ENTRY NO. 19
WE ARE CURRENTLY AWAITING FOR OUR SCOUTS TO RETURN WITH THE LAST OF THE ASSETS AFTER WHICH ALL HEADS WILL BE ACCOUNTED FOR.
RECENT CONTACT WITH T-5 HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE AIRSHIP HAS BEGUN TO HEAD IN OUR DIRECTION AND WE WILL MEET UP WITH THEM HALFWAY TO THE ISLAND. DEPARTURE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN NO LATER THAN EIGHT AM.
PREVIOUS CONTACT WITH HEADQUARTERS HAS INFORMED ME OF ANOTHER COVERT MISSION BASED HERE IN THIS REGION. THE DETAILS WERE SCARCE, BUT IT WAS IN REGARD TO INVESTIGATING ANCIENT RUINS.
INDEED, OUR ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS OF EXPANDING INTO NEW TERRITORY IS RAPIDLY PROGRESSING.
GIOVANNI APPEARS CONFIDENT OF OUR SUCCESS. HE SEEMS SO CONFIDENT IN FACT THAT HE DOESN'T APPEAR CONCERNED WITH ANY PRYING EYES, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING SOME OF THE LOCALS HERE.
WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE ANY WORD OF OTHER ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY HERE OR NEAR THE ISLAND. WE HOPE TO DEPART THE MAINLAND BEFORE THE TOURISM AROUND THE AREA PICKS UP. AT THIS RATE, WE SHOULD EXPECT OPERATION ELYSIUM TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE DAY.
CAPTAIN ERIC JOHNSON (GAMMA-7), OUT.
After another fun-filled misadventure – this time on the island full of onix – the gang returned to Cynthia's villa. No sooner did they return did Ash insist on getting things ready for the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup. The others agreed yet after discussing it and having a few moments of heated debate, it was decided that the next day was to be spent gathering supplies, mostly for Dawn who was trying a few new contest techniques. A snag in the plan came when the blue-haired coordinator realized that only a certain village carried the Pokéball stickers she was looking for...
...The problem was that it was two hours north from where they were. Both Cynthia and Jervis confirmed that such an item was nowhere to be found in the nearby Undella Town, a real shame since the area was scarcely populated save for certain months out of the year, which would have made shopping much easier.
With little choice, Dawn decided on making the trip, however perhaps due to not seeing her in so long or not wanting to pass up more journeying, Ash insisted on going with her. When he decided to go, Iris and Cilan followed suit.
And so the next day, starting before sunrise, the crew headed off by car towards the village with Jervis driving. Ash and the others insisted that Meloetta join them on the condition that Piplup and Oshawott be on their best behavior and to not bother her. Reluctantly, both of them agreed to stay in their Pokéballs until they arrived at their destination. Besides, after the last few days, Dawn had preferred that Buneary be out with them...for obvious reasons.
Just before they headed out however, Pikachu thought of one particular thing to bring along with them. When nobody else was looking, he made his way over to Ash's backpack and started rummaging through it.
On the way to their destination, the ex-couple had more than enough time to discuss some other topics in the backseat of the car.
"(So Ambipom's doing okay then?)" Pikachu asked, looking at Buneary who was wearing her famous orange vest.
"(Yup! She's already getting ready for the regional championship!)" Buneary beamed.
"(Wow...well good for her!)" Pikachu chuckled as he briefly stared out the window, the endless green trees whizzing past them.
"(Oh, and that's not all!)" Buneary nearly exclaimed, causing the mouse to look back at her. "(When we were in Hoenn, we ran into Brooke again!)"
"(Really? What was he doing in Hoenn?)" Pikachu asked, tilting his head at her.
"(He was visiting a friend. We saw Rhiannon too. They're doing pretty good; they're planning on heading off to Johto soon for the Wallace Cup.)" She said with a shrug.
Upon being reminded of the vulpix, Pikachu's mind raced back to that moment in the forest. How she started to...
Lightly clearing his throat, the mouse felt his cheeks heat up a little and he put on a smile.
"(That's great to hear! Hey, maybe you two will face off!)" He laughed.
"(Heh, maybe. That girl was pretty talented.)" She muttered, looking out the window on her side.
"(Nah, you're gonna do great Bun! I mean, you learned Ice Punch right? You'll come up with some crazy stuff I'm sure of it!)" Pikachu said with a wave of his paw.
"(Heh...well...I only just learned it.)" She smiled sheepishly and looked at him...then she noticed something.
...A familiar-looking letter bracelet on his arm.
"(My bracelet...)" She whispered, not taking her eyes off of it.
Confused at first, Pikachu looked at his arm, then he smiled again. "(O-Oh yeah! Well...I figured...y'know...)" He started to say, rubbing the back of his head. "(...It's sort of meaningful to me. A-And if we met up again...I don't know...)"
Buneary gently put a paw up to her chest and she gave him a warm smile. Pikachu wasn't looking at her, but she could tell when a blush was forming on his face, having become all-too familiar at this point. Heck, if he looked over at her, he would see that she already had one herself.
"(Hee~! Pikachu you softie!)" She giggled, her paw traveling up to her cheek. "(That's really sweet of you!)"
His blush darkening, Pikachu gulped in sheer embarrassment and looked away. "(Well you know...)" He managed to say, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts in that moment.
Buneary suddenly stopped her giggling and gave him an insightful look. "(Oh...now I wish I had brought the keychain you got for me. I wanted to safely put it away, so we left it at home in Sinnoh.)" She muttered, clear disappointment in her voice.
Immediately breaking out of his embarrassed trance, Pikachu glanced back at her. Upon seeing the crestfallen look on her face, he felt panic course throughout his body and he quickly waved his paws in front of himself.
"(Hey, hey! Don't worry about that! It's harder to lose a bracelet than a keychain after all!)" He blurted. When he saw her sad face ease up a little, he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
"(Yeah...I guess.)" She quietly said before looking up at him. "(It really means a lot though...that you kept it I mean.)"
"(Of course I kept it Bun.)" He gently replied before looking down at the trinket wrapped around his arm. Using his other paw, he gently brushed it. "(...I would never get rid of it.)"
She stared at him and his little gesture. Her heart beating a little faster, she merely grinned at him.
For the duo, the two hour-long car ride went by in an instant due to conversing the entire way. Before they knew it, they had come to their destination: Mercury Village.
Located within a lush valley surrounded by an equally green forest, the place was rather quaint, far away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. Aside from the occasional sea breeze, the area was both still and quiet. Beyond the forest that encompassed the village was the ocean with cliffs overlooking it at various elevations.
As the car entered the village's vicinity, the crew noticed how few people they saw. Not too surprising they supposed, given how the much larger Undella Town was scarcely populated at most times of the year.
No sooner did the crew step out of the car and onto the sidewalk did Oshawott and Piplup burst from their Pokéballs. Sticking to their promise, they kept a respectable distance from Meloetta although they occasionally shot daggers at each other. Meloetta on the other hand, was quite taken with the rather peaceful little place, often commenting on how cute the shops looked, not to mention the tiny park situated in the center of the area.
