Chapter 17: Showdown at the Celadon Gym
The moment the teens left Saffron Gym, Tricia sent out her Gyarados and the trio climbed onto its back in order to fly to Celadon City as quickly as possible. They had to catch Sakaki before he left the Gym. With any luck, Erika would've taken him out by now and they'd arrive to clean up the mess he'd no doubt have caused. Gyarados soared over Saffron City and snaked its way through the sky towards Celadon. At least by flight, it would take no more than a few minutes. As they travelled, June found herself with a million questions running through her head. Why was Sakaki attacking Erika? What beef did he have with the Grass Gym Leader? Why not just cut his losses and go back into hiding now he had the Master Ball? He was sabotaging his own efforts by remaining out in the open like so! June wasn't sure but she had a feeling this somehow connected to Mewtwo. Did Sakaki think Erika knew anything about it? Did Erika know where Mewtwo was? Hopefully she'd get the answers to her questions once they arrived.
The only problem was June would be going in handicapped. It occurred to her that nearly all her team was either unconscious or exhausted from the battle with Sabrina. That only left Leonardo and Behemoth left to fight and while Ace was in reserve, she didn't want to waste any precious time swapping a Pokémon for her. She just wanted to get straight into Celadon Gym and stop Sakaki before he slipped away. At most, she was able to feed a Sitrus Berry to Ray so he could replenish his strength. It was the only one she had left but at least now she had an extra Pokémon to battle with if necessary. Trace had some Sitrus Berries too but June insisted he use them on his Pokémon as his entire team was still exhausted from his battle with Sabrina. He only had enough for three Pokémon so he gave them to his Eevee, his Charmeleon and his Nidoking. When this was over, both he and June would give their Pokémon a proper rest at the Pokémon Centre, and then they could see to winning their Rainbow Badge once they were fighting fit again.
"So what can you tell us about Sakaki?" Trace asked, "Is he really skilled in battle?"
"He's third behind me and Giovanni." Tricia muttered, "I daren't say he could even challenge Giovanni for leadership if he wasn't so loyal to him. His Pokémon include Hypno, Arcanine and a Gengar that he can Mega Evolve. For most of his opponents, it's pretty much game over once Mega Gengar comes into the picture. Lucky for me, I have Mega Gyarados to counter it with its Dark-typing. But the point is you two will have to follow my lead and we MUST work together. Neither of you will manage against him on your own. We engage him as a group, you understand me?"
"Completely!" Trace cried.
June nodded but said nothing. She was still seething with fury over being robbed blind by a man whom she'd thought was just an ordinary nice guy. Tricia could see the anger on her face and shuddered. June looked surprisingly scary when she was like this! At least she never saw this side of her when they'd been enemies!
"You OK sweetie?" Tricia asked softly.
"Never better." June snapped, "But don't fuss about me. I just want to get Sakaki and grind his face into the dirt for what he did to me. I want nothing more than for Team Rocket to be gone completely."
"Gosh, what's gotten into you?" Ray asked uncomfortably, "I've never known you to talk like this! You're actually kinda scaring me right now!"
"And me." Trace said uneasily, "You sure you're OK June?"
"I'm fine, OK?! Just drop it and focus on the task at hand!" June retorted irritably, "We have a thief to catch and that's all that we should be focusing on, not how I feel!"
Trace, Tricia and Ray all recoiled. This was NOT like June at all! Sakaki stealing from her really did seem to be the final straw for the poor girl. Hopefully she'd be more like her old self once she got the Master Ball back. Tricia shook her head sadly.
Oh Team Rocket…this is why I have no qualms on double crossing you! she growled in her thoughts, You're nothing but scumbags who ruin the lives of others. Even my sweet little friend isn't acting like herself because of you! Mark my words Giovanni, we'll find you and whatever's left of your organization and then you'll never steal from anyone ever again!
She turned her attention ahead as Gyarados banked to the left and headed towards Celadon City. They could see it just ahead in the horizon. A few more minutes of flying and they'd be there. For Tricia, it felt like she was returning home from another mission for Team Rocket, only this time she wouldn't be going back to headquarters. For June, it felt like she was here to finish off her mother's mission as Ruby, Hop and Ash had been there a few days ago to round up Team Rocket. Hopefully they were having luck in finding Giovanni while they were chasing down Sakaki at this moment. June's eyes narrowed as the city grew larger and larger the nearer they got to it.
