"A full blackout…!?"
The quartet of travelers exclaimed in unison. Brock was the first to regain his composure, frowning. "How strange… A faulty power line is one thing, but for a whole city to go at once."
"There have been similar events in the past," MIsty answered. "No one's been able to place quite where it came from, but rolling blackouts have occurred across the city for minutes at a time."
"Right," Officer Jenny nodded. "It's hard to tell whether this is one of those cases; it hasn't been that long, but it's lasting suspiciously longer than usual. Everyone should keep an open mind and open eye to any leads, should it drag out much longer. I'm concerned about the effects a blackout could have on the whole city…"
"The Pokémon Center has a backup generator," Nurse Joy offered. "As does Cerulean Care Hospital. But, I really should get back to my station to be sure that everything's in order. I can't possibly expect Chansey to manage this kind of pandemonium and confusion…"
"We'll come with you!" Ash volunteered. "If there are Pokémon that need to be cared for, then they can't just be left hanging!"
"Yeah, me too!" Dawn volunteered.
"If there's a Joy in need, then I'll be there, indeed!" Brock vowed, clenching a fist.
Croagunk lurked closeby, Poison Jab at the ready.
"...That was platonic, I promise."
"Well, it's lovely that Cerulean is in capable hands," Mr. Contesta praised, smiling despite the circumstances. "We'll do what we can to help you keep order, Officer, if you'll allow us."
"Right on!" Lilian agreed, clutching her mic. "We can use our star power to keep Cerulean's citizens in line and informed!"
Officer Jenny hummed in acknowledgement. "That would be much appreciated. We'll handle the public, while the rest of you make sure the city's main facilities are under control."
"I've also got to check in on the Gym," Misty added. "But it can't hurt to stop at the Pokémon Center, first. I doubt even my sisters could screw things up that quickly."
"Then, we've got our plan!" Ash pumped a fist. "Let's get to it!"
The Pokémon Center was rife with confusion and concerns when the group arrived, with Chansey reassuring a group of trainers. To Nurse Joy and everyone else's relief, however, it wasn't terribly crowded, either. What could have been a swarm was only a handful expressing concern for their Pokémon, navigating under the emergency lights.
"Oh, dear… Chansey! It's alright, dear." Nurse Joy made her way to the front desk.
"Chansey~!" The helpful Pokémon beamed at her coworker. What a sight for sore eyes!
"Thank you for holding down the fort. Please keep calm and stay orderly, everyone! We'll have the backup generator up in just a moment. Your Pokémon are going to be just fine!"
"Well, it looks like things will be alright in a moment…" Misty folded her arms.
"What a relief," Ash huffed. "But hey, it's a good thing everyone was already getting healed at the Contest, today. Otherwise, there'd be a lot more people in need of the Center at once."
"The middle of the day was probably the best timing we could've had," Brock agreed. "If anyone was going to enter a serious battle outside the Contest, they know to stop now, until the power's back."
"I'm glad my team's already well," Dawn frowned, folding her hands over her chest. "Lopunny and Typhlosion really gave it their all to get that fifth ribbon. I'd hate if they couldn't heal up."
In the time the group mulled over today's conditions, a loud whirring rumbled through the Center, and one light and gadget after another rolled back into full functionality.
"Hey, the power's back!" Brock exclaimed. "That was quick."
"What a relief," Ash said. "Now, all these trainers can get taken care of."
"Now I can look at all of your Pokémon!" Nurse Joy announced, returning to the front desk. A ringtone sounded at the video phones and behind her desk, grabbing her attention. "...Oh! Dawn Tsumura! There's a call for Dawn Tsumura on the video phone!"
"That's weird," Dawn blinked. "Oh, maybe it's Mom! I did just get my fifth ribbon. Be right back!"
She rushed over to the video phone and accepted the call. "...Professor Rowan!?"
"Dawn." The gruff, bearded man nodded sternly, appearing on the video phone. "I apologize for the sudden disturbance. I'd like to congratulate you on your ribbon, but I'm afraid we have more serious matters to attend to."
"Serious matters…?" Drawn felt her gut tighten. "You don't mean…"
A familiar dark crescent came into view, on Rowan's end of the call.
"Absol is once more troubling us to reach you." Rowan coughed into his hand. "I can see in your expression that this troubles you. If it offers you any solace, she doesn't seem quite as frenzied and inconsolable as before. I can't imagine your peril is that great. Though, it still makes me feel somewhat responsible to notify you and hand her over… I can't in good conscience ignore her warnings, either."
Dawn swallowed heavily. "So, there's more trouble lurking… I can't help but wonder if this blackout is more than just a blackout."
"Blackout, you say?" Rowan's face twisted in a way that made it look like he was frowning, though it was hard to tell.
"All of Cerulean City has a power outage," Dawn explained. "The Pokémon Center has a backup generator, but this whole thing's lasting longer than usual."
"A citywide blackout being 'usual' is concerning in and of itself," Rowan grumbled. "But, if something is amiss, then I am at least reassured that Absol can guide you, if you'd like."
"I… think I would," Dawn swallowed. She wouldn't run away, anymore. Her hand jittered as it reached for her belt. "I feel glad knowing Absol isn't as upset as before, at least. Maybe this is another one of those things we can handle."
"Perhaps. But, I'd be neglecting my duties if I didn't warn you to take great caution," the Professor replied. "Knowing you and your group, I can confidently say you're never alone. If you provide me with one of your Pokémon, then I will send Absol to you, posthaste."
"Hey, hold on, Dawn." Misty's voice startled her. She was already feeling on-edge. But, the redhead actually coming into view brought her back down. "Are you exchanging Pokémon?"
"I am. Why, what's up?"
"I may or may not need Typhlosion's help, when we get to the Gym," Misty explained. "Do you think you could send someone else."
"Uh… Sure. I don't see why not." Dawn briefly considered her options. Really only one stood out to her. "Here. I'll send you Clefable." She placed the fairy's Poké Ball in the groove meant for transfer.
She adored how much Clefable had grown. If anything were going to go wrong, though, forcing her into battle wouldn't be fair. She could wait safely at the lab. "Take good care of her, okay?"
"So, you're Cerulean's Gym Leader," Rowan acknowledged gruffly. "I wish you the best of luck."
"Uh… thanks." Misty blinked, brow furrowed. "About what, exactly…?"
By then, Absol's Poké Ball had appeared for Dawn.
"It's been a pleasure. Dawn, our well wishes as always," Rowan nodded.
"Thanks," Dawn said, hanging up the call.
"Hey, so." Misty frowned, dropping a hand on her shoulder. "You gonna tell me what that was about?'
"I think I should tell the whole group," Dawn replied. "I promised Ash that we wouldn't keep any secrets… even if I don't think he's going to be happy to hear this."
Misty nodded sternly, and pulled on Dawn's hand, guiding her towards Ash and Brock, who were keeping an eye on the incoming trainers. "Alright. Group huddle. Right now."
Ash squinted, but shuffled over nonetheless. "I don't like the feeling I'm getting, here."
"Me neither," Brock agreed. "What's the problem, you two?"
"That's for Dawn to explain," Misty said, giving the Coordinator the floor.
Dawn took a deep breath. "...It's Absol." She could already see Ash's expression cracking. "Professor Rowan called again. She insisted on accompanying us. Something's amiss."
"You can't be serious." Ash's voice cracked. He self-consciously adjusted his cap, trying to hide his quivering lip. He already felt sick.
"Can I get some context, actually?" Misty asked. "Is there something she knows? I know Absol tend to arrive at disasters. But that alone wouldn't crack Ash so quickly." She dropped a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, to assure him she wasn't poking, for once.
"When Ash and Peeks disappeared," Dawn explained, "Rowan was trying to reach me everywhere. Absol was out of control. She led me to the Team Rocket base."
"Then, if this is happening a second time…" Brock looked at his friend, and tutted. Ash was trying to keep a brave face; he could see it. But his facades were rarely this transparent. "I don't like this."
"Now, Ash," Dawn addressed, first of all. He looked up to meet her eyes. The glassy vulnerability she saw made her want to throttle anyone and everyone responsible. "It'd be messed up if I didn't tell you the rest. Absol wasn't as fretted as last time; not by a long shot. Rowan's aides couldn't even hold her still. This time, she was waiting patiently."
"So…" Ash swallowed. "You're saying you don't think it's as serious…?"
"I do." Dawn answered. "Absol showed up in Viridian Forest, too, and that didn't end up being a problem, right?"
