Chapter Twenty: The Mill North of Moomoo
…
Moomoo Farm was a great place to rest and refresh before the upcoming season after an event like World Championships.
I was allowed to work on the farm in exchange for being given a place to live and Inoru stayed with me.
My routine was straightforward, I woke up every morning and helped Whitney's aunt, the owner of the farm, by moving hay, cleaning the barn where all the Miltanks slept, and did regular farm work all morning. After lunch, I spent all afternoon training my team, making them spar, drill, and exercise with me by jogging around the perimeter of the farm.
I was allowed to let my Pokémon out for all hours of the day, which was great for them instead of staying cooped up all the time in their balls.
It was springtime, the flowers were in bloom, with bug Pokémon buzzing happily.
Espeon was training me every night within my dreams mainly in meditation and history, and by letting my Pokémon frolic with other wild Pokémon and rest, I felt they were growing while resting too.
Growlithe sometimes chased the farm Pokémon, and it was great fun for him so long as he never went overboard. Vigoroth didn't seem to know what to think of the farm, as did Ursaring, but I enjoyed seeing Growlithe trying to include them in his fun.
After two full weeks of working on Moomoo Farm, I heard something strange.
A few local villagers who would come and trade with us spoke of weird occurrences.
A village far to the north had been completely flooded, and the ones nearby were abandoned. The Pokémon were acting strange too, frightened and attacking people, very unlike Pokémon in the wild. My monk training told me something was disturbed by their spirits. Floods in northern Johto were odd, the nearby levee to a great lake hadn't been actively working for almost fifty years.
I had a room in a barn near where the Miltank slept.
"Everything alright?" Inoru asked when the day was over.
"What do you think happened in the villages nearby?" I asked him, sitting on the bale of hay I called a bed for the time being. "What in the world happened exactly? A village gets flooded, another gets run down by wild Pokémon. Another abandoned. Strange right?"
"Quite strange, yes." Ino admitted. "But honestly, there isn't a reason to be concerned."
"And why's that?"
"Those villages aren't too far from us, yes. But there hasn't been a flood around these parts in ages, as well as attacks from wild Pokémon."
"Hm."
My nerves about what was going on weren't completely put to rest, but if Ino said it was fine, then it was fine. After all, the monks chose him to be my mentor for a reason. Overall, I was a whole lot more tired from working on the farm all day then I was nervous about the oddities in the villages north of here, so I quickly was able to rest.
...
Growlithe woke me up, the puppy pushing on my chest and yipping.
"What?" I rubbed my eye. "What is it boy?"
He barked again, something was up.
I threw aside my bedsheets, walked over to him, and pushed Inoru's shoulder. "Get up, I think something's wrong."
"Huh?" he yawned, his Bellsprout waking up too as he reached for his staff. "Wh-What's going on?" he asked sleepily.
"Something's going on." I said. "Let's go."
Inoru saw how anxious Growlithe looked and we soon followed him outside.
He pointed with his nose, staring directly at the main barn and the building where Whitney's family slept.
It was hard to tell through the darkness, but there were people walking around, even with a few Pokémon.
"What's going on over there?" I asked through the darkness.
"Get them!" I heard someone yell.
Out of the shadows, a Zubat zeroed in on Inoru. He immediately side stepped it and spun his staff like a cyclone, batting it away.
Inoru shouted wildly. "State your business! What are you doing on this farm!"
There was no response, only a pair of Ekans and a hostile Arbok slithering towards us, a Weezing hovering overhead. Common Pokémon used by Team Rocket.
I spoke to Inoru. "We can hold them off."
I still carried my Pokémon on a belt, even in my sleep wear.
"Vigoroth, Ursaring!" I said loudly. "Go!"
"Oro!"
Ursaing bellowed, sharpening his claws when he saw the familiar and friendly face of Ino's Bellsprout struggling with a young Ekans.