Watch out Sakaki. You're about to receiving a world of pain from all of us… she growled internally…
The fight was already over, and for Sakaki it had been a complete walkover.
All he'd needed to do was send out his Arcanine to blaze all of Erika's Grass-type Pokémon into submission and that was it. Even though some had tried to fight back with Rock or Ground-type moves, it had been a case of delaying the inevitable as Sakaki only ended up sending out Mega Gengar to finish the job. Now Erika had been tied up to one of the trees in her Gym and was completely at Sakaki's mercy. Thick rope held her hands aloft to one of the branches on the tree and her feet had been tied together to prevent her kicking out at her captor. Erika was going nowhere. She hadn't even bothered struggling, knowing just from the feel of the ropes she wouldn't get free.
Erika was the Grass-type Gym Leader of Celadon City and was considered one of the most beautiful women living in Kanto alongside Misty and Sabrina. She looked like a very traditional Japanese girl with her pale skin, short black hair and elegant looking kimono she always dressed in. She wore different coloured kimonos every day and this one was red with blue rose petals decorating it. She was quite beloved amongst the trainer's community for her lovely appearance, elegant fighting style and kind nature, but she was also infamous for being one of Kanto's weakest Gym Leaders due to Grass-types having a lot of weaknesses. That didn't stop her from proving to be a tough fighter and making trainers work for her Rainbow badge. Unfortunately, this challenger had no interest in Gym Badges.
Sakaki stood there admiring how helpless his prisoner looked. Something about tying his victims up and leaving him at his mercy always brought him dark pleasure he couldn't get enough off. His Arcanine was beside him, its face narrowed into a threatening scowl. Unusually for the species, this Arcanine was coloured yellow instead of orange. Sakaki didn't care about the colour. His Arcanine was a tough fighter and that's all that mattered to him. The Team Rocket spy approached Erika and grabbed her by the face. The Gym Leader stared blankly back at him, refusing to be intimidated by him.
"I don't think you understand the severity of your situation my dear." Sakaki purred darkly, "You're all trussed up and just seconds away from a fiery demise. Tell me, is it really worth being reduced to ashes just so you don't have to join Team Rocket? You really should reconsider your options. I'd hate to have to burn a lovely creature like you alive…"
Erika didn't answer. In her eyes, he wasn't worth dignifying anything he said with a response. Sakaki grew impatient and promptly smacked her across the face. Erika grunted but her gaze didn't falter. She looked as defiant as ever.
"Talk to me dammit!" the Rocket spy snarled, "I ain't putting up with your silent treatment shit!"
"I have nothing to say to a monster like you." Erika retorted, "Now release me and save yourself a load of trouble. You're only wasting your time with me."
"Do you realize what I'm offering you, woman?" Sakaki cried, exasperated with Erika's defiance, "Your Pokémon will be invaluable in catching Mewtwo! Your Sleep Powder strategy will make it so we can capture it no problem! And your Stun Spore strategy will also help in capturing the Legendary Pokémon. Put it to sleep or paralyze it, it'll be helpless against Team Rocket and we'll have it in our clutches no problem! And we'll pay you VERY handsomely for your contributions. You could make more money with us than you've ever made in your life! Would you really rather let this Gym burn down than join Team Rocket?"
Erika turned away and huffed. She was disgusted that Sakaki could even contemplate the mere IDEA that she'd ever want to join Team Rocket. The Rocket spy growled in annoyance and raised a hand to hit her again. But he sighed heavily and lowered it. She wasn't even worth smacking anymore. He glowered at his captive.
"So be it. If you'd rather be a stubborn ass, that's your own fault." he muttered, "Do enjoy the flames as they eat you alive…"
He turned to Arcanine.
"Kill her." Sakaki snapped, "Don't make it quick. I want to relish her terror as she burns alive."
Arcanine obeyed and used Flamethrower to set the grass alight. Erika watched the flames spread in front of her and trail their way towards her. With what a dry atmosphere Celadon Gym had, all the plant life inside would be alight within seconds! Only now did she finally try to wriggle herself free. Erika squirmed furiously but the ropes were too thick. Her hands couldn't get out of their hold! She tugged feebly on the rope to try and snap the branch she'd been tied to but that was also too thick. It'd take far too long to break. She was trapped! The flames grew ever closer. Sakaki and Arcanine were completely obscured by the blazing wall that formed in front of her eyes. Her heart pounded. Sweat rained down her face. Erika had never been more frightened in her life.
