Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai
Chapter Two-hundred and thirty-nine: The Manalo Conference, part four
The last event of the Manalo Conference was underway, an exhibition battle between Ash, the winner of the Manalo Conference and thus the first Champion of Alola, and Serena, the winner of the Alola Contest Grand Festival and thus the first Alola Contest Kahuna. The battle between the two of them, admittedly, was a bit one-sided in Ash's favor by the time it was interrupted by Team Scorn launching an attack on Manalo Island, given that by that point Ash had taken out half of Serena's team without any of his own Pokémon suffering so much as a lick of damage, a testament to that 'Champion swagger' as Kenny puts it that Ash now has.
...Oh, there's that Team Scorn attack to worry about.
Iris, who was visiting from the Unova region, went flying off (metaphorically AND literally) after Admin Mage, the head of Team Scorn's Scarf Sector which is the sector of Team Scorn native to the Alola region, when she spotted him. The heroes and their classmates, along with a few other friends, were left to fend off the bulk of the Team Scorn members that were still at Manalo Stadium. But the classmates and their friends are strong, and there was still two region Champions right there to help bring the fight to those most detestable of villains in the inter-regional criminal organization, with one of the defending Champions having been freshly minted.
"You guys," Kenny said, "Chances are that there's Team Scorn idiots all over the island! We need to spread out and root all of Team Scorn out before we can give all of them the boot!"
"Kenny's got a point," remarked Mina, the pink ninja girl from the Kantonian Gym tourist attraction and recently revealed reborn trainer (revealed to just Dawn, Kenny, and Trip though), "Given how many rose up like friggin' Valkyries, they might have spread out over the island after the fighting began!"
As such, the heroes decided to split off and go fight Team Scorn members wherever they can find them; Ash and Serena remained at Manalo Stadium, Kenny and Mina went off as a pair, May took Max with her, Lillie went off with Gladion who joined up, Kiawe and Sophocles went off as a pair, Mallow and Lana went off as a pair, and Dawn and Trip went off to go hunt down any big name members of Team Scorn they came across. They figured that Iris, who went off after Admin Mage, would be fine on her own, given that she is a trainer of notable strength and skill.
She's a region Champion, after all.
...
Captain Zed of Team Scorn's Katana Sector, which is based in the Johto region, felt that this attack would be his golden opportunity to prove himself and not only get out of trouble, but get his rank within the Team Scorn command structure back up. As such, he led a group of grunts, bringing his Captain's Assistant Kenji with him, to beat down on whatever persons would get in their way of conquest. Zed could already feel the promotion that he knew full well would be coming his way; he may even rise above the Captain rank entirely and be made an Admin of his own Sector.
"Ah, the field of battle," Zed said, "Surly there's no better place for an Officer to prove his mettle and earn the right to rise in the ranks."
"Sir, maybe you ought to focus more on doing the job here than any possible rewards you could get out of doing it," Kenji advised, his tone long suffering.
Turning to face his Captain's Assistant, Zed said, "Kenji, you've always been a sharp tack, but once again you've earned my contempt. Focusing on the rewards to be reaped upon success is one hell of a motivator to drive one to getting the job done."
"When not done to excess, maybe," Kenji said, "But you focus on literally nothing else BUT raising your rank. You really ought to-"
"-Hold it right there, you bastard Team Scorn bastards!"
Kenji was cut off when he, Zed, and the Scorn grunts heard a teen male voice shout out at them. Turning to see, they saw a group of about half a dozen boys from the field trip from Blackthorn City Academy in the Johto region. The lead boy, the one who had shouted at them, was Katsuku Badorigo, and he was backed up by his best friend Justin, along with a boy with straight black hair that reached his chin, a boy with electric yellow hair and he wore headphones and glasses with purple lenses, a short boy with purple hair in a Mohawk, and a tired looking boy with purple hair standing up.
Pointing right at Zed and the rest of Team Scorn who was there, Katsuku snarled, "You villain bastards had attacked Blackthorn City twice, and now you're attacking the Alola region! We ain't gonna stand for your villain fuckery any longer!"