"That makes sense," he replied. He didn't sound altogether convinced, nor did he feel it, but it was better than nothing.
"Listen," Misty interjected. "We don't know anything, yet. Let's not get hasty. First thing we have to do is check the Gym, anyway. We're not going anywhere if our Pokémon aren't cared for. We'll regroup on my private property; no other trainers or commotion around to distract us. Then, we can figure things out from there. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Dawn replied.
"That's fine with me," Ash added.
"I think that's the best course of action," Brock replied. "Nurse Joy seems to have things under control. Let's get moving."
Cerulean was still panicked and frantic, on the walk over, but Officer Jenny seemed to be doing a good enough job keeping its populace in order, with the help of Contesta and company.
Otherwise, Misty had little trouble asserting her way through the streets, before they arrived at the renovated Cerulean Gym. She, Dawn, Ash, and Brock came through the glass double doors…
Only for them to not budge. In fact, the inside of the Gym was black as night, from their perspective.
"The doors are stuck!" Misty huffed, hands on her hips. "I knew making them automatic was a bad idea."
"I've got this." Ash volunteered, moving to the front of the group. He pressed his gloved palms flat on the glass, and grit his teeth in concentration. "Rgh…!" With a bit of effort, he pried the glass doors apart. With a bit of creaking, there was enough room to slip through.
Brock stared at his friend in disbelief. "...You know, you're starting to frighten me."
Ash huffed, patting his bicep. "If I'm going to make my mind and body stronger, I might as well put 'em to use. That's what an Aura Guardian's supposed to do."
"Aura…?" Misty scrunched her nose, looking at Ash as if he had two heads. She shook it off, though, and pushed ahead. "Yeah, yeah. You can flex for us, later." Misty squeezed in through the sliding doors into the lobby. The acoustics echoed her shoes clacking on tiled floors. Power outages were always a bit eerie. "If only we had a flashlight. I guess I could always…"
"Misty!"
"There you are!"
"Like, finally!"
Three flashlights lit the lobby. Highlighted in their glow were Lily, Daisy, and Violet. The three of them closed in on Misty, surrounding her and barraging her with complaints.
"Misty, Misty! You've, like, got to help us!" Violet exclaimed. "It's awful!"
"The boiler won't work!" Lily cried.
"Cloyster can keep the tanks cool, but no one can keep them warm!" Daisy huffed.
"Alright, alright! Keep calm, and keep out of my face." Misty shoved her way free of the crowd, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Relax. I had a feeling something like this would happen… which is exactly why I asked Dawn to bring Typhlosion. Lily, could you handle Typhlosion and get it reheated?"
"Uh, yeah." The pink-haired sister volunteered. "Like, no problem."
Dawn nodded, and placed the Poké Ball in Lily's palm.
"Right, great. Now, onto our next problem. I get that the city lost power, but we have our own generator. How come you aren't using that to keep the Gym running?"
Daisy shrugged. "Do I look like Tracey to you? All I know is when I went downstairs to go check on things, the whole machine was like, fried and smoking. I thought about getting some water on it, but-"
"Agh! Why on earth would you— you're never supposed to throw water on an electrical fire!"
"Let's just get downstairs," Brock urged, over Misty's fuming. No matter how understandable her ire was, they were wasting time. "If something's wrong with the power, it could be time-sensitive."
"Right." Misty tossed a Poké Ball into the air. "Lanturn! We need your help!"
The Water/Electric-type appeared. Finding herself in the darkness, she ignited her bioluminescence, lighting the room. "Lanturn…?"
"We need you to guide us," Misty explained. "Down to the basement. Let's go."
The group followed Misty and Lanturn down into the basement of the Cerulean Gym, by the light of the latter. Scouting out the dusty interior, the group gasped when they came cross…
"The generator…!" Misty gasped.
The large turbine was crackling and smoking, just as Daisy had described. Several pieces had popped off, where loose wire crackled. The basement's air was thick with ash, irritating their throats.
"It's dangerous down here," Brock said, pulling his sweater over his nose and mouse. "I'll go and open the window. You guys be careful!"
"I've never seen anything like this," Misty mulled. "It looks like it was completely over— ow!"
She recoiled. A bolt snapped at her feet, sending numbness up her leg.
"Misty!" Ash exclaimed. "Are you okay!?"
"I'm fine." She winced, shaking out her leg. "But, the excess electricity down here is not safe."
"It's even in the air!" Dawn struggled to keep her hair from fraying. Even she knew better than to complain, at the moment.
"That extra electricity could be a serious hazard. Lanturn! I need the help of you and your Volt Absorb!" Misty commanded.
The Pokémon cried affirmatively, and sat in front of the turbine. Stray electricity began to channel into her bulbs; first in quick crackles, and then in steady streams of light and static.
"What could've done something like this?" Ash waved his cap to disperse the smoke in the air, after coughing into his hand. "I haven't seen a turbine overcharge like this, since…"
"...Since Peeks did," Misty finished, "while you were training for Brock."
"What did you two say!?" Brock turned back to the group, after opening the window.
"When Ash was trying for your Gym Badge," Misty explained. "We took Pi… you know what. It's not important." Misty shook her head. She had the emotional intelligence to mentally smack herself for speaking up.
"It's fine!" Ash snapped. "We took Peeks to your dad. He said he had an answer to beating you. He hooked him up to the hydroelectric plant, I think. I'unno. It's been forever."
"He hooked him up to the hydroelectric plant!?" Brock grimaced. "When I get my hands on that man…"
"It worked. I guess," Ash shrugged. "You saw how supercharged he was in our next battle."
"I thought his power-up seemed unnatural." The student grumbled, leaning up against the wall with folded arms. "His electric sacs were fed an extra power supply of some kind. But, kind of like that generator, too much power could've seriously injured him. What was he even thinking!?"
Ash winced, looking off. Could he have really hurt Pikachu with such a reckless stunt? "Peeks… Peeks is too tough for that! He's made of tougher stuff than any stupid ol' turbine. Or, even any other Pikachu! I don't care what caused this power outage — He's got more Pika-power than they could even imagine!" Ash snapped, shaking a fist.
"Ash! Relax." Brock scolded gently. "I wasn't making a value judgment on Peeks."
"...I didn't say you were," Ash huffed, lowering his guard. He folded his arms, retreating into the darkness of the room.
The group of friends turned their eyes on the loudest and most vulnerable of the bunch. An uncomfortable silence hung, sans the low hum of the machine feeding Lanturn.
Dawn, above anyone, scowled at the scene, deciding to take matters into her own hands with a toss of one of her own Poké Balls. "Absol! Spotlight!"
The Disaster Pokémon appeared, casting quite the frightening shadow on the basement walls.
"You see this power outage?" Dawn asked. "Is this it? The source of the danger?"
"Sol." Absol nodded.
The faint buzz of numbness that clawed at the group suddenly felt all the more foreboding.
Dawn swallowed. "Is the danger inside the Gym?"
"Ab." Absol shook her head.
"It's not here," Dawn relayed.
"Well, the fire hazard has been taken care of," Misty said. "There's nothing to do, now, but find where this problem started. Whatever fried our generator is definitely behind the blackout."
Absol's guidance brought the group away from the Gym, and even out of city limits, heading further east wooded routes and hills and valleys led the group towards Kanto's eastern seas. Although, that wasn't the only landmark in the direction they were headed.
"I had a feeling," Misty mulled, as they walked. "This is taking us towards the Power Plant."
"You think it was just a weird power outage?" Ash asked hopefully, hands slid into his pockets.
"That could be," Brock hummed. "But, with Absol leading us, I doubt it. Besides…" He gestured about him. "Look around. Have you noticed anything odd about the wild Pokémon?"
"The ones I've seen look fine," Ash mulled, looking about. There were a couple of Sandshrew out and about, collecting berries. "These guys seem to be having a fine time."
"Look a little harder," Brock urged. "They're the only ones we've seen."
"Hey, yeah, now that you mention it… I've only seen Sandshrew!" Dawn exclaimed. "I wonder why we've only seen them, specifically."
"Well, think about it," Brock continued. Do you think it's a coincidence that we've only run into Ground-types, when there are electrical problems abound?"
"That's a good point," Ash agreed. "But we haven't felt anything like what we did down by the turbine, yet. Not out here."
"Pokémon are more sensitive to nature than we are, Ash," Misty pointed out. "If there's some kind of disturbance, they're more likely to be in tune with it."
"More sensitive… in tune," Ash muttered. He stopped walking. "Guys, hold on."
