Thunder rumbled in the skies above and was answered by roars from the street below as Brock and Misty fought the two tyranitars.
Misty couldn't help but recall another battle on another rainy day.
She remembered how hard she'd struggled for so little gain against such an opponent. She had replayed the fight in her head again and again. Around the cooking fire or when taking a break from training her pokémon. Lying awake at night under the stars or her tent. When walking the paths of Kanto when none of their group had anything to say. Misty went over every little detail she could recall until she felt like she could describe the fight blow by blow without any preparation.
The water-type specialist had been worried that it was becoming an obsession, but maybe now it would pay off.
"Starmie, Staryu, Slip Up," Misty commanded from Staryu's back as they sped along a trail of ice away from the tyranitar. The ground shook as the towering green pokémon bore down on them.
A thin layer of ice spread over the whole road. The tyranitar cried out as it lost its balance on the suddenly changing surface, tripping and falling flat on its face. The impact reverberated through the asphalt as Misty and her pokémon came to a halt.
"Staryu, Bubblebeam!" Misty ordered.
"Dark Armor!" The voice of the tyranitar's hidden trainer called out. Misty recognized the move; it made her think that the woman with the tyranitar had trained with, been trained by, or had helped train these other members of Team Rocket and their pokémon.
Dark power flared around the tyranitar lying face down in the street and the rainwater, protecting it from the barrage of bursting bubbles. But Misty already had the next part of her plan ready.
"Starmie!" Misty cried out. "Ice Pyramid!"
Two streams of water sprung forth from two of Starmie's prongs and two blue-white beams of light sprang from two other prongs. Ice cracked and groaned as it formed in a square around the darkly blazing tyranitar. The ice grew in and up, taking the shape of a frozen pyramid in the street. The tyranitar bellowed as ice bore down on it from all sides, its dark blaze shrinking under the pressure.
Soon it was completely enveloped, a spot of darkness in the translucent blue pyramid.
"Dark Pulse!" The rocket trainer shouted.
"Staryu, help Starmie!" Misty yelled in response.
Lighting flashed above, making the growing spot of darkness in the pyramid stand out. A coruscating beam of blue-white energy lanced out from Staryu, joining the beams from Starmie. The whole thing began to shake as dark energy strove against ice.
In the end it was the road that gave out. With a tremendous crack the street split open and both ice and pokémon went tumbling down.
"Again!" Misty cried out. "Seal it up with ice!"
"Dark Amor and Dark Pulse!" The rocket trained called out once more. Misty could hear an edge of panic in their voice.
The tyranitar was well trained. It was almost able to carry out its trainer's commands.
Almost.
Before the dark power could flare up, blue-white beams of freezing power caught the fallen pokémon. Ice grew into tiny flaws and cracks in its stony hide and expanded, cracking the hard yet brittle skin. The tyranitar screeched in pain as it was encased in an icy shell.
"Seal it off in a dome, Starmie!" Misty ordered. "Staryu, fill it with water!"
More ice surrounded the frozen pokémon in a rising ring, while Staryu filled it with water. The frozen shell around the tyranitar began to crack as it fought to get out, but it was soon submerged. Starmie and Staryu synchronized their efforts so that when the dome was finished it was completely filled with water.
"Reinforce it you two!" Misty told them, her eyes flicking around the street in case Team Rocket had brought more threats to bear.
Once more an ice structure was filled with darkness as the tyranitar attempted to escape and once more Starmie and Staryu strengthened the structure with pale blue-white beams of light that illuminated the street and sewer. Misty held her own breath as they struggled, just as the tyranitar would be holding its breath in its prison of ice and water.
But the tyranitar hadn't been able to take a deep breath before it was trapped underwater. Misty didn't know how long the pokémon could go without oxygen, but she was counting on it being less time than Staryu and Starmie could keep it restrained.
In half a minute the darkness began to shrink.
"Keep it up!" Misty commanded. "It might be playing dead!"
