"Control has lost the main signal!" Arianna shouted, interrupting Archer as he was giving orders.
"How?" Archer asked, just before the building vibrated like a bell that had been struck. Everyone in the command center froze for a moment and then Archer opened his mouth to speak again. There was a tremendous crash from outside the building before he could say anything.
"I don't know, but I'm betting that has something to do with it," Arianna grimaced. "Someone contact a unit who has eyes on the outside! What do the tyranitar reserves have to say?"
"They're not responding," a radio operator replied. "Their last communication was that they were moving to engage some League forces near the Silph building."
"We're getting reports that a hostile unit entered the building via the skybridge, possibly related to the forces that managed to extract the Oak boy," another operator said. "Their whereabouts are currently unknown."
"Max out the backup signals," Arianna shouted into the radio, addressing Control. "I don't care if you burn them out, keep the asset under control and get it evacuated! We'll put it in stasis until we can build a replacement system!"
"All units not on Ninth Street or undertaking operations related to Control are to proceed to the nearest evacuation point without delay," Archer ordered. "I repeat, all units not holding Ninth Street or working with Control are to proceed to the nearest evacuation point without delay."
"What are you doing?" Arianna growled. "We still need to-"
"Without the asset we have no chance against the Elite," Archer snapped back. "I'm not going to waste any lives trying to win a hopeless battle. Get Sabrina out of here and then we can evacuate Control as well."
Arianna clenched her fists and then took a deep breath.
"You're… you're correct," she managed to say. "I'll have all non-essential personnel working with Control transfer what material assets they can and evacuate. And then I'll use the guards in the building to extract Control"
"You should get out of here too," Archer said. "Set up a temporary command post by an evacuation point."
"I don't see you running," Arianna snapped. "I'll wait until you're ready to leave. Someone needs to watch your back so that we don't need to carry your bleeding carcass out of here."
Leaf and Gary waited behind a pillar while Golbat scouted the street just outside. When the pokémon gave the all-clear signal the two humans scurried out into the street. Gary winced as the downpour soaked through his clothes in seconds.
"Not even a jacket," he sighed.
"I think I saw a clothing store a few blocks away," Leaf said. "If you don't mind a little looting…"
"I know you're joking, but I just want to get out of here," Gary said, hugging himself as they ran into the alley across the street.
"I'd try to call in SAR for an extraction, but I'm not sure they have anyone who can get out here," Leaf said. "And I'm uh… supposed to be in the west part of the city helping with the general evacuation."
"Your squad didn't try to stop you from coming?"
"Our squad kinda had to scatter," Leaf said. "But I let the adults think that Aaron and I were joining up with the main force, not, you know, sneaking into the heart of enemy territory."
"Could you get in trouble for this?" Gary gulped.
"Maybe," Leaf shrugged. "But I'm not a gym trainer or anything, so other than tossing me in jail for a year, I don't think there's too much they could do."
"Well, I'm glad you came," Gary said, giving her wrist a gentle squeeze. "And I will say or do anything to help you come up with an alibi so you don't have to go to jail."
"I'm glad I'm here too," Leaf gave Gary a gentle smile and grabbed his hand in return. "But first let's go find Misty and Brock. One block west, right?"
"Yeah," Gary answered.
The two scurried in that direction, ducking through the alley and across the street. There were signs of a battle, but no people or pokémon. Leaf growled and dragged Gary across the street into another alley.
"They must've left," Gary suggested.
"'Course they did," Leaf growled. "Damnit, how are we supposed to find-" Leaf went on, but was cut off by a loud rumbling as something rushed past the other side of the alley. Leaf and Gary turned to see something stony speed by.
"Is that an onix?" Leaf asked.
"Let's just hope it's Brock's Onix," Gary muttered. "Otherwise-"
He was cut off as the street behind him cracked and the head of an onix reared over them, a dark figure on its back. Gary flinched and fell over. Leaf stepped in front of him, pokéball in hand, Golbat hovering over her shoulder.
"Wait, they're not Team Rocket," someone leaned out from behind the figure.
"And I really hope that's you, Misty," Leaf said. "Because if you're more Rockets, then I can't deal with anymore of your shit today."
