"Attack!"
I was knocked backwards by the resulting force of wind when Arcaneis took off. He reacted immediately to the enemy's call and slammed into the Krookodile, who caught Arcaneis and tried to hold him back.
Fire blasted in an arc as Alex released Ninetales, the Fox Pokemon standing between the thugs and Alex and Amanita.
I let out Lucario as I pressed the hilt of my dagger. "Lucario!" He roared and unleashed a wind of aura upon Mega Evolving, energy blasts rebounding away from us.
The sprinkling had begun to turn into a downpour, turning the grass slick and the earth muddy.
I glanced around my feet, looking desperately while Lucario punched a Liepard away. "Joltik!" When the fighting had started, he had been tossed from my hand before I could return him. "Joltik!"
As Lucario grappled with a Scrafty, a sneering thug loomed over me. Gritting my teeth, I swung my leg out, knocking him over before slamming my boot between his legs. People like them would earn no mercy from me.
I stood as the lanky blonde entered my field of vision, his Scrafty grinning evilly. Lucario had gotten surrounded, unable to get to my side. Alex and her Ninetales, Mega Absol, and Lurantis were in a similar situation. Alex was shielding a wide-eyed Amanita and when she caught my eye, looked ready to dash over to me, but I shook my head. When I saw Robert, I realized he was in a worse situation. While Swampert was furiously protecting him, he was laying in a puddle of pink liquid at the foot of a large wall. I instantly remembered the drugs we had encountered back on Floccesy Ranch and knew that he shouldn't be in that stuff for any longer than he already had.
"Aw, looks like you're all alone," the blonde laughed cruelly. "Come on, try and get a Pokemon out. I dare you."
I had a Pokemon that could help turn this fight around, but it would be bad without knowing where Joltik was. Gripping a fist, I grabbed a pokeball just as Scrafty launched himself at me.
If I can't use him yet, I pushed myself backwards. Then she will suffice for now!
Aloud, I shouted, "Multi Attack!" Mahina appeared into the air already slashing. Scrafty was slammed to the ground as she pinned him, blasting three orbs of energy into him.
"Hold them here!" I shouted at her as I turned and ran for Robert. A wall of thugs appeared in my way, all wielding knives. A Liepard flew out of nowhere and slammed into two of them, knocking them over. Lucario was close behind, roaring as he swung his arms, forcing the rest back several feet to make my path clear. I leaped over a thug, pushing off his face as I skidded next to Swampert. I unhooked another pokeball and let out Greninja. "Help her!" I quickly turned to Robert, fully aware that I couldn't get whatever kind of drug that was on me.
"I got this," Alex said as she and Amanita rushed over to me, Ninetales, Lurantis, and Absol following, but still fighting. Ninetales was knocked into a tall wall, parts of it crumbling onto her. Alex let out Alakazam and upon her command, lifted Robert out of the liquid and placed him on cleaner, albeit muddy, ground.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw something small and yellow trying to dash towards us. "Joltik!" I yelled. Then a Liepard sprung towards him, a shadowy orb forming in her maw. I didn't have time to think. I launched myself forwards, shielding Joltik with my own body. I gasped in pain as the Dark Pulse slammed into me. I nearly collapsed, but I planted my arms firmer, determined not to fall on my tiny Pokemon. Joltik looked up at me, quaking with pure terror. I managed a smile as I saw a shadow pass over us. Greninja spun into Liepards, slashing downwards with a watery blade. He then picked up both me and Joltik, launching us back towards our group at the base of the cracked wall.
I was set down against the wall, clutching Joltik close to my chest as I tried to steady my breathing. Mahina and Lucario joined us as everyone was forced to gather in a semicircle, practically pressed against the wall behind us. Facing us were several dozen thugs and all their Pokemon.
The raven haired woman that we'd already encountered several times before stepped in front of everyone as the battle came to a pause. She rubbed her Purloin beneath the chin as she surveyed us with a smile. "You possess strong Pokemon, but I'm afraid we outnumber you ten to one."
I reached for the pokeball on my belt. With Joltik with me, I could use him finally.
"Nuh uh," she saw my move and shook her head, tutting. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She held up her hand and I saw movement in the crowd of thugs. Two big brutes stepped forwards, holding an arm each of an indigo haired woman in a lab coat.
"Fennel!" Amanita cried out and the woman shook her head mutely, flinching as her guards glared at her.
"So you have a hostage now," I glared at them, struggling to my feet. Alex tried to make me sit again, but I shrugged her off. "What, you want us to return our Pokemon and come with you quietly now or she gets hurt? Is that what's going on here!?"
"Well, not quite," the woman tapped her lip with a red fingernail. "Actually, we have orders to dispose of anyone who discovers our secret operations. We can't let the authorities catch wind of the production of illegal drugs now can we."
"Is that why you have her?" I glanced at Doctor Fennel. "To help you with these drugs?"
"Stalling for time," the woman remarked. "I'll play along." She nodded at Fennel. "She has been very helpful in developing the new drug that your friend appears to have consumed." She laughed maliciously. "Better hope he wakes up. Dream Shots are a powerful substance. He might slumber forever, if he's lucky."
