Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai
Chapter Seventy-two: Action in the Azaleas, Part two
Dawn, riding on the back of her alpha Hisuian Arcanine Argent, sped off in the direction of the home of Kurt the pokéball expert. Dawn, as well as her friend Kenny, were both surprised upon walking out of the local Pokémon Center in Azalea Town to see that loads of grunts belonging to a criminal team that was calling themselves Team Scorn were battling pretty much everyone who had the bad timing to cross paths with them.
To make matters worse, Team Scorn here in Azalea Town was attacking two points of interest at once while the bulk of the grunts occupied anyone who tried to stop them. Kurt the pokéball expert, who makes special pokéballs out of apricorns, is one such target. Dawn, however, had no idea at the moment why the Team Scorn members here in Azalea Town would focus any specific amount of effort at all on Kurt, especially over the other confirmed target.
Speaking of, the other target, Slowpoke Well, is also concerning to Dawn. She recalled how the Slowpoke in Azalea Town are highly revered by the local populace. She also recalls how the tails of Slowpoke are apparently a big cash cow. The reborn trainer had a very strong feeling that Team Scorn was using their attack on Kurt as a distraction in the hopes of distracting as many people as possible away from their attack on the Slowpokes and their (apparently) valuable tails.
Luckily for Dawn and Kenny, they were two. Dawn had Kenny go to Slowpoke Well to deal with the Team Scorn members who were there while Dawn herself took on rushing to Kurt's aid. Kenny going to stop the Team Scorn members at Slowpoke Well was something of a gambit on Dawn's part to help make Kenny as much of a hero to the people of Azalea Town as possible, given how much the Slowpoke are revered in Azalea Town.
That, and the reborn trainers got it down that the only ranking member of Team Scorn currently in Azalea Town was at Slowpoke Well. Dawn figured that Kenny would like it if he got to face the only member of Team Scorn at Azalea Town above the level of grunt. That being said, Dawn hoped that Kenny would be alright when all was said and done; this is literally their first time ever having heard of or even seeing Team Scorn.
Neither Dawn nor Kenny had any idea what to expect exactly.
Over at Slowpoke Well, Team Scorn Captain Zed was standing back watching all of the Team Scorn grunts working under him doing literally all of the work in their efforts at Slowpoke Well. "Sir, we've subdued six of the ten trainers who came here to confront us in efforts to save the Slowpoke," the Team Scorn grunt identified as Kenji said.
"Excellent work," Zed replied, "No doubt Admin Brother will be pleased to hear of my brave and glorious efforts here at Slowpoke Well. That promotion to First Captain of the Katana Sector is as good as mine."
Kenji, in a long suffering tone, muttered something under his breath too quietly for Zed to hear or make out properly. Not that it mattered anyway, given that Zed was boasting to the subdued trainers, mostly about himself but he did also speak highly about Team Scorn as a whole. "You won't get away with this, you jerks," one subdued female trainer spat bitterly, "Karma will come in and give you what you have coming for daring to harm the Slowpokes!"
"Oh?" Zed replied, turning to face the subdued trainer who talked back at him, "You do realize that you're talking to a captain of Team Scorn, don't you? Not even your local gym leader can defeat the likes of someone as great and exalted as me. You'd be very hard pressed to find someone who can give my hide a hard pounding!"
"MAAAAAAACHAAAAAAAMP!"
Zed and the Team Scorn grunts working under him at Slowpoke Well all stopped short when they heard a random Machamp cry out in aroused, sensual pleasure. Looking over, it was Kenji who first spotted Kenny near the entrance to Slowpoke Well, accompanied by both a Machamp and a shiny Sandslash. "Which one of you jokers is the head nacho leading the Team Scorn efforts here in Azalea Town?!" Kenny asked, "I wanna know so I can call you over to give you your whooping that you got coming!"
"I believe that the term you're looking for is head honcho, not head nacho," Kenji said to Kenny, "And furthermore, yo-"
Kenji was cut off when Zed said to Kenny, "Young man, it's best that you surrender to us and let us go about our business here. You don't want me to have to soundly whip you in battle, do you?"
