Author's Note: While I was originally planning on releasing this chapter back in July, I had to postpone it due to some life issues. Either way, I'm still publishing chapters until I finally finish this series. Also, this chapter contains strong language. Anyone not comfortable with swearing or worse should skip this chapter, but thanks for reading anyways.
BTW: Quick question: Would you rather have me make short one-shots in between chapters or focus on finishing this story? Let me know in the comments or in my poll.
If you want to be featured in my next chapter, then leave any comments below (except toxic ones) and I'll be sure to reply to them in the next chapter. Thanks for your patience and for reading my stories.
Ch.6 Only Haters Left Alive
Two days ago:
It's Tuesday at 11:00 in the morning when my recon team from yesterday and I meet with Clay in the Driftveil Gym. Several officers are also there to record our intel. This is where I learn some crucial information regarding Team Plasma's plans.
"Oh… My… Jesus Christ! Vine, are you absolutely certain about the situation on hand?" I ask in shock, "Please tell me that you're joking right now…"
"Since when do I joke in the first place?" Vine retorts.
"Yer plant partner ain't lyin' pal. If these punks can't have this city, they'll take it by force," Clay adds with his hands crossed.
"Goddamnit… This city is critically in danger then…" I mutter under my breath.
"Listen up, kid… I ain't givin' up on this damn city I carved with my own two hands. If these Plasma bastards want a fight, I'll give 'em a good one!" Clay declares. "I better not see you cower just 'cause they roughed me up a bit over some harbor."
"We didn't stop Team Rocket years ago by cowering, did we?" Tanker boasts.
"No reason we can't send Team Plasma packing again," Sparky adds.
"Well? Your pokemon seems willing to put in the legwork… Will you?" Clay poses.
"If Team Plasma forces their way in, we'll simply force them back out." I declare, "Of course, once I gather enough intel on Team Plasma's attack plan, I'll transmit them back to the city to repel the assault."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Clay replies, slightly satisfied, "You go do your detective work while I get every civilian the hell out of here."
"We'll make them pay for everything," Blaze growls.
"We'll turn over every rock," Vine replies.
Present Day:
Once again, the clock hovers around 11:00 am, and I want to say that I kept my word that I would find something to help defend Driftveil City from Team Plasma, but I've found nothing useful.
Looking back, I've participated in several police raids against Plasma hideouts all over the region. Tanker was still hard at work, hosing down waves of enemies while Chomper rained stones on enemy positions. Once Vineguard spots an opening, he quickly wraps his vines around the outpost's commander and brings them to the police for arrest. However, all I've gained is confirmation that Team Plasma is responsible for several home robberies and pokemon poaching. After a day of hard work attacking Team Plasma hideouts, I grew tired and fell asleep on the grass of my campsite, forgetting to gather my trio of new members for a final meeting. I recalled apologizing profusely to the three. While Ivy and Galvin understood, Hydra didn't seem to care. "Whatever… It's not like it fucking matters…" Hydra scoffed.
Initially, I thought that Hydra's simply being himself and shrugged it off. Still, after another day of raiding and gathering intel, I assembled my trio together for one last meeting. However, Hydra still isn't interested. "I just want to get to know you better, Hydra," I calmly pleaded, "Surely you remember what Drayden told us."
"Like I give a fuck…" Hydra snapped, "All you need to know is that I want Team Plasma destroyed."
"But why…" I asked, "What makes you want to destroy Team Plasma so badly?"
"I have my reasons…" Hydra murmured before snarling, "But it ain't your FUCKING BUSINESS!"
"This is getting nowhere…" Ivy sighed.
"M- Maybe talking could help…" Galvin fearfully suggested.
"Useless… Talking is complete, fucking useless…" Hydra huffed.
Currently, I'm browsing documents and recorded interrogations on my laptop to see if they have any helpful information regarding Team Plasma's potential assault on Driftveil City. As I listen to one recording, my radio goes off, and I pick up. "Jamie, do you read? Over?" the voice blares.
"Yes, this is Jamie. Who's this?" I respond.
"I'm one of the officers assigned to patrol Driftveil City, and we found something interesting," the officer reports.
"What did you guys find?" I ponder.
"A letter with Team Plasma's logo on it. There's no mistaking it for another," the officer states.
"Alright then, I'll come by for a look. Over and out," I reply before radioing my team to my position.
"Yo Boss, what are we doing today?" Sparkbomb asks, ready for action.
"Alright, team, I received some intel regarding a letter sent to Driftveil City with Team Plasma's signature attached. We're going to have a closer look at this letter."
"Are you fucking with me now…" Hydra groans, "It's probably just another threat those cowardly cunts made up after being scared shitless."
"And how would you be so sure, Hydra? You didn't even see the letter," Ivy retorts.
"Bitch, please…" Hydra dismisses, "I saw how those Plasma fuckers act! They act big and tough around a bunch of weaklings, and when the read deals show up, they either run off shitting their pants or get fucking steamrolled!"