A beam of red light lanced out from a dark alleyway, but shattered on the ice.
"Water Gun!" Misty instantly ordered, pointing to the origin of the light. Two high pressure streams of water shot out and a human cried out in pain. Red light lanced out again, once more failing to penetrate the ice, and once again Misty's pokémon attacked the darkness.
The Rocket trainer, an indistinct silhouette, fell out of the alley, their blood black in the dim light of the storm. Trembling, they lifted themselves up one last time, pokéball in hand, and tried to recall their pokémon from the icy tomb. It failed like all the other attempts and then the human collapsed and was still.
On the other end of the street Brock and Onix struggled against the second tyranitar. The asphalt shook and windows rattled as the two enormous pokémon clashed. Pulses of darkness erupted from the tyranitar only for Onix to charge straight through. Brock's pokémon struck and grappled with the Rocket pokémon, driving it back step by step.
"Hold it off!" A hidden voice called out, no doubt belonging to the Rocket trainer.
The tyranitar pushed Onix away from itself, limbs trembling from the strain as it held the stone serpent at bay.
"Onix, Rock Tomb!" Brock ordered. Onix's tail slammed the road just in front of the tyranitar. The street split open and the rock/dark type fell through. Onix struck again and the sides of the sewer cracked and crumbled, an avalanche of concrete falling on the tyranitar.
Being buried under a pile of rubble did little to slow it down. Chunks of concrete went flying as the tyranitar burst out of the rubble and lunged at Onix.
"Dark Punch!" The Rocket trainer called out, their voice coming from somewhere new.
Power black as the void between stars gathered around the tyranitar's forepaw and it struck Onix square in the face. Onix skidded back on the wet street, digging a furrow in the asphalt as he halted his momentum.
"Gather!" The Rocket trainer called out. "Hurry!"
The tyranitar opened its mouth to the heavens and both dark power and shining white energy gathered there.
"Tackle B!" Brock shouted. He didn't know what that energy was meant to be used for, but he knew it couldn't be anything good.
Onix charged forward once more, waves of rainwater flying off his path. But he was too slow, the mixed ball of energy in the tyranitar's mouth finished growing before he could reach his opponent.
"Dark Beam!" The Rocket trainer commanded.
The tyranitar blasted at Onix with a tremendous beam of blazing dark energy surrounding a core of brilliant white light. It raced through the street in an instant, homing in on Brock's pokémon.
But just before it struck, Onix glowed with a red light, the move Bide. The Dark Beam struck him head on, right in the horn. Smaller beams split off as the main attack fractured.
Onix came to a halt as he strove against the mixed energies washing over him. Black and white clashed against grey.
For a full five seconds they struggled until the beam destabilized. An explosion ripped up the already ruined street, smoke billowing away from the point of impact, and walls of water flowing away as the shockwave caught rain and puddles alike.
Brock's breath hitched as he waited to see the results of the clash.
Suddenly, the smoke was swept away by a large beam of red energy spearing towards the tyranitar, the second part of Bide. The dark-type tried to dodge, but was too slow. The beam caught it right in the shoulder. The rocky skin held out for a brief moment under the onslaught and then shattered.
With a horrible scream the red beam blasted through the tyranitar's shoulder. While it was still impaled, a smaller beam of red light lanced out and the tyranitar was recalled.
Onix roared in triumph, rearing back to his full height out of the scraps of smoke. His skin was blackened from the explosion but undamaged.
"Thank you Groudon," Brock said, wiping his brow. He had been counting on Onix's defense to hold out, the same defense he and Onix had worked on during all their time together, but it had been nerve-wracking nonetheless.
"I've asked a lot of you today," Brock said, walking over to Onix who lowered his face to Brock. The trainer rubbed the rock-type's snout. "But it's almost done. Soon we can rest."
After the Rocket squad had been secured with String Shot, Ash and Pikachu dashed back up the stairs to where Gary said the skybridge was.