"HELP! HELP ME!" she screeched.
Sakaki cackled sadistically. He was going to enjoy watching her scream in terror until her end finally came! But Erika was not going to burn after all. To his shock and horror, a huge missile of water hit the flames and doused them! More missiles came and the fire went out completely! Erika stared in amazement and beamed excitedly as she saw help had arrived at last. Sakaki gasped as he saw June, Trace and Tricia standing before him with Tricia's Gyarados looming over their shoulders. Once the trio had arrived at the Gym, Tricia had told Gyarados to use Liquidation to put out the flames. Erika didn't recognize them but she was grateful for their aid regardless.
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" she cried with relief.
"I'm happy we were here in time to save you!" June gasped in relief, "I thought we weren't going to make it! Now…"
She turned to Sakaki and her face narrowed in a scowl of hatred.
"You have something that belongs to me." she snarled, "Give it back right now or else we're going to beat you to a bloody pulp!"
Sakaki didn't even bother denying he'd stolen June's Master Ball. It was obvious to him that Tricia had no doubt told June who he was and what he was so she'd already know. How she'd figured out he'd stolen the Master Ball, he would never know. Not that it mattered anyway!
"Well done June Silverlock. You've figured out my little ruse." the Rocket spy sneered, "And nice of you to come here with your little runt friend and that filthy traitor. Team Rocket owes her much for turning her back on us." he said coldly.
"Joining you guys was the worst mistake of my life and I have NO regrets betraying you!" Tricia spat angrily, "And you better believe I'm going to enjoy making YOU squirm especially Sakaki! You won't ever hypnotize and steal from innocent trainers again when we're through with you!"
"And once we've beaten you, you'll tell us where Giovanni is so mum, dad and Ash can arrest him and put an end to your operations for good!" June yelled hotly.
"You won't get anything out of me you scrawny little brats." Sakaki said darkly, "You three will become prisoners for Team Rocket to do with as we please and once we capture Mewtwo, we'll test its unmatched powers on all of you! I wonder if it'll be able to crush all your heads with a single psychic attack…" he crooned.
"No chance of that!" Trace shouted back, "With the three of us against you, you have no chance of winning!"
"Let's battle and put an end to Sakaki's wicked little scheme!" June growled, "Leonardo, I choose you!"
"Go for it Charmeleon!" Trace yelled.
Leonardo and Charmeleon materialized out of their Pokéballs and adopted battle ready stances. Sakaki shrugged casually as if this whole thing was a warm-up exercise rather than an actual battle.
"Very well, I'll be happy to beat you all soundly just to show how out of your depth you are." he crowed, "Arcanine, Hypno, Gengar, all three of you will demolish those insolent pests!"
He threw two Pokéballs and brought out Hypno and Gengar to join Arcanine in battle. Upon seeing Gengar, June instantly spotted the Gengarite stone it wore on a band around its ear. Just as Tricia warned her, Gengar could Mega Evolve. That wasn't her problem for Tricia had insisted that only she face Gengar while she and Trace dealt with the others. Before anyone could yell a single command, Tricia and Sakaki immediately Mega Evolved their Pokémon. Both wanted this match to end as soon as possible. Both Gengar and Gyarados transformed into their Mega Forms in a single bright flash. Mega Gengar didn't look too different from before but it had some changes to its appearance. A portion of its body sunk into the ground, its arms and tail were longer, it now had an unblinking third eye on its forehead, more spikes on its back that were longer than before and longer ears. Normally June would've been excited to see a Mega Gengar, but not in this situation. She liked to imagine Ruby using her own Gengar, Raven, to beat Sakaki's into the dirt. Tricia's Mega Gyarados would do just fine in the meantime. Erika watched from where she was. It was all she could do unless she was finally untied.
"Good luck trainers!" she cried supportively.
"Thanks, but we won't need it." June said grimly, "We've got this. Leonardo, use Water Pulse on Arcanine!"
"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower on Hypno!" Trace barked.
"Mega Gyarados, use Crunch on Mega Gengar!" Tricia yelled.
All three Pokémon successfully landed their attacks. Arcanine was drenched by Water Pulse, Hypno was blazed by Flamethrower and Mega Gengar received a nasty bite from Crunch. Sakaki's terrible trio recoiled from the blows they'd received but they quickly recovered and retaliated with their own moves.