"No shit, I heard from Sky you rip them to shreds like a rabid growlithe tearing a chew toy," Blaze retorts along with Sky nodding in horror.
"Anyways, let's pack up and prepare for our flight to Driftveil City," Vineguard intervenes. On that note, we pack everything up, and I return everyone to their pokeballs except "you know who." Once everything is set, Chomper and I ride off to Driftveil city. Hopefully, this letter will provide something about Team Plasma.
Thirty minutes later:
At last, we arrive at the northern entrance to Driftveil City. As Chomper and I look around, we find no civilians anywhere, just two individuals I was expecting. "Well, it's 'bout damn time you slugs show up,"
"At least we're here," I mutter without much thought.
As I step forward, one of my pokeball opens to reveal Vine. "Indeed, and we're here for that letter you mentioned," Vine shortly adds.
As the officer hands us the letter, he explains, "I had to beg Clay to take that letter out of the trash because I feel like he's not taking Team Plasma's threats seriously. If Drayden couldn't defend his city months ago, how would Clay?"
"Like I said, officer. These grunts ain't gonna do nothin' if we expect their arrival." Clay casually states, "If those damn cowards want that damn harbor badly, they'll have to get past every officer patrolling in this city."
Once I open the envelope with the letter inside, another pokeball opens to reveal Hydra. "C'mon! I wanna know what this fucking letter says," Hydra impatiently demands.
"He's getting to that now," Vine snaps.
The letter states:
Dear Gym Leader Clay,
Firstly, allow me to congratulate your rescuers on their exceptional performance. I was impressed that your rescuers were resourceful enough to locate and extract you by besting my most elite enforcers. I was confident that my Shadow Triad pulled off an excellent capture, yet I was astonished by four trainer-less pokemon with more outstanding capabilities than I could ever imagine. Yet, it was a doomed effort. I initially wanted to send some messengers to "convince" you of how splendid my offer is. My next best option is to "demonstrate" the consequences behind your shortsighted decision. Depending on your choice, I shall have a civil contract on your harbor or your city burned to ashes to seize control of your port. I prefer keeping your city untouched, so if you agree with my preference, I strongly suggest you write back an acceptance letter to the initial proposal and send it to the address I've listed at the rear of this letter before 9:00 am Thursday. In the meantime, I shall keep a close eye on these pokemon and maybe "acquaint" myself with their trainer.
Sincerely,
G. Harmonia Gropius
"Told ya it was just a fuckin' threat," Hydra scoffs.
I roll my eyes and reply, "Yes, but this letter gives us a date and time when the assault may occur."
"Then we have little to no time to prepare because we are about three hours past the deadline indicated in the letter," Vine urgently warns me, "Plus, it seems like Team Plasma's leader, Ghetsis, is aware of our presence."
The second Vine mentions the name "Ghetsis," I hear a loud snarl from Hydra. He starts positioning his side heads in a boxer stance and violently swinging them while crunching at nothing. "Umm, H- Hydra… y- you're f- freaking me o- out…" Chomper whimpers.
"Like I give a goddamn fuck about you," Hydra snaps back, "Ghetsis…! I'll find and rip that fucker's guts into bloody strands before burning the remains to ashes!"
"I need you to focus, Hydra. We gotta make use of our little time to prepare our defenses," I interject, "Also, Officer… uhh…"
"Needa. My name is Needa," Officer Needa adds.
"Right, can you radio in as many reinforcements as possible? I'm sensing a huge fight coming up," I request. He nods, and I release all my pokemon to briefly describe the plan.
As I look at my map, I command, "Tanker, you're on this intersection facing the eastern entrance next to the Driftveil Market. Keep your guns pointed north, but be ready to switch on my command. Sparky and Blaze, you two will be near the pokemon center defending the west entrance. Keep an out for strong opponents and either halve their physical attack or reflect their special attack back at them. Sky and Ivy, you two will position yourselves at the eastern entrance. Even though the draw bridge may be up, Team Plasma could still launch an amphibious assault. Galvin, You will climb onto the roof of the Driftveil Market and snipe the enemy with that new thunder attack. Also, prioritize larger targets, and we'll handle the rest. Chomper and I will watch for enemy movements and bombard their positions. Radio me if anyone is in danger, and I'll drop in and help with my survival blade and full restores. Vine, watch Tanker's six for the most part. Should anyone get overwhelmed, move in to assist while I heal. As for…"
"Come ON! I wanna get in on the action already!" Hydra impatiently roars.
"...You're keeping the skies clear of hostile forces, but I may need you to stop and launch a triple dragon pulse strike into some targets. Wait for the code word: tri-pulse, then I'll give you the target," I finish after heaving an annoyed sigh.
"FINE! Let's just kill these fuckers already!" Hydra snarls.
"Sounds good. We'll give 'em a good whooping," Tanker boasts.
"Roger that, Boss, we're ready to go," Sparky reports.
"I don't know about this… Are you sure we got what it takes?" Sky nervously questions.