I wish they had ethers for humans, Ash said, panting as he stood on the landing, his helmet off so he could wipe the sweat from his brow.
Isn't that just coffee? Pikachu asked.
Not really, Ash replied between pants. I think that just makes you not feel sleepy. Or something like that.
Ash caught his breath and rushed over to the unfinished skybridge. Without breaking stride, he released Pidgeot and Butterfree. White light blazed and the two pokémon materialized beside him.
Who's on the other side? Ash asked. Can you two see or sense anyone?
I can see one human on the other side, Pidgeot said staring through the rain.
I can sense that there are some pokémon with them, Butterfree said. I think they're in pokéballs though.
Does it seem like they know we're here? Ash asked.
Not that I can sense, Butterfree replied.
They keep looking back, Pidgeot said. It doesn't look like they've seen us.
I wonder if they're waiting for reinforcements then… Ash said. But then we should get moving before they get them. Pikachu, Pidgeot, Butterfree, let's do this. Butterfree you use Sleep Powder, Pidgeot you use Gust Bullet to catch it and then you keep the Gust Bullet in front of you so that we can hit the guard with both. Pikachu, follow up with Thunderwave.
Let's not do the Sleep Powder, Pidgeot said. It's going to be hard not to fly into it.
Okay, good point, Ash said. We'd need to practice that first. Alright, let's just do Gust Bullet and then Thunderwave.
Ash recalled Butterfree, then he and Pikachu hopped on Pidgeot. She took off, surging into the rain, flapped her wings before her once to fire off a Gust Bullet, and then sped after it. They streaked through the rain and darkness and burst onto the other side of the skybridge.
The one member of Team Rocket there didn't even have time to scream as wind and water blasted them off of their feet. A houndoom burst out of the ceiling where it had been lying in wait and lunged at Ash.
But unfortunately for the houndoom, Pikachu had already been firing off a Thunderwave attack. Its ambush was ruined as the rings of electricity earthed themselves in its dark flesh and it sailed past Ash and his pokémon, crashing into the wall on the other side.
You have the strangest luck sometimes, Pikachu commented looking at the paralyzed houndoom with wide eyes.
Tell me about it, Ash muttered, dismounting Pidgeot. Come on, we don't have much time.
The boy was full of nerves as he recalled Pidgeot, but for once it wasn't fear, or at least not fear alone. Ash and his team were finally inside the tower that they had been striving for since he had heard Gary's desperate broadcast, in the heart of enemy territory where what might be their greatest weakness lay. He was finally in a position where he could make the biggest difference in the battle and end it so that no one else would have to be hurt.
Ash recalled Pidgeot and sent out Primeape. Stick with us and take down anyone we run into, Ash told the fighting type. Primeape nodded. Ash then took off running down the hall, accompanied by Pikachu and Primeape.
They ran through the area under construction and burst out into an office area. From there they continued into another corridor and nearly slammed right into a group of three members of Team Rocket with growlithes and houndooms.
Thunderwave! Ash shouted, before any of the other humans could react. Simultaneously Primeape sent two houndooms flying into the rest of the group. Pikachu jumped in front of the group, cheeks crackling, and then sent rings of electricity through the hallway. Sparking, all the limbs of the people and pokémon in the tightly packed group locked up, and they fell.
Butterfree! Ash cried out, sending out the bug-type again. Sleep Powder them!
Sparkling powder fell from Butterfree's wings the instant he finished materializing, covering the paralyzed members of Team Rocket and their pokémon.
Butterfree, I think you should stay out, Ash said. Sense ahead and warn us if there's anyone.
On it, Butterfree nodded.
The group resumed the run, Butterfree directing them so that they could avoid groups of Rockets. Heavy fast footsteps sounded all around the floor as multiple squads converged.
Finally, Ash saw an elevator and had everyone come to a stop.
Primeape, can you open the doors without denting them? Ash asked.
I think so, Pimeape said, sizing up the doors. He stepped up and thrust his hands into the seam between them and pushed them open. Beyond was the dark and empty elevator shaft.