"Hmph, what a vulgar young man," Zed remarked. Gesturing forward with his left hand as he held his right behind his back, Zed said, "Men, go teach those boys a lesson for daring to challenge the will of Team Scorn!" The Scorn grunts charged in to engage Katsuku and his peers in battle, enough to keep all of them occupied as Zed hung back to watch everything. Zed as he saw his men do all of the work for him noticed that Kenji hadn't charged in to battle. "Kenji, why aren't you in there with the rest of the men fighting those boys who thought trying to play hero was a good idea?" Zed half asked half demanded.
Pointing at where Katsuku stood battling a Scorn grunt, Kenji said, "Sir, that one boy there is Katsuku Badorigo. He's one of the trainers that Team Scorn has a dossier on."
Turning to look at where Katsuku stood battling, Zed remarked, "Ah, so he's an elite, ehh? Well now, that just means having the men here take him down for me will end up netting me even greater glory and recognition."
"Sir," Kenji said, "Both Admin Brother AND Admin Mage said that Katsuku isn't someone we're suppose to mess with unless we absolutely can't help it. It would have been better to leave one rank and file member of Team Scorn with us per trainer to keep Katsuku and his group occupied so that the rest of us would be able to get out of here and continue the attack on Manalo Island elsewhere."
"And that cowardice you're displaying in full force right now is exactly the reason you'll never be more than an Officer's Assistant, Kenji," Zed remarked, "Trust me when I say that defeating these boys not only will be a piece of cake, but it will also see to me getting off the hook for what trouble I'm in, AND get me promoted up a few spots in the ranking ladder." Rubbing his hands together in eager anticipation, Zed said, "That Admin position is as good as mine." Kenji let out a mildly exasperated sigh, to which Zed said, "Spare me your tired sighs, Kenji. I know what I am doing here! Besides which."
Turning to face forward, Zed said, "Name one person who can stop Team Scorn's efforts here."
...
"FiGhT mEh TeAm ScOrN yOu CoWaRdS!"
Team Scorn members by the handful were being blown away, their Pokémon all defeated swiftly, as Kenny sicced his major legendary Pokémon on them. The ones he had used in his battle against Trip yesterday have since recovered, and now they were showing Team Scorn part of why they're classified as legendary. And it wasn't just Kenny's Pokémon dropping Team Scorn members left and right; Kenny was backed up by his girlfriend Mina, who had also isekai'd to that world, and reunited with him after some time.
Kenny's Giratina Black and Rayquaza Shenron was striking down Pokémon from Team Scorn in close quarters combat while Mina's Gardevoir and Lucario was picking off Team Scorn's Pokémon from a distance with ranged attacks. "Hey Kenny," Mina said as her Gardevoir blew away a Scorn grunt's Golbat with Psychic, "Something has me a bit on the concerned side of things."
"What's up?" Kenny replied as Shenron struck down a Scorn grunt's Raticate with Dragon Claw.
Gesturing to all of the Scorn grunts that were going down, Mina said, "These guys are all peons, the rank and file of Team Scorn. Shouldn't there be some members here of more notable rank?"
"Well Iris went chasing off after that Admin Mage guy," Kenny explained, "Although I'd bet good money on there being at least two Captains here on Manalo Island."
Mina, after her Lucario took down a Scorn grunt's Linoone with Aura Sphere, asked, "Well where do you think we might find some Captains, then? I wanna see how I'd do against stronger fare than the peons here we're whupping."
Kenny couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself in amusement. He never in his wildest dreams would ever of imagined being reunited with his girlfriend from his previous life, but here she was, having isekai'd to the same world he now lives in, and one of the first things they did after resuming their relationship from their previous life was fight side by side to kick the ass of Team Scorn. Mina was even asking about getting to battle someone in Team Scorn ranked higher than a Grunt, or Peon as she had taken to referring to the Scorn grunts as.
Kenny now remembered part of what made him fall in love with Mina in their previous life. He was glad that part there hadn't changed a bit.
...
Iris soon realized that Admin Mage wasn't being cowardly when he fled from her when she began to chase him. No, the head of Team Scorn's Scarf Sector was actually intentionally luring her away from the main bulk of trainers that posed a threat to Team Scorn's efforts on Manalo Island. And Iris fell for it hook line and sinker, given that before she knew it, she was lured into a trap where Admin Mage had her surrounded with the entirety of the Scarf Sector's command structure. Mage himself, plus all four Scarf Sector Captains, and all of their respective Officer's Assistants.