All that Zed's attempt to intimidate Kenny into yielding did was make Kenny focus on him. "So you're the top dog here, I take it?"
"Indeed I am," Zed replied, "I am Zed, Second Captain of Team Scorn's Katana Sector. Although with my inevitable success here in the efforts against Azalea Town, my sector's admin is bound to give me a promotion to First Captain."
Kenny merely looked at Zed as if he couldn't wait to start whooping the rear end of the Team Scorn captain. "More like your inevitable failure. Now that I'm here, you and all of your little buddies here will taste the wrath of cringe!"
Zed gave an amused bark of laughter in response. "At least one of the foolhardy would be heroes has some chest hair! It'll be amusing to watch you inevitably fall to my men in battle."
"Umm, sir, I don't think we should take this new comer lightly," Kenji advised, "He's clearly not like any of the trainers we've dealt with here before he showed up, given that said trainers are really only Azalea Town citizens using the Pokémon they keep as pets to try fighting us off. This boy obviously has more experience, not to mention clearly stronger Pokémon."
"So have the men all gang up on him," Zed replied, "Do I have to think of everything Kenji, even though I am by far the smartest member of Team Scorn taking part in the efforts against Azalea Town?"
Sighing, Kenji pointed out, "Sir, most of the men here are still occupied with battles against some of the other trainers who came here to try to save the Slowpokes. At most, only two other men are free to battle this newcomer."
"Counting you, right?" Zed asked.
"No," Kenji replied, "It'd be three counting me, beca-" Stopping short with a look of realization on his face, Kenji then grumbled as he said, "Aww geez."
Indeed, at Zed's command, Kenji and the other two available Team Scorn grunts went on in to challenge Kenny, who merely called Goofy out since he saw this was going to be something of a triple battle. "Men, trust me when I say that this will be a glorious day of victory for Team Scorn," Zed began as he stood back and watched while those under him did all of the work, "As it'll be the day I achieve recognition for my gallant bravery on the battlefield against all of those who were foolhardy enough to challenge us."
Kenny, looking right at Zed before the battle began, pointed at him and said, "When I get to battling you, I'm going to enjoy whooping your sorry rear end."
...
Over at Kurt's house in Azalea Town, Kurt himself was standing back and watching in concern as Bugsy, the local gym leader in Azalea Town, was trying to fight off four Team Scorn grunts all at once. As skilled of a trainer as Bugsy is, given that he's a gym leader and notably young for one, he was still facing steep odds due to how heavily outnumbered he was.
"Bugsy, are you doing alright?" Kurt asked in concern.
Bugsy, who was commanding his Scyther, grimaced out of anger. "I'm in a bit of a bind here, given that my Spinarak and Metapod both went down, and I only got Scyther left. What's worse is how it's obvious I'm being kept here because these Team Scorn jokers want to keep me from interfering with their efforts over at Slowpoke Well." Bugsy's Scyther, also angry at Team Scorn, was panting with exhaustion, and was clearly banged up.
The first Team Scorn grunt there, also the only one who's a girl, smirked in amusement. "Well, well, well! It seems not even gym leaders can stand up to Team Scorn!" boasted the female Team Scorn grunt. To the male grunts with her, the female Team Scorn grunt said, "Boys, I get the feeling that our business here will be easy to han-"
"Argent, use Bulldoze!"
The female Team Scorn grunt was cut off when the ground began to shake all around everyone, damaging the two Rattata and one Spinarak that the male grunts had out, plus the Sentret that the female grunt had out. Bugsy's Scyther, being part flying type, was not harmed because it was flying in place a few inches above the ground. Confused and surprised, the Team Scorn grunts all turned to see who it was that had shown up.
