Electchu whimpered as it slowly woke up. It yawned, stretched its back, and shook its body before it opened its eyes. Electchu tilted its head as it saw a leaf blower lying two feet away. It looked around and was shocked to find it was inside a storage room with only a small window close to the ceiling that dimly lit it.
Electchu heard snoring and turned to see Timothy lying behind it, asleep. It ran around Timothy to shake him, facing him, but Timothy didn't wake up. Electchu shouted its name and licked Timothy's face, but he was still asleep. Finally, Electchu turned around with its back facing Timothy and slapped his face repeatedly with its tail. Timothy jerked back and held his hands up defensively as he came to.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay! Okay, I'm awake." Timothy said.
Electchu stopped slapping, allowing Timothy to sit up and rub his eyes. Timothy looked around, confused that he and Electchu were in a dark storage room. After several seconds, Timothy's eyes widened, and he looked to find his backpack and Rotom Phone gone. Timothy and Electchu then turned to a door at the end of the room with bars attached to the glass window.
"Oh, no," Timothy said.
Timothy sprung to his feet and raced through the door with Electchu following. He grabbed the handle, but the door was locked from the other side. Timothy then tried to ram the door open with his shoulder until his shoulder was bruised, then looked through the door's window to find the hallway was empty and the lights were out.
"Hello?! Can anybody hear me?! Hello?!" Timothy shouted, banging on the door.
"Pikachu!" Electchu shouted.
"Hello?! Someone, please answer me!" Timothy begged. "We need help over here! Let us out, please!"
But no one could hear Timothy and Electchu, and they knew it. Tears ran down Timothy's face as he continued to bang on the door. Finally, he screamed and kicked the door before backing up to the side of a metal shelf of gardening gear and sliding down to a sitting position.
For a moment, Timothy stayed still before he hugged his legs and buried his face. Electchu's ears hung low as it watched its partner cry. The mouse Pokemon wished it was faster and stronger than Bronzong's Hypnosis or could use Iron Tail to break the door open. Electchu moved closer to Timothy and licked his arm to get his attention. Timothy lifted his head and turned to Electchu while still hiding his legs.
"This is all my fault, Electchu," Timothy said. "I've been arrogant, weak-minded, inconsiderate, careless, and made a mess of everything. I didn't even save the Pokemon, and even though we're not moving, I still can't keep my promise to stay by Sonia's side no matter what happens. For all that we know, they're destroying the paddock right now. I failed Sonia. I've failed everyone."
"Pikachu," Electchu said sadly.
Timothy sighed and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"All I wanted was to make things better for our friends. To make a difference. And every time I try, I just keep making things worse," Timothy said. "I wish there was something I can do that would solve everything. A sign that something good came out of my efforts. At the very least, I want to know that our friends forgive us and we can make up."
Electchu whimpered and hung its head, feeling the same way. It laid down on its front next to Timothy to sulk next to him in despair. Timothy closed his eyes and rested his head against the shelf with new tears running down his face. He cried, accepting that he was better off staying trapped in a storage room where he couldn't make things worse for everyone he loved.
"Timothy!"
Timothy and Electchu lifted their heads in confusion. The voice was so faint they weren't sure they heard it. They turned their heads to the door and saw nothing through the window. After a few seconds, they thought they were hearing things until they heard two voices coming from the other side of the window.
"Timothy! Electchu! Where are you?! If you ran away, I'll never forgive you!"
"Piplup!"
Timothy and Electchu looked at each other, silently agreeing they weren't imagining it. They got up and rushed over to the window, which was a head higher than Timothy. Timothy grabbed a step ladder leaning against the wall, and set it up in front of the window. He stepped up to the top with Electchu hopping onto his shoulder and looked through the window to find it was within level of Motostoke High's front lawn. Erin and Piplup were wandering around the lawn, calling out to Timothy and Electchu.
"Erin!" Timothy shouted while banging on the window. "Erin, we're in here! We're in here!"
"Pikachu!" Electchu shouted.
