Chapter 73 – The Big Bad Boss Returns

Pandemonium reigned…. Ash and Cameron ran out onto the field to their respective Pokémon. Cameron tried to grab a hold of Lucario from behind, putting an arm around his chest. Ash threw himself between Charizard and Lucario, throwing out his arms and yelling, "STOP!"

This proved to be quite fruitless, as Lucario pushed Cameron hard in the chest, growling "get off me, Cameron," and Charizard hit out with Flamethrower, intending to hit Lucario, but instead engulfing Ash.

"I'll give you one last warning," Lucario growled at the flame Pokémon. "Release Hunter, or I'll kill you where you stand!"

"Bite me," Charizard snarled in reply.

The two Pokémon threw themselves at each other, seemingly forgetting about special attacks, or moves in general as they tried to hurt each other as much as possible. Fighting on pure instinct. Lucario lashed at Lucario is his paws, feet, and tail, pummelling every inch of the Charizard he could reach.

Charizard, for his part, tried to rip and tear at Lucario with his claws and fangs. There was a horrible sound as Lucario bit Charizard in the base of the neck, and Charizard tore at Lucario's belly with his claws. The two Pokémon yelped and roared at the same time.

"Charizard!"

"Lucario!"

Ash and Cameron, each lying on the floor of the ring, gingerly at up, Cameron massaging is ribs and Ash rubbing at the burn on his face from where flamethrower at hit him. They each watched in horror as their Pokémon brawled it out.

"ZARD!" With a great effort, Charizard threw Lucario off him, though not before Lucario landed a punch under his chin, knocking his head back. Charizard stumbled while Lucario landed on his tail, but a split second later the two Pokémon were back in attack positions, glowering at the other.

"I'll cut you!" Lucario growled. "I'll cut open and free Hunter. Then I'm going to crush your skull!"

"Are you going to talk about it, or are you going to do it hmm," Charizard roared in response. He opened his arms out and beckoned Lucario with his claw. "Come on femmy. What are you waiting for?"

"LUCARR!" Lucario leapt at him again, fist raised, while Charizard let loose a flamethrower, and the two disappeared in a fiery ball.

"Stop it, stop it, stop fighting…." Ash and Cameron yelled in near unison, neither willing to approach the inferno encasing their Pokémon, lest they be burnt to cinders by the flames or ripped to shreds in the furry of claws.

On the sidelines of the arena, Pikachu and Ashachu also squeaked their pleas for the fight to stop, with Pikachu even firing off a thunderbolt to deter them with a cry of "Pikachuuu." The attack missed.

If the remaining competitors had thought the fight offered an opportunity for a sneak attack, they were sorely mistaken. Carbominable charged with an ice punch attack but was blow away by Charizard's flamethrower. It's claw had been an inch away from Charizard's back when the flame Pokémon whipped around and breathed the flame attack in his face.

Blastoise chose that this wasn't a fight it wanted a part of. When it's trainer shouted, "Now's your chance, Hydro Pump!" it shrugged before returning itself to its Pokéball, disappearing from the arena in a cloud of red energy.

A horrible crunching sound echoed through the stadium, as Charizard managed to get a claw around Lucario's throat and lifted him up into the air. Lucario continued to strike out with his feet, landing blow after blow on Charizard's belly and chest. He growled and barked in anguish and anger, flecks of saliva flying everyway from his maw.

Ash and Cameron exchanged a glance…this would not end well.

[Pokémon]

Some hours previously…

Hunter, imprisoned inside Charizard, was in his own personal distortion world. For a start, he was extremely confined. The hot, wet walls of the Flame Pokémon's stomach squeezing and crushing him, like a tightly clenched paw. Pressing on every inch of his body, the mucus of the walls soaking into his skin.

To make matters worse he was in an uncomfortable position as well, doubled over on himself, with his foot paws next to his head, and his arms and paws pinned behind his back. The stomach was squeezing him so tightly, he couldn't shift into a more comfortable position.

The air inside was also very hot and moist, like being inside a Camerupt volcano. Or perhaps like being squeezed under a Snorlax's armpit! Within a few moments of being swallowed, his entire body was dripping in sweat (as well as Charizard's other fluids).

"Ugh, I feel more like a baked potato than a Riolu," he mumbled to himself.

The air was heavy, stale and lacking it oxygen, With every breath he could feel himself becoming more and more dizzy. It also hung with a foul odour of half-digested food and something Hunter didn't want to think about. It caused him to wrinkle his nose.