You're not going to call an elevator? Pikachu asked, squinting with one eye at the opening.
No, they'd probably be able to tell where we're going, Ash said, leaning into the shaft and looking up and down. I thought we might be able to climb this, but it doesn't look like it. Hmm…. Go Pidgeot!
White light blazed and Pidgeot appeared before him.
Do you think you could carry the whole team up this? Ash asked, pointing at the empty elevator shaft.
Pidgeot looked at it and then shook her head. No, not enough room, she said.
What about if you used Gust instead of grabbing them? Ash asked.
Hmm…. I don't think so, the flying type answered. I could get them up a few floors. Why don't you keep the rest of the team in their pokéballs?
I want to have everyone ready when we reach the top, Ash said. I don't know what Team Rocket has on the roof, so we need to take them by surprise. Why only a few floors?
Gust would just fall apart after that, Pidgeot said. Well, maybe if I stayed behind and kept it going, but even then, it would be hard to make it grow bigger than a few floors.
What if… Ash said, an idea striking him, what if we had Butterfree levitate you while you did that? Butterfree, could you lift Pidgeot while she uses Gust to send you up?
Butterfree and Pidgeot exchanged looks, faces screwed up in concentration as they thought the idea over.
I think so, Butterfree said, nodding.
It's worth a try, Pidgeot said.
Oh no, Pikachu moaned, peering down the elevator shaft. Oh no, oh no, ooooooh nooo…. this is going to suck so much.
Sorry, Ash shrugged. We don't have time to think up another way. He sent out the rest of his team, white light blazing all around him as they materialized. The boy glanced nervously down the hall, hoping that Team Rocket would think that the sound was coming from one of their squads.
Okay everyone, we're going to do something…. Ash searched for the word.
Stupid, Pikachu finished for him and then turned to address the rest of the team. I know you all heard what we were talking about.
Yeah, Bulbasuar nodded. Ain't any need to tell us what's going on. We know you're fixin' to have us thrown up an elevator so we can attack an enemy of unknown strength at the top.
So that we can destroy the tower thing on the top of the building, Squirtle added. 'Cause you think that's where they're keeping whatever they're using to control Sabrina. It's definitely worth a shot, though we're going to feel pretty silly if we're wrong.
Let's do it, Charmander growled.
Remember, use me as a shield instead of getting hit, Magikarp said, flopping over to Primeape.
I'll use ya as a club if I need to, Primape replied.
Do you know what we can expect? Pidgeot asked.
I'm guessing artillery type pokémon, Ash answered. They're supposed to be keeping our air forces away from the building… so I guess they're probably going to be some electric types at least. Butterfree, Squirtle, Pidgeot, be careful.
Will do, Butterfree nodded.
We don't have any more time, Ash said. Butterfree, Pidgeot, get us going!
The two flying pokémon fluttered into the elevator shaft. Wind whirled within as Pidgeot flapped her wings, her body covered in a faint purple-pink glow as Butterfree gently took hold of her with his telekinesis.
Let's go! Ash said and then he jumped into the storm, Pikachu frantically jumping onto his shoulder as he went. The rest of his team followed and were caught in Pidgeot's windstorm. Ash was in the center of the storm, being spun in place, while the rest of the team orbited around and above him.
Up we go! Buttefree said, swirling around the top of the column of spinning air. The glow around Pidgeot intensified and the storm and everyone within was hurtling upwards.
Floors rushed by, but Ash kept his gaze fixated on the ceiling far above. Seconds stretched by as the faint point of light at the top grew larger. He realized it was approaching fast and a cold thrill coursed through him. He'd have to time this just right….
Everyone, attack! Thunderbolt, Razor Leaf, Bubble Beam, and Ember! Ash shouted. Primeape, you hold back until they're done and then bust us through!
Lighting and fire crackled, blasting out of the rising windstorm and splashing against the steel and concrete ceiling above. A barrage of bursting bubbles and a salvo of deadly sharp greenery followed, smashing into the weakened structure, causing a spider web of cracks to spread through it and blasting out the lights.