Actually, it was at the park when some of the group released their Pokémon from their Pokéballs and soon, others like Emolga, Snivy, Pachirisu and Quilava were out and about. Smiling, Dawn leaned down to discuss with her team what sorts of stickers and potential outfits they could get here. Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder to join Snivy, Emolga and Meloetta who were huddled around in a little circle.
As he approached them, Meloetta looked up and beamed at him.
"(Oh, Pikachu!)" The mythical Pokémon called out.
"(Hey!)" Pikachu replied, briefly waving his paw as he approached them. "(What's up?)"
Admittedly, he was a tad surprised to see the sprite socializing with the others. Guess their little talk and misadventure from yesterday really helped bring her out of her shell.
"(Not much, just deciding what we can do around here.)" Emolga responded, her paws on her hips.
"(Hmm? What do mean?)" Pikachu asked.
"(Tsk, I mean, this whole trip was for Dawn right? For her to go on a shopping spree? I don't think Iris needs anything. Ash and Cilan might get something but...)" Emolga said, scanning the area.
Looking around and checking the place out, Pikachu could see what they meant.
"(I get it. I don't know, I'm not seeing much, it just looks like a regular little town.)" He said as he carefully eyed their surroundings, only to see grass, trees and the cement path they were on, which bifurcated in opposite directions.
"(Hmph, should've stayed in my ball...)" Snivy grumbled, her arms folded across her chest.
Emolga rolled her eyes and scoffed. "(Oh please, you came out just like me.)"
Pikachu tilted his head a little. "(Yeah Snivy, why did you come out?)"
The grass-snake lifted her head a little and a subtle flash of some other emotion darted across her face. Was it surprise? Curiosity maybe? The mouse really couldn't tell.
"(I just...wanted to check things out for myself.)" She finally said, albeit somewhat quietly.
Looking between them, Pikachu still wasn't entirely sure what to make of it but not wanting to be nosy, he merely shrugged.
Meloetta suddenly clapped her "hands" together before putting them to her face. "(Oh! Are you going to help pick out Buneary's contest dresses?!)"
Actually caught off guard by that, Pikachu jerked his head back. "(What...what do you mean?)" He asked only for Meloetta to start giggling.
"(I mean, you've seen her in contests before right? And cheered her on? You must know a thing or two about fashion to help pick some dresses!)" The sprite beamed.
His cheeks warming a little, Pikachu shuffled in place and he cleared his throat. Before the mouse could respond to any of that however, he heard Emolga nearly gasp off to the side.
"(Hold on, hold...on!)" The squirrel insisted, waving her paw in front of herself. Everyone turned to look at her including Pikachu who felt a particularly intense sense of dread deep down. "(...You cheered her on too? Like in her contests?)"
His cheeks going from simply being warm to turning completely red, Pikachu felt a chill go up his spine.
"(Y-Yeah...)" He muttered, nervously scratching the back of his ear and looking away.
"(Th-That is just...!)" Emolga started to say with the biggest grin before she saw Snivy frown at her. "(I uhh... er...adorable!) The squirrel blurted before turning to the grass-snake. "(I was gonna say adorable...)"
Pikachu looked at them rather incredulously before easing up a bit. "(...Thanks?)"
He jolted as Meloetta suddenly floated up to him, her face inches from his as she looked into his eyes.
"(Sooo...?)" She asked, her sparkling gaze causing his to nearly stammer.
Silently gulping, he managed to get his mind back on track.
"(Sorry Meloetta, fashion and contests, well...those are more Buneary's thing. I mean, I can help out if she asks, but I don't think I'm the guy to decide on stuff like that.)" He managed to say only to see the sprite's smile fade a little as she backed away.
"(Oh...)" She said, clearly dispirited.
Both Emolga and Snivy snickered in response to that. Actually, the mouse found it a tad strange that the grass-snake was finding it just as funny as her rival.
"(Yeah, sorry. We probably aren't much help with that either.)" Emolga said with a shrug before she winked at Pikachu. "(Although, Pikachu's had the most experience around contest dresses so I think he knows more than he lets on~)"
Snivy looked at her. "(Emolga...stash.)"
Puffing her chest out, the squirrel's face turned a bit more serious. "(Hey, it's true! Who better to know Buneary's fashion sense?!)"
The Grass-type eased up a little and scoffed before looking away.
Rather perplexed, Pikachu merely looked to Meloetta who shrugged.
Around six o'clock that morning, the crew had started going from shop to shop with Dawn occasionally purchasing some new accessories and dress-making materials. It was only recently that her mother insisted that she make her own dresses from now on. Deciding on substance over style like her previous performances in Sinnoh, Dawn took particular interest in quality-made fabric for simplistic yet elegantly designed outfits. All the while, Meloetta became only more entranced of the whole process, finding the concept of contests and outfits quite interesting.
Some time passed yet it didn't take very long for the gang to come across a clothing store with some potential options.
Pikachu patiently stood in the middle of a comfy room with a large mirror. Off to the side was a small dressing room with a curtain. He looked over in response to the curtains being moved and Buneary stepping out to show off what she was wearing.
"(Well...what do you think?)" She asked, her arms outstretched as she twirled in place to fully reveal her maroon dress.
"(Hmm...)" Pikachu wondered aloud, a paw up to his chin. "(Seems kind of...dark? Not sure if it's your color, you're more of a purple or a light blue kind of girl.)" He replied, unaware that there were a couple of baffled eyes staring at him from just outside of the room.
Buneary tilted her head at him. "(You think so?)" She asked before grabbing the hemline of the dress and looking at it a little closer.
"(Totally!)" Pikachu beamed, taking a step closer step forward. As he did, Buneary looked at herself in the mirror. "(Remember the gala back in Sinnoh? You wore a light blue dress and it looked perfect on you!)" He chirped as he saw her smile at their reflections.
"(Hee~! Well, it was baby blue.)" Buneary giggled as she turned back to look at him. "(Maybe you're right. This color is a tad...serious.)" She said, lifting the dress up a little.
Giving her a proud look, Pikachu puffed out his chest and nodded. "(Do I know your fashion style or do I know your fashion style?)"
Her giggles turning into laughter, Buneary lightly slapped his arm. "(You know my fashion style~!)"
Outside of the room stood their friends who muttered to each other, unable to fully register what they were seeing.
"(Jeez, didn't take much pushing from you eh?)" Quilava whispered to Emolga.
"(Tsk, nope.)" The gliding squirrel snickered.
"(Oh yeah, Pikachu knows her like the back of his paw!)" Pachirisu laughed.
"(Heh, when you're right, you're right.)" Snivy said with a little smile.
Emolga continued to watch them, genuinely perplexed. She figured that Pikachu would know a little bit more than he was letting on, but to comfortably give Buneary advice like this? And what's crazier was...he was right! That color was way too somber for someone as chipper as her!
It couldn't stop here...she needed to see more!