Timothy pounded on the window until Piplup turned in his and Electchu's direction. The penguin Pokemon's face lit up, and shouted its name ecstatically as it raced to the window, catching Erin's attention. Erin ran to catch up with Piplup, and her eyes widened, befuddled by seeing Timothy and Electchu inside below ground level.
"Where trapped in here!" Timothy shouted, speaking slowly so Erin and Piplup could read his lips. "The door is locked! We can't get out!"
Erin and Piplup's faces turned serious and they nodded in understanding. They raced to the school's front entrance while Timothy climbed down the step ladder and rushed to the door. Timothy and Electchu waited a few minutes before seeing Erin and Piplup in the hallway. Timothy banged on the door to grab Erin and Piplup's attention and backed away as they raced to the door. Erin unlocked the door and pushed it open to give Timothy a disapproving glare with her arms crossed.
"Alright, Mr. Durbin, you've got some explaining to do," Erin said. "When did you find out you aren't moving? How could you ditch your friends? What were you doing in Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert's office, and how did you get trapped -?"
Erin stopped when she realized Timothy had stepped forward to hug her. She stood befuddled with Timothy's sudden action before awkwardly patting his back. Electchu rushed to Piplup to thank it for its help, and Piplup chirped, "Your welcome" in its language. After several seconds, Timothy broke the hug and stepped back to face Erin with a smile of relief.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was beginning to think we would be trapped for good," Timothy said. "But why were you looking for us?"
"Seriously? Do you know what time it is?" Erin asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, I don't have my Rotom Phone. Vice Principal Shielbert had his Bronzong hypnotize us, and he and Principal Sordward must've taken it and my backpack before locking us in here," Timothy said.
"Well, it's several minutes past three, and Guzma and Matori are waiting for you to face them," Erin said.
"Never mind that. I don't have time to deal with those guys right now," Timothy said.
"Wait a minute. You challenged the biggest bullies in the school, and now you're going to chicken out?" Erin asked. "You realize you'll be ridiculed for the rest of your days by running away. Right?"
"I don't care. Guzma and Matori are not a priority right now," Timothy said. "Where are Sonia and Coovers? I need to talk to them right now."
"I'm pretty sure they don't want to be anywhere near you if you run away," Erin said.
"Erin, please. It's an emergency," Timothy said.
"Sorry, but Sonia and sweet, sweet Coovers were very clear," Erin said. "They're expecting you to be at the parking lot right now, so you -"
"Okay, parking lot. Thanks. Let's go, Electchu," Timothy said.
"Pikachu," Electchu said, nodding.
Before Erin could speak again, Timothy and Electchu raced out of the storage room. They ran down the hall until they found the staircase to the ground floor. Erin stood dumbfounded that Timothy up and ran before she and Piplup ran to catch up.
"Wait! Timothy, hold on!" Erin called out.
"Piplup!" Piplup called out.
Timothy and Electchu went up the stairs to the ground floor and raced toward the main hall. Erin continued calling Timothy out as she and Piplup got to the ground floor, but Timothy ignored her. All that mattered to Timothy was warning Coovers and Sonia about the Magnolia Paddock. He didn't know what he would do about Guzma and Matori, but he was willing to face a hundred Guzmas and Matoris and their Pokemon if he could reach his friends.
When Timothy and Electchu reached the entranceway, Timothy opened the door with his shoulder. They were taking a turn to the parking lot when suddenly, a red fist hit Timothy square in the face, knocking him off his feet. Electchu had a moment to realize what happened before Torrocat and Litten pounced and held it down to the ground. Timothy lay on the ground, covering his nose as he opened his eyes to see Cross and Incineroar looking down on him.
Cross looked at Timothy with a stern glare while Incineroar held its fist up, ready to punch Timothy again with a grin. Timothy turned his head to see Cross' teammates standing beside their Pokemon partners and Electchu. Litten's partner had his arms crossed, while Torrocat's partner had her hand on her hip.
"Well, this is a surprise," Cross said. "Guzma and Matori are wondering where you are, and lo, we find you running away."
"I wasn't running away," Timothy said.
"Heh. Right, sure. We caught you and your Pikachu running away," Torrocat's partner said.