Liquid was swirling around his lower back and waist. The part of his body that was pressed into the bottom of Charizard's stomach in this awkward position he was stuck in. Hunter didn't even want to think about what that was…Charizard had said he wouldn't…couldn't digest him. Hadn't he?

In spite of the situation, and indeed how he was feeling, he laughed. A mixture of anger, heartbreak and fear flooding his system, and it came out in an ironic laugh. "Ahahahaha… Ashachu! I hate you! Hahahaha."

After all, despite everything they had been through together, all the promises made, and all the love that had once filled their lived, it looked like Ashachu didn't even care about Hunter anymore, nor cared that Charizard trapped him in his stomach.

The thought made Hunter laugh again… How stupid had he been to try to revive it. The poor Riolu felt more and more dizzy and lightheaded. His brain was going foggy from the lack of air, and he realised he wouldn't stay conscious for long. His vision was going span, though in the pitch black of the char's stomach, he didn't notice.

There was one aspect of his imprisonment that was…unexpected to the Riolu. As uncomfortable, humiliated, and vulnerable as he felt, something about this; the confinement, the heat, the lack of air and just the thought of being inside the Flame Pokémon, was arousing. So much so it had giving him a raging hardon.

His member was fully extended out of its sheath, throbbing against the stomach walls. "Hahahah…Fuck, I cannot be enjoying this," he laughed to himself, as he bounced his cock. A little throb of pleasure through his sore and sweaty body.

Too bad, he couldn't reach it to stroke it…

[Pokémon]

Back in the arena…

"Meloetta. I choose you… Use sing."

The fight between Charizard and Lucario, did not as their trainers expected end well, but did end expectedly. A soft, feminine voice filled the arena, singing a high, sweet melody. At once, Ash felt an inextricable tiredness come over him, and his eyelids started to droop.

He looked upwards at the ceiling and saw what appeared to be a small lady with long flowing hair, tinged green in colour, pale skin, and a petite thin form. She floated above the arena as if her wispy little form was lighter than the air itself.

"Me-Meloetta. Me-me-Meloetta. Me me…

Me-Meloetta. Me-me-Meloetta. Me me…

Meloetta Meloetta Meloetta…

"Me-Meloetta. Me-me-meloetta. Me me…"

All around the stadium spectators were dozing off, slumping forward, back and to the side in their seats, or else falling off entirely. Charizard and Lucario had lost the will to fight, doubled over on their all fours, glaring, and glowing at one another though struggling to stay awake. Pikachu and Ashachu and Already succumbed.

"Me-Meloetta. Me-me-Meloetta. Me me…"

Ash closed his eyes, his lids feeling too heavy too heavy to keep them open. Soon all he could hear was the singing.

Meloetta Meloetta Meloetta…

[Pokémon]

"Oi. Wake up!"

The next thing Ash knew the singing had stopped and he was in a world of darkness. Pain exploded through his abdomen as something large and heavy slammed hard into his ribs. It knocked the breath out of him. He opened his eyes, blinking heavily, blinded by a set of bright white lights above him.

"I said wake up, ya little punk!"

"Ahh." Ash let out a gasp of pain and his eyes watered as something, again made contact with his rib cage. The pain of it caused him to pull himself into a sitting position in an instinctive self-protection mechanism. He wiped his eyes with his right hand and his vision came back into focus.

"Better. Now look at me, kid!"

As his vision came back into focus, Ash found himself face to face with another kid who was leaning over him. It was a boy, by the looks of him, probably not much older than himself. The boy had a shock of white hair and was wearing a scowl.

His clothes were dishevel and dirty; a jacket that was slight too small for his frame, a white tank tops and baggy black pants. The most distinctive item on him was a medallion handing loosely around his neck. A sold gold S styled to resemble a skull.

"Who –Are… Haven't I see you before?" Ash croaked.

The kid scowled. "Heh, so you don't remember. Well don't worry about that. I'll make it so you never forget me!" He raised himself to his full height and folded his arms, in what he evidently thought was an intimidating pose. "the hated boss who beats you down and beats you down and never lets up… yeah. Big bad Guzma is here!"

Ash's eyes widened. "Wait. Y-you." He wheeled his head around in alarm, taking in his surroundings.

He was still in the arena, only now the battlefield was full of a gang of youths dressed in tank tops, extremely short shorts, balaclavas, and mask, each sporting a medallion the same shape as Guzma's around their necks. Except theirs's each were silver rather than gold. Still dazed and sleepy, he took him a second longer to realise who wasn't there!