The group stopped moments after, turning back to their friend. "Ash, what is it?" Misty prodded.
"Oh," Dawn exclaimed. "I know what he's about to do!"
"About to… what're you talking about?" Misty frowned.
Ash inhaled, and exhaled slowly. Shutting his eyes to the world, he instead opened his heart. The rolling landscapes were a monochrome blue, and the skies a pitch black. But, why were the skies such a void? 'That's weird… even at night, the skies are usually dotted with a flying-type, or a couple of them. They're empty.' Turning his senses elsewhere, he gasped.
"Ash!" Dawn goaded.
"What's wrong?" Brock asked, dropping a hand on his shoulder.
"There's not a single Flying-type in the sky, around here… They're all in the trees. And it's not just that! All the Pokémon around here are stressed. A lot of 'em feel uncomfortable… Mostly the birds 'n the ones in the water. The only ones out and about were those Sandshrew… Guys, I think those Sandshrew are out gathering for everyone else!"
"So, any Pokémon weak to electricity isn't doing well," Dawn surmised. "It must be worse than we thought. That's awful!"
"Wait, wait, wait! Dial it back, hold on." Misty waved a hand. "Ash, what the hell are you— what did you just do!?"
"Ash is an Aura Guardian," Dawn explained. "He can sense things around us that the rest of us can't. Where people are, how they feel."
"Wha… you mean, those old fairy tales!?" Misty's face scrunched in disbelief. "Since when!?"
"We discovered it when Ash was taking on the Battle Frontier," Brock explained. "Although, I had no idea he'd come this far with it. Is that what you meant when you said something about putting your body and mind to use?"
"And, so what if it is!?" Ash exclaimed. "I'm an Aura Guardian. I've got a gift, so I should use it to help people. What kind of person would I be, if I didn't?"
His friends, again, exchanged looks of concern. He ignored them, turning back toward their path. "We've got bigger problems. Past that ridge, up ahead… I can't sense anything at all."
"Nothing…?" Brock frowned. His concern for his friend bubbled over, but he knew better than to poke Ash when he was irritable. "You mean there's no life around there? Maybe they've run away from an incident at the Power Plant…"
"No, like, nothing. If there's a building there, I should at least be able to shape it out. But everything over there is just… empty. That's the best way I can think to describe it."
Dawn bit her lip, and exchanged a look with Absol. Meeting the creature's crimson eyes, she felt her worst fears building up. 'Rosemary said she couldn't feel anything, either… If that's the case again…!'
Without any further thought, Dawn hopped on Absol's back, and tapped her side. "Come on, Absol!"
"Sol!" The Disaster barked, galloping towards the ridge.
"Hey, Dawn!" Ash called out.
"What do you think you're doing!?" Brock exclaimed.
Neither got an answer.
Misty groaned, massaging her temple. "That girl is as thick-headed as you, Ash Ketchum."
"Don't look at me!" Ash raised his hands. "I don't know what's going on with her. Unless…" He bit his lip. That sick feeling from earlier was starting to come back.
"I don't want to be right… I really don't want to be right, Absol." Dawn thought aloud, clinging to her Pokémon for dear life. "But I need to know. I need to know if we're running… into…"
Approaching the ridge, Absol finally started to slow down, turning to slide to a halt. "Ab…" She grunted, grimacing at the sight below. She leaned up, affectionately nudging her trainer with her head.
"...Oh… oh, crap." Dawn grimaced. She climbed off of Absol, overlooking the scene below.
The Power Plant stood below, just as Misty had explained. Its windows flashed with blinding blue and yellow, intermittently in a manner that looked ominous, even in the middle of the day. Worse than any electrical surge, though, were the vehicles surrounding it.
Stark black jeeps, trucks, and helicopters surrounded the plant. All with a distinctive crimson 'R' sported on their sides.
"...I knew it. They're here," Dawn said. Just in time for the rest of the group to catch up.
"Dawn!" Ash called out, sprinting ahead of the group. He sprinted, and then stumbled to a halt. His legs locked, and his hands dropped limp at his side. "...Oh, come on."
Misty and Brock were next to catch up, stopping at the top of the ridge. "Ash, what's… oh, of course." Misty grimaced. "What else could it be."
"They never learn," Brock grunted.
"No… No, no!" Ash felt his legs give out from under him. He dropped to his knees, clutching at his hat. His fingers dug into the fabric in a panic, crunching it atop his head.
"Ash!" Brock exclaimed.
Misty crouched down to her friend's aid. "What's gotten into you!?"
Ash was hyperventilating. Clutching and tearing at the grass, after his hat had fallen off his head. "I can't go down there… I made a promise! I promised I wouldn't get into anymore trouble!"
"What're you talking about…? What promise?" Misty prodded.
Dawn was on her knees, already. She hesitated, unsure exactly how to comfort Ash. She'd never quite seen him break down like this before, nor was she an expert on anyone panicking. She hesitated, before pulling him into a hug. "His promise to Peeks," she explained. She rubbed gentle circles on his back, which seemed to slow his shaking. "When we left him with Surge, Peeks made him promise to stay safe. Right?"
Ash nodded, buried in her shoulder. "Mmhm. It was the last thing we said to each other."
"Now, hold on, Ash. Deep breaths." Brock soothed, speaking in a gentle tone. "No one said you have to go down there. In fact, in this state, I don't even think it's safe for you, in the first place."
"Y-yeah, but…" Ash smeared his tears in Dawn's jacket. "That's… not what I'm supposed to do! Didn't cha hear me, earlier? An Aura Guardian's…" He exhaled heavily. "...supposed to step in, when no one else can. It's my responsibility."
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, Mister Aura Guardian," Misty replied, "you're not the only person who can do anything. The rest of us are here, right now."
"I… I guess." Ash sniffled. The bitter, isolating feeling of his cold sweat numbed with the warmth of Dawn's embrace, and his friends' words. He wasn't alone. "What're you guys gonna do…?"
"We can regroup and get in touch with the Police Department, and the Ranger Union," Misty answered, retrieving her cell phone from her jacket. "The three of us can get some back-up, and work out a way to muscle through. We've got enough brawn to get the job done even without your help, Ketchum." She tapped 911 on her screen, waiting for the dial.
All she heard was radio static. "...Shit."
"Don't bother," Dawn explained. "Back at the base, they had radio jammers. My walkie talkie couldn't get through to anyone outside the area, either."
"I swear, that bunch has a twelve-point-plan to be a pain in my ass in every way possible," Misty grunted. "Then getting help is going to be an obstacle."
"...I'll do it," Ash muttered.
"Pardon?" Brock asked, unsure if he was hearing right.
"Look. If you need someone to go back and wrangle some help, it doesn't like I'll be any good," Ash laughed bitterly. What was he even saying? "You guys can keep an eye on them. I'll head back."
Dawn frowned. "This doesn't sound like you," she said bluntly, while helping him to his feet. "Are you sure about this, Ash?"
"Look. Don't get me wrong — it feels weird to me, too. But, you guys can handle it, right…?"
"Sure, we can!" Dawn volunteered, pumping a fist. "Sure, it'll be weird fighting without you… but if it's better for you, then I'll kick twice as much butt for you!"
Ash sniffled, managing half a smile. "I'll hold you to that. And the rest of you…?"
"The rest of us have it under control," Brock insisted.
"Right…" Ash exhaled. "Okay! Then I'll head back to Cerulean, and-"
A flash escaped Ash's belt, taking shape in front of him. Rosemary appeared, right in his path.
"...Rosa?" Ash stopped, taken aback. "What're you-"
~I'm here to help. There's a Pokémon in there that needs help.~ The Lucario gestured to the Power Plant. ~Behind all of those rotten Rockets, there's somebody that needs our help! I can feel them from here— can't you, Pa!?~
"I haven't…" Ash trailed off, averting his eyes from Rosa. "...I'm not helping. I mean, I am! I'm about to go get help, so our friends can take care of it. I'm no good here, right now," he said, pulling his cap down over his eyes. He felt ashamed saying that to his very own.
~You only feel that way because you think you'd be alone, don't you?~ She grabbed her trainer's collar, yanking on it to make him look her in the eyes. ~Because Peeks isn't here!~
"Now, Rosa…" Brock tried to soothe her with a hand on her arm. She shrugged it off.
