Chapter 6: Between An Onix And A Hard Place
June was certain that if she'd reacted even a second slower than she had, she would've been killed instantly.
As she dived to one side to avoid the Onix's oncoming attack, she felt the shockwave of its huge head slamming into the ground punch into her and throw her off her feet. She rolled over the ground with a series of loud grunts as she came to a painful stop on her side. The Onix's head had come down with enough force to flatten a car and June saw the impact of its attack as it lifted its head back up, revealing a huge crater the size of its face that it left behind. She shuddered as a grisly image of herself being reduced to a bloody smear on the floor with all her bones twisted and broken filled her head. What a horrible way to die! She wasn't going to let Onix smash her to pieces, not when she could still fight!
"I was hoping to get an Onix, but I would've rather met one on friendlier terms than this." June muttered, "Still, it's attacking so we need to fight back. Ray, are you ready?!"
"Not particularly." Ray muttered, "It was hard enough fighting Brock's Onix yesterday!"
"Yes, but this is a wild Onix, not a Gym Leader's Onix. Ergo, it's weaker by default and that means we have a better chance of defeating it!" June declared, "It's too bad we can't use your new Zippy Zap attack but we still have Double Kick and my other Pokémon will be able to help us."
"You sure? I mean Ace, Paige and Victoria looked pretty banged up at the end of our fight with Tricia." Ray said doubtfully, "I don't think they're in much shape to help us."
"I'm sure they can still fight!" June declared, "Paige, Victoria, give Ray a hand!"
She threw her Pokéballs and brought out her faithful Mankey and Nidoran. But unfortunately, as Ray had predicted, they didn't look as if they were in much shape to carry on. They were still feeling fatigued from their battle against Tricia. Paige looked as if she had some stamina left while Victoria looked ready for a long nap. June could see that her plan might not work out as she'd hoped.
"Oh dear…maybe they aren't up for this." she said worriedly, "I best hide somewhere and give them a Potion each before we battle."
"Better do it quick because here it comes again!" Ray shrieked.
The Onix launched itself towards June and her Pokémon. It swung its tail towards them, aiming to bat them all away and out of its territory. June screamed and ran for her life while Paige bravely stepped in and used Low Kick to block the tail swipe. Unfortunately, she was too weak from earlier so her kick barely even slowed Onix down and she was flung away for her troubles. Paige crashed down onto her back and groaned in pain. June ran over to Paige and picked her up. Victoria scampered behind her trainer and followed as they ran towards a rock to hide behind. The Onix tried to stop them by using Rock Throw but just as it was about to attack, it was distracted by the sound of Tricia talking frantically into her Rotom Phone. She'd managed to crawl away from the rock pile and was calling for help.
"Team Rocket, this is Tricia! I have been badly injured and require immediate back-up, repeat, IMMEDIATE back-up! I'm under attack from a wild Onix and cannot currently defend myself! Send IMMEDIATE back-up now!" she shrieked.
The Onix ignored June for the moment and slithered towards Tricia. Whenever Onix moved, it sounded like tumbling boulders. Onix approached Tricia and growled menacingly. The Rocket Grunt stared up in terror at the huge boulder snake and screamed at the top of her lungs. June heard her and gasped in horror as she saw Onix about to attack. It was the first time she'd ever seen Tricia look so scared and helpless. She had to do something and fast! But before June could move, Tricia threw a Pokéball and brought out her Gyarados once more. Despite the damage taken from June's Pokémon earlier, it looked as if it might be able to keep on fighting.
"I understand you might be a little fatigued, but I need you to keep me safe until backup arrives." Tricia commanded, "Fight off that Onix with Liquidation!"
June allowed herself to relax and even smile with relief at that. At least Tricia couldn't possibly lose against Onix with a Water-type at her disposal! She turned back to her Pokémon to give them a Potion to heal them up while the battle continued. Gyarados swiped the air with its tail and launched missiles of water at Onix. But due to fatigue from the battle with June, it was too slow and Onix was able to dodge the attack by weaving out of the way of the shots. Gyarados tried again but Onix suddenly buried its face into the ground and dug down out of the way. It disappeared into the ground and burrowed under the floor like a giant rocky worm. Both Tricia and June could feel the ground shake underneath them as the Onix dug. Who knew where it was going to pop back up?! Tricia wasn't worried in spite of that.
"Such a fool. Ground attacks won't work on Gyarados so that Onix is digging for nothing." she sneered.