To their surprise, they saw Dawn ride up on the back of her alpha Hisuian Arcanine. After hopping off of Argent's back, Dawn stood next to her Pokémon as she addressed the Team Scorn grunts. "You all will surrender," Dawn said evenly, her tone brokering no quarter, "I will not hesitate to put you all in your place if you don't comply."
"Pfft, yeah right," the female Team Scorn grunt scoffed, "You only were able to do damage to our Pokémon due to getting the drop on us. But now that we know that you're involved, we won't give you another-"
"H-Hey wait," Kurt said, cutting the female Team Scorn grunt off, "I recognize that girl with the epic Arcanine! My old colleague Oak told me about her, even showed me a picture!" Looking at Dawn directly, Kurt said, "You're Dawn Berlitz, the current champion of the Sinnoh region!"
That announcement made all of the Team Scorn grunts tense up. "She's a region's champion?!" said the first male Team Scorn grunt, "Aww geez, we don't stand a chance here! Especially since the guy on the other end is still a gym leader!"
The only female Team Scorn grunt there scowled bitterly. "Damn. Even with the numbers advantage, we're clearly outgunned. And it's not like we can call for backup."
Dawn took a step forward, Argent stalking his way alongside her in a manner that intimidated the Team Scorn grunts. "So what's it going to be?" Dawn asked as she called out Chi-Chi to help even the numbers out against the Team Scorn grunts, "Will you play nice, or will Argent and Chi-Chi have to roughhouse with you all?"
...
After having no problem at all in defeating Kenji and the other two Team Scorn grunts that were sicced on him by Zed, Kenny turned his attention to the Team Scorn captain himself. "Are you ready to dance now?" Kenny asked, a wry look of amusement on his face.
Zed, although trying to keep calm, was clearly panicked. He did not expect seeing three of his men under him go down so quickly and easily. "Attention all men here!" Zed called out to the other Team Scorn members in Slowpoke Well, "If you are free to do so, get over here right now to face the boy who is challenging me! Save him the pain of me having to soundly beat him in battle!"
There was no response for a few seconds, and then one of the Team Scorn members still occupied with a battle called out, "We're all still busy! Fight that boy yourself, you cowardly blowhard!"
"Wow, even your own underlings think poorly of you," Kenny remarked, amusement clear in his tone and expression, "But seriously. Fight me."
"Now now, young man," Zed began, "There's no need to ask for a battle you stand no chance of wi-"
"FiGhT mEh!" Kenny barked, with Zarbon, Elay, and Goofy all cheering in a way that showed that they all were waiting for the fight just as much as their trainer was.
Sighing, Kenji said to Zed, "Sir, it's best that we just withdraw from here. This boy alone is enough to foil any of our efforts here at Slowpoke Well. Let's just hope the members who you had sent to handle the real objective of Team Scorn's efforts here in Azalea Town are successful enough in getting as many of those apricorn pokéballs as possible so that Admin Brother won't be too mad at you for focusing on leading the distraction here at Slowpoke Well."
"Like hell you jokers are going anywhere!" Kenny said, "Especially since it sounds like you guys have some information!"
Stepping forward, Zed said, "Very well, I shall tussle with you young man." Looking like he was reaching for some pokéballs to toss up to send Pokémon out, Zed instead quickly placed his left hand on Kenji's back and shoved him forward towards Kenny's Pokémon while saying, "Kenji, I choose you!" In the ensuing scramble of Kenny and his Pokémon pushing Kenji away, Zed quickly ran around the battle and to the ladder that led out of Slowpoke Well and climbed up it very quickly to escape.
After Zed was gone, Kenji muttered in a long suffering tone, "Aww geez."
...
In next to no time, Dawn with some aid from Bugsy defeated the four Team Scorn grunts that were trying to harass Kurt. Bugsy's last Pokémon in that fight, Scyther, ended up going down in the process, but by then the Team Scorn grunts had between them only two Pokémon remaining, which meant to Dawn that Chi-Chi and Argent didn't have to share.
