As dawn began to break over the Viridian Forest I-Route 2 was almost clear of traffic. For Ken Worth and his two Pokémon, Fennekin and Spearow, that was one of only things they had going for them as two cars, a van, and four motorcycles from Team Rocket were now starting to surround their blue-hued GS Transport Truck #2,013. Even a Zubat could probably see at this point things were about to get very ugly, very fast as the trio's attempt to deliver two cases of Master Balls and Capture Stylers to the Pallet Town laboratory had been intercepted by Kanto's most infamous criminal organization. On the truck's dashboard the dash camera Ken's fellow trucker Peter Biltmore had given him sat silently recording everything. Ken glanced to it for a second then back straight ahead at the road.
A Team Rocket van, dubbed by the attackers as their "war wagon," had gotten out in front of Ken's truck and despite every effort he made to pass it the little van had the speed to outrun the truck. At the present though, the van seemed to have little interest in outrunning them. Both vehicles barreled down the road with their drivers now taking the speed limit as little more than a ballpark suggestion. Two flashes of white light had just illuminated the back of the van for a brief moment and the GS crew knew what was coming next. Team Rocket was going to attempt to hijack their truck and its cargo in transit and in a dangerously desperate move, no doubt spurred on by their failure to get it when they took out Peter's truck earlier, they were going to attempt to do it with a Pokémon battle in moving vehicles.
Ken, Fennekin, and Spearow could only gulp. There was a type of Pokémon battle involving vehicles but so-called "road battles" were extremely rare and almost never attempted outside fringe motorsports events on closed courses. And yet, here they sat stuck in the middle of imminent throwdown. Peter had told them not to stop for anything and use the old "chrome horn," a slang reference to slamming vehicles out of the way with the front bumper if necessary, if they had to keep moving. For the Truck #2,013 team that advice was fast becoming their only viable battle strategy.
"Well, here we go guys," Ken said. "Let's get fired up for action. It isn't like we have a choice."
"Fen, Fennekin fen kin ne," Fennekin responded.
Ken wasn't sure what that meant but he hoped his partner was fired up for what was sure to be a far more intense battle than anything they got into yesterday. Ken reached up and give the truck's air horn two long, aggressive "get out of my way" pulls. He meant for it to be a final warning to prevent a battle but he was hardly in a position to start making demands.
Spearow joined Fennekin on the dashboard as all six eyes at the front of Truck #2,013 looked down at the back of the Rocket van. With a clank the doors unlatched and flung open to reveal a female Rocket Grunt and two Pokémon, a Pidgeotto and an Alolan Vulpix. Ken did a double take as glanced at the opponent's fox Pokemon, the truck driver knew the local fire type Kanto version well but he'd never seen a white Vulpix before. He started thinking it must just be one of those shiny ones that his sister Sandra was always after and his unfamiliarity meant he wasn't prepared for what came next as the ice type launched the first attack. He steadied himself, expecting an incoming blast of fire.
"Time to trash that truck," the grunt said to her Pokémon. "Vulpix, powder snow that big rig."
"Vul!" the little fox responded before letting out a blast of ice straight at the front of the truck.
In the truck Ken's jaw about hit the floorboard as instead of fire found the front of his truck with a snowy blast of precipitation. He hit the brakes but it wasn't enough to stop the Vulpix as it moved its head up and down and coated the front of the cabover big rig with a thin sheet of ice, obscuring his vision completely. Ken tried to turn on the truck's windshield wipers only to have them jam immediately, they weren't designed for this. The ice coated the intake to the truck's radiator meaning that despite the cold if they didn't find a way to clear the ice fast the truck's engine would likely begin to overheat without air flowing to it.
With the truck now running blind Fennekin ran across the dashboard in front of Ken, closed his eyes, and vented a large amount of heat from his ears straight into the windshield. The vulpine defroster produced enough heat to melt the ice just enough some of it cracked and flew off the truck. It wasn't much but it gave Ken enough vision to see where he was going.
"Nice one," Ken said, clearly impressed.
The driver reached for his radio to call for help. It was still tuned to the police frequency.
"This is GS Truck #2,013 MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!" Ken called desperately into the microphone. "Hijack attempt in progress, I-Route 2! Request all available emergency services assist ASAP!"
Looking up into the icy windshield the grunt could see Ken was using the microphone.
"Pidgeotto, shut him up," the grunt called out.
"Otto!" responded the evolved bird as it launched into the air while flying out of the van.
Ken was more focused on the radio as Fennekin and Spearow watched the evolved flying type take flight.
"Roger GS Truck," came the Viridian City dispatcher. "Where are you?"
