Chapter 30

A Frenzied Factory Fiasco

Although Ash struggled against Valerie and her Fairy-type Pokémon at the Laverre City Gym, he was able to put his unique battling style to the test and pull off a victory, earning his sixth Kalos Gym Badge. Now we both only need two more to enter the Kalos League.

After observing our hard-fought battles with all of our creative strategies in full view, Sawyer was very motivated and formulated a strategy with our advice. Between the three of us, Sawyer was able to earn a Fairy Badge of his own. And get this, during the battle, his Treecko evolved into a Grovyle. How great is that?

We found a nearby park and had a picnic to celebrate our combined success. As we enjoyed lunch, Sawyer continued to write in his notebook. "So that's what it takes to win a battle… being able to think on your feet! It almost didn't matter what kind of situation came up. I learned so much from you guys, and I'll always be grateful."

"You're welcome," Ash started, "but really, our Pokémon are the ones who get all the credit. A Badge is proof that everyone worked together."

"Of course! I'll remember that," he looked at his partner. "Let's keep getting stronger, Grovyle!" The Wood Gecko Pokémon growled in agreement.

Shortly after our meal was complete, it was time to bid our friend farewell. He had decided to re-challenge the Lumiose Gym. "Thank you all so much for all you've done."

"Don't mention it," Ash replied. "Good luck with your journey!" We all shook hands and embraced Sawyer to wish him for luck. We all continued to bid our friend farewell until he was out of sight.

That night, at the local Pokémon Center, we were trying to decide where to go for our next Gym match. Jessie laid out a map of Kalos on the table and pinned every Gym we visited so far. Meanwhile, Ash and James were collecting some information through some tourist pamphlets.

Meanwhile, Serena was on the PC, looking for something else. "Bonne soirée!" said a voice from the monitor. I looked over her shoulder to see it was Jean-Pierre, the host of the Pokémon Showcase. "Welcome, my Kalos friends who love their Pokémon so dearly! Here are the details for the next Pokémon Showcase Rookie Class…"

"Okay, here it comes!" Serena clenched her fists in excitement.

"The sight is Dendemille Town, a town where fluff dances in the wind!" The screen shifted to show the sights. "Surrounded by lush beautiful mountains, and full of quaint windmills, it is truly a Pokémon farming paradise. All Performers watching this video, mark your calendars, choose your favorite Pokémon , and make your entry as quick as you can! The nearest Pokémon Center is the place to go."

"Dendemille Town?" asked Jessie as she double checked her map. "If I'm reading this right, that's the next town over!"

"Well, that's convenient!" Serena said giddily.

"I know you'll win this time!" Bonnie chirped in excitement.

"I'd better register right away!" She went to the counter to do just that, and Braixen, Pancham, and Solsol followed.

Jessie looked back at the map one last time. "In that case, how about Anistar City for our next Gym? Dendemille Town's right on the way there!"

"That sounds like a plan!" I agreed.

"Then it's settled," Jessie stated to fold up her map. "Tomorrow, we leave for Dendemille Town!"

But then James stepped up with a personal request. "Before that, do you think we could check out the PokéBall Factory?" he asked. "It's just outside of town and I always wanted to see it." The rest of us agreed to a fun little adventure.

The next day, we quickly found the PokéBall Factory. The trail out front was a paved walkway, decorated with giant PokéBall statues. The factory itself looked as tremendous as it was large. We stood outside for a moment to admire its splendor.

"I've dreamed of seeing this place for so long, and it's finally happening…" James began to cry. "I'M SO HAPPY!"

"Step it down a bit," Jessie commented.

"Ah, tourists!" Said a voice, we quickly turned around to find some workmen coming up behind us. "Are you here for the daily factory tour?"

"That's a thing?" Clemont asked with a smile.

"Indeed it is, and you are just about on time for it. Though normally guests register inside the facility… we'd be willing to make an exception just this once…"

The rest of us were elated. To think we would be getting a grand tour of the facility. How could we refuse?

