prepared for something like this next time!" declared Forrest; he took out his smartphone, "I have to make a call…Rika, why don't you go check the fridge upstairs and see if we have any boxes of Bluk or Razz berries stashed at all?!"
"SIR, yes sir!" Rika left.
"Augusto, go back inside and make sure everything else is ready! We open in less than five minutes and we need to double check if we're good to open!" directed Forrest.
"SIR, yes sir!" Augusto left.
Forrest called his good old friend, "Hello? Good morning Kruz! How are you doing today? Listen, I need you to do me a huge favor…" Forrest stepped away to continue the call.
"This is so unfortunate! It's the second time this has ever happened to us since we opened the restaurant! We're usually on top of things but we got a bit distracted today…" shared Marina.
Team Heroes were feeling really sorry for the Greene, but they didn't know how to help; they stayed and listened just in case they were actually needed for something. Rika returned with a box full of Razz berries and a box full of Bluk berries, "Luckily, I found these upstairs!"
"What a blessing! These can get us thru the lunch shift…but they're not enough for the dinner shift; we have around 150 reservations for tonight and these berries won't do!" explained Marina while checking the quality of the newfound berries.
Forrest returned and he was composed, "I see you found some berries; that's good!"
"But sweetheart, these aren't enough for today! We need more for the dinner shift!" said Marina.
"I know, pumpkin; I just talked to Kruz and he is able to provide us with three boxes of Razz berries and three boxes of Bluk berries right now!"
"That's wonderful news, honey!" Marina calmed down; Team Heroes, Adam, and Daisy were relieved as well.
"There's a little issue, though…" continued Forrest, "They're unable to deliver them to us since today is Entomo Town's Farmers' Market and they're very busy!"
"OH…bummer…" Everyone was speechless.
"They will have the boxes ready for us; we just need to go pick them up…well just you, Ozzy…" Forrest approached Adam, "I need your help, Ozzy! I need you to go to Entomo Town and pick up our order! Marina and I have to open the restaurant now; Rika and Augusto have to work, and Daisy has her piano lessons at noon…you're our only hope, grandson…"
Adam was silent and nervous for a minute, but he understood the situation, "I will do it…but Opa…how can I bring back six boxes all by myself? I can barely lift two!"
"HERE! Take Morphyx!" Forrest handed a pokeball to Adam.
"What? You're lending me your Morphyx?!" Adam was puzzled; Team Heroes were surprised too.
"Yeah! I will just have to reject any challengers that'd like to battle us for a free meal until you guys come back! That's all!" Forrest was confident in Adam, Kittime, and his Morphyx, "I know you guys can do this and get back here in time!"
Adam accepted and was determined to come back before the dinner shift; he approached Team Heroes, "Guess we're all going to Entomo Town! Do you mind if we tag along with you guys until we reach the Farmers' Market?"
"No, we don't mind! Let's go together and go pick up your order, Adam!" said Team Heroes and Bee.
"Good luck, Team Heroes! I really hope you get your first team badge today!" said Forrest.
"I wish you good luck too! I'm also thankful to you all for looking out for my Ozzy" expressed Marina.
"Adam is part of our team now! We will look after each other and make sure he comes back in one piece with the boxes of berries you guys need!" asserted Francis confidently.
Forrest, Marina, Daisy, Rika, and Augusto waved goodbye; they needed to go back inside and open shop. Team Heroes, Bee, and Adam waved goodbye and left the restaurant. According to Josh, it would take them ten minutes on foot to get to Entomo Town and ten minutes to reach Entomo Plaza where the Farmers' Market was taking place.
Meanwhile…
-Laughing devilish- "I can't believe it was so easy to get the leader of their pack under our control!" shared Moonlix; Team EXO was riding an all-terrain 4x4 while a barrel of monkey-like Pokémon were following them behind.
"This new EXO gizmo is glorious! Imagine if we had thousands of these headbands…we could control an army of wild Pokémon as we see fit!" Apollo smirked while driving.
"That'd be slick! We'd save so much time and energy by not battling and catching the Pokémon so they could obey us!" Eirene was chewing gum and popped a bubble.
"Naturally! Unfortunately, the great scientists of Team EXO only created a few of these headbands and our superiors just gave us one for now!" complained Apollo, "But one will do! Having Apezilla under our control and its troop following its orders will make it easy for us to get the job done!"
"NOW! NOW! I see another warehouse with goodies inside, team!" pointed Moonlix. They stopped in front of the warehouse and began surveying the surroundings from alarms or guards.
"Nobody's here, captain!" said Eirene.
"I don't sense any energy nearby, captain!" affirmed Moonlix.
"Guess we don't have to beat anyone or anything then!" Apollo used a bolt cutter and cut the warehouse's locks. He opened the door and studied the inside; Eirene and Moonlix secured the outside area and then walked in.
Apezilla and its troop of Apekey were howling outside the warehouse waiting on Team EXO's orders.
"Calm down, you beasts! I know you're all hungry, but you have to wait until we fill our blimp with all the produce we can get our hands on before you get your share! So shut your yap before anyone can hear you!" yelled Moonlix.
"So far, we've stolen from two warehouses and all they got were a bunch of veggies! We need produce of value!" whined Eirene.
"Well, we have it!" Apollo's eyes lustered, "This warehouse has a bunch of valuable berries! LOOK!" He pointed to all the boxes and the different berries these boxes got inside them.
"JACKPOT!" Moonlix got elated, "I haven't seen so many boxes of berries in one place before! Guess this farm produces berries for the whole region!"