"Arcanine, Wild Charge on Wartortle! Hypno, Zen Headbutt on Charmeleon! Mega Gengar, Dazzling Gleam on Mega Gyarados!" the Rocket spy barked.
June was beginning to see what kind of man they were facing just from those simple commands. His Arcanine and Gengar could cover their weaknesses! That was going to make her's and Tricia's battles a little harder than she thought. Arcanine stampeded into Leonardo and barged him off his feet with Wild Charge, inflicting pain and electrocuting him at the same time. Mega Gyarados recoiled in anguish as Mega Gengar's Dazzling Gleam blinded it momentarily. Hypno lowered its head and slammed into Charmeleon, knocking it down onto its back. All three moves seemed to do a lot of damage to their Pokémon. June saw what Tricia meant by Sakaki's power as a trainer. She could imagine him overthrowing Giovanni with ease with this kind of strength!
Sakaki chuckled cruelly as his Pokémon landed their hits. He never got tired of making his opponents suffer at his hands! What was so enjoyable about beating up his enemy's Pokémon and proving his superiority over them? He ordered Arcanine to use Extreme Speed next and poor Leonardo was left unable to react as he was run over by the fast moving Pokémon. Hypno used Focus Blast next and blew Charmeleon up into the air with a powerful energy sphere. Mega Gengar was ordered to use Thunderbolt and it struck Mega Gyarados full on with a powerful electric attack. The three Pokémon took a lot of damage but they were determined not to give up. They had to win this for June's Master Ball and to save Erika and her Gym! June turned to Ray.
"In any other case, I'd be against such tactics. But now's not the time to play fair! Jump in and help Leonardo with Zippy Zap!" she commanded.
"Right behind ya June!" Ray said eagerly.
He was all too happy to essentially cheat if it meant getting June's Master Ball back. He charged into battle with his newly invented attack and Arcanine was left reeling back in surprise as Ray charged into him. Erika blinked in amazement at what she saw.
"I've never seen an attack like that before. That trainer's something else entirely…" she murmured.
Sakaki frowned angrily and ordered Arcanine to use Flamethrower on Ray. Arcanine was about to spew flames at the spiky-haired Pikachu but Ray stopped it quickly by using Double Kick under its chin. Neither he nor June wanted to risk Arcanine potentially setting the Gym ablaze and endangering everybody. With two powerful kicks, Arcanine's Flamethrower died in its throat and its jaws were left feeling very sore. That gave Leonardo the chance to leap in and use Water Pulse. He blasted Arcanine with water and the fiery canine was left soaked and confused by the attack. But unfortunately, it wasn't confused for long as Arcanine smacked the sides of its face with its paws and snapped itself out of it. With a savage roar, Arcanine stampeded straight into Ray and Leonardo simultaneously with Extreme Speed. Both Pokémon were sent sprawling and they groaned in pain. It felt as if they'd been hit by a bus with that attack. But they managed to stand back up again and Ray fought back by using Surf, a move Sakaki did a double-take at for he hadn't expected that. Arcanine was swept off its feet by Surf and while it thrashed in the water to try and get away, Leonardo added insult to injury with Rapid Spin. He ricocheted off of Arcanine's head, his hard shell causing immense pain in his opponent.
Meanwhile, Charmeleon was also given an extra helper. Trace saw June's point in this not being the time to play fair so he sent Eevee out to help against Hypno. Hypno tried to hit Eevee with Focus Blast but it dug down into the ground and dodged the blow. Charmeleon distracted Hypno with Fire Spin while Eevee prepared its ambush. Hypno was caught up in the fiery vortex and it was momentarily unable to move. Then Eevee erupted up from underneath its feet and walloped Hypno in the face with the full force of its entire body. Hypno was thrown down onto the ground with a heavy slam and a loud grunt as the air was punched out of it from the impact. Sakaki was amazed at what had happened. Who knew a mere Eevee could pack a punch?! He wasn't going to let that stop him and he retaliated by ordering his Hypno to use Hypnosis. The yellow coloured Pokémon swung its pendulum back and forth to try and put Charmeleon and Eevee to sleep but it was interrupted as Fire Spin swirled around it again and made it grimace. Seizing his chance, Trace ordered Charmeleon to use Flamethrower and Eevee to use Bite. Charmeleon hit first and Eevee bit down on Hypno after Flamethrower was finished so it wouldn't get burnt too. Hypno stumbled and fell backwards onto its bottom. June looked to Trace and smiled to him.
