Two Days had passed. Avery had been taken off the ventilator and I.V. treatments, and was now conscious. But he was still weak and feverish despite not having hallucinations or fear. Oak could only theorize some of the venom's properties had been altered to be long-acting, due to genetic experimentation.
Right now, Avery had Takuya and Kasi at his side in the room. Venin was present as well, but he hung back. Avery was elated to see Takuya up and about again, though he couldn't fully express how he felt due to the still active effects of the remaining venom.
"I'm glad that Dante was able to help…" Avery said, a weak smile on his face. "I thought after the fight in the colosseum, that we had lost you… That I had-"
Takuya took Avery's hand into his own with a slight squeeze. "It's not your fault. I was under the control of Denzel. Don't berate yourself, you did what you had to in order to protect everyone."
Avery looked on at Takuya, relief in his eyes mixed with sadness. "I just wish we could have found another way… When you passed out in my arms, I could have sworn your heart stopped."
"I'm here now, and that's all that matters." Takuya took a hand and placed it on Avery's head, rubbing it with a soothing touch. Avery flinched in pain a little from the contact, but still put on a smile. The venom's worst effects may have past, but its aftermath had left Avery's body super-sensitive to even the slightest stimulation.
Takuya noticed Avery still had a temperature, though it wasn't anything like it once was. "…You're still very warm. Can I get you anything?"
"I thought that was my job." Kasi giggled.
"Oh yeah, that's right. You guys are official now." Takuya smiled.
This caught Venin's attention. "Wait, what? Could you repeat that?"
"…They're officially together." Takuya explained after a small pause.
"What do you mean?" Venin asked, walking up.
"You know, as in… Together?"
Venin's confused look didn't go away. "Yeah, I get that. They're together. In this room. What I don't get is what you mean by 'Official.'"
"They're together, you know? As in… together-together?"
"That's not helping." Venin was now starting to get irritated, tapping his foot.
"Dude! How can you be part-human and not know what 'together-together' means?"
"I don't have a dictionary I can just whip out of my ass at a moment's notice, Takuya!"
Takuya sighed, thinking of a way to re-phrase it as his cheeks turned crimson from behind his mask-like head crest. "They're a… couple."
Venin now looked even more confused. "A couple? What does that mean?!"
"A couple, you know…?"
Venin was becoming incensed. "Oh, for Arceus' sake, what do- You're just confusing me more…"
Takuya facepalmed. "Are you really that thick in the head, Venin?"
"Just spell it out for me, already!" Venin shouted.
Kasi sighed, rolling her eyes. Venin had always been slow to catch onto things since she caught him as a Nidoran. "Venin, bend down and I'll whisper the answer in your ear in terms you will understand."
Venin did as he was told, as Kasi stood up from her chair. She got next to Venin's head and whispered the answer in his ear. "We are mated for life."
Venin's face went blank as he turned red, from the top of his head all the way down his neck. "…Oh." He stood up straight again, with an awkward expression and walked back to the side of the room he was occupying as Kasi sat down next to Avery once more. "Well… Why didn't Takuya just say that instead?"
The building then shook violently, throwing objects off shelves and causing Venin to stumble!
"Woah! What was that?!" Venin exclaimed.
He got his answer as Elm's face popped up on the monitor screen near the door. "Takuya, Kasi! You need to take Avery and get out here! The lab's being attacked…" The feed was then cut.
"Attacked?!" Takuya jumped out of his chair. The lab shook again from another impact. Only this time, the power cut out! Which meant the automatic doors were out, too!
"Oh, crap." Venin sighed. "Takuya, you get Avery. I've got the door."
Takuya picked up Avery off the bed as gently as he could, holding Avery in his arms. As Avery was picked up, he couldn't help but let out a hiss of pain as his face twisted into agony.
"Can you make it though this?" Takuya asked.
Avery managed to open one of his tightly shut eyes with a cocky grin. "After everything else we've been through, I'm sure I can handle a little stinging sensation." He said, clamping down his pain.
Venin then charged at the door, throwing the entire thing off it's tracks as they broke out of the room! They all ran up the staircase to the lab's main floor. The front gate had been blocked off by fallen debris from the ceiling, which included a steel beam.
"We'll have to use the emergency exit-" Kasi started to say, but Venin just walked forward and picked up the beam with little to no effort! He then swung the broken beam like a baseball bat, knocking the debris out of the way while at the same time sending the gate crashing down!
"Problem solved." Venin said simply, dropping the beam. "Now let's book it."
They ran out through the main gate to see the scene outside unfold.
Ash, Tyler, Brock, Misty, the Professors, along with Dante and The Balancers were seemingly battling against a bunch of Team Midnight grunts with various Pokemon and power suits! Only they weren't alone… Ash and the others were being assisted by another team! Instead of the "M" insignia with the clock hands, their uniforms bore a bold, stylized "R."
"Oh, great." Venin said with a deadpan. "Now another group is invovled."
"But why are they helping us…?" Avery asked.
"We can figure that out, later!" Kasi said, taking charge. "Right now, we need to go on offense!"
"Right. I'll help them…" Takuya began.
"No, Takuya." Kasi stopped him. "You stay here and look after Avery. Me and Venin got this. Besides, it's been a while since we've battled as a team." She smiled at Venin.
Venin was taken aback by Kasi's words. "…You really mean that, don't you?"
"Of course, I do." Kasi replied. "Even though we've been changed, we're still a team. Now let's go!"
Kasi and Venin charged in, leaping up high in the air as they unleashed their attacks on the Team Midnight grunts! Kasi unleashed an Aurora Beam attack from her hands, while Venin shot at the hostiles with his Hyper Beam.
The Midnight grunts were taken off-guard by both attacks! Venin dove down at the ground, leaving small fissures around him as he landed on his feet. Venin then raised one of his feet in the air, and let out a giant stomp onto the ground, unleashing an Earthquake attack which caused more fissures to form around the Team Midnight grunts as the earth erupted around them! Jagged rocks rose up from the ground due to the attack, scattering the foes!
A few of the tougher grunts were unphased and went after Kasi. "Let's see how you handle this, girly! Golem, knock her out!"
The grunts' Golem started to rush Kasi, but she was prepared. She called on some of her power, and seemingly split into multiple copies of herself! She was using Double Team!
The Golem was completely unprepared for this! He looked around in confusion, trying to figure out which one was his real target…
Kasi quickly took advantage of the Golem's hesitation and sprayed an intense Bubblebeam attack from her mouth! The Golem didn't stand a chance, fainting shortly afterwards!
The grunts were now in total disarray. "Men! Retreat!" The leader called out.
With that, Team Midnight retreated once again.
Professor Oak then looked up, seeing the group starting to walk up, Takuya with Avery in his arms.
"Takuya, Kasi. Come over here." Oak said.
The group walked towards Oak with skepticism.
"We've had a new development." Oak said. "Although it's one I would have preferred to avoid. We have found out that Team Midnight didn't just get their research info from the leftover ruins of the Cipher group…"
"Then where else did they get it from?" Takuya asked.
"From my organization." A man with short brown hair in a well-kept suit said. "I am Giovanni, and I have come to find out what Team Midnight has been doing with the technology my organization has developed. Technology that they stole from me."