About half an hour later, the group split up with Cilan going to check out cookware in one store and Ash and Pikachu in another to look at journeying supplies including food rations and potions. Dawn and Iris' group had decided to stay behind at the clothing store with the latter taking some interest in a few things the place had to offer.
As Dawn consulted with the shop owner about some of the more unique Pokéball stickers, Buneary continued selecting outfits in front of the mirror.
Looking at her reflection, she constantly held one outfit in front of herself before switching to another. Soon, she was checking out a purple dress that went from a light shade around the torso to a darker one near the skirt.
"Hmmm..." Buneary pondered. "Is this color chipper enough? What if I put flowers on my ears?"
She continued to carefully eye the color and after a few more moments, she started feeling more confident in it. Perhaps Pikachu was on to something! Too bad he had to step out for a little while though...
Setting aside the dress, Buneary carefully grabbed another one, it being light green and the shade of which was so bright that it reminded her of spring. She held it up to her body and looked at herself in the mirror. Then she frowned, not entirely sure of this one.
Uggh...where was her helper when she needed him?! Well at least she can-
"(Still checking out dresses I see.)" Emolga said from behind with a sly smirk.
Buneary nearly jumped a foot in the air with a squeal! When she managed to turn around, she saw the squirrel already laughing it up.
"(E-Emolga?!)" Buneary muttered in-between breaths completely unaware that the nosy girl had entered the room.
"(Mhmm!)" The Electric-type happily replied.
No sooner did she say that did several members of their group enter through the doorway.
"(There you are.)" Snivy said, giving the squirrel a hard look.
"(We've been looking all over for you!)" Pachirisu said before he seemed to come across a thought. "(Oh! Are you looking at dresses too?!)"
Emolga looked between them before shrugging before pointing at Buneary. "(Nah, I just wanted to see check out what she was doing.)"
Snivy rolled her eyes at the obvious lie, with everyone knowing that the bunny had never left the dressing room.
Buneary huffed and turned away. "(Still here. Actually, I've been trying to find a good color scheme for myself.)" She said as she lifted up another dress to look at in the mirror.
"(Having trouble I take it?)" Snivy asked as she watched the bunny struggle to make a decision.
"(Yeah...)" Buneary sighed before she gave them all a side-glance. "(I was getting help from Pikachu but he had to step out.)" She muttered before turning back to the mirror. "(I liked his suggestions though.)"
Emolga gave the others a brief glance before she turned back, a tiny smile appearing on her face that she quickly suppressed.
"(So he was like...your helper then?)" She asked, taking a step forward while Snivy carefully eyed her.
Still looking in the mirror, Buneary nodded at their reflections. At that moment, Quilava poked his head into the room, along with Meloetta.
"(What's going on?)" The fire stout asked.
Buneary looked over at them and saw Meloetta float a little further into the room. Boy, she was really settling in with everyone huh? She seemed okay even though Ash wasn't around at the moment...
The sprite's eyes lit up and she clapped her "hands" together.
"(Oh my! Are you choosing outfits?! Like a princess would?!)" She squealed.
Buneary blinked at her, then she looked at the dress she was holding. Holding back a light giggle, she shook her head.
"(Teehee~! No, but I am picking stuff for contests and maybe modeling jobs.)" Buneary replied.
Snivy stifled a scoff. "(Tsk, don't mention modeling around Oshawott again. Last time I swear his head was going to explode.)"
Emolga laughed and shook her head. "(Heh, I hate to admit it, but you're right. Dude practically went into a coma!)"
Meloetta, clearly embarrassed, put her "hands" up to her face. "(Oh dear...yeah. He was certainly...surprised to hear that.)"
"(Guess you got your work cut out for you eh Buneary?)" Quilava laughed.
"(Huh?)" Buneary muttered, looking at him.
Emolga locked gazes with Snivy before she leaned over to her. "(Our deal didn't involve him...)" She whispered as Snivy stared at the stout.
"(I mean, Oshawott likes Meloetta...but he also likes you!)" Quilava said with a smile.
Blinking at him, Buneary shuffled in place. "(Oh...yeah. I guess-)"
"(Plus Pikachu likes you and you like Pikachu so...)" Quilava continued, causing the bunny to quickly look up at him in surprise, followed by everyone else. "(...I guess it's like a love...square? Yeah...)"
A little shocked to hear that said out loud, Buneary's mouth hung open and she only managed to make restrained gasping sounds.
"(Jeez, no filter with you huh?)" Snivy grumbled, a paw up to her face in shame.
Finally managing to unlock her throat to produce words, Buneary looked the stout straight in his face.
"(Wh-What do you mean? I-I don't...I don't think he still likes-!)" She stuttered but already Quilava was snickering again.
"(Pshh! Oh please! Don't act like things are that much different!)" He laughed. "(I think it's puh-retty clear!)"
"(Th-That's not...!)" Buneary stammered, looking at each of her friends with a nervous glance, her cheeks warming. As soon as she laid eyes on Snivy, Piplup walked into the room.
"(Hey guys!)" The penguin beamed, proudly wearing a necklace of seashells. As soon as he saw everyone, he paused and curiously looked amongst them. "(What's going on?)"
Buneary raised her paw to say something but Quilava turned to him first.
"(Quick question: does Buneary still like Pikachu? And does Pikachu still like her back?)" The Fire-type asked.
"(Oh yeah. Definitely.)" Piplup matter-of-factly said, causing the bunny's mouth to hang open again as Pachirisu started happily clapping.
"(Yup! I agree! He's still heads over heels for her!)" The little squirrel proclaimed.
"(Yeah, I agree too.)" Snivy said, folding her arms over her chest. Buneary turned to look at her, truly shocked to hear that from the grass-snake. "(I mean, I'm not one for romance, but even I can tell.)"
"(Oh! It's so romantic! I'm in heaven over here!)" Meloetta beamed, her eyes sparkling.
As everyone murmured in agreement, Buneary's face turned crimson. When the others started quieting down, the bunny cleared her throat and turned back to the mirror, her gaze to the floor.
"(Well...maybe.)" Buneary muttered, still holding a potential dress and mindlessly rubbing the fabric in her paws.
Emolga, slowly looking up to the ceiling, gave a huff in response. "(Tsk, I don't think it's a question of 'maybe' anymore girl.)" She muttered, waiting for the bunny to turn back to them.
When she did, Buneary gave a dry gulp. "(We're just...friends.)" She quietly said.
Clearly annoyed, Emolga locked gazes at her. "(Okay...no.)" She flatly remarked.
The others incredulously looked at her, Pachirisu appearing rather concerned.
"(Hey, lay off.)" Snivy muttered only for the glider to give her a side-glance.
"(Look, someone has to say it.)" Emolga sternly remarked as she turned to Buneary.
"(Say what?)" Buneary nervously asked, once again locking gazes with the Electric-type.
Emolga sighed and shook her head, her paws on her hips. "(Here's the thing. I admit that I can be a bit...nosy. And maybe I like to have an extra snack or two here and there.)"