But she was wrong. Onix had dug underground and to Tricia's amazement, it erupted not from under the floor, but from one of the walls instead! It had dug down and then up into the wall so it could come out and tackle Gyarados from up above! The enormous Pokémon crashed into Gyarados with enough force to break its bones. Due to its appearance, Gyarados looked as if it was being caught up in another rock slide only this rock slide was alive and able to fight. Tricia watched as Gyarados was brought plummeting down to the ground with the entire weight of Onix on its back. It was squashed down into the floor and while Onix was on top of it, it began to wrap itself around Gyarados and constrict it tightly. Gyarados croaked feebly in its grasp and it squirmed furiously. It tried to wriggle free but it was too weak to put up any kind of resistance and the Onix was squeezing it too hard. Onix tightened its grip and Gyarados wailed pitifully as its breath was squeezed out of its lungs and its bones began to crack from the constriction. Tricia felt very scared. Her Pokémon was going to be killed if she didn't act now!
"Hang on Gyarados, I'll Mega Evolve you!" she cried.
She reached into her pocket for her Gyaradosite…only to see that it wasn't there! Tricia's heart turned to ice as her fingers curled around only empty air. No! She'd lost her Gyaradosite! She couldn't Mega Evolve the atrocious Pokémon without it! Where could it have gone?! Tricia thought back for a moment. The Gyaradosite must've fallen out of her pocket during the cave-in earlier. It could be buried in the rock pile for all she knew! She couldn't dig for it, not when her leg was hurting too much to even stand up and her Gyarados was being crushed to death so it couldn't help her find it! Her situation was hopeless.
My Pokémon's going to die and it's all my fault! Tricia wailed, her eyes welling with tears, I wish I'd never joined this evil organization! This never would've happened if I'd never joined them!
But just as Gyarados was about to draw its last breath, something flashed out of nowhere and hit Onix in the eyes. The rock snake Pokémon wailed in pain and let go of Gyarados. It flailed about wildly and roared in pain. Tricia turned to see June standing there with Ray, Paige and Victoria all feeling much better now. She'd given them all a quick spray of a potion each to rejuvenate their strength and they were now fighting fit once again. She'd commanded Ray to use Zippy Zap and aim for the Onix's eyes as that was the only way for Ray to actually hurt Onix. Ray landed back beside her and the Onix dug down into the ground to keep anyone from attacking it while it gave its eyes time to recover. Tricia stared at June as if she'd just been sent a guardian angel from the heavens. June ran over to Tricia.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Just peachy." Tricia muttered, "I can't thank you enough for saving my Gyarados's life. I was so worried for a minute! That Onix was going to crush it alive!"
"I saw! It was awful!" June said, cringing for she could still feel Gyarados's pain in her own bones despite it being the one that was being crushed and not her, "I have one last Potion in my backpack. Use it on Gyarados so you can heal it up."
"It won't be enough." Tricia lamented, "My Gyarados is so strong that a simple potion won't heal it by much. I need at least a Super Potion or a Hyper Potion for it to make any real difference. I'm down to my last Super Potion so I'll have to hope it works."
"OK, we'll keep Onix busy for you while you heal Gyarados." June offered, "Then you can Mega Evolve it and put a stop to its rampage!"
"I can't. I've lost my Gyaradosite." the Rocket Grunt said grimly, "I think it'll be in that rock pile from the cave-in earlier."
"In that case, we best help you find it!" the silver and purple haired teen declared, "Paige, you dig in that rock pile for Tricia! Me, Ray and Victoria will fight Onix!"
Paige obeyed and began digging furiously in the rock pile, effortlessly throwing away rocks with her bare hands. June, Ray and Victoria ran back out to search for Onix. It hadn't come back up yet so they had to be ready for it. Tricia lay against a rock, wincing from the pain in her leg. Gyarados slithered weakly towards her, barely conscious but alive. It flopped down beside her like an exhausted dog and it sighed heavily. Tricia patted her Pokémon on the nose tenderly.
"I'm so sorry we got caught up in this mess." the purple haired teen said sadly, "Here, this'll make you feel better."