After taking out the last two Pokémon that the Team Scorn grunts had, Dawn recalled Chi-Chi but kept Argent for intimidation purposes; a large rocky fire dog that's a little bit over nine feet tall is obviously going to be more intimidating than a fire monkey that's one inch shy of four feet. Dawn was banking on intimidating some answers out of the Team Scorn grunts.
"Talk," Dawn demanded, taking a step forward that intimidated the Team Scorn grunts, even more so due to how Argent copied his trainer's movements. "What are you all planning here in Azalea Town?" Dawn asked, "And while we're on the subject, who even are you guys? What's Team Scorn and what are your objectives?"
"We're honestly not sure of what the true objectives of Team Scorn are," said the lone female grunt, "The boys and I here are just part of the rank and file. We just do what the officers of Team Scorn tell us when we go out on missions with them."
That didn't surprise Dawn too much, the ranking members telling the foot soldiers as little as they can for get away with. "I can only assume that you guys attacking Mr. Kurt here," Dawn said, "As well as how your organization is attacking Slowpoke Well, is part of some far reaching, greater scheme that your officer leading this attack on Azalea Town is cooking up."
"Second Captain Zed?" said the second male grunt, "Oh no. He's leading the mission sure, but only because the task of doing so was assigned to him by Admin Brother."
So there's at least two ranks of officers in Team Scorn, captain (which is apparently divided up into sub levels like second captain and probably first captain) and admin. "Do you know why this Admin Brother person gave the mission on Azalea Town to your Second Captain?" Dawn asked, Argent adding a threatening snarl that told the grunts to answer his trainer's question.
"Probably because Captain Zed was the first captain in our sector to volunteer for it," said the sole female grunt with a shrug, "He even told all of us grunts on the way here he was going to personally oversee the attack on the Slowpokes, on the basis that it would put him quote 'on the biggest field of battle the mission has to offer' unquote."
A look of curiosity appeared on the third male grunt's face. "Which is odd considering that the grunt who more or less serves Captain Zed as an assistant, that Kenji guy, said that the orders from Admin Brother made it clear that the efforts against the Slowpoke were meant to distract as many people as possible in Azalea Town so that the true efforts made against that Kurt guy would have as little interference as possible."
Dawn, Bugsy, and especially Kurt were all surprised to hear what the third male grunt said. "So Team Scorn is here in Azalea Town," Dawn began, "Raising a ruckus all over, focusing an effort on the Slowpoke at Slowpoke Well, in order to provide as much of a cover as possible for you guys to harass Mr. Kurt?"
"We're as lost as you are," the female grunt said with a shrug, "I mean, what makes one lone old man so special that he's designated as the primary objective of Team Scorn's mission here in Azalea Town? Especially over the local Slowpoke who are treated as pampered royalty here. I mean, I got it down that the tails of Slowpoke can be sold for a cool payday. Why pass up so many paychecks in favor of harassing one old man?"
Dawn herself was also confused. As it turned out, Kenny was sent to deal with the distraction while Dawn herself ended up dealing with the true aim of Team Scorn's efforts here in Azalea Town. But the female grunt had a point; Dawn remembered from the video games in her previous life that the tails of Slowpoke were always sold for exorbitant sums, usually more than the max amount of cash a player character can carry on hand at any one time.
If the Team Scorn members here in Azalea Town harvested the tails from all of the Slowpoke and were able to sell all of said harvested tails, they would be absolutely flushed with cash. But Dawn had it that the attack on the Slowpokes was merely a diversion. Dawn could also tell due to lack of them saying so as well as them expressing surprise over why they aren't doing so that the Team Scorn members in Azalea Town weren't going (or at least planning) to harvest even one Slowpoke tail, despite how she had seen at least one instance of Team Scorn trying to steal Pokémon from innocent persons in town.
Dawn was wracking her brain trying to figure out why Team Scorn would place harassing Kurt at a higher level of importance over the potential lottery type payday the Slowpoke tails would bring to their organization. The only thing that the reborn trainer was able to come up with was how Kurt is known to make spec-
Dawn suddenly stopped short, having thought of why Kurt was more important to Team Scorn than the local Slowpoke who are indeed revered by the locals in Azalea Town. "...You guys are after as many of the special pokéballs that Mr. Kurt's been known to make from apricorns, aren't you?"