"You're doing great out there!" she complimented.
"Likewise!" Trace called back, "It was a good idea on your part to use more than one Pokémon!"
"Anything that gives us an advantage over our enemies!" June crowed.
She looked to Tricia to see how Mega Gyarados was doing. Mega Gengar was giving it a good fight but Tricia was still holding her own in spite of Sakaki's best efforts. Tricia didn't send any other Pokémon out, feeling Mega Gyarados could still handle itself fine. She ordered her Pokémon to bite down on Mega Gengar with Crunch. The sea serpent Pokémon bit down with its holographic jaw construct and Mega Gengar recoiled in pain. It shook off the blow and sunk down into the ground like a Diglett retreating into its hole. It reappeared underneath Mega Gyarados and blasted it with Shadow Ball. The Water/Dark Pokémon was hit but Shadow Ball didn't do much to it and it shot back with Liquidation. Mega Gengar was bombard by water and it reeled back, stunned for so long that Mega Gyarados immediately fought back with another Crunch. The Ghost/Poison Pokémon wailed in pain. It wrestled free from the Dark jaws and Mega Gengar used Dazzling Gleam once again to blind Mega Gyarados. It roared in anguish and flailed around wildly. Grinning malevolently, Mega Gengar used Thunderbolt to electrocute Mega Gyarados. But at the last minute, it was able to block the attack with Protect. Sakaki cursed in annoyance, annoyed with himself for not expecting that. He of all people should know how Tricia's Pokémon fight! Mega Gyarados hit Mega Gengar with another Crunch and drained away even more of its health. It seemed despite his Pokémon's power, Sakaki was starting to look to be on the back foot. Mega Gengar, Arcanine and Hypno stood back for a moment, panting heavily from the beating they'd taken. The Rocket spy frowned anxiously.
"This is ludicrous. I'm among the top three strongest Team Rocket members and I'm losing to a bunch of scrawny little children!" he growled, "Tricia I can understand but how are June and Trace holding their own?! It's inconceivable how strong they are!"
Erika was equally as impressed by the battle that had unfolded.
"Those three are very strong." she said to herself, "I sure hope they're not going to challenge me for the Rainbow badge next!" she joked.
Sakaki's head snapped around to look at Erika as if he'd forgotten she was still there. It was at that moment when he suddenly had a great idea on how he could slip away without his enemies getting the better of him and taking the Master Ball back. Erika was still tied up, which meant she'd be perfectly helpless and would need June and friends to save her! He grinned wickedly.
"Since I'm clearly going to lose this battle, I'll just have to cut my losses and run." the Rocket spy acknowledged, "I sure hope that boat's ready for me by now."
He looked back to the battle and saw his Arcanine get thrown down to the floor and skid to a halt by his feet. Ray and Leonardo were proving to be too much for it to handle. But luckily for Sakaki, it still had enough energy left to stand back up so he could still pull off his escape plan.
"Arcanine, set this Gym on fire!" Sakaki barked, "We'll slip away in the commotion!"
Arcanine nodded, seeing its trainer's point. It opened its jaws and blasted a powerful Flamethrower at some nearby trees and grass, instantly setting them alight. Erika stared in horror as her Gym was set on fire. All her lovely plants would be incinerated in seconds! Normally the sprinkler system would put out the flames but Sakaki had disabled them after he'd taken her out so they wouldn't stop his Arcanine's attacks.
"MY GYM!" Erika shrieked, tugging on her ropes in a desperate bid to free herself so she could try to put out the fire.
June, Trace and Tricia gasped in shock and called to their Pokémon.
"Leonardo, Ray, with me! You need to put out the fire!" she yelled.
"You too Gyarados!" Tricia cried, "This whole place will go up if we don't act now!"
"Eevee, Charmeleon, we'll help too!" Trace commanded, "Forget about Sakaki!"
But Ray wasn't willing to let him go so easily. While the other Pokémon obeyed their trainers and leapt into action, Ray ignored June and instead chased after Sakaki just as he returned his Pokémon and took to his heels. A wall of flames separated the two but Ray was a good jumper. He used Zippy Zap to speed himself up and jump even higher over the flames. He then sailed straight into the small of Sakaki's back and knocked him down onto the floor. The Rocket spy picked himself up and scrambled furiously as Ray clambered all over him, biting him and scratching him anywhere he could.