Give me a boost! Primeape shouted to Pidgeot. She nodded and the windstorm grew stronger, Primeape spiraling to the top. He was spit out at the summit of the storm, a fuzzy brown meteor streaking up.
Comin' through! He shouted as he flew, drawing back his fist and slamming it into and through the ceiling. The top of the elevator shaft shattered, the pulley holding the elevator cables falling down, spiraling around Ash and his team as it passed them. Bits of metal and concrete followed it.
And then they were through the opening, passing through a charred crawlspace and then through another hole that Primeape had made.
High winds clashed with Pidgeot's Gust as Ash and his team came out. Pidgeot let the whirlwind dissipate in a way that stopped the high-altitude breezes from throwing them about and dumped them all on the roof.
The sudden stop made Ash dizzy, but he couldn't spare the time to recover. He looked around the roof, staggering drunkenly to his feet. He saw three humans and two electabuzzes, a magneton, a raichu, and a magnezone. The roof itself was littered with machinery, entryways, and concrete ledges that separated areas and shielded the machinery.
Attack! Ash shouted, letting himself fall down, Pikachu jumping off his shoulder. The air was cold and wet and Ash realized that they were in the bottom parts of a cloud. It felt like fog, but wetter, and the pokéraised child had enough experience with electric attacks to know that they might be in trouble.
Primeape, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Pidgeot were the first to react. Gust Bullets, Bubble Beams, Razor Leaves, and Primeape himself blurred through the cloud, blowing it away like smoke, and into the assembled Rocket electric types.
They overwhelmed the two electabuzzes before they could react, the long-range attacks knocking them around before Primeape knocked them out with swift and brutal blows to the head. But then the counter-attack came.
The entire rooftop was covered in yellow light and galvanic power as the Rocket pokémon loosed their attacks into the moisture in the air. Ash cried out in pain along with his pokémon as electricity covered them.
Pikachu shrieked in defiance and the yellow light around Ash was pushed back by Pikachu's own electricity. Ash gasped in relief and raised his head.
The counter attack had stopped, though Ash wasn't sure why. Later he would wonder if they had been confused by Pikachu's resistance and wanted to take stock of the situation. Or maybe they had only been trying to buy time for their next move.
Whatever the case, the raichu, magneton, and magnezone rushed together in front of their trainers. If the trainer had said anything their voices were lost in the high-altitude winds blowing about.
Ash quickly looked around to assess the state of his team. Pidgeot, Squirtle, Magikarp, and Butterfree were down groaning, weakly stirring, and lightly smoking. The rest of his team was singed, but still on their feet.
Without wasting any time, Ash recalled his downed pokémon, red light rapidly lancing out. Out of the corner of his eye he saw an electric aura surround the enemy pokémon.
Pikachu, deflect that! Ash snapped.
Pikachu's cheeks sparked and his face became a mask of concentration but he didn't launch an attack. A mammoth whip of electricity sprang up and reared back out of the assembled Rocket pokémon. It lashed out across the rooftop, a tentacle to sweep away Ash and his team.
Before it could hit anyone, it lurched up. Ash knew that Pikachu had manipulated electric charges to deflect the attack. He could feel the heat on the top of his head, feel the static dance on his skin.
There was an explosion of buzzing as the electric whip hit something above everyone's heads; Ash realized it was the antenna tower on the roof that he had come up to destroy. It loomed behind him, briefly illuminated by the yellow light of the attack, only visible now that the cloud cover had been swept away.
Before Ash could do anything about it, he saw the faces of the Rocket pokémon scrunch up in concentration and the galvanic power enveloped them again. He guessed that this time Pikachu's trick wouldn't work twice.
Razor Leaf, Ember, and- Ash tried to think of a way for Primeape to attack without getting caught up in the enemy attack, but before he could come up with anything, Pikachu stepped forward.