She got out her last remaining Super Potion and began spraying Gyarados with it to heal its wounds and perk it back up again. Once it was healed up, she'd have it help Paige dig for her Gyaradosite. Tricia took out her phone and pressed an app on it. This app was an energy detector, something all Rocket Grunts and Admins used to make finding powerful energy sources easier. She had the app search for Mega Evolution energy. An energy signature flickered on the map near her location. Tricia smiled with relief. Her Gyaradosite was buried in the rock pile! She gave Gyarados another spray with the Super Potion. Paige continued to dig, tossing another rock over her shoulder with ease.
Meanwhile, June, Ray and Victoria were still listening out for Onix. The pain in its eyes must've been worse than they thought for it seemed to be taking a long time to come back up again. Had Onix just gone and fled the battle because it was in so much pain? That would be disappointing for June wanted to catch the Onix. Just in case it did show up again, June ordered Victoria to use Toxic Spikes. It would make for a handy trap to lure the Onix into once it came back. Victoria arched her back and launched a shower of purple spikes that rained down onto the ground behind her. The trap was set, now would Onix stumble into it? They seemed to wait for a long time. June, Ray and Victoria listened hard and looked around this way and that but the Onix didn't seem to be around. They couldn't hear or feel it at all.
"Huh…maybe the scoundrel's run off." Victoria suggested hopefully.
"I knew I was too much for it. I'm so awesome that even Ground-types have to respect my battle prowess!" Ray gloated.
"You hit it in the eyes Ray. You essentially beat it via an underhanded tactic." Victoria scoffed, "I wouldn't exactly be proud of that."
"Oh yeah? And I suppose you could've done any better?" Ray retorted, "What exactly could YOU have done you pompous windbag? Kick it and hope it goes down?"
"Stop it you two!" June snapped, "We don't know for sure if the Onix is even gone. I have a nasty feeling that it's lying in wait and is going to attack when we…"
Before she could even finish the sentence, the Onix suddenly erupted from under their feet and sent everyone flying into the air! Because of its sudden appearance from underground, it also sent the Toxic Spikes trap flying everywhere and they scattered all over the cave. The Onix would be safe from being poisoned because of that. June crashed down onto her back, crying out in pain and coughing as the wind was punched out of her. Ray somersaulted through the air and landed on his feet while Victoria landed on her stomach. The Onix bellowed, sounding pleased with itself for ambushing its opponents so successfully. June swore it almost sounded like it was laughing at her at the same time. Onix glared down at her and attempted to use Rock Throw to crush her alive. It threw a rock about the size of a car towards June but both Ray and Victoria were able to stop it by jumping up and Double Kicking it to pieces. The rock was destroyed and the Onix grumbled irritably that it had failed to land a hit. June picked herself up. She rubbed her back tenderly as she gave Ray the order to use Growl and Victoria the order to use Double Kick. Ray growled at Onix, lowering its attack power and Victoria followed up by kicking it twice in the face. Shortly after, the gutsy Nidoran followed up with Poison Sting. Her back arched and she fired some poisonous needles at Onix from it. While the Toxic Spikes trap had been foiled, her Poison Sting was successful. Onix grimaced as its body flashed purple and it became poisoned.
"Great job Victoria! That should make it easier for us to beat it!" June cried excitedly.
"I sure hope so." Victoria muttered, "It's proving to be very resilient so the poison should soften it up for us."
"And once it's down, I can catch it!" June declared, "That Onix will be such a strong Pokémon to have on the team!"
"Provided it doesn't try to kill us every time you bring it out." Ray said sardonically.
The Onix growled, sounding even angrier than before now that it had been poisoned. These intruders had messed with it for long enough! It was going to crush them and make them pay for what they'd done! Onix lunged towards the trio once more with a giant Headbutt. But just as it was about to land a hit, a giant flash of light illuminated the cave and made the Onix stop what it was doing. June jumped in surprise and turned to see what the light was just what she'd suspected it was. Tricia had found her Gyaradosite and now her Gyarados had Mega Evolved! Mega Gyarados loomed before the Onix, looking angrier than ever and ready to make it pay for nearly suffocating it earlier. Onix backed away feebly. It amused June to see this powerful, fearsome rock monster suddenly looking like a frightened puppy dog now it was faced with an opponent bigger and stronger than it self!
"That'll teach you to attack me and try to kill my Pokémon!" Tricia snarled, "Mega Gyarados, Liquidate that Onix!"