I gritted my teeth in anger. Alex placed a hand on my chest as she took a step forwards. "If you haven't noticed yet, we're not so easily disposed of. What makes you think you can beat us?"
"Why, that should be obvious," the woman smirked, holding out her hands. "We outnumber you 10 to 1. One of your friends is out of the count while the other looks like a single kick will bring him down. And your Pokemon, well, they're not looking that good."
Glancing at our Pokemon, I noticed just how much damage they've taken. Lucario was still maintaining his mega form, but he was breathing hard. Greninja was on one knee, eyes narrowed. I didn't know if we could even transform in time or if my body could take that strain. Mahina and Arcaneis looked the least damaged, but both could end up going down if there were too many opponents. And too many there were. Several dozen thugs, each with one or two Pokemon each, flanked either side of the raven haired woman.
Alex's team wasn't faring much better. Ninetales was bruised and panting and Absol had already reverted back to her regular form. Lurantis must have been returned because she was gone and Alakazam didn't have much in the form of defense. And Swampert was standing over Robert's limp form, teeth bared, but she was favoring only 3 legs. The battle had been short, but already we were in a weakened state.
She's right, I thought. One more hit and I'll be down. Another person to protect will only bring the rest of us down. But... One look at Alex and I knew. She wouldn't back down. Amanita looked frightened, staring at her sister. We needed to save Fennel. The odds were against us and they had a hostage. But our Pokemon wouldn't give up, not by the looks of them. Alex wasn't the type to give up. So neither would I.
I grimaced, returning Joltik to his pokeball. "Just how do we get into these messes?"
"No idea," Alex responded, never turning her gaze away from the enemy.
"Are you all really not going to back down?" the woman laughed. "You all are something." She raised her hand. "Since we shall not know each other for much longer, we might as well get acquainted with one another." She held her hand to her chest, red nails gleaming as the sun finally poked through the gray clouds. "I am Akane. Now," she pointed at the grunt holding Fennel. "Make an example of-"
Several grunts gasped behind her and all eyes turned back to the entrance. A woman was squeezing through the thin gap. She walked slowly towards the ruined building, completely ignoring the scene around her. Long, wavy blonde hair that reached her feet flowed out of a large, fluffy pale pink hat. Two pale pink hearts somehow kept both front ends of her hair afloat. She wore a pink and white nightdress with a transparent pink garb over it. Only then did I notice her eyes were closed.
"What the actual hell?" Akane gaped. She jabbed a red nail in the new arrival's direction. "You there! What are you doing here!?"
The blonde blinked awake, revealing vivid turquoise eyes. She turned sleepily in our direction, tilting her head to the side. "Sorry, I came here-" she yawned abruptly, rubbing one eye with her hand. "My dear Pokemon led me here." A Musharna floated over the wall just then and hovered beside the blonde, who seemed to look past all the grunts and over at our group. Amazingly, I think she was looking at Robert.
Akane rolled her eyes. "Seems like we have another body to bury. Get her."
Several attacks fired at once, but an energy shield erupted around both the woman and Musharna, the Psychic type's eyes glowing blue.
I saw Alex move. The grunt holding Fennel noticed and moved his knife towards the woman's throat. Alex's Alakazam appeared next to him, holding back the dagger with psychic energy. Alex knocked the grunt aside, pulling Fennel back towards us. Then all hell broke loose. Blasts of energy flew around us. Lucario and Greninja leaped ahead of us together, launching themselves into the enemy. They worked as a team, switching turns from attacking and defending. Arcaneis planted himself in front of me, blasting Flamethrowers into the enemy as Ninetales and Absol bounded past him to defend Alex and Fennel as two Liepards brought down Alakazam next to her.
"All of you just die!" Akane screeched and her Purloin hurled a Dark Pulse over our heads. It slammed into the cracked wall. Dust fell on me as I heard it groan. I glanced up, seeing the wall bearing down on us. Then it stopped, psychic energy surrounding all of it. A Metagross floated over the now shattered wall and he sent each piece flying into enemy Pokemon. The battle had quickly turned in our favor with the arrival of the blonde and her Psychic types. Her Musharna flew above the heads of everyone, healing each of our Pokemon. A Gallade joined up with Greninja and Lucario, and together all three of them began taking down Pokemon by Pokemon. A Gothitelle stood by her trainer, protecting both of them while occasionally firing a beam of psychic energy into either a human or Pokemon.
Realizing they had suddenly become outmatched, Akane and several of her grunts made a beeline for a wall. Timburr smashed it open and they tried to escape.
"No you don't!" I growled, returning Joltik then quickly launching a pokeball towards them. With a mighty roar, Gyarados appeared. He shook himself, energy collecting in his mouth. He let loose a tremendously powerful Hyper Beam, ripping up the ground. Akane and her grunts went flying into the forest. Then Gyarados turned to me and hovered close.
"Hey there," I patted his cheek. "Thanks for the save."
He roared in my face.