We followed the workmen inside. The lobby was decorated with a series of display cases, filled with every known kind of PokéBall - Quick Balls, Dive Balls, Ultra Balls, Love Balls… you name it, it was around there somewhere. Then, the workmen directed us down a hallway. On one side, we could see where the magic was happening. We saw a series of conveyor belts, mechanical arms, spray painters ans so forth.

"What an operation!" Ash commented

"This entire facility is fully automated," one of the workmen told us. "We use only the latest in production technology."

"So, you don't have any employees here?" Bonnie asked.

"Oh, no, not like that. Matter of fact, new jobs open up everyday for the care and maintenance of the facility."

Clemont laughed giddily. "I've had dreams like this! I wish I could see it up close!"

"That's actually part of the tour. You'll get to see this area up close and personal."

"But first," another workman stated. "We'll need to inspect your PokéBalls."

"Beg pardon?" Jessie asked.

"We offer a unique and practical service here at the factory. We detect easy to miss damages and status conditions to PokéBalls and perform maintenance there on."

Pleased by their offer, we agreed to let them borrow our PokéBalls, and they placed them into a special case. "Just one thing," Ash commented. "My Pikachu doesn't really like going into its PokéBall."

"Not a problem. We can take his PokéBall without taking Pikachu." So Ash and I handed her our empty PokéBalls. "Excellent. Now, step right this way." She pushed a door open, and we all walked in.

But what we found on the other side made us quickly realize it was a trap. There, within the room, was a young girl, just about our age, tied up and gagged on the floor. She had raven black hair, darker skin than most of ours, and her clothes looked like she wore them for years. Before anyone could do anything, we were jumped from behind.

Team Flare!

They quickly tied us down and gagged our mouths. At the same time, the workmen forcibly returned our Pokémon to their PokéBalls, and they confiscated Meowth and Squishy, sealing them within glass cases. After that, they pressed a button on their watches, and before our eyes, they had transformed into Celosia and Bryony. They were both wearing some sort of hologram matrices.

"Well, this operation is going better than I had hoped," said the latter. "Not only do we seize control of the most productive manufacturing facility in the world, we also capture the Light of Hope and take all their known means of power, and we have Core Z0-94 once again!"

"You failed, Bellerose!" said Celosia. "What've you got to say for yourself?"

Of course, because of the gag, all I could give them in reply was a muffled speech.

"That's what they all say…" Celosia joked. The two girls laughed before locking the door, sealing us within. TO further seal us in, I saw them using some sort of welding torch to fust the door shut.

So there we were, trapped in a dark, windowless room. Our arms and legs were tied down, and our mouths were gagged tightly, so we could not call for help. And now, Team Flare had all of our Pokémon hostage!

Or so we thought…

Before we could give up hope, we saw something yellow and something cream-colored emerge from the wall… it was Pikachu and Meowth! In the confusion, they managed to slip away and hide inside an air duct. The gags could not hide the fact that everyone was relieved, especially Ash, Jessie and James. Pikachu used Iron Tail to slice through his Trainer's ropes, while Meowth shredded through Jessie's with Fury Swipes.

"Thanks a lot, buddy!" said Ash as he pulled the ropes off his person. He then proceeded to untie Serena, while Jessie worked on James' gag.

"You see if you can retrieve our PokéBalls," Jessie instructed. "We'll untie everyone else and catch up with you two."

"Pika Pika!/Leave it to us!" The two Pokémon saluted their teammates and proceeded back into the ventilation system. Meanwhile, the humans went right to work untying everyone.

*Meowth's POV*

It took a few turnarounds and left turns when we should have turned right, but eventually, we found ourselves in the main assembly room. Before we barged in, we peered through the bars of the vent panel to survey our surroundings.

The joint was crawling with Team Flare Grunts. They were stuffing the freshly produced PokéBalls into sacks and carts and hauling them out. "All these belts and robo-arms make my head spin…" I commented.