Looking around at the sight of her being surrounded, Iris scoffed. "Ten on one? Those odds are totally unfair." Looking right at Mage, Iris smirked, "Next time, bring at least twenty if you want to have a chance of lasting more than a few moments against me."
"Pretty cocky for a girl who went down to Admin Mage's team of Pokémon the last time you were present for an effort launched by Team Scorn," Aya sneered, "What, did becoming the Champion of Unova up your cockiness level?"
"Oh, that's rich," Iris said, "Like villains such as you sorry lot have any right to call me out for what few if any faults that I have!"
Yuichi narrowed his gaze as he looked right at Iris. "What few if any faults you have. And yet you have the nerve to say that Team Scorn is putting on airs."
"Hey!" Iris snapped, "At least I don't break the law, unlike stupid idiots like you!"
"How dare you insult Yuichi-sama like that!" Mai snapped, "I'm gonna rip you a new one!"
Iris was about to speak up, but got cut off by Mage when he asked, "I got a question for you, since I recall that you're familiar with the gym leader in Blackthorn City, Johto." Iris's expression became dangerous as she heard Mage speak up about Clair, whose Druddigon he had murdered. Iris turned her attention to where Mage stood. "Has she ordered any of her other Pokémon to attack innocent persons as of late?" Mage asked.
"Clair has NEVER had any of her Pokémon attack innocent persons," Iris declared.
Jerking a thumb at Aya, Mage went on, "That's a lie, given Aya here was attacked by that shiny Druddigon that the Blackthorn City gym leader sicced on her."
"It's not a lie," Iris reaffirmed, "Given that the girl there is NOT innocent! She like all of you is a part of Team Scorn! That makes all of you guilty by default, and as such you all have to be taken down!"
Mage's gaze narrowed. "...Figures you refuse to understand or care." At Mage's cue, the rest of the Scarf Sector's command structure went on the attack, but Iris wasn't as weak as she was the last time she had to deal with Admin Mage.
...
Over at Manalo Stadium, Ash and Serena had fought off loads of Team Scorn grunts already. They were both doing well, even though Serena went into the siege on Manalo Island with half of her on-hand team fainted. "There's just no end to these guys, huh?" Ash said as his Pikachu took out a Grunt's Golbat with Thunderbolt.
"I actually lost track on how many we've fought off by this point," Serena remarked as her Sylveon took out a Grunt's Scraggy.
Eventually, the number of Grunts fighting Ash and Serena trickled down to the point that Kukui and the Kahunas were able to bust through and give Ash and Serena a measure of relief. "Ash, Serena, you ought to get out of here!" Kukui said as he called out his Braviary to help fight off the remaining Scorn grunts, "I hate to ask this of you kids, but you need to go help take down the other members of Team Scorn that are here on Manalo Island!"
Gesturing to himself, Ash said, "I was gonna do that anyway, Professor Kukui! Team Scorn is threatening Alola right now! I just became the Champion of Alola, so it'd be a bad show on my part if I just stood by and didn't help defend Alola from Team Scorn's evil!"
Kukui paused to consider Ash's words, then offered an amused smirk. "...You're already stepping up, I see. You really do wear the mantle of a Champion well, Ash." At Kukui's cue, Ash and Serena took off from Manalo Stadium, leaving him and the Kahunas to continue fighting off what members of Team Scorn were still there.
As Ash and Serena ran from Manalo Stadium, Serena said, "When do you think this chaos will end, Ash?"
"It'll end when we put Team Scorn in their place and send them packing," Ash replied, his tone vengeful towards the villains who had dared to cause conflict in Alola, "And I won't rest until we kick Team Scorn out of here!"
Serena couldn't help but admire Ash; once more he showed determination and heroism, traits of his that she admired. But at the same time, Serena couldn't help but worry for Ash's safety and well-being. "...We do need to drive Team Scorn out of here, yes," Serena agreed, a hint in her tone sounding hesitant. Ash, picking up on that hesitant hint, turned to look at her, saw the look of worry on her face. "But... but..." Serena went on, unsure of how to put things. "...But I don't want it to result in you getting hurt, Ash!" Serena cried out, tears running down the sides of her face.
