Chapter 51:
Omegageddon, Part II
Team Omega Base, Route 16
"Nothing?" Ash asked.
Slamming the storage locker close with a loud hit, Alain shook his head. "Nothing here either."
"Let's keep going. We'll have to find it sooner or later," Ash told him before tapping his earpiece. "What about you, Clemont? Any progress on your end?"
"I found a few files that said that you, Alain and Leona were targets of Team Omega, but nothing on Alain's Charizard in particular," Clemont replied.
"That's good, right? If they had sold Charizard already, it would be registered somewhere on their files," Ash reasoned.
"I imagine that's right," Clemont said.
Ash nodded, as he and Alain exited the storage room and went to look for other places where Charizard could be held.
"Ash, you said you've been dealing with these guys before, right?" Alain asked. After Ash nodded, the taller boy added: "And you can't think of any place where they may keep the Pokemon they're going to sell?"
Ash took on a pensive stance. "Back when we raided that Kevlar Town base, there was this large room with cages where they were keeping all the Pokemon they were planning to sell. Maybe this base has something like that here where Charizard is being held?" the raven haired teen asked, before tapping his earpiece again. "Clemont, try to see if you can find any room where they keep all the Pokemon they sell. Maybe Charizard is there."
"Good idea! Give me a sec..." Clemont replied.
"In the meantime, let's continue searching this base, just in case," Ash suggested, something Alain agreed with.
As they carried on, they encountered a trio of Team Omega grunts that quickly sent their Pokemon to stop them. Alain sent one of his Pokemon out, Voltasu, and before Ash could have the chance to do the same to assist his friend, the Three Legged Pokemon had already knocked out one of the enemy Pokemon out with a powerful Dragon Rage, and it didn't take long for other two to follow suit once they took one of the strongest Thunder Ash had ever seen..
Seeing themselves so thoroughly overwhelmed, the Team Omega grunts ran away, like many others like them had done so far. Their way free, the duo continued onwards.
"Wow. That was pretty intense," Ash observed. "Had your Voltasu fought with such ferocity during our match..."
Alain clenched his jaw and curled one of his hands into a fist. "Charizard was my first Pokemon. My oldest partner who has been with me through thick and thin. And these people took it away from me. I don't feel like holding back on these scum, and guess that neither do my other Pokemon."
"I understand how you're feeling. While it's not the same situation, it was because of Team Omega that Pikachu can't fight for the time being," Ash reminded Alain.
"Pika..." Pikachu softly whined, as he dropped his head.
"Don't worry buddy, Nurse Joy said in the last checkup that you were doing pretty fine. I'm sure you'll be back to full health in no time," Ash reassured his starter before looking back to Alain. "Just like how we will get Charizard back."
Ash's unbridled optimism managed to draw a small smile from Alain.
"Hey you, stop right there!"
Smile that was instantly wiped away the moment a pair of Team Omega members appeared before them. These ones were wearing a radically different uniform than the ones Ash had faced before, the metallic greys and muted greens gone, replaced with deep dark blue with vibrant green accents, a combination that reminded Ash of the coloration of Nuclear Pokemon.
Both of them had a type of pokeball in their hands that was vaguely familiar, but couldn't remember from where.
"Nuclear balls...?" Alain asked upon noticing the balls. Oh, so that's why they looked familiar.
"Go, Corsoreef!"
"You too, Gliscor!"
And indeed, a pair of Nuclear Pokemon emerged from the balls when they opened. Unlike the feral and brutal Nuclear Pokemon, these were standing in front of their trainers awaiting orders as if they were perfectly trained. They also had glowing red eyes instead of their usual soulless white ones, and were wearing a metallic collar with the Omega symbol on their neck.
"Splendifowl, I choose you!" Ash said, wasting no time and sending his own Pokemon.
"Go, Majungold!" Alain followed, sending his Fossil Pokemon.
The battle began. While Ash had experience fighting against Nuclear Pokemon, all such Pokemon he had fought (with the exception of Clemont's Pokemon during spars and Alain's Xenogen) were all feral beasts that didn't follow any type of tactic beyond attacking mindlessly what was in front of them. This battle, though, once again reminded the Kantonian how strong Nuclear Pokemon could be while directed by a trainer.
"Majungold, Golden Fist!" Alain ordered.
"Corsoreef, block it with Protect!" one Team Omega grunt shouted.
"Get behind Corsoreef, Gliscor!" his partner followed. "And counter with Dark Pulse!"
"Repel that Dark Pulse with Mirror Shot, Splendifowl!" Ash ordered.
As expected, the golden glowing fist of Majungold smashed uselessly against the energy field erected by Corsoreef, while Gliscor fired a stream of dark and purple energy from behind. Said energy crashed against another beam of grayish green color, producing a small explosion.
"These guys know how to use Nuclear Pokemon..." Alain observed.
"Yeah, but how are they able to control them? These aren't like your Xenogen or Clemont's Geigeroach..." Ash began.
"I have the feeling those collars they're wearing have something to do with it," Alain said.
"The collars... wait! The Omega Disabler!" Ash said in realization, as he pulled out from the pocket of his jacket Clemont's latest invention with a triumphant grin. He aimed the small remote at the Pokemon and pressed the button. "Alright, take that!"
However, much to Ash's shock and disappointment, nothing happened.
"Take that?" one of the grunts repeated. "Are we supposed to be afraid of that little remote or something?"
"What? I don't understand..." Ash said, as he kept pressing the button to no avail. "Why doesn't it work?"