Then, Pikachu pointed to the left. (There they are!) There sat the case, Mageanra and Squishy, next to a control panel. (If we can get to that case, everything will be easier…)

"Gotcha!" Pikachu and I carefully opened the vent cover and clambered down. We hopped into one of the conveyor belts… one which would lead us right to our prize. "This'll be too easy," I muttered.

I gotta learn not to say these things too soon…

Right before we could get to the case, one of the Grunts saw us and pulled a lever nearby. The conveyor belt changed its direction. Worst was to follow… "LOOK OUT!" We were sent right in the middle of a series of arms and lasers. We jumped ducked and dodged like crazy. I hadn't felt so exhausted afterwards since our last Team Rocket Karaoke Dance Party.

Another Grunt stood near another lever. When he pushed it up, it made the belt move faster, right into some sort of hydraulic press. What was the point of that thing anyway? We hightailed it there was no tomorrow, and the grunt stood beside the press, ready with Pikachu's PokéBall. "I have you now!"

No, he did not. Pikachu stopped on the belt and readied an Iron Tail, it slammed into his face, knocking him into the lever that would stop the belt.

"Way to think on your feet, pally!" I thanked Pikachu and snatched his PokéBall from the Grunt. Then back we went, after our friends…

*Brianna's POV*

By this time, the rest of us were all free of our bindings. Ash and James were pushing against the doors with all their might, but they could not get them open. "If only we had our Pokémon …" the latter muttered.

"If only Mr. Looker were here…" said the girl we were trapped with. By this point, we had learned that her name was Emma.

I looked at her a little surprised. "You know Detective Looker? How?"

"Well, it's kind of a funny story," she began. "We met not too long ago, back in Lumiose City…"

*Emma's POV*

I never knew my Mom or Dad. Back then, I was all on my own. I had one friend who stayed with me as far back as I could remember… a sweet little Espurr I called Mimi. The streets of Lumiose City were the only place we knew as home, and children would come and play with us all the time.

One day, Detective Looker came to the alleyway we were playing in. He had gotten a call from the kids' parents, who were concerned about them hanging out in the dark alleyways and came to investigate. Espurr was the first to try and scare him off. For some reason, he was not very fond of grown-ups. Though the detective did not seem to mind very much. Then he saw me and I explained my case to him.

"This is where you live?" he asked in surprise. "You and Mimi? And...your family? They-"

"They're gone," I interrupted. "I'm alone. Well… except for Mimi. Mimi is sort of my family. We stick together."

"I see…" Then he had an idea. "Would you like to stay at my office, the Looker Bureau. You may work as my assistant and, in exchange, you may live with me."

"A-assistant?!"

"It is not to imply that anything's wrong with a free life in the alleys," he explained. "but... To have a home to shelter you from the cold and the rain... There is joy in having work to do each day and to have your efforts seen and appreciated. And, Mimi, you're free to come, too. It wouldn't be the same without you. What do you say?"

We were surprised, but still happy. This was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for us. Since then, Mimi and I have lived in the Looker Bureau, helping him however we can. I try to be the best assistant I can be, and Looker says I have been a tremendous help.

Recently, Mr. Looker got a call from Laverre City, saying there was a commotion here at the factory. He figured it was just a bunch of hoodlums causing trouble for the workers, since that was usually the case, so he invited me to tag along. It turned out to be more than Mimi and I bargained for. These guys called Team Flare had taken over the factory and were trying to confiscate the entire surplus. They captured Mr. Looker and Mimi, but I managed to slip away… barely.

*Ash's POV*

"I tried to escape and get help," Emma concluded, "but some more of those Team Flare guys cornered me and locked me in here."

"Well, we won't be in here for much longer. I promise," I assured her.