Ash was surprised that Serena was now crying, that she was expressing such concern for him. "...Serena," Ash said, "I can understand where you're coming from. I'm never in the mood to see anyone getting hurt by villains. That's why I'm willing to fight, why my Pokémon are willing to fi-"
"Why does it have to be you, though?" Serena went on, surprising Ash, "Why does it have to be you who has to put everything on the line? Always risking your neck, always fighting against impossible odds, always defying inter-regional criminal groups! You've done more than enough, you shouldn't have to do anymore! I'm afraid of what may happen to you if you continue to do more than what you ought to do! I don't want you risking yourself anymore Ash, because... because..." Serena was now shuddering, trying to find the right words to say.
However, before she was able to say any of them, she was cut off when she and Ash heard the familiar voice of Ideku call out, "Ash! Serena! Hoo boy, am I glad to see some familiar faces!" Ash and Serena then turned to see Ideku come running up to them, the look on his face a mix of panicked and relieved. "I don't suppose either of you two have any idea what in the hell is going on here?" Ideku asked.
"Yeah, a Team Scorn attack," Ash replied dryly, "We're all going to have to work together to drive them off." Ash, for reasons that escaped him, saw his gaze drift over to Serena for a moment, before he returned his focus to Ideku. "...After we deal with Team Scorn here, I want some time to kick back and relax, because I could certainly use a break, you know?"
"I think it'd be safe to say that everyone here who's fighting off Team Scorn would like a break," Ideku said, "Not, of course, can I blame anyone who'd want that after we get done driving off Team Scorn's sorry rear end. I don't suppose you would like some backup to help you drive Team Scorn out of here, would you Alola Champ?"
Smirking a bit in amusement, Ash replied, "The more the merrier, I always say." As such, Ideku ended up joining Ash and Serena in driving off whatever members of Team Scorn that they came across. It was going to be a long and hard effort, but they would persist onward, hoping to continue until all of Team Scorn at Manalo Island was defeated and driven off. They wanted to end Team Scorn's evil here, especially before that most evil of inter-regional organizations had a chance to carry out any sort of tragedy here that could not be undone.
Team Scorn has already caused a great deal of irreversible tragedy; the heroes hoped to keep them from carrying out anymore.
...
Over where Katsuku and some of his peers were fighting off Zed and his group, only Katsuku and the short boy with the purple Mohawk were still standing; the tired looking boy with purple hair standing up was kneeling, panting out of exhaustion, while Justin and the other two boys laid face down on the ground, collapsed from exhaustion. As for Zed and his men, all of them save for Zed and Kenji were defeated, and Zed and Kenji hadn't fought yet.
Gesturing to Katsuku and his peers, Zed said, "I have to admit, you boys had put up a commendable effort. Defeating all of the men I had with me, even though your own side is close to wiped out. As such, I'm prepared to make you a very generous offer of letting you surrender to me now to save yourselves the efforts of me having to put you in your place. You're tired by this point, so it's best to accept the mercy that I'm willing to show to you boys."
"Like hell we're surrendering!" Katsuku snapped, "Me and the midget here who fucks his Pokémon still have plenty of steam in the tank! We're prepared to continue kicking your asses until you have no more asses to kick!"
"Yeah!" the short boy with the purple Mohawk said, "It's just what Katsu-" The short boy with the purple Mohawk stopped short, a look of realization on his face. "HEY!" the short boy snapped at Katsuku, "I don't fuck my Pokémon! Why would you say that, Katsuku!?"
Breathing hard out of exhaustion, the tired looking boy said, "So the rumors there are false, despite how all of your Pokémon are on the list of 'waifu-mons'."
"Damn straight those rumors are false!" said the short boy, "You guys do know that Pokéality is illegal in multiple regions including our home region of Johto, right?"
Turning to look at Zed, Katsuku said, "Regardless, we're still ready to fight until all of you guys here are defeated!" Making the 'bring it on' gesture towards Zed, Katsuku snapped, "So bring it on, you cowardly blowhard! Come and get the ass whooping that you have coming! There's still plenty of servings of whoop-ass available, so feel free to get your fill of-"
*BANG*
Katsuku was cut off suddenly, and time seemed to stand still everyone there who was watching; Kenji looked shocked and mildly horrified, the short boy and tired looking boy went wide eyed with horror, and even Justin who barely came to and saw what had happened tried to scream as loud as possible, but found that the shocked horror he was feeling was keeping him from being able to get any sound out at all. Only Katsuku and Zed lacked any hints of horror in their respective expressions, with Zed lacking horror because he was the one who had acted.