"I haven't even fully evolved yet…" Ivy adds.
"C'mon, you two! We gotta do this! We can't let these icky bastards destroy this city!" Blaze cheers.
"As much as I hate to admit this, Blaze is right. Nearly a third of Unova's police force is here to defend the city, and we can't leave them to fend off whatever surprises Ghetsis has in this assault." I reply.
"Hmph! I heard that!" Blaze scoffs.
"FUCK Ghetsis! I'll make that little shit pay… WITH PAIN!" Hydra roars.
"Alright, team, let's get to our positions now. There's no telling when the attack will begin," Vine urgently presses.
Unfortunately for us, the assault begins very shortly. Just as everyone's in position, an officer radios me of enemy movement at the western entrance. Just as the radio cuts off, I hear the beating of helicopter rotor blades entering the airspace and see a long line of trucks moving into the western entrance. "Shit! Hydra, enemy helo inbound! Destroy it!" I command, in shock.
"Ngah! When I'm done with 'em, those flying fucks will become dying fucks!" Hydra snarls.
"Team, the enemy's ground units are in the western entrance! Light those bastards up!" I radio to my ground teammates, "Alrighty, Chomper, let's do some damage to those trucks with stone edge."
"Got it, here it comes," Chomper replies as he conjures jagged stones floating around us and then launches them at the line of trucks. As the enemy trucks get bombarded with sharp rocks, multiple officers release various canine pokemon to converge on the trucks. Sparky and Blaze also unleash their attacks onto the trucks along with Tanker and Galvin once the trucks advance far enough into the city. However, those Plasma grunts refuse to give in and release their liepards to counterattack.
An explosion grabs my attention as I watch Team Plasma's helicopter fall back to Earth. Looks like Hydra made short work of that chopper after all. I turn to Hydra and order, "Hydra, we'll need ya to wipe out the enemies' tru- FUCK!" Before I could finish, a swarm of golbats launched a barrage of air cutters at us. "N- Never mind. Can you take out those golbats?" I finish.
"Leave 'em to me. I'll squish the bastards like bugs," Hydra replies as he raises his side heads, hungry for more combat.
Before I could think about what's next, my radio blares Tanker's voice, "Yo Chomper, can you help a brother out?" I look down to see a wall of drapions and muks tanking physical and special attacks, respectively. Behind the wall are sevipers firing sludge bombs and dark pulses.
As I devise a viable strategy, a golbat lands on Chomper's tail and charges up a leech life attack. Before I frantically unsheath my survival knife, Hydra swoops in and crunches the bat pokemon into bloody pieces with ease. "You can thank me later, bitches! Just keep on killin' these fuckers," Hydra gloats.
After sighing in relief, I radio Tanker, "I have a plan. Galvin, trap the tanky pokemon in a web. Chomper and I will take out the sevipers, and when I give you the signal, we'll wipe out the tanky pokemon with an earthquake and stone edge combo. Focus on other targets in the meantime."
"Sounds good, man! You never fail to impress me!" Tanker replies.
"Here goes," Galvin.
Just as Chomper and I begin our part of the plan, Vineguard radios everyone on the team, "Be advised, I have eyes on a grunt wearing a red beret. He may be a commander, so do not kill that grunt. I repeat, do not kill the red beret grunt! I'll go after him."
"Roger that Vine, good luck catching that guy red-hatted… Get it?! Instead of 'red-handed'?" Sparky jokes.
"UGH! Shut your mouth and stupid jokes!" Blaze screams.
"Focus, team!" Vine sternly directs.
"G- Guys! I slowed them down!" Galvin shouts.
"Excellent work Galvin," I approvingly reply, "That's some great damage against those snakes, Chomper."
"Thanks, Jamie," Chomper replies, almost out of breath.
After a few more seconds of wiping out sevipers, Tanker radios me worriedly, "Um bro, they're gettin' closer, man…"
I swiftly turn my head to the wall of approaching pokemon. I quickly radio my tortoise pokemon, "Now Tanker! Let 'em have it!" With a mighty stomp, the ground roars as it erratically folds and flows. The rumbling causes the enemy to start tumbling, with the most tremendous damage closest to the epicenter. Chomper's stone edge attack begins crashing and bashing the enemy into pieces. Once the carnage is over, I radio Tanker, "Yo, Tanker, how are ya?"
"Couldn't be better!" Tanker enthusiastically replies, with a couple of coughs and wheezes, "That shit was amazing, annihilating a whole army of pokemon with a single move!"
"Don't forget about Galvin and us, tough guy," I tease, "All of us set up that massive killing blow you made-"
"JAMIE!" Sky shrieks into the radio, "We need your help! AT THE BRIDGE!" When I turn my head towards the eastern entrance, I see a few dinghy boats releasing a large swarm of liepards and zangooses. I realized in horror that the drapion and muk wall was a decoy for a swift flanking maneuver. In fact, I recall seeing all officers converging on the decoy wall, leaving Sky and Ivy alone and vulnerable.