"We can worry about that later. Let's defeat these guys the old fashioned way," Alain suggested, and Ash had no choice but to do as he said.
"Right!"
…
"Of course Clemont's invention was bound to fail," Bonnie deadpanned.
Just like Ash and Alain, the girls also run into a group of Team Omega grunts that sent several Nuclear Pokemon against them.
And just like Ash, Serena had also tried to use the Omega Disabler, given that the Pokemon were clearly being mind controlled by those hi-tech looking collars they were carrying around their necks. But when Serena pressed the button, nothing happened.
"Keep calm, we have all our Pokemon, we can just give them a good, old fashioned ass whooping!" Leona said, sending her Cocancer to battle.
The other three girls agreed.
"Go, Sylveon!" Serena said, her Fairy-type coming out ready to battle, the honey blonde feeling thankful that her Pokemon had overcome her fear of Nuclear-types
"Come out, Lulu!" Mairin said, sending her Glaslug.
Bonnie merely nodded at Bunnelby and Geigeroach, already out of the pokeball, who joined the battle.
The ensuing fight was fierce, but eventually the girls sent their attackers packing, and were allowed to continue their advance through the base.
"Serena, you there?" Clemont's voice asked through her earpiece.
"Clemont!" Serena replied, letting some frustration slip when she said the inventor's name. "I've tried that disabler of yours and it didn't work! Are you sure you built it right?"
Clemont took a couple seconds to answer. "I just got a message from Ash informing me of the same failure. Though, before you say anything else, did you try to use it on some sort of mind control collar being worn by Nuclear Pokemon?"
"Er... yes," she said, a bit surprised that Clemont would guess that.
"Ash tried to do the same. I just checked on their files, and they have something called the Pokemon Willpower Suppressant, a mind-controlling collar that they use to subdue Nuclear Pokemon to their will," the inventor explained. "I had designed the Omega Disabler with the gadgets I had seen or had the blueprints of, such as the Muscular Enhancer, so I'm afraid there might be situations where the Omega Disabler won't work."
Serena sighed, and repressed the urge to call Clemont out for telling her that just now. "Alright then. We'll keep going. How are the boys doing?"
"Last time I checked, they didn't find any meaningful obstacles in their way, but they didn't have any luck finding Charizard," Clemont told her.
"Guess we have no choice but keep searching the base. Sooner or later, Charizard will appear," Serena replied, gathering all the resolve and optimism she could muster.
"In fact, that's why I contacted you," Clemont said. "I accessed the base's map, and if you turn left the next hallway, right to the next, and go straight until you find a big door, you'll find a large storage room. According to these files, there are holding pens with Pokemon in said room. Maybe Charizard is in one of them."
"Alright then, in that case we better check that place first," Serena said, before turning to the other girls. "Clemont said he had found a place where Charizard might be."
"Really!?" Mairin almost squealed, her eyes glinting with hope. "Then what are we waiting for! Lead the way, Serena!"
And lead them she did. Thankfully, they didn't encounter any more Team Omega grunts on their way – she liked to entertain the idea that Ash and Alain were causing them so much trouble, they were funneling all their troops in their futile way to stop them – and reached a large double door with the Omega symbol painted in the middle.
"Clemont, we're here!" Serena informed him.
"Alright, the door should be open... right now," as Clemont said this, the double doors slided to the side with a swishing noise, allowing the foursome of girls passage into the massive room. "Now, let's make sure that- hey, what gives?" Clemont asked.
"Clemont? Everything's alright?" Serena asked, sounding a little worried.
"I think...? I mean, I got an error screen when I tried- hey, they kicked me out of the server!" Clemont said, panic slipping through his voice. "Oh boy, this is bad... if they kicked me out, they must have found out that I was meddling with their systems...I'm afraid I won't be able to help you guys anymore."
"It's okay, Clemont. You helped us a lot already," the honey blonde reassured him. "Go and join Ash and Alain. I'm sure they could use some help."
"Understood. I'll tell them I'm coming. Take care you four." Clemont said.
"We will, and don't worry, I'll make sure Bonnie is safe at all times," Serena said, ending the transmission, and looking at her teammates. "Alright, be careful there. We no longer have Clemont to watch our backs," Serena advised as she slowly entered the room.
The walls were lined with holding pens, and there were many metallic cages of varying sizes scattered across the room, not dissimilar to those they used to put all the Nuclear Pokemon they had caught at Nuclear Plant Epsilon (and briefly, Pikachu and Dedenne).
The feral, unsettling noises coming from the cages were a pretty big hint over what kind of Pokemon were inside, something that didn't feel Serena with confidence. And indeed, when she peeked into one of the cages, she was greeted by the lovely sight of a Nuclear Chyinmunk leaping at her, before slamming against the cage's door.
"There are Nuclear Pokemon inside these cages!" Bonnie said, as she inspected some other cages.
"There are also more nuclear nasties inside the holding pens as well," Leona said, tapping the steel door of one of the pens with her index finger.
"Hmmmmm... it doesn't appear that Charizard is here," Mairin said, disappointment evident in her voice.
"And we can't release this Pokemon either. Not unless we want to end up torn to shreds," Serena said. She believed that this would be like that time when she, her friends and later the Dunsparce Gang raided that Team Omega base on Kevlar Town and Bonnie, Aisha and her had found a storage room where all the Pokemon they planned to sell were being kept. Even if they didn't find Charizard, she was sure that any Pokemon being held against their will here would be more than happy to assist them.
But unfortunately, these Pokemon wouldn't see them as their saviors or liberators.
"Charizard doesn't seem to be here. There is nothing but Nuclear Pokemon in cages," Serena pointed out.