"You filthy little rat! Get off me!" he snarled.
"Not til you give back June's Master Ball!" Ray growled.
Sakaki howled in agony as Ray sank his teeth as hard as he could into his hand. It was the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life. Sakaki swiped with his arm and flung Ray away. Luckily he avoided landing in the fire by landing near a spot of land that wasn't ablaze yet. Clutching his bleeding hand, Sakaki ran out of the Gym before anyone else could get him. Ray watched him run away and wiped blood off his lips.
"Cowards, the lot of them…" he sneered, "No wonder most of the organization's locked up and the boss is on the run now."
He turned his attention back to the chaos behind him. The flames had spread quickly and the whole Gym was nearly completely ablaze. To his horror, he saw the flames getting close to the tree Erika was tied to. The Gym Leader screamed frantically for help. Without even thinking, Ray leapt into action and used Surf to send a curtain of water sweeping over the flames to put them out instantly. Erika got soaked as well but she was too relieved to care. She watched Ray run up to her and then climb up the tree.
"Oh bless you, you heroic little Pikachu! You've saved my life!" she cried graciously.
"Don't thank me yet doll face. The Gym's still on fire!" Ray cried, "Hold still a sec while I get you untied."
He reached the ropes binding Erika to the tree and chewed through them with his powerful teeth. In seconds he'd bitten through and Erika was freed. Ray jumped down into her arms and she hugged him gratefully. Then she put Ray down so he could carry on using Surf to put out the flames. The Gym Leader's main priority was to get out all her Grass-type Pokémon before they could be burned alive so she ran off with Ray using Surf to douse the flames and make a way forward for her.
Meanwhile, June, Trace and Tricia were combating the flames as best as they could. The flames had spread very quickly and nearly all the plant life inside the Gym was blazing alive. Thick smoke covered the ceiling and it was starting to get harder to breathe thanks to the inferno. June coughed heavily and wiped her forehead. It annoyed her so much that she had to let Sakaki escape but Erika's Gym had to be saved! Leonardo used Water Pulse to put out the flames but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. His attack wasn't powerful enough and as soon as he put out a few flames, they just came back, somewhat mocking him for his pitiful efforts to get rid of them. Leonardo grew frustrated with himself.
"It's no good June, I'm not strong enough to put out the flames!" he wailed.
"We need to keep trying!" June insisted, "We have to stop this place from burning down! Keep using Water Pulse and don't stop!"
Leonardo wasn't sure if that would work but he would try anyway. As he tried again with Water Pulse, Trace ordered Eevee and Charmeleon to use Dig and throw dirt onto the flames. He also sent out his own Wartortle to use Bubble Beam for extra aid. They two were a little slow in putting out the flames but they were doing the best they could in putting them out. Eevee's front legs kicked furiously at the mound of dirt it had dug up and Charmeleon used his powerful arms to throw its own dirt mount onto the flames. Wartortle took a deep breath and blasted bubbles at them. Tricia stuck to Mega Gyarados and was naturally making the best progress against the flames due to having the largest and most powerful Water-type. Mega Gyarados bombarded the flames with Liquidation and put most of them out quickly. But even for a Pokémon like Mega Gyarados, it was still a big job and it was struggling to keep up with how big the fire was going. Tricia could see that they needed more help but she didn't have any more Water-types to use and both June and Trace didn't have a lot of Pokémon to spare as they'd come so shortly after their Gym battles with Sabrina. The most they could do now is hope what resources they had on them would be enough in the end.
At first it seemed as if the battle with the flames was at a stalemate with neither side getting anywhere. Erika had managed to evacuate all the Pokémon living in the Gym so none of them would get hurt but the Gym itself was still in very real danger of burning down. Leonardo, Ray, Eevee, Charmeleon, Wartortle and Mega Gyarados kept up the battle furiously, determined not to lose this battle. And then things took a sudden turn for the better as to June and Trace's amazement, Leonardo and Charmeleon began to evolve! Their sheer determination to put out the flames was enough for them to do so! Both trainers watched in awe as their Pokémon changed into their final forms. Leonardo was no longer a Wartortle but a mighty Blastoise and Charmeleon had become a fearsome Charizard.
Blastoise resembled a very large turtle, large enough for even an adult to ride on its back, and it was most famous for its twin mounted shoulder cannons it could use to spray water on enemies. Out of the Kanto starters, Blastoise was the only one the Silverlock family didn't have for Ruby had a Charizard and Sapphire had a Venusaur. With June, they now had the complete trio. Leonardo admired himself over, amazed at what he'd changed into.