"That... could be a reason, yeah," the first male grunt said, "I mean, I did hear how the old man can make special pokéballs out of apricorns. But if that's truly the case, then what makes the special pokéballs more important than the Slowpokes and their paycheck tails?"
As she herself was trying to figure the answer out, Dawn was distracted when an Azalea Town citizen came running in shouting, "The villains attacking Slowpoke Well are all falling back! They're fleeing Azalea Town!"
The grunts there in front of Dawn all scowled. "Feh, so whatever our mission's true goal was, we flubbed it spectacularly," the female grunt scoffed bitterly. She took out some small pellets and threw them at the ground really hard, releasing a large cloud of smoke she and the boys all used to flee while Dawn, Bugsy, Kurt, and the Azalea Town citizen all coughed and tried to waive the smoke away from their faces.
When the smoke settled, Dawn and the others saw that the Team Scorn grunts had all fled. Dawn scowled bitterly, hoping that she could have captured one for interrogation purposes. She got some details from the grunts just now, but she needed more. No, Dawn realized as she gently shook her head. Chances are that the entire world needed more. If Team Scorn is at least as much of a threat as other villainous teams, then things have just gotten loads more complicated.
Dawn was determined to figure out what exactly Team Scorn's ultimate goals are, and stop them cold.
Later that afternoon, after the last of the Team Scorn members that were in Azalea Town were confirmed to have fled (all of them unfortunately escaped any attempts at capture that were made), there was a big banquet being thrown to celebrate the efforts of all of those who fought back against Team Scorn. Another point of celebration was that, despite how some Team Scorn grunts tried to do so, not one Pokémon was stolen. There were some close calls, though.
Sadly, some Team Scorn grunts did in fact get the idea to collect tails from the Slowpokes; a total of half a dozen Slowpokes are now tail-less, and are all currently being given the very best medical treatment that the local Pokémon Center was capable of giving. Even having one Slowpoke having its tail harvested was too much for the citizens of Azalea Town, but considering the alternative, it was agreed that Azalea Town got off a hell of a lot more lightly than it should have.
Especially considering that the six Slowpoke tails were all that Team Scorn had to show for their efforts in Azalea Town. No more Slowpoke tails beyond those six, no Pokémon stolen from anyone in Azalea Town. Not even one special apricorn pokéball from Kurt, given that those pokéballs were apparently the true goal of Team Scorn's efforts in Azalea Town.
Dawn, after Kenny who saved the day at Slowpoke Well added what all info he got personally, was able to confirm that Team Scorn's true aim behind their siege on Azalea Town was getting as many of those special apricorn pokéballs that Kurt makes as possible. It still didn't make a lot of sense to Dawn for Team Scorn valuing the apricorn pokéballs over the Slowpoke Tails, though.
As Dawn sat at an outdoor table, enjoying the banquet with Kenny, Bugsy, Kurt, and Kurt's granddaughter Maizie, she was thinking hard about why Team Scorn would care about the apricorn pokéballs so much, at least more than getting any Slowpoke tails period.
"Hey Dawn, dude," Kenny said, passing Dawn a large wooden flagon (like the kind Dawn remembers seeing in some animes in her previous life) of watermelon juice, "Earth to Dawn. What's on your mind, my main man? We got a party to have here!"
"He's right young lady," Kurt remarked, "All of Azalea Town is celebrating having driven off those detestable Team Scorn villains. Why do you look grim and brooding?"
Dawn let out a huff. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Team Scorn's true goal behind their attack on Azalea Town was to get as many of the special pokéballs that you make out of apricorns as possible, Mr. Kurt."