"East entrance! Enemies at the east entrance!" I frantically scream into the radio, "Tanker, Hydra, wipe those fuckers out!"
"Got it, let's strike 'em down," Tanker replies.
"Time to paint the streets BLOOD RED!" Hydra snarls.
Both powerhouses unleash their hydro pump and dragon pulse attack, respectively, down the city's main street, destroying many Plasma grunts and pokemon. However, many are also retreating into the alleyways in between buildings. I then order, "Blaze, Sparky, I'll need you to clear out the alleyways leading to the eastern entrance street."
"Roger that Boss, changing positions now," Sparky reports.
I then worriedly ask, "Sky, Ivy, how are things looking on your side?"
"Not good… Ivy is hurt, and I cannot stop all of them by myself…" Sky whimpers.
"Okay, where are you? I'm on the way," I quickly ask.
"We're on top of one of the buildings next to the bridge," Sky worriedly says, "Oh no, something's coming… PLEASE HURRY!"
"We're on our way!" I reply before radioing Vineguard, "Vine, I'll need you to come with me. There's little time to explain."
"Understood, I'm next to Tanker right now," Vine quickly replies.
"Alrighty, Chomper, you know what to do," I remind him.
"Let's go save our friends," he says.
Once Chomper lowers himself to a low enough altitude, Vineguard wraps his vines around Chomper's torso and lifts himself onto Chomper's back, and we're off to Sky's position. When I see her on a yellow and emerald-colored apartment's rooftop, I notice two floating snowflakes circling my two snake pokemon. "What are those things?" I mutter in curiosity.
"Cryogonals," Vine replies, "They may look small, but their potent special attack makes them a serious threat. I strongly suggest letting Chomper handle them since they are physically fragile.
"Alright then," I reply with an idea, "Chomper, use iron head on the right one. I'll handle the left."
"O- Okay then… Be careful," Chomper says as his head starts glowing silver, and he dives into the rightmost cryogonal, leaving the left one floating in surprise. Chomper circles around and hovers on the edge of the building, where Vine and I hop off and stand between the remaining opponent and our injured allies.
The ice crystal pokemon eyes us with its glowing light blue eyes, and I unsheath my blade without hesitation. Sensing our intention, the ice type puts up a barrier. "Vine, drag that thing down with a power whip," I rapidly order. Without hesitation, Vineguard thrusts a vine up and around the cryogonal and yanks it down, where I wind up my arm. Combining the momentum of the hurling ice crystal and my stored potential energy, I thrust the blade straight into the ice type's face.
Although I cracked the cryogonal, it's still conscious, and I widen my eyes in horror as it fires an ice beam into my chest. My mind goes white as I fall back from the attack and hear worried screams. As I fight to stay awake, I feel two vines wrap around my upper arms and smoothly drag me to the center of the roof, where Sky and Ivy worriedly search my face for any signs of conscience. "Jamie! Please… ANSWER ME!" Sky yells in a panic attack.
"I'm… fine…" I weakly answer, "Vine… the…"
"No need to worry. I finished it off with a poison jab. Turns out that barrier the cryogonal put up was a reflect, a move that dampens physical attacks." Vine reports, "Can you get up?" I try sitting up, but I end up falling back on my back, clutching my abdomen as the pain starts erupting from there. Vine then takes out my full restores and starts tending to Sky and Ivy's wounds before coming back to me.
"Are… you… hurt…?" I ask, still feeling injured.
"Fortunately, no-," Vine monotonously answers. Then, he pauses for a moment before continuing, "Or rather, I would have taken super-effective damage from that ice beam if I made the first strike against that cryogonal. I'm not sure how to express myself, but I'm… grateful… for your sacrifice…" Vine pulls my shirt back and sprays the full restore on my abdomen. Although it stings, the pain from the attack starts lowering.
"Just doing what a good trainer would do…" I reply, feeling better relatively quickly, "I'll be honest, I'm still surprised to see a pokemon knowing how to use potions like humans."
"We've gone over this already… Professor Oak's testing and experiments show that pokemon affected by those radio waves gain human speech and human-like intelligence. That's why we can strategize and decide which move is optimal without trainer input." Vine tiredly recalls, "Anyways, I'll let Sky see you. She's worried sick, to say the least."
Judging by Sky frantically wrapping herself around me and pressing her face, still full of tears, into mine, I can safely say that "worried sick" is an understatement. "Jamie…! Please tell me you're going to be okay…!" Sky begs for my life.
"I'll live…" I mutter as I force myself back up, "So… How are my two girls?"
"Other than nearly scaring us to death, we're fine now," Ivy replies, "It was those cryogonals that chased us to the rooftop."
"Y- Yeah… I tried to use fire blast, but they kept dodging all my attacks and…! And…!" Sky worriedly shouts before I hold out my hand.