...As for Katsuku, he lacked horror in his expression because he had just been shot in the chest by Zed. Katsuku, the shock making him unable to feel anything, dropped right to the ground as time seemed to catch up to everyone else, allowing the boys to get out their horrified screams over seeing Katsuku getting shot in the chest by a villain with a gun.
Zed, the barrel of his handgun smoking, said with a smug and self-assured look on his face, "There, maybe that ought to teach you boys better than to defy the will of Team Scorn!"
"Captain Zed, what did you do?!" Kenji exclaimed in a freaked out tone, "You just shot one of the trainers we're suppose to leave alone! And that shot looks like it hit him right in the heart!"
"Kenji, they were threatening to keep us from being able to carry out our mission here," Zed said as he put his gun away, "A little work of getting our hands dirty is a necessary thing sometimes in order for us to carry out our plans and succeed in the end."
The short boy was about to scream bloody murder, but a blow to the side of his head knocked him out, making him fall over onto the ground. Similarly, the tired looking boy who didn't look so tired now was also knocked out with a blow to the side of his head. Looking over, Zed and Kenji saw that Faba, who had been fired from Aether Foundation and ended up joining Team Scorn, was the one to knock the boys out. He wore a pallet swapped version of his outfit from Aether Foundation that replaced the white of the coat with yellow, and all other bits with dark blue, including the large stylized shades.
"My oh my, Zed," Faba said, his expression mostly indifferent but with a hint of annoyance towards Zed in it, "You certainly have made quite the mess here, didn't you?"
"Like you have any right to show any attitude towards me, Faba," Zed said, "So you got lucky and was given the last empty Captaincy Spot in the Kunai Sector of Team Scorn over in the Hoenn region. You're still a fresh greenhorn at being a Team Scorn officer, whereas I have more experience in my left pinky finger than the entirety of various newer sectors of Team Scorn!"
"True, I may have only been recently minted as a Team Scorn Officer," Faba began, "And yet even I know better than to fatally wound persons that Team Scorn keeps dossiers on." Faba looked to were Katsuku, now in shock, laid on the ground as his chest would bled. Looking back to Zed, Faba said, "I can't imagine what those who rank above us will say or do when they learn of this."
"They won't do nothing because I'm going to avenge Katsu-bro here and now by kicking your asses!" Justin screamed as he tried pushing himself up off of the ground, only to be kicked in the side of his face by Faba, getting knocked back down as a result. Justin tried reaching for Faba with his right hand, but Faba sneered as he kicked Justin's hand away then, when it laid on the ground, he stomped down really, really hard on it. A few of the bones in Justin's hand were broken, making him scream in a mix of rage and pain, although it was mostly pain.
Sneering down at Justin, Faba said, "That's what you get for daring to reach for me, boy." Turning to look at Zed, Faba said, "We really ought to get going, Zed. I got it that Admin Mage and the entirety of the command structure of the Scarf Sector is battling Unova Champion Iris, and that at this point all of the Officer's Assistants and all of the Captains save for Bulat and Yoichi have been defeated. We really ought to go back them up."
"Very well, I suppose it falls to us to bail our fellows out of trouble," Zed remarked. After getting his men to pick themselves up, Zed had everyone there with Team Scorn follow him to go back up Mage's group, even though Faba insisted on leading the way because he unlike Zed actually knew where to go to help Mage and the rest of the Scarf Sector command structure fight Iris.
After Team Scorn had left, Justin looked around where he laid on the ground on his stomach. His hand that was stomped on by Faba hurt like hell, but Justin was willing to bet that the pain he was feeling was nothing compared to the pain that Katsuku was going through. Justin had no idea how news of Katsuku getting shot in the chest would be broken to everyone; the rest of their classmates, their peers in their rival class, the two homeroom teachers supervising the field trip, Katsuku's family.
Justin totally had no idea how to break this news to Katsuku's girlfriend Sarah, who was pregnant with her and Katsuku's child. Sarah was close to giving birth any day now, last Justin heard Sarah had about half a month left to go. He worried that the shock of hearing her boyfriend having gotten shot in the chest might stress Sarah to the point it'll trigger her to go into labor early. Justin swore that, once he recovered, he'd make getting revenge on Team Scorn for their evil here his top priority, and he wasn't going to rest easy.