"Probably! Anyways…" Apollo got a little remote out of his pants' left pocket and began pressing buttons, "Time to work, you beasts! Get all of these boxes out of here and put them on the back of the truck! Once full, we'll go back to the blimp and store them away; then, we'll come back here and empty this place! Common, get on it!" ordered Apollo; Apezilla, under his control, ordered his troops to do as they were told and began the process.
"This is a piece of cake!" said Eirene and giggled.
"UH? Wait a minute…" Moonlix used his psychic powers, "Guys, two people in a pick-up truck are coming our way fast!"
"Let's hide and see who we have to deal with! Common, everybody!" ordered Apollo while pressing some buttons and hiding; his team and the Pokémon followed suit.
[Entomo Town/Entomo Plaza/Farmers' Market]
Entomo Town is a lively town located a couple of miles south of Powderstone Town and it's surrounded by the notorious Entomo Forest, which is the home of hundreds of Pokémon but mostly Bug-type Pokémon; due to the fact, Entomo Town has its own Insectarium, which thousands of people visit every year to learn all about the unique and exotic Bug-type Pokémon and also to learn from the master Bug Catchers of Fhranisa: Beckett and Butterfly Beatles. Besides all things bug, Entomo Town holds the main Farmers' Market of all Fhranisa; every Sunday and Thursday, vendors from all over Fhranisa come to Entomo Plaza, set up their stands, and sell their precious harvests to eager and hungry customers who enjoy fresh, natural, vibrant, and delicious produce. Entomo Town also has a Pokémon Gym and Fhranisa's famous sporting and outdoor store: Iser Sporting Goods…
"Good morning Mrs. Glasswing! What can I do for you, today? The usual?" smiled a young charismatic and lively girl tending her berries stand; her Pokémon companion smiled at the woman.
"Good morning, Violette! Morning Squarrel!" greeted an old woman and petted Violette's Pokémon, "Yes, I will take the usual - thanks, honey!"
"The usual it is! Coming right up!" Violette began bagging a couple of Oran berries, Occa berries, Coba berries, and Charti berries; she handed a bag when it got full to her Pokémon so it could tie it up and seal it good; they were working together as a team.
"By the way, how are your grandparents, honey?" asked Mrs. Glasswing.
"They're great! They went back to the farm to pick up more berries since they got a big order just a moment ago and we need to restock for the rest of the day!"
"I see!" Mrs. Glasswing surveyed around, "Guess you guys are out of Bluk and Razz berries - BUGGER! I really wanted to prepare Bluk and Razz berry muffins for my precious Silkypede! They love those!"
"My apologies, Mrs. Glasswing! You see, we got a big order earlier and someone is coming to pick the last boxes of Bluk and Razz berries in a few or so…" Violette finished bagging the woman's order, "That's why my grandparents went to the farm! They're going to bring more Bluk and Razz berries boxes as soon as possible!"
"BUGGER! I ran out of those berries last weekend and now my Silkypede are going to get antsy and depressed if I don't bake them their favorite treats anytime soon! How unfortunate of US! What am I going to do now?" Mrs. Glasswing looked desperate.
"Well…" Violette thought for a minute and presumed her grandparents will be back way before the person picking up the boxes shows up, "I guess you can take the last boxes, Mrs. Glasswing…"
The old woman's face lighted up, "What? Seriously? Are you really sure, honey?"
"I think so…I mean, my grandparents left a while ago so they shouldn't take long coming back with more berries! You can have them! It'll be fine!" smiled Violette and Squarrel, "Here are your other berries!" She handed a couple of bags to Mrs. Glasswing, which she placed in her shopping cart; she also picked up the Bluk and Razz berries boxes and put them in her cart.
"You're my savior! My Silkypede and I are eternally grateful to you and your grandparents!" The woman was jubilant.
"Good morning, Violette and Squarrel! Can you guys help us with some Sitrus and Lum berries, please?" asked a man accompanied by his daughter.
"Coming right up, Mr. Tick!"
"Goodbye, Violette and Squarrel! Thanks again for the berries and for all of your hard work, the both of you!" Mrs. Glasswing bid farewell and left the stand.
"Have a nice day! Thanks for shopping!" Violette and Squarrel waved goodbye, but then continued to take care of business.
"WOW! Entomo Town! What a fun place!" Josh admired the town and was fascinated by all the Pokémon trainers strolling around with their bug-type Pokémon, "SO COOL! So many bug-type Pokémon around here!"
"Ick! Ick! Eww!" Belen was creeped out, "They make my skin crawl!" She took shelter behind her brother and tried not to look at the bug Pokémon.
"Now I remember why we don't come here often! Because of my scared and disturbed little sister!"
Belen punched Johnny's left shoulder "Johnny be quiet! I just…I just don't like them…I'm not scared of anything, guys…"
"They're not that bad…" voiced Bee; she too was admiring all the different bug-type Pokémon around, "I come here often and see different Pokémon each time! My relatives live here anyways!"
"By the way, Bee, don't you have a parcel to deliver to your aunt?" recalled Francis; he was looking around town to see if he could spot his rival or the gym.
"OH! Yes, the parcel! Thanks for reminding me, Francis!" Bee began searching her backpack, "Here it is! I wonder what's inside…"
"I'm really glad we came to town together! It feels way better going to places with friends and Pokémon rather than going alone…" expressed Adam; his Kittime was still napping on his head, "If you'd like, you can go deliver that parcel to your relatives now, Bee! You too guys; you can go to the gym now if you'd like…I…I…me and Kittime can go to farmers' market on our own! I…I think we will be okay…" Adam seemed reluctant.
"Uh?" Francis stopped, "Adam, we promised your grandparents that we will take you to the farmers' market to pick up the berries they ordered and then send you off back home…"
"Besides, we need to stock up on supplies and there's not a better place to do so than a farmers' market!" professed Johnny.