"It's okay… You're safe now…" I calmly explain, "I promise you that we got Team Plasma on the ru-"
Suddenly, a loud bang sends the door to the lower floors flying out of its hinges. "Destroy their only escape!" a voice rings from the stairwell. Then a bright light illuminates the dark stairs, and a hyper beam strikes Chomper head-on, knocking him out of the sky. Shortly then, a figure clad in purple emerges with several grunts behind him. All of them block our way to the stairs and release their liepards, and the purple admin snaps his finger to call his other ice pokemon resembling a dark rodent with sharp claws. AKA: a weavile. "That victreebel… This must be the trainer my master is looking for!" the admin remarks with a sinister grin.
"Zinzolin… Bold of you to show yourself…" Vine retorts.
"Of course, I would… After all, I must thank your two serpents for baiting you in," Zinzolin taunts, "But on to more important manners… I suggest you surrender your pokemon and yourself if you want to leave this city alive." A few liepards begin charging dark pulses immediately.
As I dreadfully look around for an option, I feel my heart pounding against my chest, as if it's trying to rip itself out of it and escape this situation. Although Sky can fly, she cannot carry all of us to safety. However, maybe she can take Ivy to safety and deliver the secret code to Hydra… First, I nudge Vine and softly whisper, "Play… along…" He subtly taps me back to confirm. I then take a deep breath before announcing, "Zinzolin… I'll come alone under one condition…"
Sky, Ivy, and Vine all gasp and stare at me in confusion. Zinzolin, on the other hand, seems suspicious but, most importantly, intrigued. "...Continue," Zinzolin states.
"Leave my dragonair and servine out of our business," I declare. Now, everyone on the rooftop seems confused. To seal the deal, I nervously explain, "These two are too good-natured to be obedient to your cause. I know what your master wants, and spending time and resources to discipline two pokemon is wasted when the rest of my team is more than capable of fulfilling your master's wishes!"
"JAMIE! WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU! DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR?!" Sky shrieks into my face. This is my chance to fully convince them.
"As you can see, my two serpents are too righteous to be of any use. Any time and energy used to make them obey is better spent advancing towards your grand goal. Am I wrong?" I add, despite the look of horror and betrayal on Sky's face.
All the grunts look at each other, seemingly convinced, but whether this plan succeeds depends on Zinzolin's word. "Hmm… I see what you mean… " Zinzolin wonders.
"If you're not convinced, I'll present to you my strongest pokemon. I promise you that his power will cast aside your doubts," I add, feeling more confident.
"Very well then. Proceed…" Zinzolin states approvingly.
"I'm sorry, Sky, but I need you to get Ivy out of here and tell Hydra that things aren't looking good up here." I somberly command.
"I can't believe this! The Jamie I know would never give up so easily!" Sky dreadfully protests.
"Not this time, Sky… Please tell Hydra the surrender code word: tri-pulse," I urge.
"But-" Sky counters before I put my finger on her mouth.
"Sky! Please listen! Things will only worsen if you don't save Ivy and yourself!" I forcefully raise my voice, scaring both Sky and myself. "Whatever happens to me, I'll feel much better if you and Ivy are safe…" I add. In tears, Sky flies off with Ivy, leaving Vine and me to face whatever fate Zinzolin has in store for me.
Sky's POV:
As I fly farther away from the apartment rooftop, my heart starts hurting more, with more tears flowing out of my watering eyes like a light drizzle. "Why… Why would Jamie… do this…" I mumble in between my tears.
"I too must ask… Why…" Ivy replies, "I did want him to be more caring, but to give his life for us…? That's beyond my expectations."
"What's worse… After everything we went through, we may not see Jamie again…" I add, "He won't be able to get me back for that one prank I pulled on him a while back…"
"...Wait, what did you do?" Ivy asks in surprise.
"Oh, forget it… It's hopeless…" I brush off the question. At first, I thought talking about Jamie could help me feel better, but I ended up feeling gloomier than ever. The drizzle below me slowly turns into a shower as I can't hold back my tears anymore. "Why must it end like this?! Why must Jamie give himself up for me?! Why can't I be strong enough to save him?!" I uncontrollably wail.
"And WHY CAN'T YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY?!" someone snarls behind me. I perk my head up and look behind me to find Hydra. Suddenly, I remembered something Jamie had told me before I flew away. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, crying cunt! Were you born this way, or did you take lessons?!" Hydra insults, but my concern is still on Jamie.
"Will you leave her alone already?!" Ivy defends me, "She has seen enough, considering Jamie just surrendered himself to the enemy and ordered us to surrender."
"Bullshit!" Hydra snaps, "We've got Team Plasma on the fucking ropes."
"Oh yeah? Jamie is currently cornered on the rooftop of that apartment over there," Ivy snaps back while pointing a vine at the building, "And, he said the surrender word: tri-pulse."
"Jesus Fucking Christ…! Did all your crying somehow short-circuit your brains or something…" Hydra growls furiously, "'TRI-PULSE' MEANS I'M ORDERED TO ANNIHILATE SOMETHING OFF THE FACE OF THIS PLANET, YOU FUCKING RETARDS! Actually, scratch that. Calling you two retards is an insult to the mentally challenged. Anyways, get the waterworks outta my way while I unleash the fireworks!"