"(That's putting it mildly.)" Snivy quietly grumbled, looking elsewhere. Emolga quickly glanced back at her.
"(Shuddup.)" The glider muttered. Buneary merely looked at them, totally baffled.
"(It's true...)" Snivy whispered.
Sighing, Emolga looked back to the bunny. "(The point is, I'm a lot of things, but I'm definitely not bad enough to willingly hurt Pikachu.)"
"(Hurt him?)" Buneary asked, raising an eyebrow.
"(I've seen and done enough gossip to know when a couple in the making is happening in front of me and girl, you two are definitely it!)" Emolga said with a smile.
Buneary jerked her head back and looked between everyone else. "(But I mean, we already dated so-)"
"(Exactly!)" Emolga blurted, causing Buneary to look at her again. "(And from what I've heard, things were really good between you two back then! If you ask me, things are just as good now!)"
Piplup nodded in agreement and took on a proud pose. "(Yeah, I second that! And I was there when they first started dating too!)"
"(C'mon guys...)" Buneary nervously muttered, her heart beginning to quicken.
Emolga, seeing an opportunity, smiled and took another step towards her. "(I mean, you're hanging out and building sandcastles...)"
"(Oh that was just-)" Buneary muttered.
"(He's showing you how to surf...)" Emolga replied.
"(He was only-)" Buneary sheepishly said, rubbing an arm.
"(He's catching you bridal-style?! And I'm not even gonna mention the bracelet he's wearing! I can put two and two together y'know.)" Emolga remarked, waving her paws in the air, all the while Buneary's entire face somehow turned more and more red. Emolga leaned forward and gave the bunny a warm smile. "(...He's totally flirting with you back...!)"
Buneary blinked at her. Her heart still beating fast, she felt an odd calming sensation overtake her. Perhaps she just needed to hear the words said out loud or maybe it was the collective agreement of what was truly happening but regardless, the bunny felt an immense weight lifted off her shoulders.
Unable to hold it back, Buneary smiled back at her. "(He is isn't he...?)" She giddily said.
"(Yes, of course he is!)" Pachirisu cheered, jumping in place with the biggest grin on his face.
Piplup gasped in surprise and immediately pushed himself in front of everyone else.
"(Wait...!)" He said. "(Are you telling me you're getting back together?!)"
Meloetta also gasped as she put her "hands" up to her cheeks. "(Really?!)"
Clearing her throat, Buneary looked up at them, the current conversation doing nothing to quell the blush overtaking her face.
"(I'm not sure. I mean, who knows? We still have our own things going on. But...I'm not saying it's impossible.)" She muttered.
Piplup merely looked at her. Then he smiled. "(...So you're telling me there's a chance...! YEAH!)" He exclaimed, waving his flippers in the air. "(I can't wait to tell Ambipom! She's gonna be SO happy!)"
Buneary tilted her head at that. "(Eh? Why would she-?)"
"(So do you think it could happen? Do you still like him back?!)" Pachirisu asked, his eyes sparkling just as much as Meloetta's in that moment.
Buneary looked at him. "(I-I...)" She managed to say before Emolga spoke up.
"(Actually, why did you two break up anyway? It sounds like things were going good.)" The flying squirrel asked, her paws on her hips.
Buneary blinked at her, then she nervously tapped her paws together. "(Well...we knew we were gonna go our separate ways for a while s-so I mean...)"
"(And you figured it would be easier to take a break than do a long-distance thing right?)" Emolga asked. Buneary merely nodded her head, unable to make eye contact. Then Emolga gave a light huff and looked away. "(Hmph, guess I can't really blame you. I hear it's hard to do that.)"
"(Yeah...and we're both new to dating so we were sort of afraid it wouldn't work out.)" Buneary whispered.
"(Or if it would make things worse...)" Piplup muttered. Everyone went silent for a few moments.
"(Still, you'd think you would say something to your trainers right?)" Snivy quietly said.
Buneary cleared her throat before looking back up at everybody. "(It's not just about them. We're still doing our own things and we didn't know when the next time we'd see each other again. Things just got...complicated.)"
Snivy tilted her head a little at that. Then she shrugged. "(You know what? You don't have to answer any more.)" The grass-snake said before sighing. "(Look, if you're genuinely interested, just tell Pikachu. Knowing him and how he is around you, I'd be very surprised if he turned you down.)"
Everyone else murmured in agreement and Buneary stared at her. Again...pretty surprised to hear that coming from her of all 'mons...
"(Yeah...)" Emolga followed before giving a confident smirk. "(If you guys are getting along this well after six months...I mean I'd consider it.)"
Amongst the group, Piplup nodded his head while Pachirisu energetically squealed and jumped in place.
Giving them a little smirk, Buneary nodded back. "(Thanks guys.)"
Around another twenty minutes passed and Dawn's crew were getting ready to leave the store. Wanting a head start on getting some fresh air, Emolga decided to wait outside but just as she did, an all-too familiar voice called out to her from behind.
"(Hey, wait up.)" Snivy said, walking up to the electric squirrel.
"(Hmm?)" Emolga muttered as she glanced back to see the grass-snake's permanently unamused face. They stopped on the cobblestone sidewalk just outside of the store, planted trees dotting the area around them.
"(Just what was that?)" Snivy asked, her paws on her hips.
"(What was what?)" Emolga replied, blinking at her.
"(That. Talking to Buneary about Pikachu.)" Snivy said, pointing back into the store. "(You trying to stir up more gossip?)"
Taking a moment to register what the Grass-type was saying, Emolga's expression remained neutral. "(No. Honest.)" She said with conviction.
"(Because if you are, you'll be-)"
"(Snivy.)" Emolga firmly said, waving her paw in front of herself. "(It's not like that.)"
The snake paused, then eased up a bit. "(It's not...?)" She muttered, clearly not entirely convinced.
"(No. I mean...yes, it'd make for some juicy gossip, but I promise that's not what I'm doing. It's just that...)" She muttered before looking back at the store. "(...Pikachu's our friend. He's my friend.)"
Slightly taken aback by that, Snivy raised an eyebrow. "(Yeah...?)"
Emolga sighed and slumped her shoulders. "(Look, he's a lot of things. He's stubborn, he's a doof, and he's totally obsessed with journeying just like Ash...but...)" She said, turning to her rival. "(This girl...she makes him...I dunno...happy. Don't you see it too?)"
Her stern gaze now softening a little more, Snivy gave the squirrel a slightly surprised look. "(Well...I suppose.)"
"(Before this week, I never once thought that Pikachu was the kind of guy to care about someone romantically but here he is, flirting with her and everything. I guess she really is special to him. And from what Piplup said to us, it sounds like they went through a lot back in Sinnoh but they managed to make it all work out.)"
"(Yeah. That's true.)"
Emolga gently tapped her own chest, eyes closed yet her face showed determination. "(I for one want to see him happy. He's a good guy after all! And she seems like a sweet girl. Why not try to...y'know...)" She said before making a brushing motion with her paws "(...help move things along?)"
