Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai
Chapter Ninety-eight: Fossil Force
Dawn and Kenny, after some extensive traveling, made it to Fallarbor Town. "Mmm mmm mmm," Kenny hummed as he stretched his arms into the air, even popping his back a little bit, "So this is what Fallarbor Town is like. We ought to get on over to the Pokémon Center."
Dawn nodded in agreement. "Yes. We need to rest, as well as have our parties looked at. They need to rest too, especially since we got gym battles in Lavaridge Town waiting a head of us AFTER we check up on Professor Cozmo here."
"Excuse me," a man's voice called out, catching the attention of the reborn trainers, "But did you say you're looking for me?" Dawn and Kenny looked over and saw approaching them a man dressed as what one would expect a scientist working in a lab to be dressed. Gesturing to himself, the man said, "I'm Professor Cozmo, and I work here in Fallarbor Town on studying meteors."
"Did Steven Stone contact you recently?" Dawn asked.
The now identified Cozmo nodded once in the affirmative, sighed in a troubled tone. "Yes. He told me that Team Scorn has operations in the Hoenn region now, and that I might be a target." Cozmo shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time a villainous organization was after me for one reason or another."
"Well my man man here and I came here to Fallarbor Town to stop whatever it is that Team Scorn might have cooked up," Kenny assured, "But first, let's head on over to the local Pokémon Center so we can have our Pokémon looked at after the long trip we took to get here." Cozmo was not about to argue with that, so he proceeded to follow the reborn trainers over to the Fallarbor Town Pokémon Center, where they would discuss what it was that Team Scorn might be interested in with the work that Cozmo does in Fallarbor Town.
A short while later in the front lobby of the Fallarbor Town Pokémon Center, Dawn and Kenny, while their Pokémon were being looked at, sat at a table with the professor to discuss what it was that Team Scorn might be after. "You say that you do research into meteors, right?" Dawn began, "Maybe you have some small ones that fell down from the stars above?"
Cozmo nodded once in confirmation. "I do have a few, yes," Cozmo confirmed, "Seven to be exact. More meteorites than anything, with the biggest one being about as big as my head, and the smallest about the size of my hand when curled into a fist. If the meteorites are the prize that Team Scorn seeks from me, then they would just need sufficient numbers to both keep the attention of everyone who confronts them at my lab AND to carry the meteorites away. They probably wouldn't even need one person per meteorite either, given that the smaller ones are light enough that multiple of them can be carried by one person. Heck, even I can carry the four lightest meteorites on my own for a length of time if need be, and I'm far from the most physically fit or strong man out there."
Dawn nodded in understanding. "Team Scorn would probably think that the meteorites would sell for a decently sized payday in the black market to collectors of less than moral standing." Gesturing to Professor Cozmo, Dawn asked, "Do you at least have the meteorites in some manner of safe or something?"
Before Cozmo could answer, a young adult woman dressed similarly to the professor came rushing into the Pokémon Center. "Sir!" the young adult woman cried out in clear alarm, "Something terrible's happening!"
Right away, Cozmo and the reborn trainers stood up from their seats at the table they were at. "What's happening at our lab?" Cozmo demanded.
The confused look on the young adult woman's face told Dawn, Kenny, and Cozmo that Cozmo might have guessed wrong. "...Nothing's happening at the lab, sir," replied the young adult woman, "The terrible thing is that there's a bunch of those horrid Team Scorn persons that we heard about in the news over in Lavaridge Town right now."
"Team Scorn is in Lavaridge Town?!" Dawn exclaimed. Before anyone else could speak up, the Nurse Joy at that Pokémon Center came over to inform Dawn and Kenny that their respective Pokémon are fully checked out and in perfect form.
And not a moment too soon; after collecting their respective parties, Dawn and Kenny told Professor Cozmo that they'll be back after checking out things in Lavaridge Town, before the both of them rushed outside, called out Tsukune and Black, hopped onto the backs of their respective legendary dragons, then took off into the air to make a beeline straight for Lavaridge Town.
...
"So Team Scorn is directly going after the Pokémon fossils," Dawn said grimly as she and Kenny soared to Lavaridge Town.