"If we were Team Rocket then I don't think we'd care about that," the first figure sighed and then slid off of his Onix.
"Leaf, just what are you doing here," Misty said, sliding off the Onix behind the first figure who had to be Brock. "I thought Aaron was going to be a headache all by himself."
"I saw a chance to win a bet and I took it," Leaf said, helping Gary back to his feet. "But we don't have time for this. Aaron thinks that Team Rocket is broadcasting some control signal using the antenna tower on the top of the Silph building. He's trying to destroy it."
"That suicidal, reckless, stupid, IDIOT," Misty growled, clenching her fist.
"How's he going to get in?" Brock asked.
Leaf and Gary quickly filled Brock and Misty in on the details of Gary's escape and Aaron's plan. When they were finished, Brock turned to look at the Silph building looming over them in the darkness under the storm.
"He might be right," Brock said, "about there not being many guards on the top floors. Team Rocket probably doesn't have enough trainers to fill the city and occupy the entire building."
"I didn't think Silph had that many security guards," Misty remarked.
"They don't," Gary said. "But, it's not just security guards who, well, secure a building. All the regular occupants, everyone who works and lives in that building help. If they see someone who's not supposed to be there, they can alert security."
"I think the Silph building was designed to host over ten thousand workers," Leaf added. "That's a lot of eyes."
"They're going to have plugged the hole you used to get out," Brock said, still staring at the building. "Aaron might get in before they do that." He turned back to Misty. "We'll need to move fast."
"Right," Misty nodded.
"I'll radio HQ to send someone to pick you two up," Brock told Leaf and Gary as he remounted Onix, Misty joining him. "Onix, move that dumpster and then make a hole in the wall."
The stone serpent's tail slid by Leaf and Gary. It pokéd a dumpster out of the way and then pushed through the wall behind it, into some variety of back room.
"Get you two," Brock said. "SAR or Karen's people will be by to pick you up. Leaf, if you still have a radio-"
"I've got one," Leaf nodded.
"Then keep an ear out," Brock went on. "I'll tell Tory to have them call you when they get here."
Leaf nodded again and then she and Gary went through the hole. Brock had Onix move the dumpster back in place. He turned back to face the Silph building, guiding Onix to turn around as well.
"Come on," Misty said from behind him. "Let's get up there before Aaron does something stupid."
Right after she finished her sentence there was a brilliant burst of light from the top of the Silph building, accompanied by the sharp crack of lighting and roiling rumble of thunder. There was the dim screech of metal tearing, followed by a ringing bang.
"Oh, Kygore dammit," Misty swore.
"At least we know where he is now," Brock said as he urged Onix into motion.
Torch walked through the war-torn streets of Saffron City, slowed by the burden slung over his shoulder. He bled from numerous straight cuts down his arms and his ritual knife, his athame, was stained red. The mystic was following a crimson light infused with streaks of grey and black.
"Almost there," Torch said. "Just need to hold on a little longer. It's almost over…."
The light floated up a pile of rubble into the battered and torn shell of a building. Torch followed, taking care not to jostle or drop his burden.
Purple pink light flashed repeatedly from the other side of the building and as Torch got closer, he could see floating pokémon and trainers glowing with psychic power. Streaks of void, obsidian flames, and dark forms flew up from the streets and roofs, devouring their blasts of brilliant psychic energy and forcing the psychic trainers and pokémon to continuously move.
"Spirits of the dead and the neverborn," Torch muttered. "Welcome all those who have fallen today, who are now beyond all the walls of the world. Shepherds of echos, hidden workers of the world, let it not be our time. Yveltal I beseech you, remember that your turn has not yet come."
He wandered through the rubble, through broken walls, shattered furniture, shards and pebbles of glass, and scattered personal items and knick-knacks that the people who had worked in the building had used to mark their presence before the tides of war had washed through. All the while still gently carrying his heavy burden.
Torch found a vantage place on the other side where he could see the battle in the street. Members of Team Rocket and their pokémon were routing through the street, harried by dark-types that would lunge out of shadowy places. Above them, Sabrina, her pokémon, and her gym trainers, all still controlled by Team Rocket, tried to cover the retreat with telekinesis and the blasts of psychic energy that Torch had seen earlier.