Snivy merely looked at her, unable to really accept what she was seeing. Was this really...Emolga?
"(Heh...)" Snivy said with a smirk as she shook her head. "(Gotta say, I really didn't expect this from you.)"
Emolga gave her a slight frown. "(Hey don't get me wrong, I don't want to lose my precious apples and all but...I mean don't you want Pikachu to be happy?)"
"(Of course I do.)"
"(So then, what's the harm in helping this thing out?)"
"(Helping out? Helping out how?)" Snivy remarked as she saw Emolga assume a thoughtful pose and stare up at the sky.
Another hour passed and the crew was mostly done with their shopping save for Dawn who had made it her personal mission to check out every store in the area. As Ash and the others relaxed in the park, the rest of their Pokémon were released to enjoy the pleasant day. Soon, everyone was either sitting on benches, hanging out by the fountain or discussing things in their own clusters.
Sitting on a bench next to Iris, Ash smiled as he watched the others enjoy their free time.
"I say when we get back, we get right to training." Ash remarked, watching Emolga and Snivy walk along the grass, seemingly in the middle of a conversation.
"Ash, is training all you think about?" Iris asked, looking over at him. He seemed a bit puzzled.
"Well, we've taken two days off and the tournament is around the corner." He replied.
Standing next to their bench, Cilan thoughtfully caressed his own chin. "Yes, I have to agree. It's been a pretty spicy two days of fun but unfortunately we have to get back to work in the kitchen."
Iris looked to the green-haired young man and sighed. "Well...I guess you're right." She muttered as she slumped her shoulders.
Ash looked rather proud as he put his hands behind his head and he leaned back. "Heh, you mean I'm right? Not so much of a kid now huh?"
Iris whipped her head at him, slightly annoyed. "Oh, you're still a kid. Just...a little less so right now."
Ash opened his eyes and looked at her. "Huh? Now what's that supposed to mean?"
Before the dragon master-in-training could respond, they heard a girly voice call out from a distance.
"Hey! We're all done!" Dawn shouted as she entered the park's vicinity, holding up her shopping bags as she crossed the road.
The three humans looked over and saw the bluenette accompanied by her Pokémon. Within a minute, she walked up to them, a particularly satisfied smile on her face.
"Good day of shopping I take it?" Iris asked with a smirk.
The coordinator eagerly nodded her head. "You bet! I got the stickers I wanted and I have so many ideas for outfits! I can't wait!" She squealed, making a proud pose.
The others chuckled at that.
"Well that's great to hear!" Ash laughed as Dawn eased up and looked between them.
"So, where's Jervis?" Dawn asked, looking around.
"He's getting us breakfast. Cynthia went with him." Iris replied.
"Indeed! I would have volunteered to cook, but he insisted we get local dishes!" Cilan beamed, his eyes quite bright as he vividly imagined what their food would be.
"Heh, yeah. I could eat anything right about now." Ash said, making the same expression, his hands clasped together and pressed up against his cheek.
"Tsk, always thinking with your stomach you kid..." Iris muttered, giving him an eye roll. She looked over at Dawn and grinned. "Besides, it's not even eight yet. There's no real need to rush until we've eaten anyway."
Once again, Dawn nodded and looked over to see their Pokémon leisurely enjoying the day.
Upon hearing Iris' words, Emolga's ears twitched and she stopped in mid-sentence to look over at them. She saw Dawn gently put her shopping bags down as she sat on a bench next to the other humans. The coordinator said something to her own Pokémon who seemed to agree before they started walking further into the park.
Huh...guess they're staying here for a little while.
Emolga looked at Snivy who seemed to have the same thought and together, they saw Buneary walk over to Pikachu who was already talking to Meloetta. Off to the side, they could see Piplup and Oshawott butting heads again.
They saw how Pikachu's ears twitched and he looked behind to see Buneary. Without the bunny even calling out to him, Pikachu waved her over and they saw her giddily smile at him. Though Emolga and Snivy couldn't hear what they said to each other, they saw the ex-couple immediately start talking with the floating sprite smiling at them.
Simultaneously blinking, the two Unova rivals looked over at each other. They might stay here the rest of the day for all they knew.
In that case...
It didn't take very long before Piplup and Oshawott suddenly proposed a game of hide-and-seek. Pikachu in particular thought it was a tad strange for the two to suddenly suggest that, but when Oshawott mentioned that Emolga said it would be a great way to get some one-on-one time with Meloetta, it all started making sense.
That line of reasoning was strengthened when neither Water-type proposed to be "it". After all, they wouldn't want the floating sprite to run away from them even more right?
Between the participants, it came down to guessing the closest number that Snivy was thinking of. To Pikachu's relief, Buneary was the one who was chosen. Actually, she had guessed the exact number.
The game was to take place in the adjacent forest with emphasis on being careful going near the cliffs. Otherwise, things like hiding in trees and bushes were fair game.
When the rules were established, Buneary started counting to one hundred with her ears covering her eyes. With that, everyone headed into the forest.
Pikachu was determined not to get caught, fully aware of Buneary's incredible hearing after all. As his form disappeared into the forest, he smirked at the thought of winning. He was so confident in fact, that he didn't even notice that a certain gliding squirrel was hiding in the trees and watching the direction he was heading off in.
When she was confident in where the mouse was going, Emolga smiled to herself and took off towards Buneary.
A few minutes went by and Pikachu continued to wander through the middle of the forest. Off in the distance, he could hear some of his friends muttering to each other.
"(She needs a real man to protect her! I'll find her first!)" Piplup yelled in a hushed whisper.
"(In your dreams! I know her better than you! I'll find her first!)" Oshawott angrily replied.
Pikachu rolled his eyes. Yup, better stay away from them. Buneary's superior hearing will find them lickety-split!
Walking in another direction, the electric mouse glanced around. Save for the distant arguing, he didn't see nor hear any sign of the others. Satisfied, Pikachu looked around for a good hiding spot.
Let's see...bushes? Maybe.
Trees? That could work?
Behind a rock? Nah, too easy to search.
Around Meloetta's gaze-?
"(D'AAH!)" Pikachu gasped as he fell backwards onto his rump. Meloetta stifled a yelp as her "hands" covered her mouth.
"(Oh! I'm so sorry! Did I scare you?)" She squeaked as her eyes widened a little.
Groaning, Pikachu rubbed a sore spot on the back of his head.
"(A little.)" He mumbled before looking up at her. "(You trying to find somewhere to hide too?)"
Easing up a bit, Meloetta put her "hands" down. "(Y-Yes. I figured turning invisible would be cheating.)"
"(Yeah, that makes sense.)" Pikachu muttered as he got up. He looked around before glancing up at the trees. "(Why not up there? You can fly, so why not just hang out in the trees?)"
"(Do you think Buneary can find me? She can't fly so is that also cheating?)" Meloetta quietly replied.
Pikachu smirked at her. "(Heh, you haven't seen Buneary when she uses Bounce. It's really impressive, trust me.)"