"They're both right! We need to keep our word and we also need to buy supplies!" affirmed Belen.
"We're all going there! I would like to go to the farmers' market and check what's popping before I go to my aunt's!" declared Bee; she put the parcel back in her backpack.
"Then what are we waiting for! Let's GO!" Francis began to walk hastily, but…
"Francis!" Adam stopped Francis, "Entomo Plaza is this way, buddy…we're almost there; I promise!"
"I see it! I see it!" pointed Josh, "It's over there and it looks busy!"
…
Team Heroes, Bee, and Adam arrived at Entomo Plaza where the famous Farmers' Market was taking place. It was very busy and crowded. They began to look around and they were mesmerized by all the goodies they could find there. There was a juice stand where Johnny bought two jugs of Mago berry juice because it became his favorite after trying it. There was also a Moomoo Milk stand where everyone tried a fresh glass and were amazed by its smoothness and flavor; Belen bought three jugs. They stopped at one of the veggies stand where they sampled a couple of bite size fresh veggies, which they dipped in homemade ranch dressing, and couldn't get enough. Josh usually dislikes most of the green veggies, but after trying them with the homemade ranch dressing the stand offered, he almost ate all the samples. Francis and Belen bought a couple of veggies for the road, and they also bought a jar of the homemade ranch dressing. There was a fresh baked goods stand which Bee became jealous of because after sampling their pastries, she concluded they were actually pretty good; Johnny bought a bag of bread rolls and Belen bought a loaf of wheat bread. They finally reached the berries stand Adam is supposed to go and it was busy; they were surprised that only a girl and her Pokémon were working by themselves, but that girl happened to be…
"VIOLETTE!"
Violette stopped what she was doing and checked around, "UH? If it isn't…Bee! IT'S BEE!"
Bee squeezed thru the crowd surrounding the berries stand, entered the stand, and approached Violette, "COUSIN! AWW!" They hugged each other.
"EH?! COUSIN?!" Team Heroes and Adam were shocked; they slowly made it to the front.
"Bee! How are you doing? What are you doing here? What brings you into town? Where's uncle Irving and aunt Love? Where are Midge and Pierre? Are you all by yourself? Tell me the latest!" Violette was very excited to see her favorite cousin.
"Violette! I'm doing wonderful! Dad is busy at the Ranger Union; mom is busy at the bakery café; my sis is at Cascade Town, and Pierre is back home, probably in school!"
"That's FAB! Wicked news, cousin!"
"I'm here to deliver a parcel and pick up some berries…with my friends!" Bee pointed at her friends.
Violette was very surprised and proud of her cousin, "So these are your friends, you said? Who are they? Introduce me, silly!" She elbowed her cousin.
"Oops! Of course!" Bee gestured her friends to get closer, "Violette, this is my good friend Francis…"
"Hello!" Francis waved and smiled.
"The little one is his brother, Josh…"
"HI!" Josh waved.
"This is Belen…"
"Hi! Nice to meet you!" Belen smiled.
"The tall one is her brother, Johnny…"
"How you doing?" Johnny waved.
"And this is Adam and his Kittime!"
"Hello from me and Kittime! It's sleeping, but I know it's happy to meet you…I think…"
A curious Pokémon appeared from Violette's back and looked confused yet excited, "Quarrel?"
"Hello everyone!" said Violette, "OH! Where you taking care of a customer, Squarrel?!"
"Look guys! A Squarrel! SO COOL!" said Josh.
"A Squarrel? I might have seen a wild one before…it looks familiar…" said Francis.
"I think we saw a bunch before back in Rio Lake, right guys?" thought Johnny.
"We did! But let's see what the PokeDEX has to say!" Belen took out her smartphone, activated the PokeDEX App, and scanned Squarrel…
[POKEDEX:
115) Squarrel – The Kicking Rodent Pokémon [NORMAL – FIGHTING]
"A wild Squarrel dray works as a community led by the strongest kicking Squarrel of the bunch, or their chief; the chief is usually protected by the second and third strongest of them all, called the chief' subordinates. Squarrel usually live on top of trees and enjoy eating both fruits and tree nuts. Squarrel train daily by jumping from tree to tree, running and chasing each other, and challenging each other to a kick-off, which consists of kicking small-to-medium size pebbles at different targets. They really like kicking stuff, but they love kicking and defeating their number one rivals, the Apekey."
POSSIBLE ATTACKS: Headbutt/High Jump Kick/Aura Sphere/Fury Swipes]
"Anyways Bee, did you say you have to deliver a parcel? To whom?" wondered curious Violette.
"Yeah, my dad gave me this parcel so I could deliver it to…my aunt Ladybird actually!"
"My mom?!"
"I guess so!"
"But my mom is not in town! She's at Savannah Village working and won't be back home till Friday!"
"Really? Oh, no…" Bee got disillusioned; she wanted to hand the parcel to her aunt personally and spend time with her, but she was happy that she got to see her cousin at least, "I guess the only thing I can do is leave the parcel with you, then…"
"I suppose so…but don't worry! I won't open it and I will make sure my mom gets it as soon as she comes back! I promise!"
"I'm delighted to hear you say that…thanks!" Bee smiled.
"So, Bee, what berries are you picking up? Is it from our stand or you already have a preferred vendor here at the Farmers' Market?" asked Violette.
"Actually, I am not the one picking up some berries…" Bee pointed at Adam, "My friend Adam is the one picking up an order!"