"Ugh… I freaking hate that guy… don't you Sky?" Ivy grumbles.
I couldn't help but smile in relief, seeing that Jamie didn't actually give up after all.
Jamie's POV:
As time ticks away, my anxiety begins to rise again. "Well…?" Zinzolin impatiently ponders, "Where's that pokemon you boasted about?"
"Umm… The surrender message should get around soon…" I attempt to fake confidence. My genuine confidence returns when I see a dark purple glow appear in the sky. The grunts also look up and point Zinzolin in the direction of the light. I grab and whisper to my pitcher plant pokemon, "Vine, repel down now. Our time's running out." He nods and hooks a vine on the ledge of the apartment. I wrap my arms around Vineguard, and just as we leap off, the glow emits a dark, devastating death ray that pierces through the grunts, their pokemon, Zinzolin, and the rest of the apartment like a glowing, hot skewer through butter. Vine rapidly repels down the wall, but the shockwave from the attack's impact cracks open the walls, resulting in Vine losing his grip, and we tumble around a story down into the ground.
"Goddamnit… My back…" I moan in discomfort and mild pain. Suddenly, I notice what's left of the wall slightly moving, which snaps me back to reality. "Shit! Move it, Vine!" I scream as I grab Vineguard by the pitcher's lip and drag him away from the collapsing building. While the wall didn't crush us, the dust from the collapsing debris buries us in a yellow carpet of what's left of the apartment.
Several hours later:
If you ask me, I think the mission to defend the city was a success, by a hair. Let me explain: police reports estimate at least a hundred Plasma grunts raiding the town, and we all stopped them. Also, Team Plasma lost one chopper in the ordeal, and I'd like to see them replace it on the black market undetected. Even better, we captured another Plasma commander for more intel, and we suspect this commander is second in command under Zinzolin.
On to the bad news: Firstly, our main target, Zinzolin, was confirmed to be KIA by the paramedics that arrived shortly after the attack. Killing him may sound like a good thing, but with Zinzolin dead, we lost a critical hivemind of intel to take out Team Plasma. The pokemon center was also roughed up, leaving some of my team wounded for some time. Then there's the donphan of the room… I'll let Clay explain…
"Mighty fine job… But tell me… Do you happen to have a couple million bucks in yer pockets…?" Clay questions.
"Umm… No…" I nervously answer with Vineguard and Hydra by my side.
"WELL, THAT APARTMENT YOU DESTROYED COST ME 5 MILLION BUCKS!" Clay scolds me, "That apartment is home to me mining crew, AND YOU WRECKED IT LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW!"
I am frozen in shock, my mouth ajar. What should I say now? As if any words will make the situation any better.
"Well? Aren't ya gonna say somethin' for yerselves?" Clay demands.
Vine then hops forward and explains, "I understand your frustrations, Clay. I, too, lash out at incompetent work efforts. However, my trainer was backed into a corner. Surrendering would put the city in a worse fate than now."
"I know that already," Clay retorts, "I wanted your trainer to grow some guts to take responsibility for his actions, which I'm heavily disappointed in."
With a sigh, I confess, "Alright then, I'm sorry for the damages I caused…."
"Don't be…" Clay suddenly softens, but my guard remains up, "Kid… you takin' care of nine pokemon is nothin' compared to me hundreds of workers. Years of back-breaking labor in exchange for work benefits and trust in me, only for them to lose a major portion of their benefit: their prepaid housing. How am I supposed to face them empty handed?"
I can only nod in response to Clay's predicament.
Clay then continues, "It ain't personal, kid… Just need to release some steam… I assure you I care about my workers as much as you do your pokemon. I'm also a fair man. Instead of paying up, just do me a favor and rid this region of Team Plasma. I don't want that apartment to go down in vain."
"That I can agree with…" I reply, still feeling uneasy.
More hours later:
So what did we do for the rest of the evening? The market was also severely damaged in the raid and Chomper was too wounded to fly to another city, which left us with berry picking as our food source around the west end of Driftveil City until around 10:00pm. Dinner was also quiet, although I did notice Hydra giving me a funny look. I just shrugged it off and continued eating. For anyone curious, oran berries are my favorites.
Now, I check my phone, and it shows 12:55am. I take a glance at Hydra, who's vaporizing an innocent bush. As much as I want him to talk, I figure that he has made up his mind already, and I crawl into my sleeping bag. Suddenly, something grabs my shirt and yanks it away from my bag. I quickly turn to see Hydra staring me down. He asks, "What the fuck we're you thinking back there?"
"What do you mean?" I ask back.
"Why did you just stand there and let Clay eat you alive with his words?" Hydra asks again.
"I just feel guilty for what I did, Hydra," I answer, "Is that a problem?"
"Problem? Fuck yes, that's a problem!" Hydra snaps, "We're supposed to obliterate Team Plasma off the face of this planet, and here you are getting soft when we're just getting started!"