"I'm starting to think that Team Scorn may not actually be interested in collecting Cozmo's meteorites after all," Kenny remarked.
Dawn's expression changed to match her aforementioned tone; despite how the meteorites could have been a fat paycheck for Team Scorn, they skipped them in favor of a confirmed goal. It wasn't the first time that Team Scorn was knowingly, willingly, actively skipping a potential income in favor of something not as valuable in theory; as a matter of fact, Team Scorn's very first act, their attack on Azalea Town in the Johto region, saw them truly aiming for the apricorn pokéballs that Kurt makes, even though there were loads of Slowpokes to take their valuable tails from.
Looking a head, it was Kenny who first spotted some buildings. "There's Lavaridge Town right there," Kenny pointed out.
Dawn nodded once. "Let's hope that we aren't too late to stop them."
Down in Lavaridge Town, various townsfolk were running around, trying to fight off the invasion of members of Team Scorn. Looking outward into where a crowd of Team Scorn grunts had gathered in front of a house that he stood in front of, Steven Stone grimaced bitterly at the opposition as he called out a Skarmory and an Aggron. "I have no idea what you bastards are here in Lavaridge Town for," Steven swore, "But don't think that I'll roll over and let you go about your business as you please!"
"We're only here to collect two Pokémon fossils that we have it on good authority are being held here in Lavaridge Town," one male Team Scorn grunt spoke up, "Admin Ninja won't tolerate failure on our part here!"
Steven scowled at the speaking Team Scorn grunt. "Yeah, I heard that you guys recently saw some success in the form of ambushing the Devon Corporation helicopters that were taking parts from New Mauville, after said helicopters took the shipment from Mauville City and was on their way to Devon Corpotation in Rustboro City." The champion of Hoenn furrowed his brows. "At least you bastards had the decency to not kill any of the men in those helicopters."
"Taking lives is nasty business without a good excuse," the speaking Team Scorn grunt replied, before he boldly took a step forward. "Anyway, those fossils. We know full well that they're being kept here in Lavaridge Town, and you're standing protectively in front of that house. You're the champion of Hoenn, Mr. Steven Stone. The fact that a person of your station would personally stand guard in front of some out of the way random house tells me that the fossils might be inside."
Steven's glare persisted. "...And if they are?"
"Then everyone here and I," the speaking Team Scorn grunt said, gesturing to all of the other grunts with him, "Will swamp you with our superior numbers and storm the place by force. With the numbers we have here, even the champion of Hoenn can't keep up!"
"What if he's backed up by the champion of Sinnoh?!"
The Team Scorn grunts and Steven all looked over when they heard a girl's voice call out, only to see Dawn and Kenny come riding in on their respective legendary dragons. The present Team Scorn grunts panicked upon seeing Palkia and Giratina land before Dawn and Kenny got off of them. "We heard what was going on here from the Pokémon Center over in Fallarbor Town," Dawn said to Steven, "We flew here as quickly as we could."
Steven, despite his previous position against the horde of Team Scorn grunts, couldn't help but smirk. "Glad that you two were able to come here for the party." The Team Scorn grunts, despite dealing with three trainers where the first is a champion, the second owns a legendary, and the third is a champion AND owns a legendary, still felt emboldened due to their sheer numbers, thus they tried fighting it out anyway. But even with their quantity, it wasn't enough to overcome the quality that they were staring down against. The mass number of Team Scorn grunts were forced to flee once every last one of their Pokémon were knocked out.
After the Team Scorn grunts were sent packing with their tails between their legs, Dawn and Kenny turned to look at Steven. "...We have reason to believe that Professor Cozmo in Fallarbor Town may not be an actual target for Team Scorn after all," Dawn remarked.
"Yeah," Steven replied, "They're clearly after goods that come from our planet here. Mainly the fossils in the house behind me."
Dawn and Kenny turned their attention to the house behind Steven. "I see," Dawn remarked.
Steven nodded once before going on, "Those rank and file from Team Scorn that we had just sent packing were able to reason out that the fossils might be in the house that I'm guarding. That being said, they may return with backup to try again at overwhelming us with sheer numbers so that they can storm the house by force and simply take the fossils."