"Uh?!" Adam got timid, "Yeah! My grandparents ordered three boxes of Bluk berries and three boxes of Razz berries from you guys earlier…" He looked around and looked up to the stand's sign, "This is the Flores' Berries Stand, right?!"
Violette petrified; she became speechless for a minute. Her Squarrel looked as shocked as her.
"What's the matter, cousin? Why'd you get quiet?" Bee and Adam were confused.
"So…so…YOU, are here to pick up THAT order, eh?!" Violette stuttered and made Adam nervous.
"I…I…I am…yes…" Adam stared to stutter too.
"I am truly sorry, Adam! Very, very sorry…" Violette got fidgety and began arranging her stand.
Adam was confused, "What…why are you sorry for?"
"Well, you see…a very dear client of us ALSO needed those berries so…I let her have yours, Adam…"
"WHAT?!" Everyone was shocked; Adam got dizzy.
"Why…why did you do that, Violette?!" Bee was surprised of her cousin's behavior, "Adam's grandparents own a restaurant and they really, really needed those berries for their guests!"
"I'M SORRY! But honestly, I thought my grandparents would be back from the farm with more berries before you guys show up!" Violette apologized to Adam, but then worried, "You know…it has been quite some time since my grandparents left and I'm getting really worried now…"
Bee became concerned, "How long ago did they leave? Should they be back by now?"
Violette checked her Air-Watch, "It's going to be an hour! That's too long!" She got sad.
Team Heroes and Adam too became concerned, "Have you called them or shoot them a message, Violette?" asked Francis.
"I haven't! I've been so busy here taking care of the stand!"
"Call them now, Violette! We can take care of the stand in the meantime!" instructed Bee; Team Heroes and Adam began to take care of customers while Josh played with Squarrel.
Violette walked behind the stand and began contacting her grandparents, but they didn't pick up; she sent them a text but no reply; the text hasn't even been seen. She became extremely anxious; she returned to her cousin and her friends with tears on her eyes.
"UH?! Violette, what's wrong?! What's happened?!" asked everyone.
"I have this…this strange feeling that something bad has happened to my grandparents…"
"What? Why'd you say that?"
"They didn't pick up and have not reply to any of my messages! The farm ain't that far from here and they should've been back by now! Something's not right and I don't know what to do!" Violette started sobbing on her cousin's shoulder; Bee comforted her.
Team Heroes, Adam, and Bee stared at each other feeling helpless and feeling sad for Violette; Squarrel approached Violette and initiated cuddles, "Quarrel…quarrel…rrel…"
"Where's the farm located, Violette?!" asked Francis determined to go find her grandparents.
"EH?!" Belen, Johnny, Josh, Adam, and Bee were taken by surprised but then felt hopeful.
"Huh? Why'd you ask, Francis…" Violette wiped off her tears and focused.
"I'm going to go get your grandparents! I'm going to check if everything is alright, which I'm sure it is; I bet they just lost track of time and need someone to help them load all the boxes of berries they're bringing back here!" Francis laughed and tried to cheer Violette.
"Seriously? You're going to go get them?!" Violette calmed down.
"Yes! I will go get your grandparents, Violette!"
"Thank you-thank you very much! You're my hero!" Violette hugged Francis and then started to draw a map that indicated how to get to the farm from the plaza.
"That's very nice of you, Francis! You really put the HERO in Team Heroes!" Bee was relieved.
Belen was a bit jealous, but she also didn't want Francis to go all by himself, "I will go with you, Francis! I want to make sure everyone comes back safe and Violette's grandparents return safely!"
Johnny didn't want his sister to put herself in any danger, even though he trusted Francis' ability to protect others, "I will go too! The more the merrier, eh mates?!"
"Amazing! No wonder you guys call yourselves Team Heroes!" Adam was impressed yet anxious to get back home on time, but with the berries he needed; the only thing he could do now was wait.
"Team Heroes…" wondered Violette, but then she focused on explaining the map to Francis. She handed it to him, "AND that's how you get to our farm! Once there, please call me or text me!"
"We will!" said Francis, Belen, and Johnny.
"Are you staying here, Josh?" asked Francis.
"Can I? I wanna help Squarrel take care of customers! I also want to play vendor, please!"
"Is that okay, Violette?"
"It's perfectly fine! Josh can stay here and help us out!" Violette felt a bit better.
"Dope! Josh, please behave yourself and don't cause her any trouble!"
"I have to stay here and take care of my cousin, guys! I need to make sure she doesn't start crying again…" whispered Bee to Team Heroes before they departed.
"It's cool, Bee! Take care of Violette and Josh, please!" begged Francis.
"I will!" Bee returned to her cousin and helped her bag some berries.
"Good luck guys! I'll go with you, but I wanna be able to be here just in case Opa shows up worried!" explained Adam nervously; he sat down at a corner of the stand and watched Team Heroes go, but five minutes after Team Heroes left, a black, bizarre, big, and suspicious blimp was approaching the plaza slowly, "What's that thing? Is it an advertising blimp for the market?" wondered Adam.
[Entomo Forest/Route 3/Berry Fields]
Team Heroes followed the map Violette gave them the best they could, and they ended up at the Berry Fields of Route 3; it was twenty minutes on foot from Entomo Plaza. Once there, they studied the map a bit more in order to find the right farm. They walked and looked around, analyzed the fields, passed a couple of farms that seemed beaten down as if a tornado passed thru them, and they got concerned…
"Umm…this farm also looks like it has been broken into and then raided!" pointed Belen.
"Maybe it's been abandoned…or maybe wild Pokémon attacked the place…" thought Johnny.