On the roof of the truck there was a mysterious sound of ripping metal. It got Ken's attention but he tried to stay calm on the radio.
"I'm at marker 37, over," Ken said.
Ken listened carefully but there was no response, only static.
"Are you still there Viridian City PD?" Ken asked.
At that moment the Pidgeotto cockily flew past the truck's driver's window as if to showoff it had ripped off the truck's radio antenna, ending Ken's broadcast. The arrogant bird dropped the antenna on the side of the road then launched a wing attack to rip off the truck's driver's side mirrors. The look on Ken's face was now one of pure rage. He still had his cell phone in his pocket but with a more immediate issues to deal with he didn't exactly have time to use it.
"Oh, it's on now," Ken said angrily. "Let's show these punks who the real kings of the road are. Ready guys?"
"Fen," said Fennekin.
"Spearow," added Spearow confidently.
"Alright, Fennekin take the passenger's window and ember that van then the ice," Ken said. "Spearow, I'm going to use your Poké Ball to get you airborne. Peck that Pidgeotto as hard as you can."
Ken's two Pokémon nodded in agreement.
"Let's boogie," Ken said.
Ken reached for the cupholder where Spearow's Poké Ball was and pulled the tiny bird into it with a flash before he rolled down the driver's window of his truck. He signaled Fennekin to get close to him. Quickly he put his hand out the window and clicked the ball to release Spearow who reappeared in flight and soared into combat against the Pidgeotto. At the same time Fennekin kicked his head out the window and, taking advantage of the cabover's short nose, launched a show of sparks directly at the exposed back of the van before Team Rocket could react. He nailed the Vulpix and did some damage with a type advantage on his side.
"Bullseye," Ken said.
Fennekin turned his attention to the ice on the front of the truck and used another ember on it, a large chunk of it held steady on the grill but the damaged ice on the windshield now completely flaked off to give Ken a better view. With both sides having fired their opening salvos the fight was on.
"Hey these guys got a little fight in them," the female grunt said to the van's driver. "I like that, makes me feel less guilty. Keep your foot in it."
She turned her attention back to her Pokémon.
"Let's use some slick moves," said the grunt. "Vulpix, powder snow the road. Lock it on until he spins out."
"Pix!" it responded.
Vulpix angled its head down and cut loose a snowy blast that instantly turned the dry pavement into a slick coating of fresh ice. The loss of traction almost jerked the truck out of control as Ken gripped the steering wheel like his life depended on it. The truck started to slid but he kept it under control.
"I've heard of ice road trucking but this is crazy," Ken said.
The suddenly slippery road caught out some the other Team Rocket pursuers. Both Robert and Ellee's convertible and George and Pickett's phony police car had to back off while the first two of the motorcycle-ridding thugs flat out lost it, their bikes colliding before both they and their riders took a tumble that knocked them out of the chase altogether. As the remaining vehicles speed off into the distance the motorcycling Rockets barely had a moment to catch their breath before a police cruiser came into view with an arrest now imminent.
Back in the truck Ken and Fennekin were setting up a finisher for this fox-vs-fox showdown. As the road got icier and icier Ken was struggling to maintain control of the truck and it gave him an idea. The truck was starting to slide toward the side of the road. With the ice he had to use it before it he ended up losing it. Ken grabbed Fennekin and put him on his lap.
"When I open the door, give me an ember as hot as you can make it," Ken said.
"Fen," Fennekin replied before suddenly realizing what Ken wanted. "Kin, fenne?"
Ken spiked the trucks brakes and whipped the wheel to deliberately put the truck into a skid as he flung the driver's doors open. Fennekin's eyes got big as he realized he now had a straight shot at Vulpix and took it. The resulting shower of sparks nailed the ice type and melted its chances of victory by fainting it. The attack hit with enough force to throw Vulpix up toward the front of the van and distract the driver.
Ken slammed the door as he mashed the throttle and turned hard to pull the truck back out of the skid. The Rocket grunt and her driver were caught off guard by the move and the GS crew took advantage. With dry roads back on his side Ken mashed the accelerator and his big rig rammed the back of the "war wagon," throwing the grunt off her feet and crushing about a foot off the back of the van. All of the ice on the front of the truck shattered with much of it being flung into the van before sliding back out. As the truck braked one of the van's rear doors fell off onto the roadway where it was instantly crushed as Truck #2,013 drove over it.
"One down, one to go," Ken said as the grunt stumbled to her feet in the back of the damaged van while returning Vulpix to its ball.