"What a pity. Oh well, it was worth a shot," Mairin said, her head hung, a little disappointed.
"Then let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps!" Bonnie said, shuddering a little.
"Bun," Bunnelby nodded in agreement, shooting a fearful look at the cages with the rabid Nuclear Pokemon inside.
As Serena and her friends walked towards the exit, the double doors slammed closed all of sudden, much to their surprise.
"What the...?" Leona asked, as she tried to pry the door open, to no avail. Mairin went to help her, but the result was the same. "It's closed!"
"Call Clemont!" Mairin asked Serena. "Tell him to open the gate!"
"Clemont is no longer in the control room! They found out what he was doing and cut his access off!" Serena replied. It took a second for the horror of such realization to sink in.
That moment, there was a loud buzzing noise, followed by the clicking sound of the cages and gates of the holding pens being opened. For a moment, silence reigned.
"Please tell me the cages haven't been opened..." Leona whimpered.
A Nuclear Kinetmunk took a tentative step out of the cage, followed by a Nuclear Costraw. A Nuclear Tanscure emerged from one of the holding pens. Little by little, the large room was being filled by Nuclear Pokemon, who stalked towards the four girls, the radioactive beasts fixing the girls with bloodthirsty stares.
The girls gulped loudly as they took a step back, while Bunnelby and Geigeroach put themselves between them and the incoming Nuclear horde. Serena, however, pushed down her growing terror and took a step forward, pulling out two of her pokeballs.
"Come on everybody, we won't get out of this without a fight," Serena stated, trying to sound as resolute as possible. "They outnumber us, but remember that Nuclear Pokemon are both very fragile and only attack by mindlessly charging forward. We can beat them, we have done it before!"
"Yeah! We totally kicked their asses when we fought them on Bealbeach City!" Leona said, her bravery slowly returning. "Mairin, Bonnie, are you with us?"
"Of course!"
"Yeah!"
Several pokeballs flew into the air, releasing more Pokemon that joined Bunnelby and Geigeroach in their stand.
And a battle of epic proportions broke out.
…
While Serena and the girls tried to get out of the trap they had been locked into, Ash and Alain searched yet another room, one that looked like a small lab. They left no drawer closed and no shelf uninspected, but once again, there was no sight of Alain's starter.
"Huh, a Water Stone," Alain said upon opening a drawer. He quickly pocketed it. "Good. Mairin has been asking for one."
Normally Ash would say something about such a blatant act of theft, but in this case he felt it wasn't undeserved.
He was about to leave the small lab and continue their search when his earpiece pinged.
"Clemont?" Ash asked.
"I have bad news, Ash," Clemont's voice said, sounding between worried and disappointed. "They found out about my intrusion in their computer system and kicked me out. I'm afraid I won't be able to help you remotely anymore."
"It's okay Clemont. You already helped us a lot," Ash reassured him.
"Given that I'm of no use here, I'll be joining you and Alain. Make sure the GPS of your Pokegear is on," Clemont told us.
"I always keep it on, so don't worry about that," Ash replied. "Say, what about the girls? Have you talked to them?"
"They were inspecting a storage room that we believed Team Omega used to store the Pokemon they traffic with. If Charizard is there, they will tell us," the inventor replied.
"Let's hope it's there. Though in that case, Alain and I will continue searching our side of the base." Ash said. "Be careful on your way here, you are on your own."
"Don't worry, I still have four of my Pokemon battle-ready. Plus I'm sure Alain and you cleared all the way of potential enemies," Clemont said before ending the communication.
"Ash? Everything's alright?" Alain asked.
"Sadly, Clemont got busted. He won't be able to help us anymore from that control center. But he will be joining us," Ash said.
Alain nodded. "Good. With him helping us directly we'll be able to search this place all the quicker," Alain said, his barely restrained impatience evident in the tone of his voice. "Come on, let's keep looking for another place to search."
Wordlessly, Ash nodded and followed the taller teen back into the hallway and continued their search. Having registered all the current rooms, the duo took a flight of metallic stairs that took them to the upper level. They opened the door that led them to another hallway.
"Well, well, look who came to our home, sister," a female voice said.
"A pair of little shits asking for an ass beating, that's who!" another almost identical sounding, but loder female voice replied.
"You!" Ash said.
In front of them were two women in Team Omega customized uniforms, identical in everything except their hair, eye and lip color, one of them being teal and the other brown.
"Do you know them, Ash?" Alain asked.
"Alina and Anika. A pair of Team Omega higher ups. We fought against them a few times after we arrived at Bealbeach City," Ash told Alain.
"Good. If they're important, perhaps they know where my Charizard is," Alain said, his glare piercing the twin women as his hand reached for a pokeball.
"Oh, we do know, tall, dark and handsome," Alina, the teal haired sister, replied as she also reached for a pokeball.
"But if you think we're so stupid as to tell you, think again!" Anika, the brown haired sister, added as she mimicked her twin. "Because we're taking you back to your cage, and Ketchum here will be making you some company."
"Yes. The professor has been very interested in your Greninja, and now that we have another chance to get it, we aren't going to let it slip away," the teal haired sister said, following with a dark chuckle.
"If you think you're going to get my Greninja or any of my Pokemon, you're the ones who will have another thing coming!" Ash hotly said, tossing a pokeball forward. "Frosthra, I choose you!"
"And I'm getting Charizard back! Majungold, go!" Alain followed.
As the capture devices opened, the frost moth and gold-plated dinosaur appeared in front of Ash and Alain, the two of them ready to fight.