"It does look like the work of wild and hungry Pokémon, but this is the second farm we've seen in these conditions! It's starting to look very suspicious to me…" declared Francis, still trying to find Violette's farm, "UH? Over there!" Francis pointed at a farm's big entrance gate.
"FLORES' FARMS!" They approached the entrance.
"The gates are opened and look! There's a truck parked in the driveway!" said Johnny.
"Violette's grandparents are still here!" Belen was relieved, "That's good!"
"Let's hope they're doing okay, though! I wonder what kept them busy this long! Common!" Francis and his team rushed into the farm.
Team Heroes looked around the truck and the back of it was empty, so they began to worry again. They approached the main warehouse slowly, but they noticed there has been some commotion there; there were broken boxes, some squished berries on the ground, some outdoor farm décor messed up, and muddy tire tracks on the other side of the warehouse. They finally entered the warehouse and heard noises coming from behind a big haystack…
"OH-NO! VIOLETTE'S GRANDPARENTS ARE DOWN!" shouted Francis and then approached them, "Hello, guys…are you two alright?" Francis shook them delicately to wake them up; they did.
Johnny and Belen reached for them and helped them get up, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
They looked confused, "We…we are fine…just lightheaded…but, who are you? What are you doing here?" The seniors were struggling keeping their postures so Johnny and Belen held them until they recover, but they were able to speak normally.
"We're here because of your granddaughter, Violette! She is extremely worried about you two!" explained Francis.
"We're her friends and we came here to check on you! What happened to you two?" Belen was concerned for their delicate health yet they were able to stand on their own now.
"Yeah, what happened here? Do you remember anything?" asked Johnny.
The woman and the man stared at each other and then looked around the warehouse; they slowly began to recollect the things that happened to them before and became heartbroken.
"I…I am Kruz and this is my wife, Riley…" introduced the old man.
"If you're Violette's friends, then you're here to help…that's a relief…" Riley collected herself.
"I am Francis and this is my team: Johnny and Belen! We're Team Heroes!"
"Hello again!" Johnny and Belen expressed friendliness.
"Team Heroes?" Kruz and Riley were puzzled, but began to remember everything.
"We saw other nearby farms in really bad shape on our way here! Do you, by any chance, know who or what caused all of this?" asked Francis.
"YES! WE KNOW! It was a group of thieves and their Pokémon!" shouted Kruz and Riley.
"Thieves? And their Pokémon?" Team Heroes were astonished.
"To be honest with you youngsters, it was a man, a woman, a talking Moonlix, and…" described Kruz, but…
"A talking Moonlix, you said!" interrupted Team Heroes, "Team EXO!"
"Team EXO? Is it a team like yours?! Who are they?!" Kruz and Riley demanded an explanation.
"NO! Our team is nothing like theirs!" affirmed Belen.
"We are a Pokémon Team League participating team on our way to the championships! We're the good guys, we swear!" clarified Johnny.
"Team EXO are the bad guys! We've had encounters with them and they're always up to mischief and crime!" asserted Francis.
"Well, they really did us bad, very bad!" whined Riley.
"When we arrived here to pick up some berries, they were already in here stealing all our produce and putting it on their truck!" explained Kruz.
"We wanted to stop them but they had a troop of Apekey, led by a terrorizing Apezilla, attacked us!" told Riley; she got frightened with the memory.
"UNCOOL! That's so low!" Francis was getting mad.
"Yeah! They're horrible people!" Johnny and Belen were irritated.
"They took ALL of our berries and told us they won't stop until they can get all the produce available in the area, before they left!" recalled Kruz.
"Honey!" Riley shook her head and grabbed Kruz' left arm.
"What is it, sweetheart?!"
"Didn't they say that their last stop was Entomo Plaza?!" said Riley terrified.
"Entomo Plaza?!" Team Heroes got perturbed.
"Yes! I remember them saying that! They were going to raid the Farmers' Market last!"
"OH NO!" Team Heroes got tense, "Josh and the others are in danger!"
"We need to go back and stop Team EXO!" shouted Francis as he left the barn; Johnny and Belen followed behind, "We can't let them get away with this!"
"WAIT! Let's take the truck! We can get there faster!" suggested Kruz and rushed outside; his wife followed him. All of them got inside the truck and then Kruz floored it so they get there in time.
[Entomo Town/Entomo Plaza/Farmers' Market/Thursday Afternoon]
Team EXO descended from their Blimp and crashed the market; using a megaphone, they ordered all the vendors to give them their harvests or products and place them all on their cargo net so they can winch it up to their Blimp. They ordered the public to leave the market because things would get ugly for them if they stayed and got in their way. Most of the people panicked and left the plaza; the remaining ones were Pokémon trainers who didn't take the threats lightly and stayed in order to protect the vendors, their stands, and their goods. Violette, Adam, Bee, and Josh approached the scene…
"Who are YOU and why are you causing trouble?! What do you want?!" Violette was livid and her Squarrel was furious as her; Adam was grabbing Violette by her left arm preventing her to get closer to Team EXO and in harm's way.
"It's Team EXO! What are they doing here?!" shouted Bee and Josh in disbelief; they were just behind Adam and Violette.
"Team EXO?! What kind of team are they?!" asked Violette exigently.
- Team Exo's Motto Soundtrack Plays:
Eirene grimaced and answered, "The kind of team you prepared to be surprised of!"
Apollo obnoxiously said, "We're kinda the A-team cuz our prowess is high, though!"
"To discover all treasures in Pokémon history!"
"To fight enemies until they're lost in memory!"
"To control the nations with power and cleverness!"
"To shape the world with our style and madness!"
"I'm Eirene!"
"It's Apollo!"
"And Moonlix's my kind!"