"Alright! I'm a Blastoise now! That'll give me the power I need to put out those flames!" he declared.
Charizard was equally as ecstatic. He flexed his newly grown wings and roared triumphantly. June and Trace cheered for their Pokémon.
"Amazing! You're a Blastoise now!" June hollered.
"And you're a Charizard!" Trace cheered, "That should help with putting out the flames!"
"No doubt about it." Tricia agreed, "Show us what you can do you two!"
Leonardo obeyed and aimed his water cannons at the fire. He then blasted at the flames with his newly learned Hydro Pump attack. It seemed he'd managed to learn it straight away after evolving. Charizard flapped its wings and blew out the flames with a huge gust of wind. With this newfound strength, the flames were finally starting to lose the battle. They couldn't complete with the power of a Mega Gyarados, a Blastoise and a Charizard all fighting the flames at once. Ray, Eevee and Wartortle continued to help even if it didn't seem they were really needed anymore. Erika watched with awe. A warm tingle of joy spread through her body. How lucky was she to have been saved by three kind and compassionate trainers like those three? She dreaded to think what would've happened if they hadn't gotten here in time.
Minutes later, the flames were finally out and Celadon Gym was safe again. Sadly much of the plant life had burnt to cinders and not much of it had survived. Blackened trees and burnt up bushes served as ugly reminders of what had happened just minutes before. But the Gym itself had remained intact. None of the actual building had been damaged by the fire. And most importantly, nobody had been killed in the inferno, person or Pokémon. Overall, June felt it was a happy ending for everyone, even if Sakaki had still managed to slip away.
"He just had to set the place on fire just to keep us distracted." she muttered, "And now he's goodness knows where and we're no closer to getting back my Master Ball!"
"Uh, June? You don't need to worry about that anymore." Ray purred smoothly.
To his trainer's amazement, he produced something from behind his back and handed it to her. It was her Master Ball! June was so shocked that she nearly collapsed in astonishment. She took the Master Ball from Ray as if he'd just handed her a golden nugget. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.
"M-m-my Master Ball! Ray, how did you…?" she stammered.
"I chased after Sakaki and tackled him." Ray explained, "I managed to swipe it out of his pocket as I was biting and clawing at him. I can just see that guy's face when he realizes he's lost it…" he crowed.
"You crafty little Pikachu!" Tricia laughed, "Nobody ever gets to steal from Sakaki without him noticing, yet you've managed it! Team Rocket will never get Mewtwo now!"
"Nope, the Master Ball's all ours again!" Trace sneered, "The power to catch any Pokémon without fail is all for us!"
"So that man stole that ball from you." Erika acknowledged, "I'm so glad you were able to get it back from him. How did you know he had it and what drove you to come here for it?"
June jumped. She'd forgotten Erika was even there. Coughing sheepishly, June explained everything to the Grass-Gym Leader.
"That Sabrina, always so helpful in helping others find what they've lost." Erika said dreamily, "She's even helped me find lost items in the past. Still, that Sakaki guy stole that ball from you and thought he could actually get away with it? Team Rocket are the worst I swear…"
"As an ex-Rocket agent myself, I'm inclined to agree." Tricia muttered.
"But what I don't understand is why did he attack you?" Trace asked, "He should've cut his losses and run with the ball instead of wasting time attacking you. He only ended up losing the ball to us as a result."
"He was waiting for a boat to take him out of here and back to whatever hidden based the last remnants of Team Rocket are hiding in." Erika explained, "So he decided to come to me to the pass the time. He had some crazy idea that I'd want to join Team Rocket and that my Pokémon would want to use their Sleep Powder or Stun Spore attacks to commit crimes and help them catch Mewtwo! Can you imagine that? Me, joining Team Rocket? I'd sooner tell a Victreebel to eat me alive!"
"Given your reputation as one of Kanto's sweetest and kindest Gym Leaders, I'm stumped how Sakaki even contemplated such a thought." Tricia muttered, "For a guy who prides himself on being a smart and competent spy, he sure doesn't understand people very well."
"I'm just grateful he did make that assumption as it helped us find him and get my ball back!" June said brightly. It suddenly occurred to her that what she'd said might come off as insensitive so she coughed anxiously.