~But, you're forgetting that I'm here! I've been doing nothing but getting stronger — just so I can stand by your side! For the love of… I'm already four months old!~
"You're only four months old," Ash corrected her sternly, prying her paw from his collar in his own hand. "That's real sweet of you, Rosa, it is! And I'm always happy to have your help. But, something about this time…" He shook his head, clenching his teeth. "I have a bad gut feeling about it! If something happened to you…"
~Don't you remember what Riley told us, Pa?~ She interrupted. ~We're Aura Guardians.~
"Aye…" Misty sighed, slapping her hand to her forehead. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree…"
~It's like somebody said, once.~ Rosemary continued, staring into Ash's eyes with her own ruby, resolute hues. ~When there's somebody in trouble, you have to do something, right?~
"...Rosa." Ash placed a hand atop the Lucario's head. "You know, y'really scare me. Just how much you're like your old man." He fought a quivering lip, and exhaled. "...Alright. You win. Let's go beat these guys!"
"And you're just as much like your Ma," Dawn added, stepping up to throw an arm around each of them. She smiled fondly at the Lucario, and played with the ends of her red scarf that so resembled her own. "So, let's do our best to keep 'Papa' safe, alright? No need to worry!"
~Right! No need to worry!~
"I don't like this," Brock said, frowning. "But, knowing you, I know there's no way to stop you."
"I don't either, but if you're going to be stubborn, then we might as well formulate a plan," Misty contributed. "Not that I doubt we'll be busting a few heads, but if there's a Pokémon to save, then we should pick the path of least resistance. We don't want to tip them off or let them ambush us, right in the door."
"Right," Dawn agreed, pulling back to shrug her yellow bag off her shoulder. "And that gives me an idea."
Several grunts were situated near the Power Plant's entrance, keeping watch for any wandering trainers or police. Two stood at the door upright, while two more leaned up against one of the vans, while one of them took a drag of a smoke.
"This sucks. We're just supposed to sit here?" A young woman complained, curling her hair around her fingertip out of boredom.
The smoking grunt let out a puff. "Yeah, we're getting paid to do nothing. You wanna deal with that freakshow on the inside?"
"Better than wasting away in the sun," the woman shrugged.
"You're out of your mind… Hey!" The man stood upright, flicking the cigarette butt away. "Where the hell have you been?"
Four nondescript Rocket grunts walked toward the gathering of vehicles, with their hands on their hips. The tallest of them stepped forth, and coughed into his hand. "Running a surveillance check around the plant. Our shift's up. You four are next."
"Agh… I didn't even know we were switching shifts. Yeah, damn it, alright." He stomped out the butt, and stretched his arms out. "Let's get to it. Still better than having to go inside."
"Hey, hold on." The female grunt pursed her lips, squinting at the group. "Don't you think something's fishy about these guys?"
"Huh? Whaddya mean?" The first agent grunted in annoyance. "We're not here to think, we're here to keep watch."
"Part of security is using your brain, idiot," she scoffed, walking up to poke the foremost man in the chest. "Look at these guys."
"What are you… Ahem." The tallest cleared his throat, speaking more gruffly. "What's your problem? Get lost, already."
"You think I'm stupid!? They look just like us." She poked him again. "Enough funny business!"
"Hey… yeah, you're right." The first man put his hands on his hips. "What gives!?"
"Oh, for the love of… Lanturn!" The grunt that looked just like the one questioning tossed a Poké Ball into the air. "Use Confuse Ray!"
Lanturn stood upright, balancing her weight on the base of her tail. "Lan~!" Leering at the crowd of Rockets, she cast a blinding, dizzying light from her lures.
The four guards gawked at the hypnotizing lore. In mere moments, their heads were scrambled, and their eyes glazed over. The two foremost grunts laid out in the dirt, and the stationary ones collapsed at their posts near the door.
"...Well, that handles that. Lanturn, return!" Lanturn returned to his ball, which the 'Rocket' stashed away. "A little messier than I would've liked, but it worked."
"That was a close one." One of the four huffed. He had Ash's voice. "They shouldn't'a clocked us, that easily."
"Probably because we look exactly like the guards," the tallest replied. "Not the best idea."
"Rura!" Dawn scolded a fox that, seemingly, wasn't there. "I didn't say exactly the same.
~You didn't say not to be the same, either!~ The invisible fox barked back. ~That's who you told me to make you look like!~
"It doesn't matter," the disguised Brock replied. "Now that they're out of commission, this might actually be a good thing. As long as they're out of the way, we can sneak in without arousing much suspicion with Rura's Illusion. Now, they seem to have walkie talkies on them, so let's grab those."
"Way ahead of you!" Ash pried open the back doors to one of the trucks. He chucked the two nearby grunts into the back, after grabbing their means of communication.. Misty followed by tossing the other two in, before he closed the door behind them. "We can worry about them, later."
"Right. So, let's head in and search for clues." The disguised Misty said, regrouping with the others, and distributing the walkie talkies. The four, plus a disguised Rosa and Rura entered the front door to the plant. The first corridor.. was peculiar.
It was dark. Almost starkly dark. The fluorescent lights flickered intermittently and dim.
"Looks like even the Power Plant is having power troubles," Ash muttered. "But, something's keeping this place glowing." Flickers of blue and gold reflected off the corridor walls, further down.
~It's the Pokémon they're after.~ Rosa explained. The stress and malice compounded in this dungeon was giving her a headache. ~They're powerful, but they're hurting.~
"Bastards," Ash growled. "We've gotta do somethiiIIII—"
The six break-ins suddenly seized and yelped. A nasty electric current buzzed through their feet, triggered by a surge of lightning crackling through the halfway.
"Agh… What was that!?" Ash shook out his feet to disperse the pins and needles.
"A buzz of electricity," Brock said. "This must be what the Pokémon were-"
"Hey! What's going on, down there!" A man's shout echoed down the hall.
The group glanced at each other, and startled. They'd all lost their disguises! With echoing footsteps, they had no choice but to bolt out the door to the plant.
Everyone except Dawn, who managed to trip over her boots and only barely catch herself on the handle. "Ack…!"
"You!" A Rocket sauntered down the length of the corridor. His outfit almost looked standard, if not for red bands on his white gloves and boots, and a popped golden collar. Teal, horn-like bangs framed his face, giving the man a nasty impression that his sneering countenance matched.
He waltzed up to Dawn, who luckily, was actually disguised in the outfit she'd stolen at Silph. "You!" He poked a finger at her. "What's all the racket, down here? I know I heard somethin'."
"I, uh…!" Dawn raised her hands in front of her. She wasn't a coward, but Rocket grunts often were. "You didn't hear nothin', sir," she spat out, attempting the same sort of accent Meowth often used. "Musta just been your imagination!"
Wicked teal eyes glowered down upon her, making Dawn sweat. Did he see through her ruse…? "I don't like a grunt telling me what I did and didn't hear," he growled. "But, you might have a point. That bird might still be squawking, so it might've been my bad."
Bird…? Dawn was raring, internally, to throttle him and ask what he meant. But, she wasn't stupid. "Yessir! Must've been that. Eheheh…"
"That said," he hissed out, "why aren't you at your post?"
"I, um… needed t' use the ol' girl's room!" Dawn fibbed. "Do ya know which way it is?"
The tall, lanky man backed off, rolling his eyes. "Unbelievable. Yeah, er… Down the hall, to the right, you can head upstairs. There's a locker room and wash around the corner." He shoved Dawn by the shoulder, before walking past her. "And, be quick about it!"
"Yessir!" She had half a mind to gnaw that hand right off.
Once the strange Rocket was out of sight, Dawn exhaled in relief, and turned back to peek outside. "That was a close one… but, I think the coast is clear."
"Who was that guy?" Ash grimaced. He didn't like him threatening Dawn, but she hardly seemed perturbed, so he had to swallow it. "Come to think of it, he sounded familiar."
"I think I saw him with Giovanni, back at Silph," Dawn explained. "He must be high-ranking."
"So, this is no low-stakes operation," Brock grumbled.
"And we've got bigger problems," Misty said. "Whatever that surge of electricity was, not only did it hurt, but it broke Rura's illusion."
~That stung! My paws still feel numb,~ he complained.
"We won't be able to rely on our disguises for long, then," Brock figured, "except for Dawn. Snooping around just got a whole lot more complicated."
"Then, that settles it. I'll go ahead. If I can learn a thing or two, then I can help!"
"Dawn, that's crazy!" Misty hissed, careful to keep her voice low. "Walking into a den of nutjobs by yourself?"
"If I run into trouble, I can shoot you guys a message." Dawn held up her walkie talkie. "We set it to the same channel before we walked in, right? So, any of you can come running! Besides, I do have my Pokémon with me."