"We are Team EXO! Taking control of your lives!" -Makes an X with arms-
"Give up the fight now or lose your minds!" -Makes an O with his left hand-
"We are mighty! That's RIGHT!" -Does a thumbs-up-
"You better watch your mouth, little girl! You're in no position to threaten US!" warned Apollo.
"You and what army are going to stop us, eh?" Eirene looked around and mocked them all.
"I won't let you steal anything from all of US! We worked very hard for our produce and Squarrel and I won't let crooks like you swipe it all away!" proclaimed Violette; her Squarrel agreed.
"YES, VIOLETTE! TELL THEM!" yelled some vendors, "THEY CAN'T STEAL OUR STUFF!"
"I know we can stop you! It's the three of you versus all of us!" declared Violette.
"Nah-uh-uh!" Apollo held a remote, "Unlike all of you, we DO have an army of Pokémon waiting for our commands AND they're ready to do as they're told!" It pressed a button and Apezilla appeared.
"AAAARRRR! ZILLA! ZILLA!" roared Apezilla all frenzied.
"AHH! An Apezilla!" shrieked Josh and Bee; Adam got frightened and so did the other trainers around, but Violette wasn't scared.
"Squarrel and I can take down that Apezilla! We will give it our all to protect what's ours!"
"QUARREL! QUARREL!"
"Put your produce where you mouth is, little girl; APEZILLA, get rid of them!" ordered Eirene and then Apezilla began to throw punches at Squarrel.
"Dodge them, Squarrel! And then use High Jump Kick!" directed Violette.
Squarrel quickly dodged Apezilla's punches and once it had an opening, it landed a High Jump Kick on Apezilla; it was super effective!
"ZILLA! ZILLA! AGH!" groaned Apezilla.
"How dare you!" complained Moonlix, "Since YOU want to make things harder for us, we'll raise chaos for all of you! Apezilla, call your minions and get all their goodies for us! NOW!"
Apezilla howled and then a troop of about twenty Apekey showed up, "P'key! P'key!" They began to fight the trainers and the vendors; they caused mayhem and the whole plaza began to fall apart.
"APEKEY! Where'd they come from?!" Adam, Bee, and Josh were shaken up.
"If we defeat the leader of the pack, we'll scare its minions away, Squarrel! Let's keep it up!"
Violette continued to battle Apezilla, "Squarrel, use another High Jump Kick and stop Apezilla!"
Apezilla avoided the attack and landed a punch on Squarrel's tummy and it send it flying; it was a critical hit! "QUARREL, ARRGH!"
"OH-NO, Squarrel!" Violette ran after her Pokémon; she picked it up, "Are you okay, Squarrel?" Squarrel was a bit injured, but it still wanted to fight; "We need to keep trying, please…we need to save the market!" Squarrel got on its feet; Violette's encouragement helped, "Quarrel! Quarrel!"
"That's the spirit! Squarrel, use Revenge!" Squarrel used Revenge and landed a critical hit! It was super effective!
"ZILLA! ZILLA…" Apezilla got hurt and stopped its movement; it was trying to catch its breath and trying to take off the headband too, "Zilla…zilla…"
"What's that on its head?! That looks unusual and it looks like is hurting Apezilla…" deduced Violette; Squarrel looked puzzled.
"What are you doing, you big beast?! Get rid of those pests so we can get on with our lives!" whined Eirene.
"YEAH! Even your minions have gathered some stuff for us! You need to do better!" Apollo pressed more buttons and it affected Apezilla greatly.
"ZILLA! APEZILLAA!" roared Apezilla.
"We can't just stand here and do nothing! We need to stop the Apekey from hurting others and from stealing stuff, Adam!" Bee took out a pokeball and summoned Bebe, her Abeequeen.
"QUEEN! QUEEN B - ABEE!" Bebe was ready.
"You're right, but my Kittime's still napping…wait! I have my Opa's Pokémon with me! Help US out, Morphyx!" Adam released Morphyx. Bee, Adam, and their Pokémon started to fight back and were able to stop a couple of Apekey; Josh was hiding inside Violette's berries stand while overseeing it all, "Wish my brother and his team were here…"
"UGH! How annoying are these kids!" complained Eirene while biting her right fist.
"That's IT! It's time for us to finish this! Chirop, GO!" Apollo released his Chirop.
"Arania, let's do our thing!" Eirene released her Arania.
"What?! You have more Pokémon with you?!" Violette was shocked; she knew they couldn't deal with three Pokémon all at once.
"Of course, little girl! Did you think we came here unprepared? DUH! We didn't!" mocked Eirene.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER! We will stop you all or at least try!" Violette and Squarrel were determined.
Apollo pointed at Violette, "You two are the first ones to go! Chirop, use Air Cutter!"
"I agree! Arania, use Poison Sting!" Eirene smirked devilish.
"Squarrel, WATCH OUT!" yelled Violette; she closed her eyes…
"MARKITTY! HIEROSTON! USE WATER GUN AND ROCK BLAST! COUNTER THOSE ATTACKS!"
"CHICKLEAF, USE VINE WHIP AND GET VIOLETTE AND SQUARREL OUT OF THE WAY!"
"RODEMART, USE EMBER AND ENHACE HIEROSTON'S ROCK BLAST!"
"HUH?! AAHH!" Team EXO were taken by surprised; their Pokémon were stopped and injured.
- BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! - Smoke and Dust everywhere – A minute of Silence -
Josh eyes sparkled, "BRO! Johnny and Belen too!" He ran towards them.
Kruz and Riley held Violette and Squarrel on their arms, "Flower! Are you two alright?"
Violette's eyes teared a little, "Grandpa! Grandma! You're fine! I am so happy!" She hugged them.