Hey, idiot, don't forget why we're here, Pikachu grinned, his cheeks sparking again. Let me handle this!
Go ahead, Ash replied. Get behind something everyone!
Pikachu let out a war cry as his own galvanic power buzzed, snapping back at the antenna tower, a tiny portion running up through and then out of the top of the metal spire, and then out at the group of enemy pokémon. It struck their own gathering power and they lashed out on instinct. Electricity crackled and snapped as Pikachu's attack was obliterated, a tendril of yellow power following its path back… right into the antenna.
The entire structure lit up, brilliant yellow light covering the skyscraper rooftop. Ash had to shield his eyes.
We're not done yet! Pikachu yelled, barely audible over the crackling buzz. He was still unleashing a stream of yellow power into the antenna and Ash saw a ring of electricity bulge out from halfway up the spire. Slowly at first and then with increasing speed, the ring began to rise, Pikachu's face a grimace of effort.
With a crack the electricity shot up, following the path of the tiny tendril that Pikachu had sent coursing upwards seconds earlier. Ash guessed that Pikachu had used that small portion of his attack to prepare the conductive material of the antenna just for this moment.
The combined attacks lanced into the sky and then the sky returned the gift with interest. Brilliant blue light engulfed the rooftop and Ash turned his face away. There was a crack, deafeningly loud, enough to cause actual pain. Ash felt the rumble of thunder in his bones and could feel the intense heat wash over his skin, cutting through the chill of the rain.
The light faded. Ears ringing, Ash picked his head up and surveyed the carnage. All of the cloud cover around the roof was gone. Pikachu was swaying on his feet, singed, steaming, and breathing hard. The Rocket pokémon and trainers were scattered over the rooftop, though the raichu and one of the trainers was missing. Ash gulped as he realized that they had probably been thrown off the building with miles before they would hit the ground. He felt sick.
He glanced back at the antenna. Ash knew enough about human buildings to know that the metal spire would also function as a lightning rod and thus was surprised to see that it was twisted and leaning, parts of it had melted.
With a shrieking groan, that Ash thought should have sounded louder, the antenna spire began to topple over, slowly folding in the middle. Metal ripped and the top half fell faster until gravity tore it from its base. It hit the roof with a bang that Ash felt more than he heard and then slid off.
I hope it doesn't hit anyone, Ash said, his voice sounding strangely quiet to his own ears. He knew the streets below were almost completely deserted and that the few people and pokémon down there should have plenty of warning and time to move… if they were still capable of movement that was. That thought sent a wave of cold sick fear through Ash's center and he had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. When it passed, he turned to Pikachu.
That was… great, Ash said.
What? Pikachu said, his voice also sounding strange to Ash. Speak up.
I said that was great! Ash said again, louder.
Thanks! Pikachu said back and looked like he was shouting. Ash grimaced. The thunder had probably damaged everyone's hearing. They would have to hurry and get back to camp to get it fixed.
What? Pikachu asked.
Damaged hearing! Ash shouted back.
That's never fun! Bulbasaur shouted as the rest of the team regrouped around Ash and Pikachu. How'd you manage that, you electric rat?
By being awesome! Pikachu shouted, puffing his chest out. I wanted to make it look like I was attacking while preparing the charges to summon lightning. I wasn't expecting them to shoot back like that, but that just made it all work better!
Good, Ash said, looking at the partially melted stump that still towered over them. I really hope that worked. But let's worry about that later. Let's get out of here before someone else comes up.
He turned to make his way back to the hole they had come through. But before he could take a single step, something else exploded through the roof.
AN: I'd like to thank amationary for beta reading... and also give a dirty look to the person who treated the sneak peak as an opportunity to beta read the chapter.
Wish I could say that I was productive during the time I wasn't releasing, but between the heat wave and the schedule change at work, I only managed to get a little writing done. Still, I should be able to release the rest of the arc without needing another hiatus.
Anyway, don't forget to review! Concrit is welcome!