Mega Gyarados roared a terrifying, fearsome roar that echoed all around the cave. It swiped its tail and launched a volley of aquatic missiles at Onix once again. Onix tried to escape by digging again but it was too late. Mega Gyarados was much faster than regular Gyarados and it had been healed up by a Super Potion so its attack was too fast for Onix to dodge. It was bombarded by the water missiles and thanks to Onix's double water weakness, it was instantly knocked out by the attack. June swore it had been defeated so quickly that she didn't even see it fall unconscious. It was as simple as that: one second it was awake, the next it wasn't. Onix collapsed onto the ground with a heavy crash and it groaned in anguish. It was finally down and the girls were safe again. With Onix defeated, June had one thing left to do.
"You're mine now Onix! Go Pokéball!" the Galarian girl shouted.
She threw a ball at Onix and it absorbed the giant boulder serpent inside. The ball closed up and pinged without a single shake. As Onix was unconscious, it wasn't even able to resist or put up a fight whilst in the ball. June now had her fifth Pokémon. She picked up the ball and cheered happily.
"Alright, now I have an Onix!" she cheered, "This is so exciting! Now I'll be able to use it to kick ass the way Brock does!"
"Should you really sound that happy you just caught a Pokémon that literally tried to kill us seconds ago, June?" Ray retorted.
"That's irrelevant for Onix will be our friend from now on!" June said happily, "It won't try and kill us anymore."
She put the ball away and returned Victoria and Paige to their Pokéballs. She and her team would be ready for a long rest after such an intense workout! Now everything was quiet and they were safe again, June ran back over to Tricia. The Rocket Grunt was still in pain but she looked relieved that it was all over. She returned Mega Gyarados to its Pokéball.
"Thank you for helping me beat that Onix." June said gratefully.
"It was nothing. Really." Tricia said casually, "You saved my Gyarados and you saved me too. It was the least I could do."
"Same for me." June concurred, "It should be natural for us humans to want to save one another. So…will things be different between us from now on?" she asked hopefully.
Tricia thought for a moment.
"I would very much like for that." she answered, "But with how hard it'll be to get away from Team Rocket, I wouldn't get your hopes up."
"Hey girls! Are you OK down there?!"
June and Tricia looked around, wondering who had said that. It was too dark to see anything and even Ray's light didn't spread very far so they couldn't see who it was. But they soon got their answer as someone stepped into the light. It was Trace! He'd used his Bulbasaur's Vine Whip to climb down the cavern and reach the girls. He had his Rotom Phone in his hand to use as a torch to see his way in the cave. Trace ran over to June and embraced her happily.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you!" he apologized, "I was so shocked by what Tricia said that I froze up! Your mum asked me to protect you and I failed! I've let you both down!" he wailed.
"No Trace, I let you down." June insisted, "I ran off and left you behind to save my own skin. I left you all alone out there and no doubt left you worrying about me and Tricia. I'm the one who should be sorry."
"Heh, well let's just say we're both at fault then." Trace said with a chuckle, "What happened? Did Tricia hurt you?"
"I'm fine. Tricia's the one who's hurt!" June exclaimed.
Trace turned to see his sister lying against a rock with her leg bandaged up. The young boy ran over to her, his face a mask of worry.
"Tricia! What happened to your leg?! How badly does it hurt?!" he cried.
"It stings like crazy." Tricia grunted, "But June bandaged me up so I'll be fine. It's lucky for me that she's such a nice girl otherwise I'd be in even worse shape. She saved me and my Gyarados from an angry Onix!"
"You saved their lives? Oh June, you're such a hero!" Trace cried gratefully, "How can I ever repay you? You saved my sister and her Pokémon!"
"I don't need to be repaid just for doing what any normal person would do in this situation." June said bashfully, "I had to save them, especially for your sake. I couldn't let your sister die Trace. That would've been horrible of me…"
"It would, so I'm grateful to you for your kindness." Trace insisted, "Thanks so much June. Now then…"
He turned to Tricia and gave her a firm stare.
"You. It's time you gave me some answers." he said coldly, "Why are you working for Team Rocket? Why did you lie to me about going on a long journey? I still want to believe you're under mind control but if that's not the case, why did you do it?"
"Please Tricia, you should at least tell your little brother why." June pleaded.
Tricia was faced with a difficult decision. Her mind was in torment. She didn't want to tell Trace anything but she knew she couldn't keep it from him anymore. She could lie to her victims but she could never lie to her brother.
"You're right. If anyone deserves an explanation, it's you little brother." Tricia said sadly, "I'm so sorry I had to keep this from you. I knew the truth would utterly crush you if you ever found out. I…"
She didn't get a chance to explain for she suddenly heard voices calling out to her in the darkness.