"We're happy to see you're okay too, flower!" said Kruz and Riley to Violette; their little flower.
"Violette! Squarrel! Are you two, okay?!" asked Francis; he was furious, "Where's Josh?!"
"Big bro, HERE! I'm okay!" Josh hugged his big bro and then got behind him.
"Team Heroes! Thank you for saving us!" Violette and Squarrel were alright.
"We will get rid of these crooks! I can't let them continue causing chaos!" Francis clenched his fists.
"YOU BRATS! When did you get here?!" Moonlix and Eirene were mad and confused.
"HECK! We have a problem, fellows…" said Apollo, "Water had gotten in the remote after we received those attacks and now it's broken! I'm trying to get Apezilla fight these kids, but it's just not working!"
"WHAT?!" Moonlix and Eirene got worried, "That can't be!"
"Markitty! Hieroston! Use Water Gun and Rock Blast once again! Give it your all, you two!"
"Chickleaf! Use Vine Whip to your full potential!"
"Rodemart, mate! Use your best Ember and let's send these bums away!"
Markitty, Hieroston, Chickleaf, and Rodemart complied with their trainers' directions and gave it their all. Their attacks combined into a one powerful blast that launched Team EXO and their Pokémon up in the air towards their blimp; they crashed with it releasing most of the produce to the ground, and then it all exploded into pieces sending Team EXO away…
- BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"TEAM EXO WILL GET EVEN! WE WILL!" Team EXO disappeared in the sky. -Blink-
"APEZILLA! ZILLA! ZILLA!" roared Apezilla and it was causing an outburst; its pack of Apekey howled and were jumping around confused and terrified, "P'key! P'key!"
"What's this Pokémon? And why is it acting crazy?!" Francis got his smartphone out, activated his PokeDEX App, and scanned…
[POKEDEX:
119) Apezilla – The Punching Ape Pokémon [DARK – GRASS]
"Most Apezilla are solitary and enjoy wondering dense forests or jungles in search of dead trees they use as their "punching bags." Once they've demolished a dead tree on ground level, they use all of their strength to remove its roots, throw it up in the air, and pulverize the dead tree's remains to dust with their punches; this dust actually becomes a fertilizer for the nearby living trees and grass. The strongest Apekey of the troop that has evolved into an Apezilla becomes the leader; if another strong Apekey evolves and wants to be leader, they decide so by having a punch-off. It consists of picking the thickest, tallest, and roughest dead tree and then punch it to dust; the fastest puncher becomes leader and the other must leave the troop to enjoy a solitary life."
POSSIBLE ATTACKS: Energy Ball/Brutal Swing/Hammer Arm/Leaf Tornado]
"What's happening? Why are they acting this way?!" pondered Belen and Johnny.
"I'm not sure, but we need to stop them too! MARKITTY!" directed Francis but…
"WAIT!" Violette approached Francis, "I think these Pokémon were being used by this Team EXO! Look at Apezilla's head!"
"UH?" Team Heroes looked, "What's that headband?!"
"Big bro, Team EXO had a remote that was probably connected to that headband, and it was controlling Apezilla's mind!" concluded Josh.
"We have to take it off, then! Apezilla must be in so much pain!" Belen was concerned.
"But how are we going to take it off when Apezilla is going ape crazy?" asked Johnny.
"I know how! Follow me, Squarrel! You too, Team Heroes!" Violette and Squarrel got near Apezilla; Team Heroes were behind.
"FLOWER! What are you doing?!" Kruz and Riley were anxious.
"I think she knows how to get Apezilla to calm down!" shared Adam; he and the others watched closely.
"Squarrel, focus! I want you to focus on that headband!" instructed Violette, "Once you get all of your focus fixated in that headband, I want you to kick it off of Apezilla's head without hurting Apezilla!"
"What? Is that how we're going to do it?!" wondered Team Heroes.
"YEAH! Now, I want you guys to distract Apezilla BUT I need you to keep it standing still! I think the best thing you guys can do is get your Pokémon to make faces at it and while it is distracted, Squarrel will come from behind and make its move!"
"GOT IT!" Team Heroes got their Pokémon to make faces at Apezilla. Apezilla stopped messing with the headband and curiously began to watch Team Heroes' Pokémon; it seemed confused, a bit angry, but it was distracted enough without moving around much.
"I know you can do it, Squarrel! We've practiced kicking stuff with precision! You can get that off using your kicks, Squarrel! Do it! Use High Jump Kick and destroy that headband!"
"QUARREL! QUARREL!" Squarrel used High Jump Kick; it was able to remove the headband off Apezilla's head without inflicting damage to Apezilla. Then, Squarrel gave it another kick and destroyed the headband into pieces.
"YES! You did it!" Violette was proud.
Apezilla looked behind and saw Squarrel mid-air destroying the headband. It was about to go off, but then it realized Squarrel and Violette helped it become free of the headband's mind control, "Zilla? ZILLA! ZILLA! APEZILLA!" Apezilla began to jump joyous, celebrating its freedom; it approached Violette and Squarrel…
"VIOLETTE!" Team Heroes and the others got anxious, but then…
"Apezilla!" Apezilla grabbed Violette and Squarrel and gave them a big gorilla hug; it said thank you.
"U?! Hehe! You're welcome, Apezilla!" Violette and Squarrel blushed and giggled.
"ZILLA! ZILLA! APEZILLA!" Apezilla gestured to its troop of Apekey to start fixing everything they had broken and to clean up their mess; everyone also helped and the farmers' market was back up and running. Apezilla indicated that it was time for them to leave town and go back to their home: the evergreen Entomo Forest. Apekey congregated around Apezilla and they all apologetically bowed to the townspeople, Team Heroes, Violette and her grandparents; they all smiled and forgave Apekey and Apezilla. Apezilla led its troop and they all left the town together jumping and howling with joy.