Not until Zed was made to pay for what he did to Katsu-bro.
...
Iris and her Pokémon were getting exhausted by this point, but she had made some serious progress in getting revenge for what Mage had done back in Blackthorn City. She alone was battling the whole of the command structure for Team Scorn's Scarf Sector, and at this point she had defeated everyone save for Admin Mage and Captain Bulat. Bulat's Duraludon had just gone down, forcing Bulat to send out his last Pokémon, that being his male Meowstic that wore a green pair of Meowstic-sized pants, and he had a scar over and around one of his eyes.
As for Mage, he had his Haxorus out but it was exhausted. Iris was down to just her own Haxorus, but she figured it could beat Mage's Haxorus, and then Bulat's Meowstic would be easy. "Haxorus, use Dual Chop on Mage's Haxorus!" Iris called out. Iris's Haxorus rushed forward and dealt two stinging chopping strikes right at Mage's Haxorus, hitting both times and doing enough to knock Mage's Haxorus out.
Mage recalled his defeated Haxorus before tossing up another Pokéball and calling out, "Go, Meowstic!" Iris forgot that Mage had a third Pokémon, she thought Mage would be finished after his Charizard and Haxorus went down. But no, Mage had a male Meowstic, same as Bulat. However, Mage's Meowstic had no scars around either eye, and it wore a green sack over its back, the ends tied in a knot in front of its throat; the sack acted sort of like a cape in that sense. After his Meowstic came out to battle, Mage said to Iris, "How confident are you that you'll win here?"
"Oh?" Iris asked, "What's this now? Don't tell me you're scared that I'll beat you as you deserve!"
"I wouldn't be too entirely sure that you'll find victory here," Mage said, "Champion of Unova as you may be, you're down to only your Haxorus left, and it's clearly running on fumes. As for my side, Bulat and I have one Pokémon left each, and both of them are perfectly fresh."
"Haxorus and I will never give up!" Iris declared boldly, "Not until we get revenge on you for your actions in Blackthorn City!"
Arching a wry eyebrow, Bulat said, "You mean how Mage had murdered that Druddigon that viciously attacked Blondie?"
"Clair's Druddigon did nothing wrong!" Iris exclaimed, "Your Admin is a cold blooded killer!"
"So what you're saying," Mage began, "Is that I should have just simply allowed that monster to continue viciously attacking Aya." Mage had a hint of danger enter his expression as he glared at Iris. "Some would-be hero you are, declaring that those she fights are not entitled to any mercy."
"You guys murder people!" Iris screamed, "People and Pokémon alike! Why should we show you mercy when you won't show the same to us in return?!"
"We never kill unless we have or are given a very good reason," Mage snarled, "I wasn't about to just stand by and do jack-shit while Aya was being attacked by some vicious attack monster!" Gesturing to Iris, Mage went on, "You want someone to blame for me killing that Druddigon? Blame the woman who had decided to sic said Druddigon on Aya! Had she not ordered that beast of hers to attack Aya, then I wouldn't have lifted a finger against it! I did what I had done that day in Blackthorn City only because my hand had been forced on the matter!"
"You guys attacked Blackthorn City!" Iris screamed, "What, we can't fight back against you guys?!"
"You can try," Mage said, "You will most likely fail, but nothing's stopping you from trying to fight against Team Scorn."
"And what can we do to stop you from killing people?!" Iris practically screamed.
"I told you," Mage said, "We DON'T kill unless we have or are given a very good reason! You don't want us to kill? Then don't give us or let us have a reason to do so!"
Iris was about to scream in frustration, as there was clearly no arguing with Mage. However, Iris was cut off when she heard some roaring overhead; looking up, Iris and the present members of Team Scorn saw that Dawn and Trip were flying overhead on Palkia and Dialga. "Oi, Iris!" Trip called down, "Need a hand?"
"Totally!" Iris immediately said, relieved that she had backup now, "We need-" Iris got cut off when the present members of Team Scorn threw a bunch of smoke bombs all over the place, creating a large cloud of smoke that obscured vision. The smoke, in addition to blocking sight, filled Iris's nostrils and kept her from being able to smell. And she coughed so hard that she couldn't hear Team Scorn around her flee. Dawn and Trip who flew above saw Team Scorn fleeing and were prepared to give chase, with Dawn figuring that she and Trip could catch them in a pincer attack.