By this time, Clemont was trying to pry the door open with a machine he spurred together - the Automatic Pry-It-Open. He had jammed the pincers into the door wedge, and they pulled apart trying to open the door. But it was apparently too much for the door. It broke down before it could leave a dent in the middle crack.

"It's not good enough," Clemont growled, "but we can't give up! We have to keep fighting!"

Brianna's eyebrows elevated. "Fighting… Fighting… Fighting!" She stood up and looked at us. "That gives me an idea! Stand back, everyone. I don't know what'll happen."

We all stepped away to the back of the room as Brianna approached the grabbed onto the handles and closed her eyes. The Pure Hearts emerged behind her.

"Power of the Body!" she shouted.

As she tried to pull the doors apart, the Ruby Heart shot back into her person. We all watched in amazement as Brianna transformed before us. She grew about half of her height taller, and a deep brown fur grew all over her body. Her limbs grew thicker, and her feet seemed to change into hooves. A pair of horns sprouted from her head, and a tail from her lower back. She kinda looked like a Tauros standing on its hind legs.

And with her transformation came tremendous strength. Not only did she pull the doors apart, she tore them off the wall. Guess she did not know her newfound strength.

"This is new," Serena commented as she approached her best friend. "How do you feel in that form?"

She was silent for a moment before answering… "Taller," she said in a voice that sounded rougher than normal.

"Well… you are taller," Serena smiled.

We then charged out of the storage room, our objective - to retrieve our Pokémon and drive Team Flare out of the factory. Jessie and James found the main control room and started to untie the real workmen. The more people on our side, the better. Meanwhile, Clemont accessed the control panel and activated the surveillance system. The rest of us went to find those Team Flare Admins and their case.

As we made our way to the main assembly room, I noticed them moving into a room on the far side. Brianna, still in her Fighting-type form, helped to clear a path by keeping the Grunts off us.

About halfway there, a Luxury Ball popped open. It was Meowth! "Such luxury… I've hit the big time…" He quickly snapped out of it. "That repugnant Team Flare almost caught me, and I couldn't feel any more humiliated! Where did those lugs go?!"

"This way!" Brianna continued to lead the way for us.

We followed her up a stairway toward the office Team Flare ducked into. We saw the Admins through the window, along with the captive company president, Detective Looker, and all our confiscated Pokémon , including Emma's Mimi. The Admins themselves were accompanied by a Manectric and a Houndoom.

Celosia addressed the president. "Your workforce and law enforcement have fallen, and now it's your turn. But there's still time for you to change your mind. Join Team Flare and make things easier for yourself."

"What in the world are you fools thinking?!" he replied. "I'd never ally myself with any group that tries to take all the PokéBalls for themselves!"

"Forget it," said Bryony. "We're wasting our time with this person. Let's just blow this place to smithereens, like Lord Lydos told us."

At that moment, Brianna smashed through the door. "Let me tell you something, Team Flare! Nobody's blowing nothing to smithereens while Team Bellerose is on the job!"

"Brianna!" stated Detective Looker. "Please! Help us!"

"Desperate today, are we, Mr. Company President?" Bryony asked. "Well, I guess we'll just have to extinguish your glimmer of hope!" She and Celosia then presented their Dark Keystones. "Nega Wave!" The two canine Pokémon yowled in pain as they were forced to transform before us.

Brianna snarled. "That's your first mistake! Making them suffer only makes Brianna mad!"

"Manectric, use Thunder Fang!" Celosia called out. Manectric's fangs glowed yellow and sparks of yellow electricity surrounded them. It then charged forward to Brianna.

"Secret Power!" she called out. Her body was surrounded by a light blue aura as she grabbed the Manectric and pushed it back with great force.

"Houndoom! Use Flamethrower!" Bryony called out. The Houndoom was about to blast Brianna in the side when suddenly…

"Oh, no, you don't!" Meowth jumped onto Houndoom's neck, yanking its aim away by the horns. "Fury Swipes!" Meowth screeched as he dug his claws into the neck and made Houndoom yowl in agony.