"Hey! Where is my Pokémon. WHERE"S PIKACHU!" Ash jumped up with his fists clenched, his sudden movement causing Guzma to take a step backwards in apparent alarm.

The youth quickly recovered however, letting out a cold laugh before replying, "Oh don't worry bro. I'm sure their hanging out somewhere around here!"

Ash looked upwards and saw all three of his Pokémon, Charizard, Pikachu and Ashachu, along with Lucario, hovering in the air above him as if suspended on invisible string. "How," he spluttered before stopping himself.

He had noticed the shimmering pink aura veil surrounding them. The sure sign of a psychic Pokémon. And indeed, craning his head a little further, he could see the little woman with the long hair in the air above them, her hands outstretched and her eyes glowing.

"Great lil mon is Meloetta," said Guzma. "I call her mels!"

Ash glared at him. "Let them go," he boomed, his hand moving instinctively to his belt. Only to find… "Ahhhh…WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY POKEMON."

Guzma laughed again. "Don't worry kiddo, we got em' nice and safe." He turned his head over his shoulder and shouted, "Right Jay-Z."

One of the balaclava clad youths held up a bucket, which Ash saw with horror was filled with Pokéballs, and replied, "You know it boss!"

"You think we're fucking armatures or somethin'," Guzma continued, mockingly. "This is Team Skull, yo! We do things right. Without your Poké buddied, we know you aren't nothing punk."

Ash gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, desperately trying to work out what to do. Guzma was slightly taller and much more muscular than he was, and he was surrounded by a group of teenagers of similar builds. Ash doubted he could take them all. At least not by himself.

Speaking of which. "Where's Cameron? What have you done with him?" he demanded of Guzma.

"Hmm. That annoying scrappie. Not very observant, are ya kid." Guzma gestured over to a corner, where Ash was horrified to see Cameron being held down on all fours by four other Team Skull Grunts.

At least one appeared, surprisingly, to be trying to wedgie him, pulling at the hem of his underwear out of his pants.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," Ash cried. "Let him go, right now!"

"You still don't get it yet, do ya kid," said Guzma. "Team Skull's in charge now, and there isn't nothing you gonna do about it. When we say jump, you say high alright. Get it." When Ash didn't respond he continued, "now we gonna take ya for a little ride. You see, the prez really wants to see yawl again…"

The Prez…What on an earth did Guzma mean by that! Who or what was the Prez? There was one possibility but… Ash started to feel uneasy.

Something Guzma obvious noticed as he grinned malevolently. "Heh-heh… So are ya gonna come quietly. Or are we gonna have to beat ya like your friend there. Oh, and don't forget. We got ya Poké buds too."

"So, if ya don't want anything to happen to them, you'd best be doin' as we say, punk!" The youth holding the bucket full of Ash's Pokéballs called out. Ash gritted his teeth again and glowered at Guzma, though he knew that, at least for now, there was little he could do but comply…

"Now come on," barked Guzma. "You got a little date with the Prez."

Ash and Cameron were escorted out of the stadium by the gang of youths, Charizard, Ashachu, Pikachu and Lucario floating along behind, held up by Meloetta's psychic, like some sort of sick puppet act. All throughout the building they passed spectators, staff and other competitions passed out asleep on the ground.

It seemed Team Skull had control of the entire facility. They were able to lead Ash, Cameron, and their Pokémon right out of the building and onto the forecourt without anyone confronting them. A few security guards and some muscular looking Machoke and Golem were dozing beside the glass front doors of the building.

It was once they had stepped outside the building however that Ash realised the true extent of the predicament, he, and the rest of them were in. Waiting on the forecourt was a large black chinook helicopter, complete with two sets of rotating blades and painted jet black.

The aircraft was so large, that it looked almost comical parked on the forecourt. How had somebody every landed it in such small space. But it was the symbol on the side of the door that crystallised everything in Ash's mind. The golden three-pronged trident symbol of the Aether Foundation.

"Oh no," someone groaned behind him, and Ash turned his head to see Cameron staring at the helicopter with wide eyes. "You gotta be kidding me." The body certain looked worse the ware. He was being frog marched by two larger and older Team Skull boys and was sporting a black eye and bloody nose.

One of the youths elbowed him hard in the ribs and snapped, "quite you!"

"Okay then," said Guzma, turning to his crew. "You remember the orders. Pokémon get loaded first. Then the two punks. And only five of us are going for the rider. You know who you are. I'm gonna slug anyone who fucks up. Got it…"