Vigoroth bodied both Arbok and Weezing with a single Slash, and I began to look around in the darkness, noticing what was going on through the fighting.
Team Rocket, or whoever these people were, had kidnapped several farmers and were loading them and Miltanks onto trucks.
My team and I blew through the Grunts kidnapping a few people, only to be met with more of them from behind me. The night had taken a very confusing and violent turn, but through all of it, I knew I had one clear objective: knock out every Rocket I could find and their Pokémon, and free the farmers taken captive.
The lights from a few other pickup trucks appeared, and I realized we were soon surrounded.
I remembered my training as a monk, I kept my cool.
Vigoroth and I fought side by side, and Inoru held his own too. Grunts and waves of the same trashy Pokémon Rockets used came at us, and they continued to fall.
We caught our breath, when a strange break in the fighting appeared.
However, one larger armored truck arrived, flanked by motorcycles, and enough Rockets piled out of the van that followed to seriously make me consider running if we weren't trapped, beset on all sides already.
"Well isn't this interesting." A familiar man turned to me as a Rocket lieutenant was done muttering to him. "Ah, Nico, good to see you again child." he said jokingly.
"Proton? I thought you were in jail."
"Broke out," he said casually. "So this is how someone of your standing in the Pokémon League spends their holiday. Playing farmer out in the countryside."
"I thought it'd be a nice way to clear my head, never thought I'd see you out here either."
Proton sighed. "No wonder I got called over from the main road. You're being a nuisance."
"What the hell do you want with all these farmers? Are you behind what happened to the villages north of here?"
Proton's lieutenants answered by drawing Pokéballs but Proton stopped them.
"No need, I can wrap this up here." Proton said lightly. "As captain of our operation and Rockets main executive, I think I can handle a child."
"I don't think you remember how it went last time."
"Well boy, do your best. If you somehow win this, I'll leave your little farm in peace."
I was more than ready for a proper match, and him and all of his fellow Rockets obliged by stepping away from the fighting.
Proton tossed a Pokéball onto a large flat metal floor in the middle of the makeshift ring made by all the Team Rocket trucks, releasing a proud and loud Houndoom.
"Growlithe, get him."
Houndoom instantly began to coat the earthen terrain in the Moomoo Farm main plaza with smoke.
"Growlithe, you know what to do!" I said.
It didn't work. Houndoom's smoke was so strong that Growlithe couldn't see anything, and its fireballs were barely enough to illuminate where it was. However, the same applied to Houndoom.
I saw Houndoom get hit with a red return beam and Proton shouted. "Destroy! Go Crobat!"
Crobat used its echolocation to spot Growlithe through the smoke, and I saw Growlithe fly towards me out of the smoke.
Vigoroth got hit with a knocked out puppy as the Rockets laughed all around me. Growlithe crumped at Vigoroth's feet, a bright purple mark where Crobat bit him with its poisonous fangs directly through his fireproof fur onto his neck.
I gasped.
"I thought you were supposed to be the best of the Pokémon League Nico! What is this?" chuckled Proton.
I couldn't let him get away with that.
"Don't worry Nico, you got this." said Inoru.
"Right. Ursaring, get him!"
The bear Pokémon roared and jumped onto the battlefield from my side.
Houndoom was switched out now, and had a Flamethrower strong enough to melt away the smokescreen in seconds. Ursaring could land a few hits, but it didn't matter, this Houndoom was absurdly tough, it looked like Ursaring was hitting it at full power with Slash and was getting blocked or countered.
Even landing flush didn't seem to do enough damage, how was this Houndoom so strong?
"Fire Fang!"
"Block and counter!" I said after Proton's order.
Ursaring was simply too exhausted, Houndoom had been fighting circles around him and didn't appear skilled or quick enough to deal with a Houndoom of this caliber.
I returned Ursaring to his ball and stared at it in thought.