"Yeah, you were obviously hiding until the right moment to ditch Guzma and Matori," Litten's partner said.
"Litten!" Litten hissed.
"Torro," Torrocat growled.
"No, that's not true," Timothy protested.
"Whether it's true or not, you've been keeping us waiting, and it's high time that you face the music," Cross said.
Cross gestured to Incineroar with a flick of his head, and Incineroar grabbed Timothy by his shirt with its right paw and Electchu with its left. Timothy and Electchu struggled as Incineroar carried them with Cross leading and their teammates following. They walked to the empty parking lot, for the staff had gone home. On the far side of the parking lot, Alexa, Malva, Helioptile, and Fletchling stood behind the bushes at the far side of the parking lot. Alexa was prepared to record video with her camera and Malva had begun writing her article on her Rotom phone.
But as Timothy and Electchu were dragged, they saw no sign of Coovers, Sonia, Oshawott, or Yamper. Timothy scanned the area multiple times out of desperation, but there was no mistake that they weren't in the parking lot. He wondered if he misheard Erin or his friends were in the parking lot when she last saw them. Regardless, he was being dragged to his enemies before he could warn his friends, and time for the Magnolia Paddock was short.
The Pokemon Baccer team stopped in front of Guzma, Matori, Ariados, and Meowth, and Incineroar dropped Timothy and Electchu in front of their feet. Timothy rolled over before Ariados used String Shot to trap him and Electchu in cocoons of white string sticking to the road. Guzma chuckled, and Matori had an edge of a smirk as Timothy struggled to move.
"Durbin, how nice to see you," Guzma said. "Thought you snuck out and tried to move to Unova anyway. Would've been the smart thing to do on your part."
"Yeah, well, I'm a little pressed for time," Timothy said. "Contrary to belief, I have more important things to do than deal with a jackass scared of animatronics, a self-entitled tart, and a bunch of jocks."
"Trying to act tough with harsh words. How quaint," Matori said. "I get the impression you don't realize your situation."
"Meow," Meowth said.
"Maybe I oughta have Incineroar use Fire Punch to knock some sense into him," Cross said.
"Incineroar," Incineroar said with a blood-thirsty grin.
"Now, now, Cross. Let's not be hasty," Guzma said. "Punishing your victims is an art, and we don't want to knock him out right away. We want this to be slow and agonizing so Durbin and his Pikachu feel every second of our wrath."
Cross and Incineroar glared bitterly at Guzma with half a mind to go with their plan anyway. Litten and Torrocat circled around Timothy and Electchu, waiting for their partners to make a call. Meowth extended its claws and raised them up, ready to decorate its opponents with scratches. Timothy tried to move until he accepted it was useless and looked up at Guzma and Matori sternly.
"Tell me something. How did you figure out it was me?" Timothy asked.
"Oh, that Lucas buffoon mentioned you after trapping Meowth and me into ice. I pieced together that you were using him to ruin me and vice versa," Matori said.
"Does he know?" Timothy asked.
"No, he left before I pieced everything together. Though frankly, even if things went peacefully between me and the ice cream man, which they didn't, I wouldn't dream of allying with that witless barbarian," Matori said. "Guzma, on the other hand, is far more reasonable, and after hearing what you and your friends did to him at the gym I was more than happy to let him know so we can have our vengeance together. After you confessed this morning, recruiting Cross and his teammates was all too easy."
"That's right. And there's a little thing I've been wanting to show you, Durbin," Guzma said before he knelt down next to Timothy and sang, "McGoogles is me name. I'm a happy pizza eater. It's time to play a game with your favorite Frogadier."
Timothy's eyes widened, and he asked, "How can you sing the McGoogles song? You were cowering when I left you at the gym."
"The school counselor helped me face my fears with a McGoogles plush yesterday, and she made amazing progress with me. I was even comfortable playing with the toy while singing that song," Guzma said. "All things considered, Durbin, I really oughta thank you. Yesterday showed that some things work better for your mental health than punishing the people at fault. Payback's still gonna be hell on Earth, though."