"(Well...alright.)" The mythical Pokémon said looking up, having been convinced.
Suddenly, they heard some rustling from not too far away. Panicking, they whipped their heads in its direction.
"(Oh no...)" Pikachu muttered before looking back at Meloetta. "(Hide!)"
She nodded at him and they split off in opposite directions.
Trying to avoid stepping on twigs or tripping over rocks, Pikachu stealthily ran between numerous trees. Up ahead, he could hear the sound of the ocean crashing against the cliffside.
Eventually he stopped and firmly pressed his body against a tree, being absolutely sure not to make a sound. He closed his eyes and listened.
He waited. And waited. And wait-
There was stifled giggling from nearby...and not just any giggle...
Her giggle!
Pikachu's eyes shot open. His hearing wasn't as good as Buneary's, but he definitely knew her voice! She sounded like she was just...behind...the tree-
The sounds of leaves rustling rang out and as if by instinct, Pikachu sprinted! Panting, he could hear the sounds of footsteps – or rather hopping – behind him!
"(Found you!)" Buneary laughed as she continued to give chase.
Pikachu briefly looked behind and saw her gaining speed. "(You have to...catch me first!)" He said in-between breaths.
"(Hey, that wasn't a rule!)" She protested.
"(It wasn't not a rule either!)" He laughed as he ran forward.
"(Hmph! Well it won't matter because I'll catch you!)" Buneary confidently shouted.
"(Oh yeah? Well how about this?!)" Pikachu replied as he put on a burst of speed and he zig-zagged around each tree, his course of direction twisting and turning at random intervals. Whenever he thought he heard her nearby, he sprinted in the opposite direction.
His strategy seemed to pay off as he dodged her left and right. It was, however, becoming increasingly harder to keep it up plus the setting of a forest was a double-edged sword since she had the advantage of ambushing him at any point.
Eventually, he noticed light shining through some trees, no doubt the exit that led to the cliffs. Just as he saw it, he heard a sound coming from his right and so he went left.
And just as he did, he saw Buneary's form burst out from a nearby bush! Gasping upon seeing her orange vest, Pikachu found himself unable to fully stop running!
"(Gotcha!)" Buneary proclaimed, her arms outstretched as she firmly remained in place.
Pikachu closed his eyes as he skidded along the grass but the momentum was too much and he crashed right into her.
With that, they tumbled backwards beyond the trees and into the light and unto the rocky surface of the cliffs. They rolled for a bit before they came to a stop on a cliff that jutted out below all of the others, the waves not too far below them.
Despite the tumble, neither were injured, the dirt beneath them not particularly hard.
Giggling up a storm, they both stayed in place with Buneary on top of Pikachu, their faces inches away from each other.
"(You okay?)" Pikachu managed to say, unable to stop laughing.
"(Hee~! Never better!)" Buneary replied, the joy in her voice crystal clear.
They continued to laugh until they finally caught their breaths. When they were done, they smiled at each other, their noses a few centimeters from making contact. Strangely, she didn't back away and he...well he simply didn't want to move just yet.
"(Hey.)" He calmly said with a smile.
"(Hey.)" She said back, her grin not leaving.
They locked eyes as the waves continued to gently crash nearby.
"(Doing good so far?)" Pikachu asked.
"(Yup! And actually...!)" Buneary giggled as she raised a paw up to his face. "(I win!)" She laughed, beeping his nose before getting off.
Pikachu amusedly rolled his eyes and sat up. "(Tsk, darn it. How'd you catch me anyway?)"
Buneary smirked at him, pride in her face and slight mischief in her eyes.
"(Heh, I just threw a stick in one direction and ran in the other! I knew you were gonna run away from the sound!)" She declared, striking a pose.
Still sitting down, Pikachu merely looked at her before he turned away to gaze at the ocean. He caressed the dirt beneath him. "(Hmph...pretty simple plan.)"
"(Hey, it worked didn't it?)" She said with an impish smile.
Sighing, the mouse shrugged. "(Can't argue with that.)"
He pondered it for a moment, completely unaware that a certain snake and squirrel had conspired to direct Buneary right towards him.
Buneary leaned forward and held out her paw. Smiling back at her, Pikachu grabbed it and was helped to his feet.
"(Well...good job.)" He said, giving her a salute.
Buneary laughed, her paw up to her mouth. "(Heh, you're still such a dork Pika~!)"
Pikachu gave her a little grin. "(Again...can't argue with that.)"
Beaming, Buneary looked down and once again saw his bracelet. Not only that, she saw that he still had her paw in his.
"(Still holding my paw are ya?)" She joked before leaning forward with half-lidded eyes. "(You sly mouse you~!)"
Confused, Pikachu looked down and saw what he was doing. His cheeks turning bright pink, he made a surprised noise.
"(O-Oh! Sorry!)" He squeaked as he gently released his paw from hers.
Still laughing, Buneary's gaze turned sincere. "(Hey, it's okay. I mean, I'm used to it.)"
Gulping, Pikachu rubbed his arm. "(Well...still.)"
He nervously looked at her and saw that she continued to eye his bracelet. His heart beating out of his chest, he felt goosebumps as she walked up to him.
"(Pikachu...?)" She said, waiting for him to look at her.
"(Y-Yeah?)" He replied, glancing at her face.
She stared at him for a beat before she reached out to gently touch his bracelet.
"(Why...did you bring it along?)" She finally asked.
Pikachu's ears extended upwards in response to that. "(Huh? Why did I...?)"
"(Well, I mean I know you said it's meaningful to you but...do you...plan on always carrying it around? Even after this journey?)"
Pikachu blinked at her and he took a moment to think it over. It was true, the gift was indeed special to him, special enough to consciously keep it and put it in Ash's backpack when they left Kanto but...regarding the future he really couldn't say.
"(Well...)" He practically squeaked, his heart doing a somersault in his chest. "(I...maybe.)"
She looked at him rather curiously. "(Is it...really that special to you?)"
His blush overtaking his face, Pikachu started to shake in place. If there was one thing he didn't want to do in this moment, it was lie to her.
"(...Yes.)" He finally said as he looked into her eyes. "(Yes it is.)"
Continuing to stare at him, Buneary subtlety nodded her head and she seemed to struggle to say something.
"(Do...do you think...?)" She mumbled, briefly staring at the ground before looking back and taking a step towards him. "(I mean...after Sinnoh...)" Buneary continued as she gently put her other paw up to Pikachu's cheek.
"(What is it?)" Pikachu quietly whispered as she leaned forward a little to which he started doing the same.
"(Do you think that maybe we-?)" She started to say.
And then suddenly...something strange happened.
The ground...started to shake.
The duo looked down and saw that indeed the pebbles and stones around their feet started moving in place, almost as if they had spontaneously begun dancing.
Before either could say something, they heard some sort of strange, metallic groan. It almost seemed to be coming from all around them.
"(Wha...what's going on?!)" Buneary muttered as another peculiar sound rang through the air, its hulking metallic quality pervading the surrounding area.