"That being the case," Dawn said, "We're going to have to buckle down here, although if what you say is true, then we might need some-"
"Espeon!"
"Hey Psiana, wait up!"
Dawn and the boys were cut off when they heard a voice that, to the reborn trainers at least, sounded familiar. Looking over, Dawn, Kenny, and Steven saw Ideku Badorigo come jogging up, following after an Espeon. "Ideku!" Kenny greeted in an amused, happy tone, "Boy, are we glad to see you!"
"I bet you aren't glad with the presence of Team Scorn here in Lavaridge Town for whatever crazy reason they have," Ideku replied, "I came here solely because I had wanted to check out the local Pokémon gym. I was NOT expecting to run into any of those Team Scorn bastards."
Steven gave Ideku a strong look of consideration. "...I heard of you from Lance, the champion of the Indigo League. You're Ideku Badorigo, aren't you?"
The roaming trainer turned his attention to the Hoenn champion. "I am, yes."
"Then that means you're a trainer of both skill and strength," Steven said, "That being said, I could really use your help in defending the house behind me from any efforts the Team Scorn forces here in Lavaridge Town might make on it."
"Long story short, dude," Kenny began to explain, "There's a pair of Pokémon fossils in the house behind us, and we're trying to keep Team Scorn from going inside to take them."
Ideku's attention drifted to the house behind Dawn and the boys. "...Pokémon fossils, huh?" Ideku stared for a bit before turning his attention back to the other heroes. "You know, it's funny. I've al-"
"Champion Steven! You and your companions there will be surrendering to us!"
Ideku was cut off when a firm yet somewhat young male voice called out, making the defenders of the house turn to see Team Scorn Captain Ayumu, his pink haired assistant Kimura, and about a dozen regular Team Scorn grunts all standing there. Ayumu pointed at the four defenders, mainly Steven. "Stand aside now, or my men here and I will NOT hesitate to use force!" Ayumu threatened, sending out his Salazzle while Kimura sent out a Salandit and the unnamed grunts sent out a mix of Pokémon that one would expect bad guy team grunts in Hoenn to use.
The force from Team Scorn, though they held the numbers advantage, were still foolhardy in challenging the defenders of the house where the fossils were being kept. Steven, Dawn, Kenny, and Ideku never recalled any of the Pokémon that they respectively had out, meaning that among other things Team Scorn should have easily seen the pair of giant legendary dragon Pokémon who were standing right there. Ideku, though he owned nothing anywhere near as impressive as Palkia or Giratina, still held a burning desire to stop Team Scorn's actions here in Lavaridge Town, thus he sent out his Pidgeot to back his Espeon up.
Pointing forward, Ideku said, "Psiana, use Pyschic on Salazzle! Tauboss, use Aerial Ace on Salandit!"
Ideku sending his Pokémon in to fight prompted Dawn, Kenny, and Steven to do the same. Aggron and Skarmory took out a Golbat each, as did Black, while Tsukune swamped all other Team Scorn owned Pokémon not already being targeted by breathing a Flamethrower breath weapon and sweeping it from side to side. The forces from Team Scorn were able to land some hits on both of Steven's Pokémon, but unevolved Pokémon using non-super effective attacks on champion-raised steel types with good defensive stats will only do so much. Regardless, every Pokémon that the Team Scorn forces there had out were defeated.
The second round began when Ayumu sent out a Whimsicott, Kimura sent out a second Salandit, and the other Team Scorn grunts sent out more Pokémon that were common fare for villainous team grunts in Hoenn. "Tauboss, use Aerial Ace on Whimsicott!" Ideku called out, "Psiana, use Psychic on Salandit!"
The other defenders of the house called out various orders as well, and the melee resumed. Espeon and Pidgeot took out their designated targets, thus defeating the leader of the Team Scorn attack on Lavaridge Town and his assistant. This left Dawn, Kenny, and Steven with taking out the fodder grunts, ending things in round two about as quickly as the previous round had been wrapped up. After the last of the Team Scorn owned Pokémon were recalled, Ayumu grimaced.