"Indeed. On that note, let me give you some details of what's going to happen," Matori said. "First, we're going to sick our Pokemon on you and your Pikachu, then Guzma will pummel you to his heart's content. After that, you'll be punished daily however we desire, and I'll arrange some…special methods to ensure your money belongs to me for the rest of your life."
"Oh, and if you think sacrificing yourself to us will save your friends, I'm afraid that's not how this works," Guzma said. "This school is our domain. We take and punish however we see fit. All you accomplished was delivering yourself and your Pikachu to us so you could feel our wrath sooner. But don't worry. The school year has barely begun. If you ever make up with your friends for whatever you did, we'll ensure you get what's coming to you all year long together. You have our word."
Timothy clenched his teeth and tried to break free from his cocoon. His enemies laughed as they watched him struggle with Torrocat's partner recording Timothy on her phone. Timothy tried to move until his limbs were sore, then growled in irritation before making one last effort.
"Electchu, Thunder Shock!" he screamed.
Guzma, Matori, the Pokemon Baccer team, and their Pokemon's eyes widened before Electchu shouted, "Pikachu" at the top of its lungs and let out multiple beams of electricity. The bullies screamed in agony, saved for Incineroar, who grunted with its eyes shut. One of the beams hit Timothy also, but he fought the urge to scream with his teeth clenched. As long as Electchu held their opponents back, Timothy didn't care what happened to him.
Electchu unleashed its attack until it was out of breath. It had a moment to catch its breath before Ariados shot a web that covered Electchu's mouth. Guzma, Matori, Meowth, the Pokemon Baccer team, and their Pokemon groaned in agony before they shook off the pain and looked daggers at Timothy and Electchu.
"You know what? I changed my mind. These two deserve to have some sense knocked into them," Guzma said. "Cross, why don't you get things started?"
"Heh. Thought you never ask," Cross said. "Incineroar, give him a good pounding."
"Incineroar," Incineroar growled.
Incineroar cracked its knuckles and knelt down beside Timothy. Timothy tried to show no fear, but instinct drove him to turn his head and shut his eyes to brace himself. Electchu screamed out to Timothy despite its mouth being muffled, begging Incineroar to punish it instead. The heel Pokemon cackled as it raised its fist, aiming at Timothy's nose.
"Piplup, Water Gun!"
"Oshawott, Razor Shell!"
"Yamper, Nuzzle!"
Timothy opened his eyes in time to see a stream of water hit Incineroar's face. The water was quickly followed by Oshawott jumping over Timothy and cutting Incineroar's belly with Razor Shell. Incineroar bent down, holding his belly, lowering its head enough to give Yamper an opening to nuzzle against Incineroar's cheek, shocking Incineroar with a thousand volts of electricity. Incineroar stood up and stepped back, grunting in pain while everyone else turned to watch Oshawott, Piplup, and Yamper run to their partners.
Coovers and Erin stood next to each other, with Erin holding Coovers' arm with both arms. Both glared at the bullies while Oshawott and Piplup took battle stances, with Oshawott still armed with its scallop. Beside them was Sonia standing with her arms on her hips. She looked at her enemies, ready to beat them to a pulp. Yamper growled with electricity covering its body, ready to use Nuzzle again.
Electchu joyfully called out to Oshawott, Piplup, and Yamper despite its mouth still covered. Timothy's heart leaped at the sight of Sonia and their friends, but his joy faded when he remembered why he was looking for them.
"Guys, forget about us! You gotta head home now!" Timothy shouted.
"Stop playing the big man, Timbo. Let us handle this," Coovers said.
"No, you don't understand!" Timothy shouted. "Principal -!"
"You got some nerve attacking Incineroar," Cross said.
"Yeah, buzz off. Durbin is ours," Guzma said. "You got yours today already, so we'd rather you wait until tomorrow for further punishment."
"I'm afraid you threw your last punch this morning," Sonia said venomously. "You all have one chance. Let. Them. Go."
Guzma, Cross, his teammates, and their Pokemon laughed while Matori shook her head.