In the air above the high-speed chase Pidgeotto made another dive at Truck #2,013, aiming to get its other outside mirror. Before it could Spearow flew and nailed it with a peck attack that knocked it off course but hardly slowed it. The heroic bird let a smile come across its beak for a moment until it noticed Pidgeotto banking into a turn and flying right back at it. The now angry opponent launched a wing attack that connected with Spearow before turning in mid-aid for a gust attack that slammed Spearow right out of the air and onto the top of the truck.
Ken looked up when he heard Spearow hit the top of the truck but before he could call another attack Spearow had already begun to glow as it started to focus its energy. It was a heartbreaking sound to hear the bird crash like that but it gave Ken an idea. Out flying the evolved bird was unlikely so Spearow and the team would have to out think it. Spearow ducked as Pidgeotto launched another wing attack, missing this time. As the opposing bird zoomed off Spearow noticed Ken had his arm out the window of the truck gesturing at its roof and the top of its container.
Spearow started to smile again as it took flight again and zoomed straight at Pidgeotto. An airborne Combusken run ensued with the two dogfighting combatants almost colliding head on before Spearow ducked right at the last moment forcing Pidgeotto to swing around and pursue it. The bird locked in on its smaller target, almost getting tunnel vision as focused on nothing but the now diving Spearow. As Pidgeotto closed in on Spearow it had no idea this was exactly what its opposition wanted. Pidgeotto was right on Spearow's tail when the bird suddenly whipped itself out and backed off so it could drop behind its Team Rocket chaser. Pidgeotto looked back for a second then looked ahead only to realize too late it was now flying directly at Truck #2,013.
"Ot pidge," said the bird right before it collided with the speeding truck, ricocheting off it in a blast of feathers as it was knocked out of the battle only for the grunt to call it back.
"Good job Spearow," Ken said as the bird flew by victoriously.
"Spearow!" it responded.
The female Rocket grunt was starting to look unamused as she pulled another Poke Ball.
"Raticate go!" she shouted.
The tawny brown rodent appeared in a flash, ready for action. It let out an ominous roar when released. Spearow flew in close to the truck as Ken and Fennekin readied another counterattack. The grunt meanwhile was ready to start dealing some serious damage.
"Raticate, hyper beam that Spearow," the grunt said. "Then use it again and get the truck. Aim for the driver."
"Raticate!" it responded.
A gold glow began to gather around the rodent's mouth before it let loose a brutal attack. It happened so fast Ken and Spearow didn't have a chance to react before the hyper beam scored a direct hit on the avian combatant. Spearow fainted in midair but before he could hit the pavement Ken recalled him into his Poké Ball.
"You did great out there Spearow," Ken said. "I'll get you help as soon as I can."
"Ne Fennekin fe ne!" Fennekin said, trying to get Ken's attention.
"Huh?" Ken asked.
The little yellow fox gestured out the windshield toward the van as the Raticate charged up another attack and aimed it at the truck. There was almost no time to react.
"GET DOWN!" Ken yelled as he tried a last second swerve.
Raticate's hyper beam launched and ripped into the front of the truck straight through the windshield before the rodent then pulled it down the front of the speeding truck into the pavement. The explosive power of the attack hitting the road blasted up enough dirt the truck was suddenly hidden from view as it bounced into the air after hitting the resulting pot hole. There was an eerie sound of crashing metal as it slammed back to earth.
"Turn around, we got him," the female grunt called to her driver. "Let's get the Master Balls and then…"
Suddenly there was a loud horn sound as Truck #2,013 came blasting out of the dust cloud and again rammed the back of the van. The front of the big rig had enough battle scars one would think it had just gone 10 rounds with a Lucario but remarkably the truck was still running. The windshield was all but shattered with a hole burned clean through it, and the truck's roof above it, by the attack. Ken and Fennekin sprang back up having ducked out of the way just in time. With machine-like efficiency Ken shoved the broken windshield out of his way with enough force it simply fell off the truck.
"You know the weather is really nice this morning," Ken said sarcastically. "Let's drive with the windows down the rest of the way."
"Fen fen," Fennekin barked in return, equally dripping with sarcasm.
The look of anger on the grunt's face that the hyper beam hadn't stopped the truck was palpable. About the only thing that could match it was the determination starting to built up in Ken and Fennekin to get their delivery to Pallet Town no matter what. As the chase screamed toward the outskirts of Viridian City this over the road showdown was far from over.
AUTHOR NOTES
I love a good car chase and it's rare to get to do one in a Pokémon fic. I've been trying to build to this big chase scene for the whole fic because I thought it would be cool to do one with our heroes and villains throwing attacks at each other while speeding down the highway.
Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I had a lot of real life commitments of late that needed to be taken care of.