"...We're defeated here, men," Ayumu admitted, "We need to fall back and pull out of Lavaridge Town." Team Scorn proceeded to flee, from both the house they tried to target and out of Lavaridge Town itself. The defenders of the house, not wanting to push things, decided that for now, it was best to simply let Team Scorn flee with their tails between their legs.
They had foiled Team Scorn's plans and kept them from getting what they wanted; this was a victory for them.
About an hour later, police in Lavaridge Town were gathering statements, not just from Dawn, Kenny, Steven, and Ideku, but also the rest of those who had also fought against Team Scorn's attack on Lavaridge Town. As Dawn and Kenny were thanking Ideku for his help, the three of them were approached by Steven, who was putting a cell phone away as he approached them. "I just finished talking to my father," Steven said, "A fleet of Devon Corporation helicopters is on its way to Lavaridge Town to pick up the fossils. I'll be going with them personally for added security."
"So the fossils will be guarded right over at Devon Corporation," Dawn remarked.
Steven nodded once in the affirmative. "Guarded and revived." That last part caught the attention of Dawn, Kenny, and Ideku. "Yeah, my father told me that the machine that revives Pokémon from fossils, despite how the special parts from New Mauville were stolen en route from Mauville City to Rustboro City-"
"Those parts were stolen?!" Kenny nearly exclaimed, with Dawn looking likewise shocked.
Steven realized that this was Dawn and Kenny's first hearing of those parts being stolen after all. "...Yes, Team Scorn ambushed the transport from Mauville City to Rustboro City. But that's irrelevant now. Anyway, Despite how Team Scorn did successfully steal those parts, the fossil revival machine has still been upgraded, so now it can revive Pokémon from fossils a lot quicker and more efficiently. Father already plans to revive the two fossils into Pokémon as soon as they're brought over to Devon Corporation, meaning we'll be seeing an Anorith and a Lileep revived into modern times within quick order. That being said."
The champion of Hoenn gestured to Dawn, Kenny, and Ideku. "Father said that, as you three helped me defend the fossils from being taken by Team Scorn, that you ought to be the first in line to choose if you want either Anorith or Lileep. You're notable trainers from foreign regions that Hoenn wants to ally with against the looming threat of Team Scorn, and father said that it'd be better to, at the very least, first offer the Anorith and Lileep that will be revived from the fossils to trainers who will train and use them against Team Scorn before offering them to wealthy persons who'd just keep them as pets."
Dawn and especially the boys looked interested in how the Pokémon that will be revived from the fossils are first being offered to them. Folding his arms over his chest, Steven went on, "But there are three of you, and there will only be one each of Anorith and Lileep, for a total of only two Pokémon. You'll have to decide between the three of you who gets to pick one of the-"
"Actually, Steven," Dawn interjected, "Kenny had stated to me a while ago an interest he had in getting a Pokémon revived from a fossil, so he can pick before me if he wants either Anorith or Lileep. Same deal goes for Ideku if he wants to pick one of them."
Steven looked a bit surprised by Dawn letting the boys go before her. "...Are you sure, Dawn?" Steven asked, "It's not everyday one gets the chance to obtain a Pokémon revived from a fossil."
"Actually, I already own such a Pokémon," Dawn explained, "My Rampardos, Souji. I got him as a Craniados that was revived from a fossil in Oreburgh City in the Sinnoh region." Gesturing to Kenny and Ideku behind her, Dawn went on, "The boys behind me can get first dibs on choosing if they want the Anorith and Lileep that will be revived from those fossils."
The champion of Hoenn looked mildly amused by Dawn letting the boys go on ahead of her when it came to deciding if they wanted to pick from the Pokémon that are going to be revived from the fossils. "Very well," Steven said, "The boys here will get first go at picking between Anorith and Lileep." To the three heroes who helped him, Steven went on, "Anyway, I'm going to go wait with the fossils at the house they're being kept at. The helicopters will arrive at that house, and I'll help load the fossils into the helicopters and go with them back to Devon Corporation." Steven then turned around and went off, leaving Dawn and the boys be.