Proton crossed his arms, tutting. "Did you really think one of the top Rocket operatives didn't have top tier Pokémon at their disposal? The only reason you defeated me that day was because I was sure any trainers of a threatening quality were gone from Azalea."
I nodded to Vigoroth, and he got into the ring too.
Proton used the same smokescreen Crobat combo but Vigoroth actually managed to win the round.
He was furious enough that his teammates were defeated, but still confident and skilled enough to funnel that rage into perfectly clean techniques. Crobat repeatedly got hit again and again while trying to use Fly and continually missing Confuse Ray.
Vigoroth was moving so fast and so much that he was able to disperse most of the smokescreen away as the battle continued, using his footwork to reposition effectively and never stay in one place as Crobat kept attacking.
I could vaguely see the battle, Vigoroth countered Leech Life through the smoke with a wheel kick, and traded hits.
Crobat latched onto his shoulder with Poison Fang as Vigoroth then pummeled Crobat with Slash.
"Huh, not bad." Proton shrugged.
I watched Vigoroth pant, gripping his poisoned shoulder, he was probably as mad as I was that we were losing to these murderous scumbags.
Proton rolled his eyes. "Let's finish this." he said with an air of boredom.
"Come on Vigoroth! Let's go!"
Houndoom wasn't playing around like he was with Ursaring, because he knew Vigoroth was actually a tougher fight in seconds. Instead, Houndoom went blow for blow, quite even for a moment with Vigoroth.
Vigoroth would land Slash with a kick, and Houndoom would land a blazing hot streaming Flamethrower, just barely blocked by Vigoroth.
Houndoom won out, using a combination of Crunch, Dark Pulse, and Flamethrower to blast through Vigoroth's defense and counters. He was still very fight ready, but after being knocked onto the metal floor of the control room and repeatedly struck, I don't think Vigoroth was okay.
I wanted to run out and hold Vigoroth, he was clearly burned, poisoned, bitten all over, with damage to his bones and skin. He had taken some hits, some from people decently malicious like Silver, other times from official matches, but this was the worst I'd ever seen him.
"Uh oh." Proton tilted his head with a smile, seeing Rockets approach me by the dozen. "I don't think think this went the way you thought it would."
I didn't.
The only way I could win any of this was a one on one with their best trainer, there was no way Proton could beat me.
Before I could register how upset I was, a Rocket grabbed me.
Inoru tried to intervene but an Arbok knocked him flat to the ground, wrapping around him to bind him. His Bellsprout had gotten stuffed into a net in seconds.
I tried to fight a few of them off, successfully too, but there were over a dozen of them. Maybe with my Pokémon helping me like they were until now, I could've fought them off, but now, they were all knocked out.
I landed a couple hits before being hit from behind, tackled, and had my arms pinned behind my back.
I got hit so hard in the face I felt my head rock back. Then, my vision blurred.
I saw Proton walk through the lights all of his trucks made through the night. "You showed so much promise Nico. But you believed too much that Pokémon were worth fighting for, ah. Such a shame."
I felt my lip was bloody, looking up at him. "Let me heal Vigoroth. That's all I ask."
"Don't worry child. He'll be fine. Powering our machines and serving the whims of Rocket and whatnot. But I doubt you'll ever see him again."
"You fu-"
I was stopped when a Rocket grunt kneed me in the stomach.
"Enough of that." tutted Proton. "Nico is our guest now. He needs to know my plans."
"Wh-Why?" I sighed. "Why not just kill me?"
"Killing has its uses." Proton smugly admitted. "But considering that you'll likely never see the light of day ever again. I think it best to torture you as you watch the complete end of the Johto region. Now listen."
The Rockets dumped me on the ground on my knees as Proton waved a hand. "The plant underwent the basic renovations to produce power again, that was the easy part. The hard part however. Was needing long term use of the building, and these farmers you tried to save to help produce the food we all need for our headquarters. We managed to subdue a Pokémon of incredible power, and can harness it to create floods of any proportion we so desire."