But most of their efforts were for naught, countered by the dark energies that Torch had also glimpsed earlier. There was a constant series of pops as Sabrina and her personal team constantly teleported around.
Torch looked at the crimson-black light he had followed. It had grown brighter, all the grey gone, red and black swirling together.
"Not long now," Torch said. "Not long at all."
Torch saw Karen of the Johto Elite Four standing on a rooftop across the street, an umbreon and a houndoom at her side. Sabrina and her team quit trying to cover the retreat below and instead began to attack the Elite.
The psychics were teleporting so rapidly it was like they were using Double-Team. The building crumbled under their attacks, explosions shattering the roof as telekinesis yanked shards of the structure and hurled them at Karen and her pokémon. Darkness rose in response and Torch couldn't see what was going on.
Things settled down. When they did, the building was a pile of rubble and Karen and her team were nowhere in sight. The psychics began to turn in the air, people and pokémon scanning the city below with their empty gazes.
Too fast for Torch to see something burst out of the rubble. Pieces of rubble soared through the air and there was a pop of suddenly displaced air as Sabrina teleported away. Karen, riding on top of a large absol, was in that space, hand out as she had tried to grab Sabrina. She had barely missed.
"Above my paygrade," Torch said with a low whistle. He knew that he was a strong trainer, but he was nowhere near these levels, not in terms of his pokémon and not in terms of his own talents.
The battle continued in that manner for several more minutes. The more Torch saw, the more he was convinced that Karen was holding back. The mystic let out a little breath as he realized that the Elite was trying to rescue Sabrina, losing tension that he hadn't even known that he had been carrying.
Torch returned his attention to the floating light near him. It was nearly completely crimson, swirling madly.
"It's almost time," Torch said and then he stood up straight.
There was another momentary lull in the battle as all parties took stock of the situation. Lighting flashed over by the Silph building with a tremendous crack and then thunder rumbled. And Sabrina twitched.
It wasn't a large movement, but it caught Torch's attention. From the moment things had gone to the Distorted World Sabrina's movements had been mechanical, smooth, controlled. The twitch had none of those qualities. It had been jerky; it had been human.
The light flared, a crimson glow washing over Torch and the mystic knew that it was time.
"Go Jester, Go Caster!" he cried out, throwing two pokéballs. White light blazed as Jester the haunter and Caster the mismagius came forth.
"Cover me!" Torch ordered and then stepped out the empty window from which he had watched the fight. He muttered burning words in a strange tongue as he fell to the street. Torch fell several stories and landed without even needing to bend his knees, his burden still draped over one shoulder.
"Are you ready?" Torch quietly asked the burden on his shoulder. "Because now's your chance."
The man on Torch's shoulder stirred weakly.
"She's counting on you," Torch told him. "We all are."
"I'm ready," Atsushi managed to grit out. Torch felt the man slide himself off, Atsushi standing on his own trembling legs.
The accountant was covered in dried blood, large scabs, and his skin was a collection of yellow and purple bruises. His right eye was swollen to the point it was nearly unable to open. His clothing was in tatters. He swayed on his feet like he might fall over at any point.
But Atsushi looked up and shouted to the sky.
"Sabrina!" he cried. "It's me!"
The gym leader twitched again. Jerking, shaking, bouncing, her head turned to face him, like a puppet with taut tangled strings pulling every which way.
"Sabrina!" Atsushi called out again. "If there's any part of you that can hear me then take off the helmet!"
She started jerking and twitching some more. It made Torch think about how slow electrocutions might appear, how electricity from the outside might stimulate movements that contradicted what the brain was telling the body.
"Sabrina! Look at what's happened!" Atsushi shouted. "The city is in ruins, your gym has been enslaved, and people are dying! I know there was nothing you could do to stop it because if there was, then this never would've happened! But you can still fight it! It's not too late!"
The polished grey metallic armor began to vibrate and Sabrina began to slowly curl up in midair. All around her, the pokémon and trainers from the gym began to drift down like feathers on a calm day, their eyes drooping.