After Steven was gone, Ideku got the attention of the reborn trainers. "Are... are you sure you're okay with letting me go before you, Dawn?" Ideku asked.
"Well you did defeat the Team Scorn officer who led the attack on Lavaridge Town, Ideku," Dawn pointed out, "That has to receive some form of recognition."
"And she already owns a Pokémon revived from a fossil like she said," Kenny added, "When the topic was first brought up to us over in Rustboro City and the offer of one of them between Anorith and Lileep was made to Dawn, I had asked her if she'd be down with letting me get one of them instead, because I don't own a Pokémon revived from a fossil yet. She had no problem with it." Dawn nodded to confirm what Kenny said.
Ideku smiled, a small but sincere one. "...The truth of the matter is that I've always wanted a Pokémon revived from a fossil too. And now I'm set up to get one. I do feel kind of bad someone else has the chance but it giving it up, though..."
Dawn waived off the worries of the second born Badorigo son. "Like what's been said, I already have a Pokémon revived from a fossil. And besides, I'm voluntarily stepping to the side on the matter to let someone else go on ahead of me. I'm not giving it up due to forceful coercion."
That last bit resonated a little within Ideku. "...Yeah, I've already gotten my fill of being forcefully coerced to give up a chance at something awesome, of having the chance to do something awesome taken from me without my even knowing about it." The older trainer gently shook his head as if to banish bad thoughts from his mind. "...So what will you guys do until those Pokémon are revived from fossils? I was going to check out the gym here in Lavaridge Town."
"That's what Dawn and I were going to do here when we got to Lavaridge Town," Kenny said, "We're going to be banging on the gym leader's door soon enough."
"Well I wish you luck in your endeavors," Ideku said before turning around to take off, leaving the reborn trainers be.
After Ideku was gone, Dawn and Kenny turned to face one another. "We should track down Flannery," Dawn said, "She how she's doing."
"Flannery?" Kenny said in a mildly confused tone.
Sighing, Dawn pulled out the cheat sheet supplied to her and Kenny by May and Max, detailing the eight Hoenn gyms. "Flannery is the gym leader here in Lavaridge Town," Dawn pointed out, "And there was literally just a Team Scorn attack in Lavaridge Town. No doubt Flannery fought to defend Lavaridge Town."
"Oh yeah," Kenny said as Dawn put the cheat sheet away, "We should go find her." The two reborn trainers then took off further into Lavaridge Town, hoping to track down where Flannery was at. Aside from checking up on her to see if she's doing alright, the reborn trainers also needed to know where they could find her so that they could challenge her one at a time in order to get what will be their respective fifth Hoenn gym badges.
About fifteen or so minutes later, after receiving directions from a kindly old lady, Dawn and Kenny made a beeline right for Flannery's gym. They picked up the pace once they actually saw the gym itself, but Dawn and Kenny stopped short upon feeling the ground shake. "...That felt like an Earthquake attack coming from the gym," Dawn remarked.
"Is Flannery battling a challenger right now?" Kenny asked.
Getting Kenny to follow her, Dawn said, "Let's go see."
...
"Torkoal, use Body Slam!"
"Morlord, use Waterfall!"
Flannery, the leader of the Lavaridge Town Pokémon gym, was actually battling Ideku right now. She had her Torkoal out, and judging by the scoreboard Torkoal was Flannery's only Pokémon left. As for Ideku, it showed that he had used only his named Quagsire thus far. The two Pokémon slammed into one another, Torkoal using Body Slam and Quaqsire using Waterfall. They pushed back against one another in what seemed to be a stalemate that could break at any moment.
Eventually that stalemate did break in favor of Ideku's named Quaqsire, who had type advantage working for it. Morlord slammed right into Torkoal's face with Waterfall, sending Torkoal reeling back as it cried out in pain. Eventually, Torkoal landed on the back of its shell, its head hanging over as Torkoal wore an expression on its face that made it clear it had been knocked out. "Torkoal is unable to battle!" the referee overseeing the match called out, "The winner is Morlord!" Gesturing to Ideku, the referee declared, "Victory of this battle goes to the challenger, Ideku Badorigo!"