Meanwhile, the rest of us snuck around the room to help the captives. We first freed some of our Pokémon - Pikachu, Cocoa and Mimi specifically. Then we proceeded to untie the Company President and Detective Looker.

Then, Brianna picked up Manectric and slammed it into Houndoom. Meowth jumped away just in time. Cocoa jumped beside her Trainer. "Brianna!"

"Right!" said Brianna as she changed back to normal.

"Keystone/Mega Stone, grant us the power we need! Beyond evolution… MEGA EVOLVE!"

"The sincere love in a Trainer's heart, Mega Brianna!"

"The innocent love in a Pokémon 's heart, Mega Cocoa!"

"Our hearts are one! Mega Evolution!"

Then, Brianna began to charge her final attack. With both her arms, she traced a heart in the air, filling with a bright, rainbow-colored light. "LIGHT OF HOPE!" A grand beam shot from the heart towards the two Pokémon , causing a new light to shine from within. When the attack settled, Houndoom and Manectric shook their bodies, as though they just got out of a bath.

I looked at the Admins. "Quick! We gotta get those devices off their faces!" I instructed.

"I got this! Mimi, use Psychic!" The Espurr raised her ears, and her eyes glowed light blue. Celosia and Bryony's brain-control devices became outlined in light blue as Mimi removed them with her own mind and crushed them. The two Admins became dazed as they fell to the floor.

Before anything else could happen, one of the Grunts found us in the office. He took one look and decided it was time for a tactical retreat. "IT'S TOO LATE! FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" he shouted. The factory cleared like magic.

A few minutes after that, Celosia and Bryony woke up… or at least, who they used to be. "My… head… What happened?" groaned the one who used to be Bryony.

The former Celosia shook her head. "Dana? Where are we?" she groaned.

Serena and Bonnie helped them up. "Welcome back," said the former.

*Brianna's POV*

While repairmen were arriving to mend what was broken, we were explaining the situation to Celosia and Bryony, now Nita and Dana respectively. At the same time, many of us were sorting our PokéBalls to their rightful owners. I also told them their sister, Evelyn, was waiting for them in Lumiose City.

"What about Morgan?" asked Dana.

"We haven't run into her yet," Bonnie explained, "but you will be together again soon. That's a promise!"

"Thank you…" The two Battle Chatelaines embraced us in gratitude and boarded Detective Looker's car. With that, they were off to their sister once again.

Before we left though, the Company President came out of his factory to show his appreciation. He was carrying a black box in his hands. "Those brutes stole quite the surplus of PokéBalls, but at least the factory's still standing, because of you." As he was talking, he started to open the box. "On behalf of the PokéBall Factory and all who work within, we'd like for you to have this…"

The box opened to reveal a PokéBall I had never seen before. This one in particular was mostly purple on top with two maroon bulges protruding on the sides. Above the trigger button, the letter "M" was printed in white.

Ash in particular was aghast. "I've only ever seen one of these before… it's the ultimate PokéBall - the Master Ball."

"The Master Ball?" I asked.

"Our company's prized possession," the President explained. "With the Master Ball, you can catch any Pokémon at all without fail. It's been in development at the Silph Company in Kanto for years now. There have been a few flawed prototypes released here and there, but this is the finished product."

"Flawed prototypes, huh?" Ash chuckled. "Well, that would explain the Nero Incident…"

"Thank you, Mr. President." I graciously accepted the gift and stowed it away in my bag. "I wonder what I should catch with this… so many Pokémon, so many options…"

"Now, before you go, how would you like a real tour of the factory?" The rest of us agreed to the President's gracious offer.

It has been an unusual day to say the least, but we managed to save the PokéBall Factory, and as far as I knew, the incident did not seem to affect the market price of PokéBalls themselves. Meanwhile, two more Battle Chatelaines were freed from Team Flare's control and would soon be reunited with their sister once again. So after a false start, our journey from Laverre City continues…