"Don't forget," Brock whispered, "we're all vulnerable to the currents of electricity running through the building, and that should include Team Rocket. But any Pokémon weak to Electric-type attacks is going to be at a particular disadvantage. It might be best to not use them at all. Or any that resist it, if we have them."
"Right. So, Empoleon's out…" Dawn nodded. "I'll be careful, and keep you guys updated!"
"Right! But, uh… hey, Dawn." Ash muttered. He looked troubled.
"Ash? What's up?" Dawn tilted her head.
His stern expression remained, as he raised a hand above his head. "Let's make this a clean win, alright?"
Dawn smiled, and smacked his hand against his. "Right. Okay… I'll reach out to you guys, ASAP! Come on, Rura."
~Coming!~ The fox hopped atop Dawn's shoulder , as she sprinted down the corridor in the directions the Rocket had given. Her boots could be heard clacking with the narrow hall's acoustics, even as Ash, Rosa, Misty, and Brock retreated to just outside the door.
The four leaned against the railing, holding onto heavy breaths.
The long corridor opened up into a wider room at the southwest corner of the first floor. A set of stairs leading up and one leading down sat parallel. The intermittent flashes from outside of the building filtered through the upper stairwell; now, they were almost blinding.
~Ack. Bright!~ Rura winced.
"Yeah, but that means that's probably where the problem is coming from. Besides, we were told to head up there, so it's bound to be the safe route for us," Dawn said. "But, if we were directed there, we might also run into company. Rura, just like we rehearsed."
~Right!~ The fox leapt up, swallowed in a violet spiral. After but a moment, he took the shape of a Raticate.
"Good work," Dawn praised. Houndoom or Houndour would be too obvious, after her break-in, at Silph, she figured. "Alright! Now, let's go see what's going on!" She pulled her black cap down to guard her eyes, and made her way up the stairwell.
With every creaking step, her heart pounded. She and Rura rounded the first flight, and moved on to the next. The second brought her out of the stairwell, and onto a higher platform overlooking the Plant's wider interior, safeguard by guardrails that were electrically charged to the touch. Even the rubber gloves from her Rocket uniform did little to save her from a jolt.
But, that was nothing compared to what Dawn saw, then, with her own eyes. She gasped.
At the far end of the plant's interior, Dawn swore she could make out a large main generator. But, it was obfuscated by a blinding — and disturbing sight. A huge pillar of blue light rose from beyond the railing, hosting the silhouette of a gigantic beast, with violent, spiked plumage.
Dawn squinted. A barrage of rocks and projectiles repeatedly pummeled the huge Pokémon from below. They squawked and squirmed in protest. But, it was hardly a fight; their movements were sluggish, and their cries raspy. It was as if the creature within was almost comatose.
"This is… awful!" Dawn clenched a fist, grimacing at the sigh. "We've got to do something…!"
~Dawn!~ Rura yapped. ~Weren't ya supposed to tell 'em what's going on?~
"Right." Dawn pulled out her walkie talkie, and turned it on to a hum of static.. "Guys… guys, come in!"
"Dawn!" Ash's voice crackled over the feed.
"That was fast. What is it?" Misty asked.
"I'm on the second floor. Over by the generator, there's a huge, bright light… and there's a gigantic Pokémon trapped inside!"
"A gigantic Pokemon…!?" Brock echoed over the feed. "Can you tell us anything else?"
"It's hard to tell, but I think they have wings… they look really spiky," Dawn explained. "Someone's attacking them from below, but it's hard to make out."
"Wings, and… oh, no."
"Shit," Ash cursed. "Don't tell me it's…!"
"Mmmmph…!"
Dawn jolted up. She could've sworn she'd just been caught… But, there were no Rockets. Only a muffled cry from somewhere nearby. "Hold on," she muttered into the walkie talkie, and placed it on her belt. Ocean blue hues scanned the immediate area.
Rura, still disguised, sniffed at the air. ~To our left,~ he instructed.
Dawn cautiously approached a nearby corridor, stepping into the dark. Dim, fluorescent lights went in and out, barely lighting up what seemed to be a locker room.
"Mhpmh!" The muffled voice echoed, this time, louder. When Dawn followed her ears, she found the source; up against one of the lockers was a lanky power plant worker, bound and gagged. He squirmed, eyes wide with fear. "Hmm!"
What was worse, Dawn discovered, was that he wasn't alone. Several more workers were lying and sitting around the room, unable to speak.
"Please… Let us go! J-just let us go!" A taller, portly balding man stammered out. Like the others, his hands were bound behind him, but his mouth wasn't covered. "We won't give you any trouble! We just want to go back to our families, alright!?"
"Knock it off, will ya?" Dawn put on her best tough-gal voice, hands rested on her hips. She hated to berate someone in such peril, but something about this seemed… off to her. "What a pest… Hey, how come you're allowed to blab?" She questioned, squinting.
"I-I asked the same thing," the man testified. "But, I'm the head engineer; I know this place, top to bottom. So, your bosses are keeping my lips loose in case they need me… But, I don't know nothin' about what they're up to! We just supply power to Cerulean, that's it!"
"Shut your yap, already!" Dawn barked, kicking the man in the chest, knocking him up against the wall. Either she was dealing with a Rocket fishing for intruders, and she'd be allowed to keep up her act as a grunt, or she could apologize to this poor man, later. "What a pest."
"Ack…!" The man slumped up against the wall, and suspiciously enough, had his arms hanging limp at his sides. Darker still, he grinned, snickering to himself. "Damn… Maybe my disguise is too good."
Dawn's eyes snapped open. She knew that voice. 'I knew it…! It's the same as it was at Silph! But, this time, I have the element of surprise. If I can launch a surprise attack right now—'
"Zor!" The 'Raticate' standing at Dawn's feet yelped, assault by a sudden, jarring shock. The image wavered and distorted, before giving away to the shape of a rattled and frizzy Zorua. ~Ack!~
"Rura!" Dawn exclaimed, before slapping her hands over her mouth.
"Aha ha…! I knew it…" The captive grinned madly, and slung a Poké Ball past Dawn. "Koffing!"
"Shoot!"
Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Rosa sat huddled around their walkie talkies outside the door. They'd called for Dawn's attention multiple times, but she seemed to be communicating with someone. Brock had gestured for them to all be quiet and listen.
"Let us go! J-just let us go!"
"How come… allowed to blab?"
"I … place, top to bottom…. I don't know nothin!"
"Shut your yap, already! What a pest."
"Dawn's playing hardball," Misty remarked, brow furrowed.
"I feel bad for that man," Brock frowned. "I don't know if I'd be able to stomach the part."
"I feel bad too, but I get it," Ash said. "Back at Silph, she got drawn in by…"
"Rura!"
"I knew it! Koffing!"
"Shoo—"
A crackling, deafening sound assaulted the ears of all present. Worse yet, a far-off crash could be heard from upstairs.
"Dawn… Dawn!" Ash shouted into his own device. "Can you hear me!?"
Radio static soon faded into silence. Nothing more.
That was all the impetus Ash needed to yank the door to the plant off its hinges, and sprint down the hall. His heart raced, pounding in his ears. She couldn't be hurt. She couldn't be.
He skidded to a halt in the southwest corridor. "Dawn!" He shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I'm coming, Dawn!"
~Pa!~ Rosa quickly caught up to Ash in leaps and bounds, stopping by him. ~What do you think you're doing, Pa!?~
"What do you mean, what'm I doing!?" Ash snapped back. His nerves were absolutely jumping. In his panic, he could feel his hands trembling. "You heard that explosion! Dawn's-"
~Ma's hanging in there.~ Rosa corrected, frowning. ~She's in trouble, but she's okay! I already sensed it out.~ Her eyes turned to the set of staircases. ~You just went and blew our cover.~
"...I." Reality smacked Ash in the back of the head. If he'd taken just one second to assess and sense her out… He felt foolish. Utterly foolish. He could see the judgment — no, the concern in his Lucario's ruby eyes. "...Yeah. I taught you that one, didn't I? Sorry, Rosa, I really-"
"Intruder alert!"
"Get 'em!"
A troupe of Rocket Grunts ran down the stairs, Poké Balls in hand.
Not nearly fast enough, though, to account for the Lucario aiming her paws and firing a barrage of Aura Spheres at the men and women. They detonated in succession, blasting away half of the first flight up. The Rockets went flying, knocked unconscious and landing in heaps.
"What do you think you're doing, Ash!?"
"Are you crazy!?"