"(I don't-!)" Pikachu blurted, unable to finish his sentence as the cliff violently convulsed.
With that, the ex-couple didn't have any time to scream as they both fell over the edge!
Thankfully, they didn't fall very far before landing on another outcropping that was also covered in dirt. When they landed, the surface made a strange ringing sound. Groaning, they stayed in place as everything seemed to shake around them.
Having landed on his back, Pikachu struggled to sit up. "(Oww...what in the name of...of...?)" He muttered as he rubbed the back of his head yet when he looked up he merely hung his mouth open.
Groaning next to him, Buneary looked over at the mouse. "(What?)" She asked only to see him stare at something in shock, the blood draining from his face. "(...What?)"
Still not getting a response, she looked at what he was staring at and her eyes widened in surprise.
Looking up, she saw the cliff that they had just fallen from. Then underneath that, she realized that it had been hanging above a rather large cave. Buneary looked forward and realized that the platform that they sat upon now was jutting from the darkness. If that wasn't strange enough, in that moment it seemed like the cliff was...moving?
No...not moving...extending forward!
Gasping, Buneary moved her paw along the ground and yet she felt something else. Looking down, she tilted her head. Something was wrong. Curious, she wiped away the dirt only to reveal that it was merely a thin layer.
And underneath that layer was metal.
Still staring at the cave, Pikachu's terrified-sharpened gaze turned completely baffled as something began to emerge from the darkness.
The dirt soon gave way and the remainder of a large metal ship began to emerge from the cliffside cave.
Compact and oddly clean, the ship lurched forward as the rest of its body came into the light. Pikachu looked up and saw what appeared to be the ship's bridge with stairs leading to the top. Underneath that was presumably the accommodation section, doors present on either side leading to the inside of the vessel.
Pikachu watched as the rest of the ship came into the light. So, if that's the ship, then they were on the...what's it called? The deck? Actually come to think of it, the section they were sitting on was coated in a layer of dust but the rest of the ship looked clean. And this part of the ship was sticking out of the cave. Whoever was controlling the ship...did they...cover this section in dirt?
Pikachu looked around and noticed some larger rocks and boulders scattered around, presumably as part of the ship's disguise to resemble part of the natural cliffs.
The two watched as something else came out of the darkness on that deck. Some sort of large and strangely circular metal contraption.
As the ship fully emerged from the cave and out into the open water, it cruised a few meters forward before it came to a halt. Not entirely sure what was going on, some strange sort of panic arose within the ex-couple. Quickly looking around, Pikachu saw a particularly large boulder off to the side, one of a few that remained as part of the vessel's apparent disguise.
"(Hurry, over there!)" Pikachu yelled, pointing at the boulder.
Buneary looked at him before nodding in agreement. They both rose to their feet and rushed behind it.
Evidently, it was a good idea because a few minutes later, some of the ship's doors opened and the duo saw several people in uniforms step out, some of whom were wheeling wooden boxes. They both had to stifle their gasps as they saw the familiar-looking red "R" logo on the humans' clothes.
Oh no...
One man in uniform walked to the very end of the deck and stretched, a big grin on his face.
"Oh man! Feel that sea breeze guys!" He proclaimed.
"Ozzy!" Another man with long hair yelled from behind. Pikachu and Buneary turned to him and their eyes widened in surprise upon seeing that the man – who was in a slightly different appearing uniform – clearly had a vertical scar over his left eye. In fact, the man's pupil was noticeably pale.
They watched as the man, whom they had presumed was the leader, walk up to the clearly nervous grunt.
"Y-Yes sir...?" The grunt named Ozzy stuttered.
The leader walked right up to him, stared him in the face with a stern look and merely stayed quiet.
Simultaneously, everyone else held their breaths but began exhaling as they saw the leader ease up.
"Contact the scouts. Tell them we're ready." The leader finally said.
The grunt blinked at him before quickly saluting. "Er...yes sir!" He declared before he quickly ran past his superior officer and through a door that led downstairs into the ship.
Pikachu and Buneary confusedly looked at each other before they felt the ship pick up some speed. Oddly, the vessel didn't go out into the ocean but rather moved along the cliffside. A few minutes later, they came to a complete stop, a jagged rocky protrusion a few feet above the ship's deck.
The duo looked up. Huh, if Buneary just used Bounce, then maybe they can-
Together, they heard the sound of tires skidding along the ground in the distance. It sounded like it was getting closer.
"Alright, lower the bridge." The leader said, motioning for another grunt in the control room to do so. His subordinate nodded affirmatively and began pulling some levers.
The ex-couple watched as the circular metal contraption in the center of the ship's deck began to move from side to side. The two watched as a long metal bridge began to extend from the contraption straight up into the air before it started lowering. A minute later, it rested on the cliff's edge at a forty-five degree angle.
Not long after the metal drawbridge was deployed, a red pickup truck appeared from the foliage above the cliff. Then slowly, the vehicle carefully began to drive down it. Several Team Rocket members started clapping as the truck came to a full stop on the deck and with that, the metal drawbridge started retracting.
Peeking from their hiding spot, the duo watched in horror as they saw that on the back of the pickup truck were several cages that contained different Pokémon! The ex-couple had to slap their paws over each other's mouths as they saw a section of the ship's metal floor suddenly open and the truck slowly drive into it. When it was fully out of view, the panel closed and more grunts began emerging from the ship with wooden boxes that also bore the "R" logo and they promptly dispersed them around the vessel.
A particularly large wooden box was pushed to the very edge of the deck. Seeing an opportunity, Pikachu and Buneary stealthily moved from behind the boulder to the large crate, hoping to get a chance at using Bounce to jump over the cliff and then rush into the forest to get back to their group.
Unfortunately for them, no sooner did they get behind the crate did they feel the ship lurch forward and with that, the vessel started heading into open waters. As they took off, another much larger grunt walked over to the boulder and promptly threw it overboard, remarking that it was no longer needed.
Watching some other grunts walking back and forth nearby, Pikachu crouched behind the crate and leaned forward to Buneary.
"(What are we gonna do?!)" He whispered; his panic nearly palpable.
"(I don't know!)" Buneary replied in a hushed voice. She looked behind and saw the mainland getting smaller and smaller.
Unable to do anything else, they continued to crouch behind the large wooden crate, uncertain of where they were going.
Over an hour passed and all anyone could see was ocean for miles around. Needless to say, Pikachu and Buneary – who remained at their hiding spot the entire time – were terrified of what could happen next, not to mention that the rest of their group were probably wondering where they were by now.
At long last, the cargo ship started slowing down and just as it did, another strange sound pervaded the area.
The duo looked up and their mouths hung open upon seeing the largest airship they had ever laid eyes on!
Descending from above the clouds, the grey metal sky fortress proudly displayed the massive logo of its team along the hull.
The duo looked down and saw the leader staring up at it and they noticed that he was holding a walkie-talkie.