However, right as the Berlitz siblings were about to pursue the Scarf Sector's command structure, a teen girl's voice could be heard crying out in frightened panic, "Someone help me! My classmate's been shot in the chest!"
Dawn and Trip both jerked back out of shock, unable to believe what they had just heard. A student had been shot? Looking down, Dawn and Trip saw one of the girls from the field trip from Blackthorn City Academy; she was fair skinned, slender, had dark hair in a short hime cut, and she had a sort of rock music loving vibe going about her. Dawn and Trip, along with Iris when she got out of the smoke, went to see this girl, with Dawn and Trip landing their legendary dragons, getting off, and recalling them before asking for more details.
"What's your name?" Dawn asked the crying student.
Settling down, the crying girl said, "Trina. I'm in Suwabe-sensei's class at Blackthorn City Academy."
"That's the same class that Ayane came from before she got booted from the academy," Trip said.
Nodding once, the now identified Trina said, "Y-Yeah. Me, Colleen, Felecia, Caitlin, and Monica are all still in shock that Ayane had actually joined Team Scorn. And that's not even getting into how the girls in Matsuda-sensei's class feel about what Ayane had done."
"Anyway, you said someone in your class was..." Dawn began, swallowing a lump in her throat. "...Was shot in the chest."
Nodding once, Trina said, "Y-Yeah. It's one of the boys that my boyfriend Kyle is friends with, that Katsuku guy who-"
"KATSUKU'S BEEN SHOT?!"
END, CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINE
Author's notes;
This chapter sees the Team Scorn attack that had interrupted the exhibition match between Ash and Serena. During all of the fighting, many people give their all to drive off Team Scorn, with Iris alone deciding to challenge the whole of the Scarf Sector's command structure (I'm confirming here and now that Iris actually would have lost to Admin Mage and his posse, albeit barely just, had Dawn and Trip not shown up and driven them off, meaning she would have failed to get the revenge she wants). Ash and Serena have their own time fighting off Team Scorn, and Serena was this close to confessing to Ash how she feels about him, what she feels for him, but Ideku showing up to offer aid in driving off Team Scorn cuts off that confession.
It's not just the heroes and their peers who were fighting Team Scorn; the students from the field trip from Blackthorn Academy are also there on Manalo Island, and Katsuku leads a group of his friends and two classmates in fighting some Team Scorn members led by Captain Zed. Just as Katsuku and his group were about to pull off a win, Zed in a cowardly act he'd claim was bold and authoritative pulls out his gun and shoots Katsuku right in the chest, dropping him to the ground. Faba, formerly of Aether Foundation but now a newly minted Team Scorn Captain, admonishes Zed for his recklessness before he urges him and the others to come with him to provide a bit of backup to Mage and his team.
Over at Mage's team's location, they get driven off by Dawn and Trip showing up before they're able to beat Iris, and the members of Team Scorn decided to use smoke bombs to cover their trail. Although the smoke bombs stop Iris who's on the ground, Dawn and Trip who are high enough up in the air are unaffected and are able to see Team Scorn as they flee. But a girl from Blackthorn City Academy runs in screaming for help, saying one of her classmates had been shot in the chest. Dawn and Trip are forced to help her, and that's when they learn to their shocked horror that Katsuku had been the one who had been shot in the chest. Things are going to be continuing in the next chapter after this, so until then take care.
Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Tsukune (Palkia), Kurumu (Groudon), Fangfang (Yveltal), Ruby (Reshiram), Zyuoh (Solgaleo)
Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand) Roshi (male Torterra), Badeeyaa (Xurkitree), Zamasu (Necrozma), Shenron (Rayquaza), Porunga (Zygarde), Black (Giratina; Origin Forme)
Trip's Pokémon: (on hand) Myde (male Emploeon), Deelia (Dialga), Gypsy Danger (female Togekiss), Space Kitta (Celesteela), Foruze (male Electivire), Suzaku (male Primarina)
Ash's Pokémon: (on hand) Pikachu (male), Greninja (male), Inciniroar (male), Decidueye (male; Hisuian), Goodra (male), Naganadel (gender unknown)