Wiping away saliva, I sighed. "Look, we'll work this out later. For now..." I peered past him, surprised to find that the battle had ended. Thugs and Pokemon lay strewn across the ground, all unconscious. Amidst it all stood the blonde woman and her Pokemon. She returned all of them except Musharna, who hovered over to Robert's form at Swampert's feet. The Water type growled, but Musharna ignored her and touched her head to Robert's. Pink energy floated away from his head and into the Psychic type. Soon the flow died and Robert blinked. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and looking around. "Wathapnd?"
He blinked as Metagross lumbered past him, psychic tendrils reaching out to all the thugs and their Pokemon. The Steel/Psychic Pokemon gathered all of them up and placed them in a group of bodies.
Robert rubbed his eyes again. "No, seriously, what happened?"
"Ah, so it is you," the blonde peered down at Robert with a tilt of her head. Then she looked at the rest of us. Amanita had reunited with Fennel, both sisters sobbing. Alex had returned her Pokemon so they could rest and hurried over to me. Mahina limped over to me, nuzzling my head. I rubbed her snout and leaned against her as she slopped her tongue over my hair.
Robert rubbed his eyes for the third time. "Am I still dream-OOF!" He fell backwards as Swampert launched herself on top of him.
The blonde giggled, hiding her mouth behind her hand. "Oh my, Marshall said you had gotten entangled with some unsavory people. I think he meant for you to stay away from such situations." She straightened, sighing as she leaned her cheek against her palm, closing her eyes. "And I so just wanted to get some sleep. But," Reopening her eyes, she now seemed more serious and less... tired? "I must do my job. So all of you need to disappear."
Her Gallade stepped forwards, eyes glowing. I felt a curious sensation envelop my body before gravity seemed to flip. Disoriented, I found myself lying on the floor in a room. I lay there, trying to get my bearings, the pattering of rain outside picking up as it assaulted the window.
"A living room?" Alex had sat up beside me, looking around in confusion. "How the heck did we end up here?"
I glanced around the room as I sat up next to her. Robert had landed on a coffee table while Amanita landed on a purple couch. Not seeing any of our Pokemon, I panicked, then checked my waist. My pokeballs were there, so I checked Mahina's. Seems she had been placed inside it, as well as the others.
"Sister!?" Amanita stood, whirling around in a circle. "Where is she!?"
"It's alright." With a grunt, Robert heaved himself up and slid off the glass table. "She's with her, so I'm sure she'll be fine. Probably kept her so she can give a statement to the police."
"Who is she exactly?" Alex asked as she scooted backwards into a comfy armchair, which left me the carpeted floor. Nice.
"Caitlin of the Unova Elite 4," Robert answered. "Apparently she decided that we shouldn't get involved with those thugs anymore than we need to."
"Just like Marshall," I said, rolling one shoulder. Wincing, I stopped. "They probably want to keep us from getting media attention. That would put a target on our heads. It's better if some of the strongest trainers in Unova get the limelight."
Alex leaned back in her chair. "But why? I mean, we've already brought attention to ourselves plenty of times thanks to Kalos."
"Maybe," I shrugged. "But I think they have their reasons." I looked to Robert and he nodded.
"Yeah, I see where you're going with that," He said. "They're part of the Elite 4. They might be trying to find the roots of their criminal organization and take them down themselves. Trainers like us would only be liabilities."
"Won't stop us though," I said. Alex sat up at that, then gave me a warm smile. After giving a quick smile in return, I continued. "If we stumble on them again after this, we'll take them down. It's what we're best at after all."
A couple seconds of silence, then Amanita cocked her head. "What the heck are you all going on about?"
"So what exactly happened to me again?" Robert asked Alex as he followed her and Amanita into the kitchen for food. "I had the craziest dream..."
I watched them disappear behind a door before unlatching Joltik's pokeball. I crossed my legs and let him out on my lap. He quivered, glancing up at me with frightened eyes. I rubbed his back with the tip of my finger. "Sorry about earlier. You almost got hurt because of me." The tiny Pokemon drew closer to my hand, still shaking. I let him stay there while I gripped my free hand. As much as I wanted to help him, to keep him safe and help him become stronger, once again I found myself wondering if being with me was the best thing for him.
"Even if the day comes where we must part," I whispered, using my free hand to pet his tingling fur as thunder boomed and lightning flashed from outside. "Up till then I'll do everything in my power to protect you. That, I swear."
"You're lucky the boss is letting me deal with you three," the beanstalk of the man leaned down as he glared at the three thugs from behind his thin glasses. Natu kept on sleeping atop his shoulder as Akane and her two loyal goons cowered beneath the man's gaze.
"Look, we-" the lanky blonde next to Akane started to say, but was cut off.
"Shut it, Samuel!" Beanstalk snarled. "Normally you all would have been cut loose after your countless mistakes. Now we even lost one of our prime drug operations." He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "The boss would certainly have already taken care of you three if he deemed you all unnecessary. Since he's left it to me to decide your fate, you all must still be of use." A smirk formed and Natu suddenly opened his eyes. Both began to glow as the man said, "So I guess that would be the perfect job for you three."