Alina said, tossing her pokeball forward. "To battle, Praseopunk!"
"Make it hurt, Neopunk!" Anika said.
The two pokeball opened at once, releasing the Twin Electric and Psychic-type Pokemon. Yellow sparks began to jump from one to the other as their Plus and Minus abilities were triggered by each other. Then, Anika pulled a remote and pressed a button on it.
"Personal Shield Generator, activate!"
Orange honeycomb spherical barriers flashed for a second around each of the two Team Omega Pokemon before disappearing.
This confused Alain to the point of overpowering his burning anger. "What... what did they do?"
"Dammit, not that thing again!" Ash protested. "Their Pokemon have a device that projects a shield around them that blocks any attacks."
"Exactly! And we improved on it since the last time we fought, so don't think that the trick you and your four-eyed friend used before will work a second time!" Anika boasted.
As gritted his teeth as he glared at the offending devices, before a realization dawned upon him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the Omega Disabler and aimed it at the enemy Pokemon. "Okay, let's give this a second chance..."
Ash pressed the button. There was a low pitched buzz, followed by the Personal Shield Generators exploding as if they had firecrackers inside them, bursting into pieces and falling to the ground, making the Twin Pokemon flinch in pain, much to their trainers' utter shock.
"Yes, it worked!" Ash cheered. "Science is so amazing!"
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.
"W-What...!?" Anika stuttered, her eyes wide open.
"The shield generators!" Alina almost screamed. "What did you do!?"
"A little something made by my 'four eyed friend', who is a better inventor than any among your sorry lot will hope to be!" Ash said, a confident smirk appearing on his face. "Now let's see how well you do in a fair fight! Let's go, Alain!"
Alain's smirk matched Ash's own. "My pleasure."
"Pleasure is something you'll have very little of, you pair of dipshits!" Anika angrily snarled. "Neopunk, Shockwave!"
"And you use Energy Ball, Praseopunk!" Anika ordered.
As the pink Twin Pokemon released a barrage of yellow lightning bolts that homed on Frosthra, its green twin formed a sphere of energy of the same color between its hands and tossed it at Majungold.
"Frosthra, get in front of Majungold and use Protect!" Ash ordered.
"Fro, frosthra!" Frosthra buzzed obediently as he hovered in front of the prehistoric Pokemon as he erected a green energy barrier. The electrical punch and emerald orb smashed uselessly against it.
"Now Manjungold, Rock Slide over them!" Alain ordered.
"Ma, jun!" Majungold said, raising the massive gold bars it had for arms over its head.
A multitude of rocks appeared over the Twin Pokemon, before solid pain rained upon them. The two Electric and Psychic-type Pokemon let out distorted cries of pain.
"Not so easy now that you no longer can't cheat your way to victory, huh?" Ash taunted, savoring the payback he was dishing to the two women, his first battle against them still fresh in his mind despite being several months ago. "Frosthra, Shadow Claw on Praseopunk!"
"Stop it with Instant Crush, Neopunk!" Anika quickly shouted.
Frosthra dived forward, his two front claws covered in a dark gray ghostly aura as the pink Twin Pokemon held out a ghostly hand, before curling its fingers into a fist, as if it was gripping an imaginary object. Frosthra was stopped mid air, the Shadow Claws vanishing as a pink outline surrounded him. The Frost Moth Pokemon began to let out choking noises as he took his front claws to his neck.
"Frosthra!" Ash cried.
"You're over your heads if you think you can defeat us. Shield Generator or not, we're the superior battlers!" Alina boasted. "Now, Thunder Punch, Praseopunk!"
"Stop it with Crunch, Majungold!" Alain called.
The green Twin Pokemon quickly glided towards the immobilized bug, its right hand curled into a fist covered in a mass of electricity, before thrusting it forward. However, before it could hit Frosthra Majungold appeared between them, jaws wide open and teeth glowing with a white light, before clamping said jaws onto the ghostly hand.
Both Majungold and Prasepunk cried in pain upon taking each others' attack, though the latter had it worse than the former. Despite the electricity, the Gold Bar Pokemon kept its jaws locked onto Prasepunk's hand, and the Electric and Psychic-type Pokemon had to pull for a few painful moments before releasing the hand free.
"Frosthra, String Shot! Aim for the face!" Ash commanded.
"Fr-Fro...!" Frosthra buzzed between chokes, as he managed to spit a thread of sticky web which landed right on Neopunk's visor, blinding it and forcing it to cancel its psychic hold on the ice insect.
"Great! Now follow up with Shadow Claw now that it's blinded!" Ash shouted, throwing a punch forward.
"Prasepuk, protect-"
"No you won't!" Alain interrupted her. "Ice Punch on the ground!"
"MAJ!" Majungold roared as it raised its arms, which were quickly covered in a freezing aura, before slamming them into the ground, sending a wave of ice forward, and forcing the green Twin Pokemon back.
"FRO!" Frosthra buzzed, as he delivered a swipe with a claw covered in a ghostly veil at Neopunk, smacking it backwards.
Anika let out a snarl, her nostrils flaring as she greeted her teeth. Ash wondered how long it had been since these two fought in a fair battle. "Neopunk Dazzling Gleam! As big as you can!"
"Frosthra, Protect! And shield Majungold with it!" Ash ordered.
Neopunk let out a low pitched, distorted cry as its pink body turned an even brighter and shinier shade of the same color as it started to gather faeric energy, while the Frost Moth Pokemon hovered in front of his battle partner and erected a green energy barrier. Neopunk released the stored energy in the form of a barrage of pink and white energy bolts, but all of them crashed uselessly against Frosthra's defensive move.