"Bye-bye Apezilla! Take care!" said Violette; Squarrel waved goodbye.
"Goodbye! We won't let this happened again!" promised Francis.
"HERE YOU GO, young lad!" Kruz put down three boxes of Bluk berries in front of Adam.
"We're grateful for your patience and for always being our customer!" Riley placed three boxes of Razz berries next to the other boxes.
Adam scratched the back of his head blushing and confused, "I'm just glad that you two are alright and that you actually have the berries we requested after all that commotion! But what do you mean by "always being your customer?""
"WELL, WE DO BUY BERRIES FROM THEM ALL THE TIME!" expressed Forrest, who came to check on Adam.
"MR. FORREST!" Team Heroes and Bee were surprised.
"OPA! What are you doing here?!" Adam got nervous, but his Kittime woke up and began jumping on Forrest's head; it was excited to see Forrest.
Forrest calmed down and smiled at Kittime, "Do you know what time it is, Ozzy? We finished with the lunch shift! Since you didn't come back and I had time, I came here as fast as possible! What happened?" Adam was speechless and nervous, but Kruz and Riley stepped in, dragged Forrest to show him more of their berries on stock, and began explaining everything to him.
"What am I going to do? I failed Opa and now I'm going to get grounded!" Kittime jumped on Adam's arms and began to lick his face, "Kittime! Stop! What are…you doing…"
"Don't worry, Adam! My grandparents have it all covered! We got your back!" Violette was brushing Squarrel.
"You know cousin, you were really, really super brave when we were all in trouble! You kicked butt!" expressed Bee, "I wish I had your fighting spirit!"
"Is that true?" Team Heroes were curious.
"Affirmative!" Adam chipped in, "Violette was brave! And so was Squarrel! They were determined to defend everyone and everything!"
"WOW, Violette!" Team Heroes were impressed.
"They…they put up with that evil EXO and battled Apezilla magnificently!" explained Adam.
"They also gave us the courage to fight back and protect the farmers' market!" explained Bee.
Violette and Squarrel blushed, "Stop it you guys! We all helped!" she paused and then looked at Francis, "BUT you Team Heroes saved the day! You got rid of that nasty Team EXO and saved most of the stolen produce! You're wicked cool!" Violette and Squarrel winked.
"We saved the day…did we?" Francis blushed and so did his team.
"Man, I really wanted to deliver the berries to my grandparents and then come back to town to see you guys have your first Pokémon gym battle as a team! I'm so disappointed…" shared Adam, "Now I don't know what's going to happen to me..."
"OZZY! I'm impressed!" expressed Forrest.
"WHAT?" Adam was confused.
"The Flores have told me everything that has happened here! You helped them save their harvests and the market from the evil Team EXO! I'm proud, Ozzy!" Forrest patted Ozzy's head.
"I didn't do it alone, Opa! Team Heroes, Bee, Violette, and their Pokémon helped as well!"
"Yes...Team Heroes keep impressing me more and more by the hour!" Forrest checked his AirWatch, "Anyways, I gotta go and get ready for the dinner shift! We have to bake our Bluk berry pies and Razz berry cookies for dinner!" Forrest put the boxes of berries on the back of his truck; Kruz and Riley helped.
Adam was nervous to ask, but he approached his grandpa and whispered, "Opa…do you mind if I stay here with my friends…"
"UH? Did you say something, Ozzy? Speak louder!"
"OPA! I WANT TO STAY HERE WITH MY FRIENDS! I WANNA WATCH TEAM HEROES' GYM BATTLE, PLEASE?!" Adam got it all out.
"Ozzy, that's good idea! I think is time for you to experience the world and to learn more about Pokémon, like how to train one...GO! Watch Team Heroes' gym battle! Just let me or your Oma know if you ever need anything!" Forrest patted Adam's head again, "Anyways, I gotta go! Good luck Team Heroes! I wish you all the best! Farewell, Kruz, Riley, Violette! I will see you next week!" Forrest got on his truck and drove away.
Kruz and Riley approached Violette, "Flower...you make us very proud! And you too, Squarrel! Thank you both so much for working hard, for saving our business, and for worrying about us! We are so lucky to have you as our granddaughter!" Kruz and Riley hugged Violette and Squarrel.
"Well team! It's time for us to get going!" declared Francis.
"You're right! It's almost 4:00 P.M!" Belen checked her AirWatch, "I wonder if the gym is open..."
"I don't know, but I am kind of hungry!" complained Johnny; he seemed exhausted, "Do you know where the gym is at, Francis?"
"UH? Doesn't Josh have the town's map?" asked Francis, but Josh was busy playing with Kittime while Adam watched.
"I know where the gym is! I can take you there!" offered Violette, "Is that okay, grandpa and grandma?"
Kruz and Riley smiled, "Flower, take your friends there! It's fine!"
"Wicked awesome! Because…I would like to see Team Heroes challenge the gym here at Entomo Town too! May I?"
"Of course! We can finish here at the market! Go hang out with your cousin and friends, Flower!"
"THANK YOU-thank you-thank you! I am SO excited to see Team Heroes battle!" Violette grabbed her backpack from behind the stand, kissed goodbye her grandparents, picked up Squarrel, and said, "WELL LET'S GO, EVERYONE! SQUARREL AND I WILL TAKE YOU TO THE GYM! LET'S HOP-HOP-HOP!"
TO BE CONTINUED…
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