"I don't know whether to be amused or worried about how much of an influence your boyfriend has made on you," Matori said. "You are in no position to make any demands or say what we can or cannot do. We are amongst the school's most powerful and skilled trainers, and you can't take all of us at once."
"Yeah, well, that's the beauty of the next few minutes," Erin said, smirking. "We don't have to."
Guzma, Matori, and the Pokemon Baccer team chuckled, thinking Erin was bluffing. Then, just as they stopped laughing, they heard footsteps around them. Their faces fell, and they looked past Coovers, Erin, Sonia, Oshawott, Piplup, and Yamper to see dozens of students and their Pokemon walking toward them. The bullies then look to their sides to see many more students entering the parking lot and walking toward them. Before they knew it, students and Pokemon were coming in all directions, their eyes fixed on Guzma, Matori, and the Pokemon Baccer team.
Ariados, Meowth, Litten, and Torrocat moved in front of their partners in defense but struggled not to be worried about being outnumbered. Even Incineroar grew uneasy, for not even a Pokemon as tall and strong as Incineroar could handle so many opponents simultaneously. Guzma and Matori recognized many members of the crowd as past victims who showed no sign of fear. Alexa continued taking pictures with her camera while Malva, Helioptile, and Fletchling wondered what was happening.
The crowd walked until they completely surrounded Timothy, Guzma, Matori, Cross, his teammates, and their Pokemon. Timothy and Electchu looked at each other, befuddled, before turning to their friends. Coovers and Piplup were mimicking Erin's smirk while Oshawott gave Ariados a cocky grin. Sonia continued to give her enemies a dark look while Yamper stood ready to attack.
"Wow. I'm…I'm so scared," Guzma said, unsettled.
"You should be. We're taking back the school," Sonia said.
"That's right. We're pulling your plug. No more being pushed around, beaten, swirled, intimidated, robbed, and all that jazz," Coovers said.
"Preach it, Cuddle Cookie," Erin praised.
Coovers' face lit up instantly, and he turned to give Erin a lovestruck look. Erin noticed Coovers' reaction from the corner of her eye, and she gave him a kittenish look that made his face turn cherry red. Erin tightened her hold on Coovers' arm and they started giggling while saying sweet nothings to each other as their noses touched. Oshawott and Piplup smiled for their partners while everyone else stared at Coovers and Erin, befuddled that they were suddenly in their own little world. Silence overtook the parking lot until a girl in the crowd shook her head and turned to Guzma and Matori.
"From now on, you have to pay us," she said.
"And you will account for every wedgie, swirly, or any other atrocity you have ever committed," another girl said.
"And if you try anything again, we'll put you back in your place," a guy with glasses said.
"Get them!" a third girl shouted.
Before Guzma and Matori knew it, Ariados and Meowth were surrounded by a blue outline and lifted into the air, kicking and screaming. Tulip and Dendra pushed through the crowd to look at Guzma and Matori, smirking with Tulip's hand on her hip as Kirlia and Medichan stood with their eyes glowing blue. A boy's Oddish hit Guzma and Maturi with stun Spore, and they dropped on the floor with yellow electricity surrounding their bodies. The crowd cheered as they watched Motostoke High's bullies lay on the ground helpless.
"Please. Please stop," Matori said with her voice full of fear.
"Y-yeah, come on, guys. Let's take a step back here," Guzma said with a nervous grin. "Surely you can grant us mercy and let us go. Right? Just consider this just a warning?"
The second the word mercy came out of Guzma's mouth, Erin's kittenish look transformed into rage. She let go of Coovers' arm, grabbed Guzma by his shirt, and lifted him until they were at eye level. The blood drained from Guzma's face as he feared Erin was going to beat him senseless.
"Mercy?! You and your Ariados attacked Coovertimus Thom Woodward, the most perfect man in the world, and his Pokemon not once but twice and beg for mercy?!" Erin roared before letting go of Guzma's shirt. "You're gonna discover what happens when you cross Erin Julia Sophia Brittany Markenel and her man! Piplup, Whirlpool!"