"Now, Praseopunk, Get Lucky! That bug won't be able to use Protect a second time!" Anika quickly ordered, taking advantage of the opportunity created by her sister.
The green Electric and Psychic-type Pokemon brought its hands together, and thrust them outwards while releasing a stream of pink energy surrounded by rings of the same color.
"Majungold, it's time for us to protect our partners!" Alain said, "Shield Frosthra with your body!"
"Maju!" Majungold nodded, as it jumped in front of Frosthra and crossed its huge arms in front of its body as a defense.
"Alain, what are you doing!? That's a Psychic-type move, Majungold will take a lot of damage!" Ash asked, looking at the Kalosian teen as if he had grown a second face.
Alain didn't reply and confidently looked at his Pokemon. What was he planning with such a reckless move?
"M-Maj!" Majungold cried in pain as the attack hit.
Alain smirked. "Substitute!"
Oh, so that's what.
Majungold disappeared in a burst of smoke, leaving a green dinosaur-looking doll in its place, which was quickly vaporized by the Psychic-type attack.
"Recover the health you've expended on that move with Drain Punch!" Alain ordered.
Majungold reappeared next to Praseopunk, both its golden arms glowing with a green aura, as it smashed them one after the other into the Green Twin Pokemon, sending it tumbling against its siblings, while green colored orbs flowed from Praseopunk into Majungold.
"Prasepunk-!"
"Frosthra, Bug Buzz! Make it loud!" Ash commanded.
"Thra!" Frosthra nodded, and started flapping his wings so fast they were blurry, sending destructive soundwaves forward.
The soundwaves smashed against the two entangled Pokemon, blasting them backwards. They fell to the cold metallic ground while letting out low pitched, distorted cries, a sound that reminded Ash of a boombox that ran out of battery mid-song. Needless to say, they didn't get up.
"Our... our Pokemon...!" Alina said in shock, looking at the defeated duo.
"Not so easy without those little gadgets of yours, huh?" Ash taunted the twins.
"Now tell us where do you have Charizard, or things will get very ugly for you," Alain said just as Majungold menacingly slammed its arms together, making a loud, clanking noise for added emphasis.
After the Team Omega captains recalled their Pokemon, no one said anything, almost looking as if the twins were genuinely considering the idea of surrendering. That's it, until a deep scowl appeared on Anika's face.
"You... you think you defeated us, you pieces of shit!?" the brown haired sister said, her whole body trembling with rage. "Oh, you have no idea what's coming for you! Sister, let's go all out! Make it hurt, Sableye!"
"To battle, Gardevoir!" the teal haired sister said.
Two Pokemon Ash was already familiar with materialized in front of Frosthra and Majungold. The raven haired teen had only seen that Sableye once, briefly during the battle inside Power Plant Epsilon. He had also seen Anika's Gardevoir, though she had never used it to battle, only to run away via Teleport. But given their demeanor, it didn't look like they were trying to run away.
"No more holding back!" Anika shouted, showing the back of his gloved hand, her sister mimicking her. There were Keystones embedded into the gloves. Also, Ash noticed that the Gardevoir and Sableye were wearing collars with Mega Stones on them. "Sableye, bring your true power to the surface and rain suffering upon our foes!"
"Come on Gardevoir, reach deep within your inner power and bring destruction of a scale never seen!" Alina added.
"MEGA EVOLVE!" the two of them said at once while touching their respective Keystones.
Tendrils of light shot from the two Keystones and Mega Stones, merging into beams of colorful light that linked trainers and Pokemon. Through this link, the two Pokemon transformed, taking on more powerful forms thanks to the bond that they shared with their respective trainers. The transformation finished, as the helix of Mega Evolution briefly flashed in front of the two Pokemon.
Ash scowled, and pointed a finger at the Team Omega captains. "So, you can Mega Evolve your Pokemon. This changes nothing! That Zebos guy also could and I still defeated him!"
"And you think that because we're both Captains, we're the same?" Anika roared, sounding insulted by the comparison. "Alright then, no more words! Fight us and see if it's the same as facing that bald imbecile!"
"Gardevoir, hold the two of them with Psychic!" Alina ordered.
"Vooooir...!" the Embrace Pokemon cried as it raised its arms, a pink outline appeared around its body.
Said outline also appeared around Ash and Alain's Pokemon, as Frosthra and Majungold were immobilized and lifted mid air.
"F-Fro?"
"Gold!"
"Frosthra, calm down! Interrupt Gardevoir's attack with String Shot!" Ash ordered.
"Ash, wait-!" Alain was about to say, but it was too late.
"Not so fast! Sableye, intercept the attack!" Anika shouted.
The Darkness Pokemon, carrying its massive red gemstone, placed itself between Gardevoir and the incoming attack, using the gem as a shield. The precious stone began to glow with a crimson light, and when the String Shot hit it, it was sent backwards, almost as if the attack had been mirrored. The String Shot hit Frosthra and Majungold, tying them together.
Ash opened his eyes wide, looking confused. "What... what just happened...?"
"When Sableye Mega Evolves, its ability changes to Magic Bounce!" Alain told him, his voice carrying a hint of anger at Ash's blunder. "It reflects non-damaging attacks!"
"Exactly! But your Frosthra won't be in this battle long enough to lament such a mistake!" Anika boasted. "Sableye, Power Gem!"
"Gardevoir, Focus Blast!" Alina ordered.