In Johto, only a few Pokémon had such a way with water.
"Suicune." I whispered.
"Yes dear boy, the first Pokémon of legend seen for centuries. Fully harnessed, Suicune can summon a rainstorm powerful enough to stop fires of mythical proportion, also to flood cities and whatnot. Unfortunately, the beast refuses to listen, as such we have to keep a constant flow of electrical energy into its machine to disturb it, and all of its energy out to harness the water for our uses."
Torturing it to create waves with constant shocks, and sucking out its essence to control the water and make the floods. Just when I thought Proton and Rocket couldn't sicken me more.
So that was what was causing wild Pokémon to wreak havoc, and all that happened to those villages.
"In a few days time, we'll harness enough power from the dam to maximize Suicune's water output and the machine we created will be finished. The greatest flood Johto's ever seen will allow Team Rocket to build a world where we can control everything from its watery corpse."
Proton closed his eyes, placing his hands over the console with a smile. "And the boss will finally allow me to rule everything once and for all. You'll get front row seats to it Nico."
"It won't work."
"Who do you think you are boy?" Proton laughed. "Red? You think you're special because you're a monk, because you're supposedly enlightened? You're a child. And Red is gone. His legend is gone. His ability to stop Team Rocket and our plans to take over the world are gone. You're not his successor, you're just a poor imitation of him."
"You're wrong."
"You'll never mean anything Nico. The day will come when Team Rocket burns down the last of the old world, your monasteries along with them."
I was knocked out by a blow to the temple.
…
When I awoke, I wasn't in the cells with the villagers I saw.
I knew Rocket could become powerful, but how did it ever manage to find and capture a mythical Pokémon? Even the legendary beasts were as rare as Pokémon like Ho-Oh and Lugia.
My ankle was chained to the bed post built directly into my dark cell wall.
I had no idea where I was, only that I was separated from my team. From Growlithe, Ursaring, and Vigoroth. I couldn't stand the idea for even a second I was away from my Pokémon.
There was nothing I could do. My Pokémon were gone, and were possibly suffering a fate worse than me. And Inoru was right, this was about pride.
My pride, my stupid pride.
I knew I could handle Rocket after Slowpoke Well, but I had no idea what I was dealing with. But even if I had turned back to Moomoo Farm after seeing what they did to the villages, I think they would've found me like they did all the townsfolk.
It was cold and dark in this cell.
I still had my pendant of Mew, Elder Toji gave me almost a year ago.
I recited a prayer in my head, I didn't have a candle or incense to burn, but it didn't matter.
Savior Mew. Lead us to the light. Save us from evil. Protect our souls, protect our bodies, protect our friends. Protect our Pokémon.
Something moved through the darkness of the cell.
"Ino?"
I tried to run to him to hug him, but our chains stopped us.
"Where are we?"
"The hydroelectric plant Proton mentioned, I'm, I'm so sorry Nico."
Inoru emerged, heavily beaten.
"What happened?"
"I tried to stop them but, Vigoroth and your team are helping the rest of Rocket's workers. They're going to help Rocket flood Johto in just a few days."
"Does anyone know we're here?"
"It won't matter, even if someone finds out what happened to Moomoo Farm, they should have their machine ready in time."
I blinked, thinking rapidly.
This, this couldn't be it. Gold, Crystal, everyone I'd ever met in Johto wiped away in a single attack from Team Rocket. How could this happen? My team, turned into slaves for lack of better term.
How could Team Rocket attack so far south from this old dam? I know Moomoo Farm wasn't the best defended place, but Rocket just swarmed us out of nowhere.
And Proton's complete improvement. He somehow went from some weak video game boss to a real villain out of nowhere. I went to bed, and when I woke up, the world was ending.
Just...how?
All I know is how sad I felt.
"Inoru?"
"Yes?" I heard him ask quietly.
I paused. "Is, is everything going to be okay?"
"I really wish I could tell you it would."