Piplup lifted its head with a wicked grin and summoned a giant whirlpool. Guzma, Matori, Ariados, and Meowth screamed as they were sucked into the bottom of the whirlpool and were spinning before they were shot high into the air. Kirlia and Medichan caught them using confusion again before a Bulbasaur, Bellsprout, Tangela, and Chespin grabbed Guzma, Matori, Ariados, and Meowth, respectively, using Vine Whip and helped them down to the ground.
Students and Pokemon attacked the helpless bullies, with Pokemon beating Ariados and Meowth until they were knocked unconscious. Boys took turns giving Guzma wedgies while girls with ground-type Pokemon used mud attacks to cover Matori in mud. A girl's Grimer tackled each bully, so they were drenched in sludge. One guy pushed through the crowd carrying large bags of birdseed with his Tyrouge and dumped the birdseed on top of Guzma, Matori, Ariados, and Meowth.
Finally, students and their Pokemon carried their victims to the back of the school, dropped them inside the school's dumpster, and closed the lids. They cheered in triumph while Alexa checked her camera to ensure she recorded everything. Sonia smiled as she watched everyone celebrate before she turned to Cross with a warning glare.
"Would you like to attempt to fill their shoes?" she asked.
Cross furrowed his brow, still wanting revenge for Timothy ruining the Pokemon Baccer program. Then his teammates put their hands on his shoulders and shook their heads, silently telling him it wasn't worth it. Cross' frown deepened, and he tried to think of a way to avoid it before he sighed and hung his head.
"Incineroar, release them," he said.
Incineroar growled, sharing its partner's irritation before it ripped the cocoons open with its claws. Timothy sat up and ripped the webs off of Electchu's mouth. As Timothy stood up, Oshawott, Yamper, and Piplup rushed to happily embrace/nuzzle Electchu. Timothy turned to Cross, and Cross used his fingers to silently say, "I'll be watching you" before he, Incineroar, and their teammates pushed their way through the crowd to go home. Timothy turned to Sonia, Coovers, and Erin and smiled at the sight of his dearest friends before he said the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm so sorry. I was a jerk and -"
"Save it. We heard you the first time," Sonia said.
"Yeah, there's no point in repeating it when the whole school heard you apologize, Timbo," Coovers said.
"Yeah, speaking of which, how did you bring the whole school here?" Timothy asked. "Erin, you said Sonia and Coovers were in the parking lot and I didn't see them when I got here."
"I said they expected you to be at the parking lot to face Guzma and Matori. I didn't say they were here," Erin said. "If you hadn't rushed out the door when you did, I would have told you that everybody was waiting for you so that we could all confront Guzman and Matori together."
"You were all waiting for me to gang up on them?" Timothy asked.
"That's right, Timbo. When you explained everything in your broadcast, our fellow students and their Pokemon were inspired," Coovers said. "Despite what Guzma and Matori did to us this morning, they thought we had the right idea in stopping them from bullying ever again. People were asking us questions between classes and during lunch and were as worried as we were about you and Electchu facing Guzma and Matori by yourselves. So, we all agreed to come and face them as a school."
"Wait. Are you saying this happened because I confessed to everything?" Timothy asked.
"Yeah, it is," Sonia said with a sweet smile. "Now that everyone knows the truth, everyone admires what we've done, especially what we were willing to risk to save the paddock. So many people said they would've helped however they could if we were allowed to reach out with our flyers. All of this is thanks to you."
"That's right, Timmykins," Tulip said proudly as she stepped in with Dendra, Kirlia, and Medichan. "I speak for everyone when I say you were so brave to sneak into Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert's office and say those things after everything Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert said to get the whole to hate you. You showed real caliber today."
"Kirlia," Kirlia said.
Sonia glowered at Tulip for stepping in and addressing Timothy by her nickname for him. Timothy wondered if Tulip didn't hear his confession or ignored that part of his broadcast. Still, he and Electchu were amazed that so many came together to take a stand thanks to their broadcast. It was far more than Timothy could've hoped for, even in his wildest dreams. However, Timothy's moment of bliss was interrupted when Sonia's words reminded him about Sordward and Shielbert's plan, and his face fell. He turned to face the crowd, who were still celebrating.