Even as Gardevoir released the Psychic hold in order to form an orange sphere of destructive power, Frosthra and Majungold were unable to move, as they were restrained by the reflected String Shot, meaning that they were like sitting Ducklett. Then, after a few, agonizing seconds, Gardevoir sent the normally inaccurate energy missile at the ice insect and golden fossil, followed by a multicolored beam of light that Sableye fired from its giant gemstone. Both attacks collided at once, resulting in an explosion that shook the whole hallway.
"Frosthra!"
"Majungold!"
When the smoke of the explosion vanished, the two Pokemon were laying on the ground, their limbs sprawled open, their bodies full of bruises and their eyes all swirly.
"Ha! Look at that! Your pathetic Pokemon went down after a single move from our Mega Evolved ones!" Anika boasted, placing her fists on her hips.
"So be good kids, and surrender already. No matter what other Pokemon you send against us, the result will be the same," Alina warned.
"We'll see about that!" Ash said, pulling out another pokeball. "Metalynx, I choose you!"
"I won't leave this place until I have Charizard back, even if I have to fight you criminal scum with my bare hands! Chainite, go!" Alain said.
The two pokeball opened at once, releasing Ash's first Tandorian starter and Alain's Dark and Ghost-type Pokemon, both ready to battle. A shadowy tendril shot from Chainite's shadow, linking it to the Gardevoir's own shadow, but leaving Sableye untouched. Despite this, Alina didn't seem particularly bothered, maybe because in case things went south and she needed to flee, Chainite's Shadow tag wouldn't stop Gardevoir from teleporting away.
"Come on Metalynx! Let's show them how strong we can be...!" Ash held his shuriken necklace, and touched the Keystone inside with two fingers. "...TOGETHER!"
Once again, tendrils of light flew from both the Keystone and the Mega Stone attached to Metalynx's collar, merging together and linking trainer and Pokemon. Through their bond, Metalynx was allowed to transform and reach her advanced form, the helix of Mega Evolution flashing in front of her once the metamorphosis was over, before letting out a powerful roar.
The Team Omega sisters, however, weren't impressed.
"So you can also Mega Evolve your Pokemon, on top of that Greninja," Alina noticed.
"Even then, it's still two versus one! We know for a fact that none of the Pokemon your little buddy has are capable of Mega Evolving! Without Charizard, you're nothing!" Anika taunted.
"While Charizard might be my strongest partner, that doesn't mean that the rest of my Pokemon are any less capable!" Alain fired back.
"Well said!" Ash agreed.
"Bold words from a pair of kids way over their heads," Alina said, condescendingly shaking her head. "Gardevoir, Mystical Fire!"
"Gaaaar...!" Gardevoir cried, drawing a circle of flames with one burning hand, before thrust both hands inside the circle, releasing a stream of flames with rings of fire around it.
"Dodge it, and counter with Night Slash!" Ash ordered.
"Meta!" Metalynx growled as she sidestepped the coming inferno, dashing forward while the blade across her metallic arm was coated in an aura of darkness. Once she was close enough, she pounced on her enemy and swung the blade at it.
"Teleport," Alina said in an almost bored tone.
In a flash of light, Gardevoir disappeared before their eyes, before reappearing a couple meters away from Metalynx. Ash clenched his fists as he sensed a headache coming; he wasn't looking forward to a repeat of the Sheldon battle involving Teleport spam.
"Sableye, Night Shade on Metalynx!" Anika ordered.
"Chainite, block that attack with Shadow Claw!" Alain countered.
Sableye aimed its giant gem at Metalynx as it gathered dark power, before releasing it in the form of a barrage of black and purple energy tendrils. Chainite, however, jumped between the attack and its partner, its claws of solid smoke having doubled in length and glowing with a dark purple light, and used said claws to slash away at the coming harmful tendrils.
"Your friend's Pokemon isn't even Mega Evolved, yet you need him to protect yours. Isn't that shameful?" Alina taunted. "Gardevoir, Psychic on Metalynx!"
"Vooooir...!" Gardevoir spread its arms, as both its eyes and body glowed with a pink aura. It was followed by a double arm thrust that send a telekinetic wave of destructive power at the Armored Pokemon.
"Chainite, block it! It won't do you any harm!" Alain ordered.
Obeying its trainer, the Retribution Pokemon put himself once again between an incoming attack and its partner, taking it in full. But like Alain had said, the Psychic had no effect on the Dark and Ghost-type Pokemon.
"Well done Alain! Come on Metalynx, Iron Tail on Gardevoir!" Ash ordered, capitalizing on the opportunity the Kalosian had brought.
"Not so fast, kiddies! Sableye, Swagger!" Anika ordered.
The Darkness Pokemon glowed with a crimson aura, as it rested on its giant gem with its arms folded shooting Chainite a tooty smile.
"Ch-Chaaa...!" Chainite stammered, as its body started to tremble, the same aura appearing around it.
"Chainite...!" Alain tried to call him.
"NITE!" Chainite then turned around and attempted to eviscerate Metalyx with Shadow Claw.
"Chainite, stop!" Alain shouted. "Get a hold of yourself!"
But the Retribution Pokemon didn't listen, as it tried to slash Metalynx. The Armored Pokemon used her tail, glowing with a silvery light, to parry the attacks as she was pushed backwards.
"Chainite, stop! Come on, snap out of it!" Alain angrily shouted. Unfortunately, Chainite didn't listen to him.
"Now's our chance, Sableye! Punishment on Chainite!" Anika ordered.
"Teleport behind Metalynx and use Mystical Fire! Try to hit both of them with the attack, Gardevoir!" Alina followed.