"Hey! Tricia! Where are you? We've come to get you outta here!"
"Yikes! It's more Rocket Grunts, no doubt!" June exclaimed.
"Trust my back-up to show up NOW of all times!" Tricia grumbled, "Quick, hide you two! Go on, go, go, go before they see you!"
Trace didn't want to go. He wanted Tricia to answer him. But June grabbed his hand and made him come along. Trace looked back worriedly to his sister as he was dragged away. Tricia mouthed to him "I love you little brother!". Trace mouthed back to her "I'll save you, big sister!". June and Trace crept down into one of the tunnels that had been left behind by Onix's digging earlier and they hid there. They kept as quiet as possible as more voices filled the cave and they heard footsteps coming down on the hard stone. June and Trace peeked over the rim of the tunnel to see Tricia being surrounded by Rocket Grunts with torches in their hands to light up the cave. There were male and female grunts and they looked relieved to see she was alive in spite of what had clearly been a close call.
"We came as quick as we could! Sorry we took so long." one grunt said.
"What happened to your leg?" asked another.
"Where's the Onix? Did you beat it?" a female grunt asked.
"I'll give all the details once I'm back at headquarters." Tricia said bluntly, "Just get me out of here already!"
Two male grunts helped Tricia up to her feet and wrapped her arms around their shoulders to keep her upright. Tricia winced as her wounded thigh flared up again. She was able to stand on her other foot just fine but walking was still out of the question.
"Say, who bandaged you up?" asked a female grunt.
"I bandaged myself up, obviously." Tricia retorted.
"OK, I only asked! No need to be rude!" the grunt cried indignantly.
"What about the target? Did you manage to grab our runaway Pikachu?" asked one of the male grunts.
June felt her blood run cold. Was Tricia going to sell her out to the Rocket Grunts? She could easily tell them where she and Trace were hiding and then they could steal Ray from her! Ray clung onto June tightly.
"She's gonna betray us, she's gonna betray us, she's TOTALLY gonna betray us!" he whispered frantically.
But the teens and Pikachu got the biggest shock of their lives when Tricia gave her response:
"I'm afraid I didn't. The target…is dead." she said in a tone of voice that suggested she was more disappointed she'd failed her mission than sad a Pokémon had lost its life, "The Pikachu was crushed to death under that pile of rocks behind me. When the cave-in happened, I was lucky and survived but Pikachu wasn't. I'm sorry my comrades, but I've failed the mission."
The grunts shook their heads in disappointment.
"You don't need to be sorry to us. You need to be sorry to the boss." said a male grunt, "It's him you'll have to report this to. He won't be happy that you've lost us a valuable asset to our money-making cause."
"It wasn't my fault!" snapped Tricia, "Freak accidents do happen you know and it's just unfortunate that that Pikachu lost its life to this one!"
"Hey lay off, we're not saying it's your fault!" the grunt cried defensively, "The boss is still gonna be ticked off that you failed your mission. He expects better from you."
"Well maybe the boss shouldn't have unrealistically high expectations." Tricia said sarcastically, "Even I can't succeed all the time, nobody in this organization can. Now shut up and get me back to headquarters before my leg gets any worse!"
OK, OK, no need to get shirty with us Tricia! You failed your mission, that's no reason to take it out on us!" one of the grunts complained.
They helped carry Tricia away so they could get out of Mt. Moon and take her back to headquarters. June and Trace watched as the purple haired teen was taken away. At least she would be able to recover safe and sound back at headquarters and no other Pokémon in this cave could attack her. Trace was still worried for Tricia. He was sure she was going to suffer some kind of nasty punishment from Team Rocket's boss for her supposed failure. June and Trace waited until they were completely sure Team Rocket was gone before they climbed out of the tunnel. June's head was in a whirl over what had happened.
"Am I going crazy or did Tricia just cover for us?!" Ray exclaimed, "I did hear all that right, didn't I?"
"I sure hope so because if we didn't, we must both be going crazy!" June shrieked, "Tricia lied to them so now they'll think you're dead and stop coming after you! That was so nice of her to do that!"
"I knew my sister hadn't become a bad guy." Trace said with pride in his voice, "She may be working with them, but she's still got good in her. That's so reliving to know…"
"I bet it is." June said sympathetically, "Your sister's not beyond saving as we can see. Whatever reason she has for joining Team Rocket, it clearly wasn't out of cruelty or malice. If I can be honest, I think she might be an unwilling Rocket agent given the hints she's dropped…" she said thoughtfully.