Brock and Misty caught up to the duo, panting to catch their breath. Before they could reconvene, though, the popping sounds of Poké Balls could be heard from below. Flashes of light came from the basement flight, spawning a swarm of Zubat and Golbat.
"Everyone! Get back!" Brock reacted first. He tossed a Poké Ball with a grunt into the middle of the room. "Steelix! Goooo!"
Ash, Misty, and Rosemary leapt back. The gargantuan Iron Snake took up the bulk of the room; his moving parts scraping against the corridor they'd come from was entirely blocked off, along with the basement flight.
"Brock! Are you alright!?" Ash shouted.
"I'm fine!" Brock shouted from the other side. "They're coming in from the basement; they must be trying to keep us out of there! I'll move ahead. Ash, Rosa, Misty, you keep going!"
"Right!" Misty agreed. "We'll leave that to him… Ash, you're probably going to go af-"
"We're finding Dawn," Ash finished the sentence for her.
"Right. Now, the Pokémon they're after… Dawn said they were attacking from below when she was upstairs. So, they should be on this floor. I'll go after them."
Ash nodded, and sprinted towards the busted flight of stairs. With a leap, he cleared the gap, and gripped the bent railing, swinging halfway up the flight. With Rosemary following, he rounded the flight. "Good luck!"
"Yeah… you, too." Misty exhaled. She had an awful feeling about this. But, there was nowhere to go, but forward. She rounded the corner, clutching a Poké Ball in her palm. Mid-sprint, a sudden jolt of electricity shot through her. She yelped, only barely catching the capsule.
"Ugh… Let's get this over with, as soon as possible."
"Stone Edge!"
A swarm of Zubat and Golbat attacked Steelix's iron hide with repetitive attacks, dealing hardly any damage to the giant. On the other hand, though, the oppressive fire of Air Cutters kept Brock from advancing any further, himself. Worse yet, a Confuse Ray was bound to catch his field of vision, sooner or later.
But, the Iron Snake wasn't about to surrender either, despite their very limited motion indoors. Steelix roared, and slammed his tail against the tiled floor. Spires of stones erupted across the corridor, taking out many Pokémon and agents at once. Grunts cried out, thrown about across the plant interior.
"Good work, Steelix," Brock praised. Now he had room to advance towards the stairwell, where another horde of Rockets were on their way up. He grit his teeth. "They're still coming… Steelix! Get the staircase, with another Stone Edge!"
Spires shot up from the basement, piercing and mangling the flight. Grunts cried out, falling once their footing had been taken from under them.
"Thank you, Steelix. Return!" Brock recalled the snake to his Poké Ball, and approached the broken flight. There were busted segments of the staircase left in Stone Edge's wake, with many unconscious grunts, below. "Alright… My path forward should be clear."
With a grunt of effort, he leapt down to the first available foothold, and moved onto the next in a horizontal bout of parkour. Sliding down the railing brought him to the bottom level. He hopped off.
"It seems we're just plagued with intruders, today… How bothersome. You heroic types are quite… Ah. I recognize you." In what seemed to be a control room full of flashing lights and panels, a tall man in pristine white stood up from his seat, with short-cut teal hair.
"The former Pewter City Gym Leader… and, rumor has it, you're quite close with those two meddlesome children. The ones who keep interfering with our plans!"
"You mean Ash and Dawn…" Brock's brow furrowed. "You! Who are you, and what're you doing here!? I want an answer, this instant."
"At ease… You're in no position to be making demands. I'd expect that sort of juvenile arrogance from your friends… You young Gym Leaders don't know about the good old days. Back then, your kind knew better than to stick your noses in Rocket business."
Brock, hesitating, lifted a Poké Ball. "What does that mean?"
The other only smiled darkly. "I am Archer," he explained, ignoring Brock's query. "Executive of Team Rocket, and acting right-hand man of Lord Giovanni." He juggled an Ultra Ball in his palm. "As for what we're doing… We don't owe you an explanation. But, as all I'm doing is overseeing our fruits, I can afford to waste time with you. But, I think explanations would be best left to the brilliant mind accompanying us. If you would, turn your attention to the illustrious Dr. Zager."
A pale, wicked-faced man looked up from one of the monitors he'd been eyeing. Wild gray hair and a voluminous mustache framed his face; the latter covering his mouth. Blue light from the screen reflected off of his monocle. "I hate to waste my time with such paltry matters… but, very well, Executive. If you must know, then we have but one objective, in this phase of Operation Lightning Fall: to capture the legendary Pokémon that uses the Power Plant as its roost."
"Legendary… I knew it!" Brock exclaimed.
"The titan of lightning: Zapdos. To capture them out in the Orange Archipelago would disturb their brethren, and bring havoc to all; even Team Rocket. When they're alone, however… Well, an ambush was a matter of strategy, and Team Rocket's awesome machinations." The scientist clutched a hand closed.
"As of now, they are suspended in a near-catatonic state." He gestured to one of the monitors, where Zapdos was faintly struggling in the middle of a blinding light. A barrage of attacks crashed into them regularly. They eyed their attackers with contempt, but did little else.
Brock grimaced at the Pokémon's pain. "You animals…!"
"But even that, it seems, isn't sufficient for capture," Zager continued. "The might of legends is truly something, is it not?"
"If you don't have them yet, then there's still time to stop you," Brock grunted. With Ash and Misty leading their assault, and Dawn occupying another threat, he could leave that to his friends. "I assume telling you to come quiet and surrender would be a waste of oxygen."
"You would be right. But, futility is the endless cycle of all who oppose Team Rocket." Zager stood, walking over to aside Archer, with his arms folded behind his back. "If you volunteer yourself for martyrdom, then we have no choice but to dispose of you as efficiently as possible."
The man fetched an Ultra Ball, and tossed it. A Grumpig appeared before him. "And that is to say, with absolutely no mercy."
"You've made it far enough. As have your meddlesome friends!" Archer, for his part, called out his Houndoom. The hellhound greeted Brock with an angry snarl.
Before Brock could answer with his own Pokémon, a flash erupted from his belt. Croagunk appeared before him, leering at Grumpig. "Croaaa….!"
"Croagunk…" Brock's expression softened. 'That's his Anticipation. A Psychic-type could be a problem; particularly for him. If he's appearing, then it must be for our own good.' Accepting his partner's judgment, he tossed one more Poké Ball into the fray. "Ninetales! I need you!"
The proud Fire-type appeared in a flash beside Croagunk, fanning out her many, beautiful tails. The malice and misery in the air was palpable for the sensitive fox. She eyed their foes with the utmost contempt; her eyes a raging red. She howled.
"Grumpig," Zager initiated, "use Psychic on Croagunk."
"Sucker Punch!" Brock initiated.
The portly pig sneered, eyeing the poisonous frog… or, at least he eyed the spot Croagunk had just been in. It'd completely disappeared.
"Gunk!" A high-pitched screech punctuated a nasty sucker punch smashing into the swine's gut. The Psychic-type was sent flying by the super-effective move.
"Tch… Flamethrower, Houndoom!" Archer commanded.
"Ninetales! You use Flamethrower, as well!" Brock shouted.
Houndoom and Ninetales spat a stream of fire alike, colliding in the center of the room. A brief back-and-forth of roaring flames and flickering embers occurred, before Ninetales's quickly overwhelmed Houndoom's, and consumed them in a burst of flames.
"Tch… So, your Ninetales is stronger than Houndoom. But, a lot of good that'll do you," Archer taunted, as another roaring fire consumed the hellhound.
A devilish howl sounded, and his orange glow lit the room and Houndoom's trainer, behind him.
"Flash Fire," Brock grunted. "So, Fire-type moves won't work on them at all."
"Indeed. A futile effort," Zager added. "Now, Grumpig…!"
"Sucker Punch!" Brock shouted out with haste.
Croagunk zipped up to Grumpig, rearing back a fist. "Croa… Gunk…?" The poison dart frog peered up at his foe, who met him with a glowering glare. Croagunk hesitated; long enough for his punch to miss, as his foe leapt back to safety.
"...Use Teeter Dance," Zager finished, smirking beneath his mustache.
"Oh, no!" Brock exclaimed. But, he was too late to stop Zager's sly machinations.
Grumpig landed on one hoove, leaning into a dizzying, hypnotic dance.
Croagunk's eyes shone an eerie blue. Lulled into a trance, he started to flail and dance around, himself. "Cro…!" He moved completely in tune with Grumpig's movements.
"Oh no, Croagunk…!" Brock grit his teeth.