I almost felt like crying, too lost for words and emotions to do anything though now.
Inoru would never lie to me, so for him to say such a thing, it almost broke me.
All I could do was return to my bed, I'd need my rest, who knows what Team Rocket had planned for me if my team had been taken and used so mercilessly.
…
I met Espeon in my dreams. This time in the same white rooms he'd use to show me things.
"What do I do? I'm trapped!"
"Concentrate Nico. Focus, on your hope."
"On what? Hope for what?"
"Visualize what you want most."
"Being a champion?"
"No Nico, think about what you truly desire after reaching this point in your journey. Your time with the monks, what have they truly taught you?"
I thought about it.
All this time, I never really considered what I wanted most. Sure winning badges and then reaching a point in my Pokémon journey where I was so famous the monastery could come back to relevancy could happen, but, I didn't ask myself again: Why?
As of now, having been completely separated from them and locked in a cell, I know what it is that I want.
Happiness, not just for me, but for my Pokémon. This was the most empty I've ever felt, and I didn't have Growlithe, Vigoroth, and Ursaring with me.
I don't think I'd ever felt this sad, if I could cry through my dream, I would.
I know what I hoped for.
Growlithe was back in the grassland surrounding Moomoo Farm, Vigoroth and Ursaring watching over him stoically. I'd be sitting in the grass on my Pokénav, having dinner ready for them with the food I'd bought at the Pokémart for them in my pack.
And they'd gather around, and eat.
As of right now, that was all I hoped for.
"Good." I heard Espeon say. "Now focus."
On what?
I felt it.
Just for a moment, through Aura or something I couldn't explain. There was something nearby. Perhaps stoic, very strange, but powerful.
Possibly Suicune's spirit.
Being in such close physical proximity to a legendary allowed me to tap into its gargantuan Aura, able to communicate with it. Espeon's advice worked, as horrible, empty, and alone as I felt.
There was a bit of hope that such an entity was nearby.
"Hello?"
There was no response, but I think I was heard.
"If you're there. Whatever you are, I'm here. And I know you're there."
Again, I think it heard me.
I was alone. At least, in the physical world. But Espeon showed me something else as I waited to be rescued. If, I was rescued.
I turned in the white room to Espeon. "I know you're supposed to be my calm spiritual guide, my protector from limbo and all that. But, can I hug you?"
"Of course Nico."
I hugged the spirit.
And I felt tears slip out of my eyes.
…
The Rockets posted to act as farmers on Moomoo Farm were toiling boredly, grumbling about not being allowed to see their greatest plan come to fruition, and instead work before the floods they planned for began.
They saw a familiar girl walk nearby from the Route leading all the way from Goldenrod City.
Whitney, Goldenrod City's Gym leader, waved and smiled to both of them.
The Grunts waved and smiled back, muttering nervously to each other far behind the fence posts dividing the grass of the farm from the road Whitney walked through.
"I thought she was supposed to be in Fuchsia City for a week."
"Just our damn luck."
Whitney looked confused as she approached the farmhouse and the main lodge where her Uncle Milton lived. "Huh, the herd's smaller this month. Weird." she said, looking at the far fewer number of Miltank left to mill about and graze.
…
…
…
Author's Note:
Hey everyone, I felt like this chapter needed some fixing after the latest response. I felt like what everything said in the recent response was true, and the criticisms valid, not just from fans of the work, but also from everyone giving constructive criticism.
I will be asking myself soon and using these holidays to decide what I want the entire fic to look like and possibly rewrite or discontinue this. I want to continue the story now from this arc involving Suicune, Team Rocket, and the use of the hydroelectric plant since it offers a decent chance for real stakes and a look at this world of Pokémon outside if Nico's point of view.
I want this fic to be of good quality and several folks on Discord as well as other means have told me this SI fic just isn't. Either way, stay safe everyone, and at the very least I'll be looking into ways to make this fic better and the best I can make it.