"Sabrina!" Atsushi cried to the floating woman. The last straggling members of Team Rocket still retreating down the street looked back with fear and tears as the puppetted gym leader quit protecting them. "I know they made you hurt us, but because of you they couldn't kill me! I don't know what you did, but I should've died! Don't give up now!"
Sabrina's hands were shaking.
"Sabrina, just take off the helmet already!" Atsushi cried out. "You can do it, SO JUST DO IT!"
Sabrina went suddenly still, uncurling so she was standing up straight in thin air. Torch felt his hope shatter, his heart begin to fall into an abyss from which it may never leave, and his body sicken.
But then Sabrina reached up, grabbed the helmet-
And tore it off of her head with a scream of rage.
Arianna closed her eyes and took a deep breath while the chaos of the evacuating command post raged around her.
She turned to Archer.
"We lost Sabrina," she told him.
"No," he gasped, quietly. He closed his eyes and his face went pale.
"I'm calling a general evacuation," Arianna went on. "There's nothing more we can salvage now."
"It's over," Archer said. "Get going. I'll grab a squad to cover your retreat."
"No," Arianna shook her head. "I'll join that squad. Let's get everyone out of this building alive."
Pikachu reacted first, throwing electricity at the thing bursting through the roof. Unfortunately for him the thing was a nidoking and the electricity harmlessly earthed itself in the poison/ground type. The nidoking landed and immediately charged forward.
Move! Ash shouted at the top of his lungs. He and his team scattered out of the way, the nidoking charging past them. But while they were doing that two more pokémon jumped through the hole, a tentacruel and a victreebel.
Bubbles and sharp leaves flew over the rooftop, cutting and blasting into the metal and concrete, forcing Ash and his pokémon to keep moving.
Charmander cried out as Ash rolled behind an air conditioning unit. He looked over to the fire-type and saw him lying in a pool of water with several ugly bruises on his neck and back, his tail flame low and flickering. Ash quickly recalled Charmander before he could get hurt anymore.
Pikachu, cover us! Ash shouted at the top of his lungs. Bulbasaur keep an eye out for any more surprises. Primeape, get that nidoking!
As soon as he said it, Ash realized he had made a mistake. Primeape would be at a disadvantage against the nidoking due to the type matchup and Ash didn't know enough about the nidoking to know what other advantages it might have over Primeape. Bulbasaur and the nidoking's typings would at least cancel out.
But Primeape was already moving and trying to call him back would give the nidoking a great opportunity to attack.
More electricity buzzed as Pikachu countered the Razor Leaves and Bubblebeams. Bulbasaur took up a guard position in front of Pikachu and Ash. Primeape closed in on the nidoking, limbs blurring as it struck at the towering poison/ground type.
The nidoking was slower than Primeape, but it still managed to catch most of Primeape's blows on his tail and arms. The anatomy of poison-types was usually designed to withstand sudden, concentrated blows, which accounted for both common predatory techniques and fighting-type moves. Primeape's onslaught was blunted and then the nidoking counter attacked.
His large legs kicked out at Primeape, forcing Ash's pokémon back, and then the nidoking spat out a Poison Sting attack. Primeape had to throw himself out of his initial dodge and to the side, rolling across the rooftop.
Before Primeape could get up, the nidoking stomped its foot and Ash could see the surface of the roof crack as golden light shone upward. Primeape shouted in pain as the golden light washed over him and he was thrown up into the sky. The fighting-type was caught in the fierce high-altitude winds and his trajectory led over the edge.
The whole exchange had been fast, barely seconds after Ash had given his orders and the boy almost didn't react in time.
Bulbasaur, catch him! Ash shouted, his voice still sounding strange
Bulbasaur didn't react as quickly as usual, but his vines lashed out and grabbed Primeape before he started the miles long drop. Primeape was yanked back towards Bulbasaur just as the roof erupted again. This time it was a machoke coming up right behind Bulbasaur, who was still busy with Primeape.
Before Ash or Pikachu could react, the machoke slammed into Bulbasaur, limbs a blur of motion as it pummeled Bulbasaur. Concurrently the victreebel and the tentacruel attacked again, a hail of bursting bubbles and cutting greenery forcing Ash to duck under cover again.