Sableye's giant gem began to glow with a bright amethyst aura as the Pokemon hauled it towards Chainite and smacking Alain's Pokemon from the back with it. Meanwhile, Gardevoir teleported behind Metalynx and launched another stream of flames surrounded by rings of fire. The attack not only caught Metalynx, but also hit Chainite, just like its trainer had wanted.
"Chainite!" Alain shouted.
"Metalynx!" Ash cried.
"Pika!"
While Metalynx had been able to weather the attack thanks to its Heatproof ability, Chainite was in much worse shape. Ash had to admit that using Punishment, an attack that hits increasingly harder the more the target Pokemon increased its capabilities, in conjunction with Swagger, which increased the attack of the target Pokemon, was pretty clever. Add it the Mystical Fire and the fact that Chainite wasn't a Pokemon with high durability or resistance, and well...
"We told you that no matter how hard you try, you won't defeat us when we stop holding back!" Anika boasted. "Now Sableye, finish off that pathetic Chainite with Power Gem!"
"Sa, sable!" Sableye cried, grinning gleefully as it began to gather energy inside its giant gem.
But as was about to be reminded, Alain wasn't somebody whose Pokemon could be defeated that easily.
"If we're going to fall then we're taking you down with us! Chainite, Destiny Bond!" Alain ordered.
"Ch-chaaa...!" Chainite grunted, its body glowing with a grim purple aura.
Alina's grin of superiority was instantly wiped out of her face, replaced by a look of both concern and fear.
"Shit a million times! Sableye, stop, you dumb fuck!" the brown haired sister shouted.
Fortunately for her, Sableye was able to cancel its attack before it was fired, saving itself from being knocked out.
"Quickly Metalynx! Energy Ball at Sableye!" Ash ordered.
"Oh no you won't! Intercept it with Focus Blast, Gardevoir!" Alina replied.
Metalynx opened her jaws, forming an emerald orb of power before firing it at the Darkness Pokemon. Meanwhile, Gardevoir formed between its hands yet another sphere of power colored blazing orange, and launched it at Metalyx's attack. The Focus Blast smashed against the Energy Ball, resulting in an explosion of orange and green.
"Thanks for keeping that nosy Gardevoir busy, Ash. Now we can do this: Pain Split!" Alain ordered.
"Oh fuck!" Anika cursed.
A red outline appeared around both Chainite and Sableye, as some of the latter's wounds and bruises quickly disappeared and reappeared on Sableye's body. The Darkness Pokemon fell to one knee while grabbing its giant gem, wheezing at the unexpected wave of pain that washed over its body, while Chainite stood straighter now that he had recovered some of its lost energy.
"Well done Chainite! Follow up with Shadow Claw!" Alain ordered.
Chainite's claws grew even longer than the previous time it used that attack thanks to the boost provided by Swagger, and dashed towards its fellow Dark and Ghost-type, ready to tear it to shreds.
"Parry it with Punishment!" Anika ordered.
"Gardevoir, help Sableye with Moonblast!" Alina said, her voice carrying a tone of urgency.
"Don't let her Metalynx! Energy Ball!" Ash hotly shouted.
As Sableye blocked as well as it could Chainite's claw swipes with its giant gemstone, Metalynx fired from her mouth a green orb of light at Gardevoir. The Embrace Pokemon, however, teleported out of the way before reappearing to the right of Chainite, a glowing orb of swirling pink and white light between its hands, before smashing said orb into Alain's Pokemon.
Chainite screeched in pain as it was blasted back by the super effective attack.
"Chainite!" Alain cried.
"Well done, sister!" Anika praised her teal haired teen. "Now finish it off with Night Shade!"
"Block it with Night Slash, Metalynx!" Ash quickly ordered.
As Sableye fired multiple streams of necrotic energy at the downed Retribution Pokemon, Metalynx quickly jumped in front of her partner, the blade on her foreleg covered in a dark purle aura, and with a mighty swipe the Ghost-type move was neutralized.
"Alain, it's your Chainite alright?" Ash asked in concern.
"It's okay, don't worry," Alain reassured Ash. "Though, we better finish this soon. The longer this battle goes on, the slimmer our chances of victory. I hate to admit this, but having two Mega Evolved Pokemon on their side versus our one will give them the advantage in the long run."
"Yeah. Plus Gardevoir and Sableye are crafty Pokemon. Especially that Gardevoir and its constant teleporting," the raven haired teen said, glaring at the offending Pokemon.
"I have an idea. If you can keep Sableye busy for a few moments, my Chainite can stop that Gardevoir from abusing Teleport," Alain said, his voice only loud enough for Ash to listen.
"Understood. Leave it to me then," Ash told his battle partner.
"What are you fuckers whispering about!?" Anika called them out. "Whatever you plan to do, it won't work! Sableye, Power Gem on Chainite!"
"Intercept it with Energy Ball, Metalynx!" Ash ordered.
The Darkness Pokemon fired a multicolored beam of light at Chainite. Fortunately, said beam of light was blocked by an emerald orb of energy, producing an explosion of vibrant colors.
"Metalyx, now! Get close to Sableye and use Iron Tail!" Ash said, pumping a fist forward.
"META!" Metalynx roared, as the feline pounced towards the Darkness Pokemon, her machete-shaped tail glowing with a silvery light.
"Stop that Metalynx with Psychic, Gardevoir!" Alina ordered, throwing a hand forward.
"Gaaaar...!" Gardevoir cried as it extended a hand towards Metalynx.
"And make sure to use Teleport the moment Chainite tries anything!" Alina warned her Pokemon.