"That'll be the reason. My sister would never willingly become a criminal!" Trace growled, "They're probably blackmailing her or something! It'd be just like those monsters to do that to her! And this is why I must continue to get stronger as a Pokémon trainer! I must be strong so I can save Tricia from Team Rocket!"
"You did say your motivation behind becoming a trainer was to stop Team Rocket." June remembered, "Now you pretty much have an even bigger reason to stop them, to get Tricia back."
"Oh yes!" Trace confirmed, "Those goons will be so sorry they roped her into their sick scheme! It was bad enough when they stole Pokémon from all my friends and even my mother, now they steal my sister too! What more do they want from my family?!" he shouted, his voice overcome with rage and grief.
June thought back to yesterday when Trace had said Team Rocket had hurt him in the past, more than she could've imagined. Now she understood what Trace had meant by that. His friends and family had been robbed by Team Rocket in the past. That was a reason for ANYONE to want to stop them! She even had a nasty thought that suggested Team Rocket might've even put Tricia up to the task. She was sure they'd been cruel enough to make her steal from her own mother and her brother's friends! Hopefully this wouldn't be the case and it would all be just speculation on her part. June put a hand on Trace's shoulder. The brunette boy was quivering, all kinds of emotions running through him at once as he mulled over his sister's situation.
"Oh Trace, bless you. I couldn't even begin to guess you had it that bad…" June said solemnly.
"I didn't want to burden you with my grief bud. So it was best I kept it to myself." Trace said sadly, "I tell you, even to this day I still go to sleep at night and find myself haunted by the horror and despair on mom's face when her Pokémon was stolen from her. It makes me wanna cry just remembering it! Ever since dad died, mom's been struggling to keep on going as it is and her Pokémon's abduction…she's at her wit's end! If I don't become strong and stop Team Rocket, I'm sure her grief's gonna be the end of her…"
June was horrified by Trace's words. So on top of all that, he also had a dead father too and he felt as if his mother's life was on the line?! How could such a nice and friendly boy like him have gone through so much suffering in life?! Trace couldn't hold it in any longer. He fell into June's arms and cried into her shoulder. June hugged him in response to comfort him the best she could and let him release all his emotions. She felt like she wanted to cry with him. It was so sad to hear what had happened to her friend. Ray stayed respectfully silent and left the teens in peace. He sympathized more than anyone with Trace given Team Rocket had turned his life upside down as well but he had it lucky compared to him! A couple of minutes later, Trace finished crying and he wiped his eyes.
"S-sorry about that. I didn't mean to break down like that." he mumbled, sounding embarrassed he'd done that.
"It's OK Trace. You just needed someone to talk to and let it all out." June said kindly, "I'm glad I could help you Trace."
"Aww. Thank you June. I'm glad you could too." Trace said graciously, "I guess I really did need someone to talk to after keeping it in for so long. In any case, thanks for listening."
"Anytime." June said sweetly, "I'm very sorry to hear about your past Trace and I hope that I can help you stop Team Rocket. Maybe we'll even get your mother's Pokémon back and free Tricia from their grasp."
"I'd love it if we did!" Trace said enthusiastically, "The pair of us will be the ones to take Team Rocket down!"
"Well actually, it'll be mum and dad considering they're the ones that are currently working on that." June giggled, "I hope they're getting anywhere in their mission. For now, we need to focus on getting out of here and heading to Cerulean City. I'm ready for a visit to a Pokémon Centre after all that!"
"I'm sure we can find the way out." Trace said optimistically, "Let's go June."
The two teens headed off to find their way out of Mt. Moon…
It took them about an hour before they were finally able to leave Mt. Moon and get back outside. Once they were out of the cave, the two trainers carried on walking through Route 4 until eventually, they made it to Cerulean City. Cerulean City was a seaside city that was home to the Water-type Gym. It seemed appropriate to June that a city with a Water-based Gym should be near the sea. Cerulean City also had a lighthouse, a marine stadium, a bike shop, a PokéMart and a Pokémon Centre. To further enhance its seaside nature, the roofs of nearly every building in the city were designed to look like fish scales and were coloured various shades of blue. From a distance, it made the city look almost like its own body of water. The city was bigger than Pewter City, something that was clear to both June and Trace before they'd even set foot in the seaside metropolis. If Team Rocket were still after them, they'd have a hard time finding them in a place this big!