The old man himself looked as if he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, that reminds me. The mayor of Azalea Town has commissioned me to make enough of the various pokéballs that I craft from apricorns to give three of each to you and Kenny each. He heard how you two had both fought to help repel Team Scorn, and wanted to express his gratitude. He's especially grateful to Kenny for his efforts to save the Slowpokes, and he kind of wants to get on your good side, Dawn."
"Probably because she's the champion of Sinnoh," Bugsy pointed out, before draining his own large wooden flagon (his drink was apple juice) dry. "I also got the gist of things from Champion Lance when I called him to tell him what happened," Bugsy said, "He told me he'll be here first thing in the morning to hear more in person."
That part surprised Dawn and Kenny. "Lance is coming here to Azalea Town?" Kenny asked.
"This was more or less the first that anyone has ever heard of Team Scorn," Bugsy said, his tone taking on a slight hint of seriousness, "Naturally Lance is going to want to help out with the efforts we're going to have to make against Team Scorn. Having someone at the level of region champion helping out with the efforts against Team Scorn is very reassuring, you know."
Smiling gently, Dawn said, "Then how about having two region champions helping out with the efforts against Team Scorn? Because like hell I'll stand by and do nothing if I see any Team Scorn activity going on."
Kurt let out a genuinely amused laugh. "Those jokers will be beaten down before you know it! Ah ha ha ha!"
Bugsy nodded in agreement. "Totally. With trainers like Lance and Dawn and Kenny in our corner, those Team Scorn idiots better watch out. Oh!" Turning to focus on Dawn and Kenny, Bugsy said, "Lance, when I mentioned the two of you over the phone to him, told me about how you guys are on a gym challenge tour of some kind, going from region to region while each of you earns eight badges per region. I can only assume that you guys will be aiming to challenge me at my gym as part of that."
"Will you be okay with that?" Dawn asked.
"As a gym leader, I have a moral obligation to accept any challengers," Bugsy began, "Although I have a very strong feeling I'll lose to the both of you. However, that belief actually makes me feel more reassured than less."
Both Dawn and Kenny looked confused. "Really, Bugsy?" Kenny replied.
"Because it helps to confirm that there are at least two strong trainers helping out with the fight against Team Scorn," Bugsy replied, a small smile on his face, "Anyway, I'll be ready to accept the first challenge from you guys at eight AM tomorrow morning."
Jerking a thumb at Kenny, Dawn said, "Kenny will want to be challenging you first."
Bugsy nodded in understanding. "Good. Oh, Lance told me he'll meet me at the local Pokémon Center here at seven AM tomorrow morning. He forgot where my gym is. You guys might wind up seeing him tomorrow before you see me."
"We might have time to catch up with Lance before we handle important stuff," Kenny pointed out to Dawn, a point she nodded in agreement with. There was still loads that Dawn wanted answers to, but it was late and she was attending a celebratory banquet right now. She decided to postpone her worries about this Team Scorn problem that's cropped up to tomorrow, where she and Kenny can get into things with Bugsy and Lance.
Besides, the watermelon juice was good. Sweet and flavorful.
END, CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
Author's notes;
This chapter concludes Dawn's and Kenny's first encounter with Team Scorn. Yes, I said first encounter; they're going to show up again, mark my words. It also sets up plans for a meeting with Bugsy and Lance to discuss initial points in the efforts that'll be organized to combat Team Scorn, as well as set up plans for Dawn and Kenny taking on Bugsy in their respective bids to try to earn a Hive Badge each. Keep those peepers peeled for the next chapter.
Oh, one last thing; the hype for Scarlet and Violet has me excited, especially given the day this chapter came out (6-01-2022) is when the second trailer dropped. I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to be getting Scarlet.
Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Argent (male Arcanine; Hisuian; alpha), Vegeta (male Aipom), Amy (female Charmander), Sticks (female Cyndaquil), Dende (male Magmortar)
Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand) Zarbon (male Machamp), Hoodini (male Hoothoot), Elay (male Sandslash; shiny), Cermit (male Bulbasaur), Endive (male Chikorita), Goofy (male Houndoom)