"Are you for real, Hydra?" I retort, "Are you that careless with your powers, Hydra?"
"Have you forgotten what I'm here for, dumbass?!" Hydra roars, "I thought I told you and your crybaby serpent that I'm here to fucking destroy Team Plasma! I don't give a shit if some stupid building has to go too!"
"That's exactly the problem," I urge, but Hydra isn't listening.
"The real problem is how you're too much of a fucking pussy to do the dirty work of wiping out Team Plasma and own that work!" Hydra snarls.
"What's with you, Hydra?!" I raise my voice, "I can't just pulverize the whole region in blind rage without destroying everything!"
"So?" Hydra retorts, "Who gives a fuck about this region which allows these Plasma shitheads to thrive like a fucking plague!"
With a heavy sigh, I again plead, "Then please talk to me… I don't understand what's behind your deep hatred for Team Plasma. Hell, I don't even understand why you prefer violence over reason. Will you at least help me understand why you're like this…?"
"He's not wrong, you know…" a feminine voice rings from my right. I turn my head and see Ivy looking stoic as usual and Galvin with a worried look.
"Despite everything you say or do, Sky still thinks there's still some good in you…" Galvin explains, "At first, I wasn't so sure, but… After seeing you save Jamie before, I'm ready to agree with her."
"As much as I hate it, if Sky trusts you, I suppose I'll give you a chance…" Ivy begrudgingly admits.
"So what? And how long were you bastards eavesdropping?" Hydra groans.
"Just like Jamie, we want to reach out to you…" Galvin states, "All of us have a troubled past, and it helped us feel more at ease."
"I thought I had the worst past, but your psychotic outbursts seem to suggest something worse," Ivy suggests.
"It may be hard to talk about your past, but I assure you that's why we're here," I add, trying to sound sincere.
I nervously watch as Hydra stares me down before turning his central head towards Ivy and Galvin. He clenches his right head like a fist and starts growling like a rabid pokemon. Suddenly, Hydra ferociously blasts a triple dragon pulse into a bush and yells, "Fine, assholes! You fuckers want to know? I'll make you know! Take a seat, and listen well…"
Hydra's POV:
Everyone sits down on the cold, hard grass in that same goddamn circle. Ugh… I can't believe I agreed to talk to these idiots. Hmph… At least these idiots are actually worth something.
"We're ready when you are," Jamie pipes up. Not that I care.
"Oh, shut up… I'll start when I want to start…" I groan. After a few seconds of silence, I speak up, "Where do I fucking begin…"
"Well, how about Team Plasma…" Jamie suggests, "And you seem to despise Ghe-"
"DON'T EVEN MENTION HIM!" I scream in a blind rage. My blood boils at the mention of that good-for-nothing fucker known as Ghetsis. That shitty… Good-for-nothing… Asshole… I turn to face my trainer and angrily explain, "You wanna know so badly…? THAT FUCKER YOU JUST MENTIONED TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! I wanna rip the motherfucker's balls off, tear his limbs off, and burn the asshole on the stake before smashing his fucking head into pieces and grinding his body into a bloody puddle!"
"Oh my! W- What did he do to you?" Galvin frightfully asks.
"Were you captured by Team Plasma or something? Like Sky?" Ivy calmingly guesses.
"No… Worse than that…" I reply, sounding more pissed, knowing there's nowhere else to go but tell them everything from the beginning, where my pain truly begins… With a begrudging sigh, I explain, "A long time ago, when I was just a kid… I used to have a brother. Back then, we Deinos were blind as fuck, yet we kept surviving each day, thanks to my older brother. The guy was a good listener and fighter. It didn't take long for the bastard to become Mama's and Papa's favorite child, saying I should strive to be like him. I don't give a shit that I'm sidelined because I look up to him. Yes, our parents made us spar to test our strength. Yes, he always whooped my ass in front of everyone, including the neighbors. Yes, he always gloats like a fucking asshole and acts like a dickhead. However… He's a fair dickhead. He's my asshole brother… Even though he always wins, Mama and Papa always tell us not to grow an ego. We must grow to rely on each other if we wanna survive this cruel world. And they were right… Without that cocky son of a bitch around, Arceus would know what I would've been today…"
"Family issues, huh…?" Ivy murmurs.
"So what happened? What does this have to do with Team Plasma?" Galvin anxiously asks.
"Sit tight… Those Plasma shits do get involved soon." I quietly warn, "One day, I was out minding my own business when suddenly, some bastard jumped out of the bushes and landed a hyper beam square in my face. I was about to use dragon breath when someone else slashed my fucking face. More assholes came up and pummeled me into the ground. I thought I was a dead motherfucker when suddenly, I heard, 'Get the fuck away from my brother!' My brother launched the biggest dragon breath I've ever seen from him and wiped out the assholes beating my ass. Before I could get the fuck up, I heard a human say, "Found a better target! Launch the net!" In a split second, my brother, who just saved my ass, is now dragged away in a big ass net. All I remember was a final message a human spoke, 'Good work, Lord Ghetsis will be pleased.' That Ghetsis… THAT PIECE OF SHIT GHETSIS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING MY BROTHER AWAY FROM ME!"