June and Trace walked into the city and headed straight for the Pokémon Centre. They handed their Pokémon over to Nurse Joy and left them in her capable hands for the rest of the day. Come tomorrow, they'd have their battle they didn't get to have before Tricia intervened and prepare themselves for the Gym battle with Misty. June was tempted to go to the Gym right now in the hopes of meeting her and Ash but she didn't want to leave her Pokémon behind, even if Nurse Joy was looking after them. She also didn't want to be rude and barge in on any Gym battles that might be going on at the time. It was best to wait until tomorrow when it was time for her and Trace to have their Gym battles. The two sat down in the Pokémon Centre's café together to have something to eat. June hadn't even realized how hungry she was until the smell of food pricked her nostrils. The teens got themselves a bottle of soda each and drank while they waited for their food to arrive. June could see that Trace was still tense over today's revelations. She couldn't begin to imagine what was running through his head right now. His mother's health, Team Rocket, his sister being a part of them, the unknown reason why she was with them, she was amazed that he still had a level head on his shoulders! If she was in his position, she was sure she'd have had a mental breakdown by now.
"We will save Tricia, Trace. I promise you we will." June said reassuringly, "Remember, mum and dad are on Team Rocket's trail. They'll take them out and free Tricia."
"I know, I know. But I'm still allowed to worry about her, aren't I?" Trace muttered, "Who knows what will happen to her now? And what if they just give her another job now they'll think Ray's dead? She'll probably have to steal another Pokémon for them and it'll only continue to tear her apart inside."
"I understand Trace but we can't just keep worrying about her. That won't help anyone." June insisted, "We must remain strong and hopeful, for her. I imagine she'd want the same for you."
Trace smiled agreeably.
"You bet. Even during our worst times, Tricia would always tell me to keep on fighting and never give into despair. Even with dad's passing, she would encourage me to move on and not let it get to me. I swear no one could be as encouraging as her!"
"There we go then! So keep following Tricia's advice and we'll see this to the end with Team Rocket defeated and her out of their hands!" June said optimistically.
"Oh yeah!" Trace cried excitedly, "And we'll get to further show off our awesome skills at the Cerulean Gym tomorrow! Speaking of, you got any ideas for how you'll handle that one?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" June retorted, "I have Ray with me. He's an Electric-type, Electric-types are super-effective against Water-types. It's a no-brainer."
"I thought the same when I brought my Bulbasaur to the Rock Gym and I still needed my whole team just to win." Trace reminded, "Don't think just cause you have a type-advantage that you'll win. I doubt Misty will be that much of a pushover. Even with an Electric-type, she'll make you work hard for that badge."
"Oh I know she will!" June agreed, "That's why I'm concocting some other strategies to help me out. I know my new Onix will be no help in this Gym so he'll have to sit this one out but Paige, Ace and Victoria will be able to back Ray up I'm sure, especially Victoria given she can use Toxic Spikes."
"Whatever plan you have, I bet it'll be awesome." Trace said supportively, "You'll get that second badge and so will I!"
"You know it!" June said enthusiastically.
The two fist-bumped to further enhance their excitement and enthusiasm about tomorrow.
Come the next day, June and Trace's Pokémon were all fully healed and ready to battle once again. Of course, June had had to reintroduce her newest Pokémon to everyone. Her Onix towered over everyone and looked down at them. Unlike before where it had tried to smash them to smithereens, it looked more friendly and like it wanted to make peace with everyone. June's other Pokémon felt uneasy around Onix but they knew they had to trust it for it was part of the team now. The Onix lowered its head and June patted it affectionately.
"I know you big sweetheart, you were only defending your territory. You don't need to apologize." the Galarian girl said softly, "That's all water under the bridge now. You're part of the team and now we can be friends, isn't that right team?" she asked, addressing her other Pokémon.
"If that big brute can learn some manners and behave itself, I'll be OK with it." Victoria said snootily.
"I'm just OK with it NOT trying to kill us! Anything's better than that!" Ray exclaimed.
"I bet it'd be fun to have an Onix fighting alongside us." Paige murmured, "Especially with how big and strong it is…"
"We'll overcome many challenges with Onix aiding us instead of antagonizing us!" Ace declared.