"Electchu, use Thunder Shock in the air. Get everyone's attention," Timothy said.
Knowing what was in Timothy's mind, Electchu hopped onto Timothy's shoulder and then jumped into the air to fire multiple beams of electricity. The electricity flew over the crowd and they stopped cheering, wondering where it was coming from. All eyes were on Timothy and Electchu as Timothy petted his partner before turning to his audience.
"Everyone, I am truly grateful for you all coming to my and Electchu's aid, and now I ask that you please aid us again!" Timothy called out. "In over an hour, Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert are going to destroy the Magnolia Paddock!""
"What?!" Sonia screamed.
"You can't be serious," Coovers said.
"But, I thought they can't build the Pokemon Baccer stadium anymore. Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert said themselves that Superintendent Rose shut down the program," Tulip said.
"They're destroying the land anyway. They mean to turn it into a casino, hotel, and tons of other things themed around them," Timothy said.
"How do we know you're not making this up?" Alexa asked, stepping in with Malva, Helioptile, and Fletchling.
"Why would I make something up like that?" Timothy asked. "Besides, you've been attending this school longer than I have. Have you never found Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert to be egotistical?"
Students hesitated before they whispered amongst themselves. Those who weren't freshmen recollected their experience with Sordward and Shielbert over the years. The rest discussed their impressions of the principal and vice principal before that day. Ultimately, they agreed that, while what Timothy was saying was out there, they couldn't rule out the likelihood of Sordward and Shielbert wanting to make buildings themed on themselves if they had the chance. Alexa hesitated before she sighed, thinking the same thing.
"Okay. Fair point, but what can we do about it?" Alexa asked.
"Before I made my broadcast, I helped Ms. Oleana get proof that Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert have been hogging the school's budget for years," Timothy said. "She should have brought the evidence to Superintendent Rose by now."
"But even if she has, Superintendent Rose might not be able to do anything by tonight," Erin said. "It could take days for him to carry out an investigation, and it can take much longer to legally do anything that might take the land off Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert's hands."
"And by then, the Magnolia Paddock will be long destroyed," Malva said.
"That's why we're gonna have to prevent the demolition from happening," Timothy said. "Take a stand against Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert. Drive them out so they and the demolition team don't even step foot in the paddock."
"That's a big risk, Timothy. You can get in trouble for trespassing on their property," Erin said.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Timothy said. "Whether it's their property or not, we must protect the Pokemon from losing their home. If we can prevent the Magnolia Paddock from being destroyed today, it might be enough time to prevent it from ever being destroyed in the future. Who is with me?"
Silence overtook the parking lot, making Timothy uneasy. Then Coovers and Sonia looked at each other and nodded before standing beside Timothy, Coovers on his left and Sonia on his right.
"I've fought for my Gran's Pokémon for so long. I'll be darned if I don't fight until the very end," Sonia said.
"Arf, arf," Yamper barked.
"I second that," Coovers said, giving Timothy a smirk. "We followed your lead for this long and came so close. I'll fight for our home to the bitter end."
"Oshawott!" Oshawott shouted proudly.
Erin stepped in, wrapping her arms around Coovers' arm again, and declared, "Well, if Sugar Raisin is in, then that's good enough for me."
"Piplup," Piplup agreed.
"Aw, thank you, Kissy Boo," Coovers said.
Coovers and Erin giggled as they became lost in their own world again. The crowd grew uncomfortable as Coovers and Erin went back to nose-kissing. Timothy and Electchu stared at Coovers and Erin before Timothy turned to Sonia and whispered into her ear.
"You're witnessing this too. Right? Coovers really just called a girl Kissy Boo, and they're nose-kissing right now?" Timothy asked.
"Shockingly, yes," Sonia said. "They've been acting like this for hours, and not once have I heard them call each other the same nickname twice."
"Seriously? What else have they called each other?" Timothy asked.