"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't mean that I'm glad he attacked you or anything…" she mumbled.
"Oh no worries my dear. I understand." Erika said kindly, "I suppose in a way it was helpful that he attacked me or else he'd have gotten away and you'd never have found him, even with Sabrina's help."
"I know, but I still wish it didn't come at the expense of your Gym getting ruined and you getting attacked." June said sympathetically, "I wish we could've gotten here sooner so we could've prevented this."
"You did all you could darling and you've managed to save most of my Gym, and my life, with all you did. Don't feel so solemn about it." Erika said softly, "I'd say overall, this went the best way it could've gone."
"I would've been happier if we'd actually caught Sakaki so we could squeeze Giovanni's location out of him." June muttered, "But you're right Erika. We've achieved more good than bad today so we shouldn't feel too bad about it." she said cheerfully.
"That's right." Erika agreed, "Now then, I take it you will want to challenge me for my Rainbow Badge?"
"Oh no, not now!" June said frantically, "Goodness no, you've got your Gym to take care of, your Pokémon likely need healing and my own Pokémon need a rest too!"
"I was hoping you'd say that because I'm in no position to offer anyone a battle today." Erika chuckled, "We can have our battle tomorrow if you like?"
"I'll be there." June promised.
"And me!" Trace added.
"By all means. I look forward to battling you both tomorrow." Erika said sweetly, "Especially you June. I've been warned by the other Gym Leaders that I might have to brace myself for a battle with Ruby Silverlock's daughter. I look forward to seeing what you can do…" she added with a sly wink.
June smiled modestly. It was no surprise that Erika knew who she was. With nothing more to say, June, Trace and Tricia returned their Pokémon and left the Gym. They were all ready for a rest and their Pokémon were even more so. Once they were rested, they'd be ready to continue their quest to find Mewtwo and stop Team Rocket. June and Trace wanted to carry on with the Gym circuit for they both felt the same way: if they were strong enough to earn all eight Gym badges, then they'd be more than ready to face Mewtwo itself.
We'll find you and keep you safe from Team Rocket Mewtwo. June swore, And we'll stop those thieves once and for all! Mark my words…
Meanwhile, Sakaki had boarded a cargo ferry that was making its way out of Kanto and heading towards Johto. Of course, he wasn't going to Johto. He was going to wait until he was far enough out to sea before departing the boat via a jet ski he'd taken onboard with him and he'd make his way towards Giovanni's hidden base under the sea. A submarine would pick him up and then he'd be taken down underwater to the base. This was a safe, secure and secretive way for him to return to base without drawing attention to himself. Ruby, Hop and Ash were looking for him via air and on the ground. They didn't think to look for him by water! As he watched Celadon City disappear from view, he allowed himself to relax and smile with relief. He'd gotten away and those insolent children would never find him again! He winced a bit as the sea breeze brushed over his cuts and bite wounds from Ray. His hand was bandaged up and he still grimaced in pain just thinking about the moment Ray had bitten him. Sakaki was just glad that was the worst of his injuries. Hopefully those brats had gotten worse than him with Celadon Gym burning down.
"I would've preferred it if I could've won the battle but at least I got away." he crowed, "And the boss will be so pleased to see I have the Master Ball. I…"
He slipped his hand into his pocket…and closed it around empty air. His blood ran cold as he turned out his pocket.
"Where is it?!" he gasped in shock.
He felt himself all over but there was no Master Ball on him anywhere. It was gone! How could he have lost it?! He thought back for a moment. Yes…Ray had to have pinched it from him when he'd attacked him! He'd lost the Master Ball and June was back in possession of it! His whole mission had been for nothing!
"No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
He wasn't sure how he was going to explain this to Giovanni…
Sakaki got away, but the Master Ball is back with June so it's not a total loss. As is, she's determined to get to Mewtwo before Giovanni does and in order to prove she's strong enough to face it, she needs to finish her Gym Challenge. Will she be able to defeat the lovely Erika? Find out in "The Fifth Gym"...
Trivia: There's no real reason why Sakaki has a shiny Arcanine. I just wanted to give him something unique. Though it could maybe be seen as a reference to that shiny Arcanine giveaway for Scarlet and Violet we got earlier this year.
That last scene with Sakaki is also a deliberate reference to the scene in Aladdin where Jafar realizes the lamp's gone after the Cave of Wonders seals itself up. I just thought it worked well. XD