"That's the spirit team!" June said jovially, "Now then, I best give you a name Onix. I haven't had the chance to name you yet."
She patted Onix on the nose. The large boulder snake let out a low rumbling sound of pleasure, enjoying the gentle feel of its trainer's hand.
"This one's a no-brainer. You're very big so I'll give you a big sounding name." June declared, "How about Behemoth? That's appropriately big-sounding!"
The Onix growled happily. He liked the sound of that name.
"So Behemoth it is!" June said happily, "Welcome to the team! I know me and you will win lots of battles together!"
"No doubt about it!" Trace agreed, "So, you ready for that battle we didn't get to have?"
"Sure am." June said eagerly, "Let's see if we're ready to take on the Cerulean Gym."
Both she and Trace brought out every Pokémon they currently had on their person. Ray and Eevee were the first to go into battle. It suited them perfectly to have their starter Pokémon go first. June and Trace took up their positions with Ray and Eevee ready to duke it out once again.
"Let's go!" both teens cried excitedly…
Meanwhile, Tricia was lying in bed in the Rocket Headquarters medical room. Her leg had been bandaged up again and she was instructed to let it rest for a day or two before she could go out on the field again. Naturally, she'd been given a stern dressing down by Team Rocket's boss when reporting her failure to capture Ray to him.
"You disappoint me Tricia. I expect better from you." the boss had said grimly, "But at the same time, I cannot fault you for losing that Pikachu to a cave-in. Accidents do happen and it's unfortunate it cost you your mission. Nevertheless, when you receive your next mission, I expect you to complete it and this time, without losing any Pokémon to a freak accident. If this happens again, I may have to consider…replacing you. You wouldn't want that now, would you?"
"No sir." Tricia had said, "I have too much at stake to lose this job."
"I know you do…" the boss sneered dryly, "Rest well. I expect you back on your feet as soon as possible."
And that was the end of his call. Tricia lay against her pillow, dreading to think what the boss would ask her to do next.
"If he asks me to steal from June's parents, I'm REALLY going to say no to that!" she muttered, "That'd be expecting way too much from me! Although I would be all too happy to help Ruby and Hop take Team Rocket down. It'll be risky, but maybe I can play double-agent and bring this organization to its knees. I just hope I play my cards right…or else my family will pay the price for everything."
She looked at the photo of herself, Trace and her mother on her phone again. Seeing Trace had really complicated things and she wished he wasn't getting involved in this mess. But it was too late for that now. He was a trainer and he was coming for her. She ran her fingers over Trace's face on the phone screen.
"Do be safe little brother. I promise you that first chance I get, I'll tell you everything. And June too." she swore, "That girl deserves an explanation too given she saved my neck back in Mt. Moon. Maybe telling them everything will actually help my situation…"
Whatever happened next, Tricia knew that she would be playing a dangerous game. With any luck, she would play it well and make it out unscathed when it was over…
Pokémon obtained: Behemoth the Onix
June has an Onix and Tricia has got Team Rocket off her back with a clever ruse. Looks like a happy ending for everyone! And maybe things will be different between June and Tricia in the future? Maybe next time she'll open up to her and also tell Trace what her deal is too? That'll have to wait for next time, our heroes have a second Gym Badge to claim as June goes to "The Second Gym"...
Trivia: Behemoth the Onix's name is meant to reference his size as "behemoth" can be used as a description for something huge, especially a monster or a creature.
Oh and I forgot to mention in the previous chapter: Tricia is an entirely original character I created for this story. Funny enough though, Trace DOES have an older sister in the games but heaven help me if I could've told you that. I had to look it up to remind myself that she exists! In the games she has no name and all she does is give you and your Pikachu or Eevee sportswear to wear. That's it. The fact I created Tricia to be his older sister just means I unintentionally dropped a Mythology Gag here. XD
Still, here we are, his older sister has a name, has a role to play and is an actual character. So why did I create Tricia in the first place? Simple: to add more meat to Trace's bare bones. No offence to the guy but he is quite possibly one of the blandest and most generic characters ever created for the games. He has no personality aside from "nice guy", he has nothing of interest going for him and compared to most rivals, he doesn't really have much of a reason to even be your rival. He's just there. So I thought giving him a sister who is a member of Team Rocket and making his family victims of Team Rocket in the past not only gave him a bigger motivation to be a Pokémon trainer, but it also added some much needed depth to his character to get rid of the nothing blank slate character that he was before.