Pikachu, Ash cried out. Get that machoke off Bulbasaur! Thunderbolt!
Like Bulbasaur, Pikachu didn't react as quickly as usual. It was the damage to their hearing, Ash realized. All his pokémon had it and it made it harder to understand him even when he was shouting.
Pikachu's attack curved over the fixtures of the rooftop and coursed through the machoke. It jerked and thrashed in the grip of Pikachu's attack, knocking Bulbasaur skidding and sliding across the skyscraper roof.
Then Ash felt vibrations through the soles of his feet and acting on instinct, he threw himself to the side. He wasn't fast enough to completely avoid the charging nidoking, but he was merely clipped and sent tumbling into another air conditioning unit instead of being trampled to death.
Ash! Pikachu shouted, his voice still tinny and strange. Ash clutched his shoulder as waves of fiery pain radiated out of it, gritting his teeth as he forced himself back to his knees. A yellow blur hit the nidoking in the side of the head, making it sway.
The yellow blur bounced off, revealing itself to be Pikachu, who then lashed out at the nidoking with another Thunderbolt. The electric blast washed over the nidoking who ignored it and dashed forward at Pikachu.
Pikachu landed and zipped away before the poison/ground type could reach him. He came to a stop on top of another piece of machinery on the roof, shooting a murderous glare at the nidoking. And then Pikachu shrieked as several sharp leaves cut into his back and he was thrown off the fixture.
Pikachu! Ash shouted, standing up straight and running towards his wounded pokémon.
Ash! Primeape shouted and then Ash screamed in pain as something tackled him to the ground. His vision went white with pain for a moment and then it cleared. He looked back and saw Primeape sitting on his back as more Razor Leaves and another Bubblebeam soared over his head.
Get Pikachu, Ash ordered through gritted teeth. I'll stay here.
On it, Primeape nodded and then took off again, staying low. Ash looked around, trying to find Bulbasaur, the machoke, and the nidoking. Bulbasaur was fighting the machoke, keeping it back with Vine Whip and Razor Leaf. The nidoking was on the other side of the roof, helping a brown-haired man, wearing a black Team Rocket uniform that Ash hadn't seen before, climb out of one of the holes in the roof. Ash realized that it was probably the nidoking's trainer.
Primeape rushed back, a bloody Pikachu in his arms.
Oh no, Ash gasped, grabbing for the pokéball he never used. Pikachu, don't worry, I'll get you out of here-
Fuck that! Pikachu growled, picking himself up. I'm not leaving you alone out here! The electric type gritted his teeth, cheeks sparking as he swayed to his feet. What's our next move? He asked Ash.
I don't know, Ash admitted. We just- Primeape, go help Bulbasaur! Don't let him get hurt!
Ash tried to think while Primeape rushed off. He tried to hurry; Ash knew that his opponent wouldn't give him much time. And Ash felt off-balance, off-kilter. There was something about his opponent's tactics that seemed familiar-
Because it was the same tactics he himself had been using, Ash realized. Using ambushes and blitzes to take out key elements and keep his opponent on the backfoot. He winced. It was very unpleasant to be on the other end.
But Ash could at least guess the next move.
Pikachu, Thundershock the tentacruel and victreebel! Ash shouted. Don't let them take out Primeape!
Tendrils of crackling yellow power reached out of Pikachu and over the skyscraper roof, spearing towards the enemy pokémon… only to find the nidoking in the way. Galvanic power washed over him to no effect and behind him the victreebel and tentacruel moved into action.
A hailstorm of cutting leaves flew through the air, so many pieces of plant matter moving so fast that they created their own wind. The cutting storm engulfed Primeape just after he had kicked the machoke away from Bulbasaur. Ash's fighting-type let out a scream of pain suspended in the Leaf Tornado as the sharp greenery shredded him.
The tentacruel slashed forward with two tentacles glowing a dark dirty purple color, sending an X of the same color flying towards Primeape, a Cross Poison attack. Before Ash could react, the poison attack hit the suspended Primeape and he screamed even louder.