"Such a trigger finger on a Gym Leader is an embarrassment," Zager scoffed. "Psychic."
Grumpig grinned maliciously, exerting his psychic will over Croagunk's body. With a toss of his head, he brutally flung the frog right towards Brock.
"Croagunk…!" Brock opened his arms for his Pokémon. He wasn't ready, however, for Croagunk's momentum. The collision knocked the wind out of him, sending them both flying back into a support beam. He slid down to the ground with a groan. "Ugh…"
Croagunk, meanwhile, flailed wildly, striking at air. Brock hugged him close to his chest.
"Croagunk… Stay… still…!"
"Aha ha! What a pitiful sight… One of Kanto's greatest, outnumbered, and outwitted." Archer sneered, veiling his amusement by his usual stone-cold persona. "Don't blame us, though. You've dug your own grave." Houndoom and Grumpig started to advance, cast in orange and fuchsia glows, respectively.
"Nine!" Before either could close in on Brock and the struggling Croagunk, Ninetales stood in their path, violently flicking her tails.
"Ninetales…" Brock looked up at the fox, who cast her gaze back at him.
She nodded back. As long as Brock needed her, she would hold the line.
Pulsing yellows and blues lit the backdrop of the room containing the main generator. Rockets with visors protecting their eyes stood in rows, commanding Pokémon in tandem. Golem, Graveler, Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Dugtrio, Diglett. Even Electric-types, such as Voltorb, Electrode, and Pikachu and Raichu were lined up, firing alternating attacks.
Rock Throws, Rock Slides, Thunderbolts, Sonic Booms. All of them pelted their captive, who was held in near-suspended animation.
"Executive… Do ya think it's time to try again?" One of the grunts asked hesitantly.
"To be reduced to this grunt work…" Executive Arianna snarled out of the corner of her lips. On the floor, wearing down a target for capture. Hurling Poké Balls. It was humiliating.
She looked down at the Dusk Ball in her palm. 'Those damned three have brought me down in his eyes. But, should we walk away with Zapdos, it'll be at my hand.' Yes. It was time, in fact, she decided, as she chucked the specialty ball at the suspended titan of lightning.
Zapdos disappeared into the Dusk Ball. It shook once. Twice.
The ball shattered, releasing Zapdos into the exact same spot it'd been in.
"Tch…!" Ariana growled through her teeth. "Damned pest…!"
"The Pokémon are getting exhausted, Executive." One of the grunts complained. Indeed, the small army of Pokémon were huffing and panting. "I don't know how much longer they'll go on!"
"Damned vermin… Useless, every one of them!"
"Use Discharge!"
A sudden, blinding flash scorched the entirety of the fray, near the generator. Grunts dropped like flies, as did the Electric-types among them.
Ariana guarded herself. She was spared only by her Slowbro, which she'd called out at the last second. Her special visor guarded her eyes, while her bulky Pokémon had taken all of the punishment.
Even with their rubber boots, the other Rockets had fallen prey to the assault. Their clothes stunk of burnt fabric and rubber, smoke trailing off of their bodies. Even the Electric-types were knocked out cold in one shot.
"If you can't see the beauty and value in the efforts of Pokémon… Even in the resilience of a legendary…" A lone figure strode out of the darkness, standing tall and defiant with a hand on her hip. Her hardened eyes glared at the Executive. "...then, I'd say the useless one is you!"
Her Lanturn sat by her side, ready to aid her.
"You… Who do you think you are!?" Ariana snapped. "You dare interrupt Team Rocket's plans?"
"I'm the fourth Cerulean Sister. The crown jewel of Cerulean City! You can address me as the Tomboyish Mermaid, Misty!" Emerald hues shone, solid and sure as stone. "And, I don't just dare interrupt; I revel in putting down scum like you, in the name of Pokémon!"
"You League-dwelling pests… You should have stayed in your jurisdiction and left real power to the professionals," the Executive barked.
"Hm. I'll keep that in mind," Misty hummed. "Lanturn! Use Surf."
A rolling tide roared under Lanturn, carrying them above the dip in the ground floor. Surf crashed into Slowbro, sparing Arianna her watery wrath.
"You fool… Did you honestly think you'd get past my Slowbro with a tide like that?" Arianna taunted.
"Look behind you," Misty responded simply.
Arianna turned, to find the whole of their horde of captured Pokémon, washed up and unconscious. "That attack was never meant for Slowbro, then… You inputent-"
"What were you just telling me about real power?" Misty taunted. "You won't be bringing any more harm to Zapdos… Not on my watch!"
"You've been a thorn in my side for long enough, 'Tomboyish Mermaid.'" Arianna hissed, taking a step back from her Slowbro. "No matter. You will pay for your insolence!"
Ash rounded the first flight as quickly as he could, grabbing and swinging with the rail to scale the second. In no time at all, he'd scaled to the second floor, frantically looking left and right. "C'mon, Dawn… where are… ah!"
He gasped. Out of the corner of his eye, a blinding pillar stood out above all else, and grabbed his attention. In the center of it was the exact Pokémon they'd feared. "Zapdos…"
If he squinted, Ash could spot a barrage of attacks pelting the restrained titan. "You creeps…! Leave them alone!" He barked, charging towards the railing. Then, he came to a sudden stop, gripping it.
'But, Dawn… I have to get to her!' His gaze turned left, and right. If he could find her quickly, she could help.
'But, just leaving Zapdos here… What if they get away with it!?' Panicked eyes flicked back to the Pokémon under siege.
Swirling and conflicting priorities bounced around in his head, like cannon fire ricocheting violently, with no clear end in sight. Where was his conviction…? His surefire sense of lunging into anything he set his mind to? That natural instinct of his clawed away at his psyche, only for that usual foothold to slip through his fingers.
~Pa.~
"Dawn's strong… But I can't just leave her alone, if she isn't." His hands trembled.
'Others might need you.'
"I'm sure Misty can take care of Zapdos… or Brock."
~Pa!~
'That is the code of the Aura Guardian; to protect those we treasure, no matter the sacrifice.'
"But, I…"
~Papa!~
"Wha-!?" Ash snapped to attention at his daughter's voice. As he turned, though, a blinding white assaulted his peripheral vision. He winced, pulling his cap down over his eyes. "What is…"
A boot smashed into Ash's side, knocking the wind out of his diaphragm. The sudden pain sent him stumbling back, with his vision blocked by his cap. He hit the railing behind him, and the ground gave out from under him as he tumbled over it.
Acting on instinct, Ash tucked into a roll, falling for several seconds. He hit the tiled flooring below with a 'thud,' hissing in pain. His arm felt numb and bruised, but a full-story flight could have been much worse. He rolled and tumbled back to his feet, coughing. "Agh… What the!?"
"Kahahahah…~!" The fading light, which Ash now recognized as Confuse Ray, highlighted a stark silhouette swinging over the railing. Devilish horns framed their face, even then.
"Good… you're on your feet. I don't like my prey limp. Not until they're done breathing, at least."
"Yeah, yeah. Talk it up!" Ash identified the silhouette as that one, foreboding-looking Rocket who'd been in President Silph's office with Giovanni. One of the worst, no doubt.
Ash shook his arm out. "I can't die that easily. I've got a promise to keep."
"A promise," the man spat. "Don't make me wretch. I just got this outfit tailor made." He stood upright, rolling his shoulder. "I've heard more than enough about your heroic work. It's nauseating, y'know? It's a dog-eat-dog world, and everyone's wearing bacon pants. Let the fairy tales go. Then again…" He flashed a twisted, gnarly grin. "It'll be all the more fun to twist the knife on that, myself."
The Administrator tossed two Poké Balls. A Weezing and a Tentacruel appeared before him.
Ash's eyes darted up to the next flight, where he spotted a Crobat orbiting, still. Rosemary was up there. She had to be occupied. "You're a sick freak, y'know that? But if anyone's getting knocked down a peg, it's you!" He gestured forcefully towards him. "Peeks! Let's show him!"
There was utter silence, pardoning the faint hum of Zapdos's enduring, unruly influence.
The Rocket stared. Then, he slapped a palm against his cap, laughing. "Ahaha! Oh… Oh, this is sweet. Did you forget your precious rat at home? Or, do you already have a screw loose? If you're not in the game, this won't be any fun, kid."
"...Peeks." Ash swallowed heavily. Right. He wasn't here. Of course he wasn't.