Flannery, despite having lost, couldn't help but smile a little as she recalled her fainted Torkoal. "Not bad, kid," Flannery said, "Not bad at all. I guess what you said about having placed first in a Johto League Conference a while ago wasn't hot air after all. Anyway, I believe that I owe you a Heat Badge now." Flannery then walked over to Ideku and handed to him a Heat Badge.
It was right as the Heat Badge was placed into Ideku's right hand that Dawn and Kenny came running in. "Ideku?" Dawn called out, getting Ideku, Flannery, and the referee to turn to look over, "Did you cause that Earthquake Kenny and I felt on the way to see the gym here?"
"Well technically it was Morlord," Ideku said while gesturing to his named Quagsire. After putting his newly earned badge away, Ideku said, "Anyway, it figures you guys would seek out the gym here. Sorry that I beat you to it, heh."
"And it looks like I'll have my hands full tomorrow, from the looks of it," Flannery said as she regarded Dawn and Kenny, "I'd take one of you on sometime later today, but my Pokémon and I only really had time to squeeze in one challenge to the gym today, because of those bastard Team Scorn bastards attacking Lavaridge Town for who knows what reason." Gesturing to Ideku, Flannery went on, "And Ideku here just got done whumping me in a battle, so I'll need time to rest my Pokémon anyway."
Dawn nodded in understanding. "Fair enough." Turning to look at Ideku, Dawn asked, "Where will you be going next?"
"Well I need to head on over to Petalburg City to challenge the gym leader there," Ideku said, "But I'll be passing through Rustboro City on the way. I got it from Steven that, by this time tomorrow, the fossils taken from here to Devon Corporation will have been revived into Pokémon."
"Wait, what's this about fossils and the Hoenn champ?" Flannery asked, looking a mite lost.
"We'll tell you later," Kenny replied, "It's kind of secret because of how Team Scorn was involved." Ideku then took off from the Lavaridge Town gym, to head out towards Rustboro City before swinging by Petalburg City to take on what will be the next gym in his trek through the Hoenn region.
After Ideku was gone (again), Dawn and Kenny turned to look at Flannery to make arrangements on them challenging her so that they can try to earn a Heat Badge each. Flannery said that she'd take on the first one between the two of them first thing in the morning at eight, as her Pokémon ought to be ready by then. The reborn trainers thanked Flannery for her time, then took off for the local Pokémon Center. They got boarding there for the night in the bunk room, but neither went to sleep quickly that night.
The excitement from the day where they fought off Team Scorn aside, Dawn and Kenny were getting ready to go after what will be their respective fifth Hoenn gym badges. Additionally, they'd swing by Rustboro City before heading off for Fortree City because the fossil Pokémon ought to be ready by then, and Kenny said that he couldn't wait to add a fossil Pokémon to his cringe posse.
A lot was happening, it would seem.
END, CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT
Author's notes;
As it turned out, Professor Cozmo in Fallarbor Town was NOT a target for Team Scorn after all, given that Team Scorn went right for Lavaridge Town to get their hands on those Pokémon fossils. But thanks to the timely arrival of Dawn and Kenny, the heroes were able to repel Team Scorn, with Ideku even taking out the Team Scorn officer who was leading the siege on Lavaridge Town. Then after arrangements are made for Kenny and Ideku to each get one of the Pokémon that will be revived from the fossils that were taken from Lavaridge Town to Rustboro City, Ideku went to the Lavaridge Town gym to challenge, and ended up beating, Flannery, with both Dawn and Kenny showing up just in time to see Ideku get a Heat Badge.
After Ideku leaves, arrangements are made for Dawn and Kenny to take on Flannery so they could both try to earn Heat Badges. That mess will be covered in the next chapter, so don't turn that dial.
Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Shadow (male Gastrodon; west sea), Zatch (male Makuhita; shiny), Tsukune (Palkia), Lynn (female Floatzel), Argent (male Arcanine; Hisuian; alpha)
Kenny's Pokémon: (one hand) Kermit (male Politoed), Elay (male Sandslash; shiny), Goofy (male Houndoom), Godzilla (male Tyranitar), Ban (male Sableye), Black (Giratina)