Return! Ash shouted, sending a beam of red light lancing out into Primeape and removing him from the fight before he could be hurt anymore.
Bastards! Bulbasaur bellowed. He tore an air conditioning unit off of the roof with his vines and hurled it at the machoke, who deflected it with a contemptuous backhand. Then the machoke's eyes went wide as another pair of vines grabbed its ankles and yanked it into the air.
With a wide swing, Bulbasaur slammed the machoke into another unit and then yanked the enemy fighting type back into the air so that he could slam it into the rooftop and then swing the dazed fighting type around in the air before letting it go and sending it sailing out to begin a drop measured in miles.
Two things happened at once in response. A beam of red light recalled the machoke before it could get too far and the rooftop trembled as the nidoking charged towards where Ash and Pikachu were sheltered.
No you don't! Bulbasaur bellowed, throwing himself across the roof with his vines. The tentacruel glowed with a white-blue light and then an Ice Beam lanced out and intercepted Bulbasaur in mid-flight. Bulbasuar bellowed in pain as ice creaked, clear crystal stained with flicks of his blood.
Bulbasaur! Ash rolled out of the way of the nidoking's charge, pokéball in hand as he came to a stop and recalled Bulbasuar before the grass-type could crash.
Ash! He barely heard Pikachu cry and then saw the nidoking was coming back around, trying to trample him again. As the burly poison-type bore down on Ash a yellow blur hit the nidoking in the knee mid stride. The nidoking stumbled and Ash once again was almost able to get out of the way.
His vision went white with pain and he was sent skidding on his back over the roof, his body armor cushioning his landing.
Ash eventually slid to a halt by the concrete ledge and used that to haul himself to a sitting position, taking in shaking, wheezy breaths the whole time. Electricity crackled and he could see the yellow blur that was Pikachu repeatedly bouncing off of the nidoking while at the same time making the victreebel and the tentacruel dodge Thundershock attacks.
But Pikachu was already hurt and Ash knew that he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.
Static crackled in his ear as his almost forgotten radio came to life.
"Aaron!" he heard Misty say. "Where are you? What's the situation?"
"I'm… on the roof….. it's not… not good" Ash managed to say eventually and then grabbed Pikachu's pokéball as the electric type narrowly dodged a brace of poisoned needles and cutting leaves.
Red light lanced out once more and Pikachu vanished before he could even realize what had happened. Ash grimaced and then levered himself over the ledge and into some sort of well filled with more machinery. He held Pikachu's pokéball shut with his good hand, trying to keep his starter out of danger.
Ash crawled away from his previous position and into the maze of machinery, the broken and melted antenna spire towering over him. The rooftop rumbled again and Ash winced as the nidoking charged through the spot he had gone over the ledge, smashing through concrete like it was styrofoam.
The wounded boy tried to hide deeper in the machinery, but the nidoking roared, I found him!
Ash turned around to see the purple pokémon rushing at him once more. Screaming in defiance and pain, Ash kicked off against the nearby concrete ledge and jumped out of the path of the charge.
The nidoking whirled around and slammed his tail into Ash's side.
Ash lost track of time in a haze of pain. He was vaguely aware that he was screaming. His ribs didn't feel right. It felt like something was grinding with every shallow halting breath he took. His back was hurting too. Bits of metal pokéd into his armor, bothering the bruised flesh underneath.
His hand was clenched around Pikachu's pokéball. Ash knew that even without waiting for his vision to clear. All he could see was shifting red and black. He wondered when he would land and then realized that he must've already landed.
Groaning and whimpering Ash tried to pick his head up, tried to get his vision to focus. He could make a vague mass coming towards him. He knew he should try and escape, but the pain was too much, his body wouldn't listen.
Eyes closing, Ash fell back, Pikachu's pokéball still in a tight grip. The rain fell on his face, a cool relief as his mind slipped away into darkness.
AN: I'd like to thank Amatoinary for beta reading
See, this is closer to an actual cliffhanger than some of my other chapter endings. Luckily normal release schedule for a few weeks.
Always 'fun' when the consequences of the protagonists poor decisions start to pile up.
Don't forget to review! Concrit is encouraged!