"Alright we see you. We're coming up." He said into the device before another section of the ship opened up. The opening along the floor of the deck was large and circular and something began to emerge from it.
Pikachu and Buneary tilted their heads as they saw what appeared to be a much smaller, two-seated aircraft emerge from the opening, being lifted by some sort of elevating platform. When the platform came to a halt, the aircraft sat along the deck of the ship, glistening in the morning sun.
The leader nodded to his subordinates and they saluted him. They all started scrambling along the vessel while the leader got into the aircraft with the pilot. A minute later, the engines of the tiny aircraft came on and before anyone knew it, the airborne vessel took off towards the much larger airship hovering above them.
About ten minutes after taking off from the cargo ship, the little aircraft was directed to a landing section inside of the massive floating fortress. After getting out, the leader made his way to the main observation deck where the only other person of the same rank greeted him: a slightly younger man with half of his face noticeably burnt. The two captains took a moment to anxiously stare at each other, each knowing that the success of their mission is dependent on their cooperation. Despite their radically different approaches, by coincidence, the two men shared the same full name.
"Rough ride?" The younger man asked with a smirk.
"Just glad to be away from the mainland." The one-eyed man replied as he sat down in a black leather chair. "Still having problems with the radar?"
The burnt-faced man scoffed and looked away. "Tsk, that and other things too. I didn't know what else to do, so I have Marcos checking things out."
"You mean he's out there with a rope or something?"
"Yup, he's tethered to the ship and walking alongside the hull right now. We think something went wrong with one of the control panels."
The other man groaned and looked forward. "Figures..."
"Alrighty then...!" The burnt-faced man chirped as he sat in another chair. "Let's get this whole thing done with already! Make headway to Leonid Isle!" He commanded, pointing forward.
"We still have to load the cargo, T-5..." The one-eyed leader muttered, rolling his eyes.
The man called T-5 snorted and looked away. "Killjoy..."
On the cargo ship, Pikachu and Buneary saw the grunts move wooden boxes of all sizes as the circular opening revealed yet another aircraft, this one better designed for transferring consignments. With that, the criminals began to load their cargo onto the airborne vessel. About half an hour later, the doors to the aircraft closed and soon it took off towards the sky fortress.
The duo watched the same process repeat over the next hour with a new aircraft emerging from the deck and the grunts loading more of their cargo into it. Occasionally, a vessel would return from the massive air fortress to take up more loads.
After that, much larger cargo was wheeled out, these containers made of steel with airholes in them. Buneary furrowed her brow as she leaned forward in response to hearing something coming from them. Both her and Pikachu anxiously came to the same conclusion that the containers held the imprisoned Pokémon.
Before they knew it, dozens of those containers were in full view and just like before, another aircraft emerged from the opening in the floor. Within another half hour, the strange metal containers were loaded up and taken away.
Upon seeing the latest aircraft take off, Pikachu grimaced.
This wasn't good. At this rate, they're going to go through all of the cargo and then where will they hide?!
"(Okay, listen...)" Pikachu whispered to Buneary who looked just as worried as he. "(If they try to move this crate, we rush to the aircraft, fly out of here and head back to the mainland.)"
"(Pika...we don't know how to fly that thing.)" Buneary quietly replied.
"(We don't have a choice, it's our only way of getting out of here!)" Pikachu said in a hushed voice.
"How long have the computers been glitching up?" The one-eyed leader asked, glancing at his colleague.
"'Bout a week and a half. Things were fine and then it just happened." The burnt-faced man known as T-5 nonchalantly replied with a shrug.
"Best get it fixed before we confront the target." The slightly older man said as he looked forward.
"Pssh, yeah. I heard that thing's pretty feist-" T-5 said before all of the computer monitors around them started flashing and several started booting up.
Confused, the two men looked around and a grunt sitting at the radar system started pushing buttons.
"The radar is functioning again sirs." The grunt remarked, utterly perplexed.
"What? Well...that's good." T-5 muttered confusedly, looking over at their subordinate. No sooner did the man start getting into a comfortable position in his chair did the grunt make a rather confused noise.
"Uhh...sirs? The radar is picking up something else in the air. Apparently it's...another airship." The grunt concernedly said, turning to face his superiors.
"What?" The one-eyed man incredulously replied before turning to look at the rather large monitor that hung over the room and pointed at it. "On screen!"
"Establishing contact now." The grunt said as he typed into his computer.
Simultaneously, both Pikachu and Buneary's ears extended as they heard worried murmuring from several grunts which was accompanied by their hurried footsteps. Together, the two peeked from their hiding spot and noticed how the Team Rocket goons started running along the ship, some in a panic, others dropping whatever they were carrying and hurrying to the doors. All the while, several members urged for others to take shelter. The duo watched as they saw every criminal rush through the doors to get inside the seaborn vessel, the last thug closing the door behind himself.
And with that, the duo were alone on the deck of the ship.
Utterly confused, Pikachu merely looked at Buneary before stepping out from behind the crate.
It was deathly silent.
They looked up and saw the giant airship moving further away, up into the clouds until it was practically out of sight.
"(What...just happened?)" Buneary muttered, turning her gaze elsewhere to look around only to see nobody else nearby.
"(Dunno...but now's our chance, let's find a raft or something!)" Pikachu replied as he got on all fours and ran forward.
"(Hey, wait up!)" Buneary practically yelled as she followed him.
The two made it to one end of the ship, wooden boxes still left in random places. Looking from side to side, they searched for anything that could help them get off of this thing.
When they looked ahead, they saw something in the distance. Faraway into that wide blue sea...
...Was an island.
A lush, green island with a large mountain in the center.
Together, they just stared at it.
What the...? Was this where they were heading towards? This island in the middle of nowhere? What was so important that they-?
Their thoughts were interrupted from something moving above.
...Something large and heavy was gliding through the air off in the distance.
Instinctively, the ex-couple looked up. Too stunned to move, they stayed perfectly still.
Pikachu continued staring at the sky. Perhaps out of sheer habit, he lifted his arm towards Buneary. Likewise, the bunny did the same, not taking her eyes off of what she was seeing.
They gently held paws as they watched a second massive airship break through the clouds.
Appearing to be the same size as the previous one, the hulking mass of metal hovered towards them. It looked to be quite similar to Team Rocket's save for one noticeable thing.
Along the side of the ship was a word that appeared to have been scratched in only for some of the letters to have been scrubbed out.
PLAMA?
PASA?
But that wasn't the only thing the two had noticed. Below that word was what appeared to be another logo. A Pokéball with a black inverted "V" over it. And around that logo were new words written in black paint.
POKÉMON LIBERATION ARMY
Author's Notes:
Whoo boy! Things are really getting started eh? Two factions in the same area? What could possibly go wrong?
:)
I want to give a shoutout to Synopsiss and their story "Divergent Stories: Too Late". Reading it really helped to sculpt the characters and their dialogues, not to mention the shopping scenes in this chapter. They've written a few others Pokémon stories, so go and give them a read!
Wondering what's gonna happen next? Only one way to find out!
-Carson55