"Didn't see that coming…" Ivy comments.
"Oh my… I- I can't believe this… You have a brother? A- And he sacrificed himself to save you?" Galvin sputters in shock.
"Yeah… But the worst part has yet to come, so if you please…"
"You know… that might be the first time you used your 'please and thank you's. Nice manners, Hydra…" Jamie quips with a shit-eating grin.
"Shut your gay ass up, bitch! I snap, "Now where was I…? Oh, the aftermath… I ran home to tell Mama and Papa what had happened. Papa asked me where Team Plasma went. I told him, and he made me wait with Mama while he searched for them. After a whole day and night, Papa returns with nothing… With nothing else they could do, my parents lectured me on weakness and how my weak link allowed my strong brother to get captured or worse. I've felt like shit ever since, but who cares about feelings when they are right… If only I was stronger, more ruthless, more blood thirsty, I could've killed the assholes who captured my brother before they had him."
"How could your parents expect that much from you as a kid?" Ivy criticizes.
"It's okay, Hydra… You can't live a happy life if you forever blame yourself," Galvin comforts.
"Damn, sorry about your loss…" Jamie comments.
"I don't need your words or your sympathy," I groan, "I need to rid myself of any weakness. I promised myself I'd get stronger and, one day, find my brother. I trained and trained until I evolved into what I am now. I bid my parents farewell and went on my search to find my brother. I flew through the whole region with my new wings, searching for my long-lost brother. I have no idea how long I searched, but I decided to pay Mama and Papa a visit. However, I instead got a nasty surprise."
"I'm listening…" Ivy states.
"Oh, please be okay…" Galvin pleads.
"I don't need sleep. I need answers," Jamie murmurs while checking his phone.
"I found a huge swarm of humans outside my old home. One of the humans said to another wearing a large coat, 'Lord Ghetsis, may we return to the castle?' That's the piece of shit Ghetsis I've been looking for! I strafed the area with raining dragon pulses. I pummeled the fuckers who took my most valuable possessions away years ago. Once I had killed all the stragglers left, I saw in horror two charred lumps in front of my home… Mama… Papa…"
"Wow… That's brutal…" Ivy comments
"No! Not your parents too!" Galvin shouts in dread.
"This explains everything… Your hatred… Your violence… Your brutality… All that to take back what Ghetsis took from you…" Jamie pieces together.
I feel my blood boil once again… As I said earlier, talking doesn't help. My rage only increases at the thought of that good-for-nothing Ghetsis. "Damn right you are… Fuck them… FUCK THEM! FUCK GHETSIS! FUCK TEAM PLASMA! FUCK THIS REGION FOR LETTING THEM GROW! AFTER EVERYTHING THAT ASSHOLE HAS DONE TO ME…! I! FUCKING! HAAATE! GHEEETSIS!" I scream in uncontrollable rage. I fire another triple dragon pulse right into the ground below me, releasing a large cloud of dust and dirt, "It's not like the world gives any fucks…"
Jamie's POV:
After learning about Hydra's past, I now know what to do and declare, "Well, I do." The trio look at me, surprised. "If nabbing Ghetsis is what it takes to get your brother back, then I'm with you, Hydra," I declare again.
"Really, you actually care?" Hydra skeptically questions.
"Yeah. In fact, I'm certain that all of you joined the team to fulfill some end goal." I reveal. I know you want to get your brother back, Ivy wants to become a grass dragon, and Galvin… We'll figure it out."
"You two also have crazy ass pipedreams?" Hydra quips. This might be the first time I've seen him express a non-violent sense of humor.
"Yes, asshole," Ivy retorts, "Just like you, I don't plan on giving u-" Suddenly, a pidove dives out of a tree, and Ivy wraps a vine around it and finishes it off with a slam. Suddenly, Ivy starts glowing bright white in the dark night, blinding us all until the transformation is complete.
"Congrats, Ivy, looks like you finally evolved into a serperior," I congratulate Ivy.
"Yeah… Thanks for everything…" Ivy replies after taking in her new body.
"Alright, can we go to bed already? I'm tired as fuck," Hydra groans.
"Good idea Hydra," I reply before announcing, "Alright, team, as we can see here, Team Plasma will continue rampaging through Unova, leaving only haters alive, similar to Hydra. Let's get a good night's sleep so we can kick some ass another day."
Everyone nods, and we all go to sleep. Overall, I'm glad to finally learn more about my new members. All three have wildly different pasts and reasons to join, and now I know how to adapt them to my team and goal of taking down Team Plasma. Before I go to sleep, I look up at the moon and declare, "Hydra's brother, Wherever you are… Dead or alive… Free or imprisoned… I will do everything in my power to reunite you with Hydra. Just you wait."