He settled on grabbing two of his own Poké Balls from his belt. 'No Pokémon weak to electricity… of course Staraptor and Noctowl are on me. But, that's okay.' The other two he had would do. "Donphan! Meema! I'm counting on you!"
The Armor and Illusion Pokémon each appeared before Ash.
"I'm going to enjoy crushing you. You all made luring you in so easy," Proton taunted. Before Ash could push him to elaborate, he continued. "We were already suspicious you'd show. You've interfered in one mission after another! It's gotten real old. That's why I'm here; Administrator Proton! Well… me and that lughead are here. To fish out any rats, and exterminate them."
Ash gasped. "Dawn…!" They'd let her in on purpose. Ambushed them. Her, worst of all. 'Breathe, Ash… Rosa said she's okay. We just have to beat this creep, and get to her.'
"And you can't get to exterminatin' without fumigatin' first. Weezing! Smokescreen!"
A thick, acrid blanket of smoke flooded the first floor. Ash pulled his collar over his mouth, squinting. 'Can't see a damn thing. I can't call for any moves, if I don't even know where my Pokémon are. I'll have to sense them out.'
Ash closed his eyes to the world, leaning into his sixth sense. The Power Plant was buzzing with different signatures and Auras. Stressed, suffering, furious. In-focus… Killing intent.
His eyes snapped open, just in time for Proton to lunge out of the smoke. The room's ambient blue glow glimmered off of the man's switchblade, already in the process of slicing at Ash.
His sixth sense had instilled the Rocket's intended range of motion like a gut instinct. Ash leaned back just far enough to almost be grazed by it. Just as instinct had protected him, it reacted. Ash struck Proton in the jaw with an uppercut, knocking him back into the smoke.
"C'mon… focus!" Ash coached himself, closing his eyes again. But, something wasn't quite right. The dark, monochrome world that would assemble in his mind… it was blurry. A dizzying swirl of Auras. It was like he was wearing glasses and they were completely fogged up.
Of course; his breaths weren't even steady, let alone his clarity and peace of mind. Rather than risk getting stabbed again, Ash backed up, relying on his sight. "If I can't sense them…"
He looked up to the second story railing, where she'd been before. The Lucario was leaned up against the railing, stumbling dizzily, while Crobat orbited her, pummeling her with Air Slashes.
The Confuse Ray had gotten her. She wasn't even aware of the fight unfolding. She couldn't help him.
Help him.
When had he fallen so low that he was looking to his baby for help. That he couldn't even help her. There was something wrong with that, he knew. Very wrong.
"Alright, Ketchum. Gut up, or shut up. I can't just do nothing," Ash muttered through grit teeth. A bundle of Aura fluctuated in the palm of his hand. It was clumsy, but it would do for a well-aimed overhand pitch.
Crobat's attacks were relentless; cutting winds scraping away at his prey. Like his trainer, he reveled in harassing the helpless Lucario. Even should she come back to her senses, she'd have trouble catching up to his speed—
"Crah!"
An explosion rattled the Crobat, forcing him back into the air. He looked confused and perturbed, but little else.
On the other hand, that little bit of Aura — that spark of life — was enough to snap Rosemary back to her senses.
"Roh!?" She watched the teal light dim and disperse, wide-eyed. ~Papa's Aura…!~ She felt very sore, now that she was cognizant. But, that was but an afterthought. Her trainer was down on the ground level, surrounded by thick smoke. ~Hang in there, Pa! I'm coming!~ She lunged.
Or, at least she'd tried. A sudden, overpowering influence seeped into her mind, and kept her from running. A red glow outlined her, matching the malignant shine in Crobat's eyes. Mean Look.
"Damn it… She's trapped! At least she's conscious, now." Ash exhaled, nursing his rushed breaths. He felt a smidgen of relief, knowing Rosemary was back in the fight.
That relief didn't last long, when the frightening 'shink!' of a drawn knife hit Ash's ear. He swerved around, smashing his fist into the Rocket's face.
Blood dripped down Ash's trembling knuckle. He watched the Rocket stumble back. "You think you're tough, huh? Y'think you've got us!?" He laughed a very forced laugh. "I've seen better jabs from a Weedle. You're gonna have to try harder than that, if you want to snuff us out."
Proton righted himself, wiping his bloody lip on the back of his hand. He examined the bloodstained glove, and spat. "Ptuh! You know… Those three really were too soft on you."
"Those three…!?" Ash's brow furrowed. "You don't mean…!?"
"Come on, you two… How long is it going to take you to get that core!?" Jessie grunted, leaning up against the tail end of the Power Plant's main generator. Naturally, she wasn't doing anything.
It was better than being involved, though, she thought, every time she glanced out past the corner and was nearly blinded by the light containing Zapdos.
"It's not as if I can snap my fingers and say 'Open Sesame,' you know," James scoffed, as he turned a wrench in a repetitive, mindless motion. "This isn't hacking into an advanced piece of computer software. We're stealing a power core."
"And dat requires all da finesse of a master thief," Meowth purred, as he tinkered with panels and bolts, using the sharp end of his claw to pick it apart expertly. "Cool ya jets, Jess. It won't be long, at this rate."
"Ugh… I guess if you really think about it, that cowlicked clown is really the one doing the grunt work." Jessie folded her arms behind her head. "Ultimately, the joke's on her."
"If that's what you want to tell yourself… Hm?" James stood upright, eyes wide.
"James? What's the matter?" Jessie asked.
"Take a look for yourself," James whispered, "and try to be quiet about it.
"Be quiet!? Of all the… the…" Jessie blinked. At the other end of the room, on a higher elevation of the main floor, was, well. Who else could it be. "...You've got to be kidding me. The Twerp!?"
"W-what!?" Meowth startled. The latest panel he'd tweaked off hit the floor with a 'clang.' "Ya gots to be pulling my leg, here."
"Hey, hold on," James said, pulling out a pair of high-tech goggles. He zoomed in on the youth, who was rolling his arm. A second individual dropped almost into view. From the looks of things, they'd both come down from a higher flight. "He's as mysteriously herculean as ever, but what about Pikachu?"
"What about Pikachu?" Jessie scoffed. "We already agreed we're not chasing him, anymore. Our heads depend on it."
"No, I mean, I don't see hide nor hair of the little power pack at all," James clarified. "He's just not here. The Twerp always calls on him to blast Team Rocket to kingdom come."
"That gives me a bad feeling," Jessie said, frowning. She shook her head. "But, we really shouldn't be getting involved with him, anyway! You heard the Boss."
"I heard 'im, alright… But, take dat bad feelin' and call it worse," Meowth whimpered. "Can't ya see who he's up against!?"
"Up against…?" James readjusted his goggles. "...Oh, no."
"Oh no, what!?" Jessie prodded. "It looks like a Smokescreen just went off. I can't see!"
"Take a quick guess. The sicko who walked right outta a slasher film and into Team Rocket's employment office. Proton." The name practically made Meowth ill, after their last encounter.
"The Twerp is up against that… Not that I don't have faith in him, but I don't like those odds."
"Neithah do I," Meowth sighed, as he returned to prying apart the generator. "But, what choice do we have? If we get involved, we'll be right back on the chopping block."
"Well… Maybe it won't be so bad! You know he has a habit of pulling through," James reasoned. "Which… would mean Team Rocket losing, on the other hand, so we don't want that."
"Well, our job isn't Zapdos," Jessie scoffed. "If Arianna wants that honor so bad, then she can take the fall! We're just here to take that power core, and scoot on out of here." She did a quick once-over of her outfit and devices for any more spyware. That last incident had left the three paranoid.
But, paranoia meant thorough work. There was no sign of it.
"Personally, I think the less we say, the better," James volunteered.
"...And da less time we spend here, the less we gots to run our mouths." Meowth tinkered with a bolt, until it popped off. "So, youse two, help me lift this damned thing."
James, and Jessie, reluctantly, came together to hoist a huge, surprisingly heavy block of wires and chips out of the massive generator. With a bit of effort, they'd yanked it free.
"Great! Now, let's get out of here." Jessie grunted, taking slow, sneaky steps away from the cacophony of chaos that had wrapped the Power Plant in its ugly clutches.
James walked in tandem. "Whatever happens, we won't make a bit of difference."
"Yeah…" Meowth sighed, looking around the corner as he tip-toed towards the nearest emergency exit. He paused briefly, if only to watch sparks fly from within the dreary black.
He quietly and privately wished the loudmouthed Twerp would pick that bastard apart. If he could, even.
"Sometimes, I jus' wish he'd stop takin' after us and learn to keep his nose outta t'ings…"