"You don't wanna know," Sonia said
Timothy stared at Sonia befuddled, unsure whether to insist on knowing the other names. He let it be and turned to the crowd, hoping more would step in. Many students whispered amongst themselves, sympathetic for the wild Pokemon but uneasy about the risks. Then, Tulip stepped in and turned to face the crowd with her hand on Timothy's shoulder.
"Well, I, for one, don't have a doubt that I could not live with myself if I didn't come to the aid of helpless Pokemon," she said proudly. "If Timmykins is going to take a stand, so will I."
"Kirlia," Kirlia said in approval.
Sonia gave Tulip another dark look but eased up when she noticed Timothy not blushing or showing any other type of shyness from Tulip's touch. Some of the students were encouraged by the most popular girl joining the cause, though most were boys who hoped they could get her attention by joining her. Alexa and Malva looked at each other, unsettled, until Alexa sighed and stepped in with a shrug.
"We're all probably going to get suspended for standing up to the principal and vice principal if we're lucky, but I can't say I'm comfortable with the idea of a ton of Pokemon losing their homes either," she said.
"Helioptile," Helioptile said.
"Neither can I," Malva said before she added with a smirk. "Plus, this sounds like a story too good to pass up."
"Fletchling," Fletchling said.
Timothy, Coovers, Sonia, Erin, Electchu, Oshawott, Yamper, and Piplup gave Malva unamused glares for having a double motive. People and Pokemon still hesitated, with some admitting that they only banded together to stop Guzma and Matori. Dendra sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before turning to the crowd with her hands on her hips.
"Guys, guys, why are we standing around like this is only their problem?" Dendra asked. "Principal Sordward and Vice Principal Shielbert are destroying a paddock full of Pokemon using money that was supposed to be for us. They canceled all our after-school activities so they could do whatever they want with all that money. I don't know about you, but I was looking forward to being in the Pokemon battle team again all summer, and I was pissed that tryouts were delayed. We came here to show that we aren't going to get pushed around anymore, right? Why stop at just the school bullies?"
Students and Pokemon stared at Dendra momentarily before they nodded to each other, realizing she was right.
"Let's show our principal and vice principal that we're not going to take what they've done to us lying down," Dendra continued. "Heck, it'll probably look bad for them if all their students band against them. If we get arrested, then all the better. I mean, who wants a casino run by guys whose students stood against them. Right?"
"Yeah, that's right," a guy from the crowd said. "We're not mindless pawns they can use for their schemes."
"I wanted to act in theater this year," a girl said.
"The safety goggles in chemistry yesterday barely stayed in my partner's and my head. They should've bought new ones ages ago," said another girl.
"My little sister is younger than the computers in this school."
"My cousin got her Grookey from Professor Magnolia. She loves that Grookey like a little brother."
"Did you see the cute Eevee with the chipped ear on Timothy's phone? Imagine it alone away from its home with that ear unattended."
"Those poor Pokemon have no idea what's happening. Do they?"
"I knew something was wrong with the principal and vice principal besides their cockeyed hair."
"What are we waiting for? Let's order some Flying Taxis and get to Wedgehurst quickly!"
"Down with the principal and vice principal!"
"Save the paddock!"
Students and Pokemon cheered with some chanting, "Save the paddock!" Coovers and Erin joined in the cheering, with Coovers shaking his fist in the air while Erin still held on to his other arm. Sonia's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with both hands in disbelief. After everything she tried with her friends, it was hard to believe countless people and Pokemon were willing to fight for her home. Timothy put his hand on Sonia's shoulder and gave her a smile that made Tulip's face sour.
"This is it, Sonia. I'm sure of it this time," Timothy said.
Sonia gave Timothy a sweet smile and put her hand on top of the hand on his shoulder. A tear ran down her face as she showed her appreciation with her glimmering aqua eyes. Timothy considered taking the moment to ask if she heard his voicemail or if there was a chance they could talk things out about their feelings, but he knew it wasn't the time or place. Still, it was enough for Sonia and Coovers to be by Timothy's side again. As students gathered in groups and ordered Flying Taxis with their Rotom Phones, Timothy felt a small semblance of hope that this time, his efforts would finally make a difference for the better.