The Embrace Pokemon's eyes and body started to shine with a pink light, and so did Metalynx, who was stopped mid air by Gardevoir's psychic power. Ash couldn't help but be amazed at such a powerful Psychic move, being able to hold Metalynx despite type resistance, while also keeping an eye for Chainite's inevitable attack.
But what came next wasn't something a mere Teleport could avoid.
"Now's our chance, Chainite!" Alain said, excitement growing in his voice. "Taunt on Gardevoir!"
Chainite grinned ferally as it made a "bring it" hand motion at Gardevoir. The Embrace Pokemon gritted its teeth and narrowed its eyes at Chainite, as a vein on its forehead bulged while a burning aura appeared around its body.
"Sorry, but no more teleporting around for you," Alain said, his wide grin matching that of his Pokemon, only far less sinister. "Now, let's release Metalynx! Crunch!"
Letting out an otherworldly roar, Chainite lunged forward, its black, shadowy jaws full of long, sharp black teeth wide open, ready to sink them into the Psychic and Fairy-type's tender flesh. Unable to just Teleport away, Gardevoir was forced to jump back in order to avoid the incoming bite, releasing its psychic hold on Metalynx.
"Great job Alain! This will make things so much easier!" Ash said, both he and his Pokemon reinvigorated by their current advantage. "Come on Metalynx, Iron Tail on Gardevoir! It won't be able to disappear this time!"
Metalynx turned around and pounced at Gardevoir while channeling power into her machete-like tail, which started to glow with a silvery light before swinging it at the Embrace Pokemon. Gardevoir, wide open from dodging Chianite's attack, was unable to avoid this attack and uselessly raised its arms in front of its face to block it. Needless to say, the super effective attack slammed her backwards.
"And follow up with Shadow Claw, Chainite!" Alain added.
Letting out an otherworldly screech, the Retribution Pokemon dashed towards the still reeling Gardevoir, with Metalynx stepping aside to let her partner a free way, and delivered a pair of slashing blows at the Psychic and Fairy-type Pokemon, who cried in pain as it was slammed against a metallic wall by the force of the attack.
"Gardevoir!" Alina cried, taking her hands to her head.
"Don't stop Chainite! Crunch on Sableye!" Alain ordered.
"Sableye, parry it with Punishment!" Anika shouted, her voice growing desperate.
Sableye held its giant gem as if it were a weapon, which started to glow with an amethyst light, and used it to block Chainite's biting attack. However, much to both the trainer and Pokemon's shock, Chainite's huge black fangs sunk into the gemstone. A spiderweb of cracks quickly spread around it, before it shattered in a thousand shards.
"S-SABLE!?" the bemused Sableye cried upon seeing its precious gemstone reduced to bits.
"This has to be a fucking joke!" Anika cried.
"Come on Metalynx, X-Scissor!" Ash said, throwing a punch forward.
"Meta!" Metalynx roared as she pounced at Sableye, her claws glowing with a greenish-yellow light. She delivered a pair of swipes in the shape of an X which blasted Sableye away, the force of the attack sent him crashing against Gardevoir.
Both Pokemon were slumped against each other and made no effort to get back on their feet. Then, as if to confirm their defeat, they reverted back to their base forms before the incredulous eyes of their trainers.
"We... we lost...?" Alina said, her voice sounding dazed, as she recalled Gardevoir.
"Yeah, you did! Now tell us what have you done with Alain's Charizard!" Ash demanded.
"Like hell we will!" Anika said as she recalled her defeated Sableye. She grabbed Alina by the wrist and started running in the opposite direction. "Come on sister-"
"META!"
Unfortunately for them, their escape was foiled by Metalynx leaping above them and cutting their way. The still Mega Evolved Pokemon growled at them menacingly, showing her long, metallic fangs at the twins, who promptly took a step back on instinct.
"You aren't going anywhere," Alain stated. He was yelling, his voice was overflowing with fury. He grabbed a pokeball and tossed it at the twins' feet. "Tricwe, tie them up with String Shot!"
Upon coming out of the pokeball, the Shock Bug Pokemon shot a sticky thread from its tiny jaws, tying Alina and Anika together, just like Ash's Frosthra had done before with Zebos and Maury. Feeling like they weren't going anywhere, Ash decided to recall Metalynx.
"Good job, girl. Take a good rest," he whispered to the pokeball, before putting it back in his belt. He then noticed Alain walking towards the immobilized Team Omega Captains, a deep scowl on his face. "Alain?"
The taller boy ignored Ash. "If you two know what's good for you, you'll be telling us where is Charizard. Now."
"Go fuck yourself, pretty boy! We won't betray Team Omega!" Anika said, before spitting Alain in the face.
The Kalosian didn't seem to mind the gesture, merely wiping the saliva from his face with his sleeve. "If you don't want to talk the easy way, we'll do it the hard way then. Chainite?"
Chainite hissed menacingly as it brought a very sharp claw near Anika's face. The bravado immediately disappeared from the brown haired woman's face, gulping as the shadowy blades got close to her skin.
"Okay, okay, we'll talk!" it wasn't Anika, but her sister, the one to break. "The professor has your precious Charizard."
"Sister! What the actual fuck!" Anika shouted at her twin. "Why did you have to babble? These softies weren't going to hurt me for good!"
"Why do you care? It's not like they're going to defeat him. Not with the Pokemon he has," Alina said, sure of her choice.
"The... professor?" Ash repeated.
"He's the leader of our organization. And yes, he's still here, or so we think," Alina continued. "Aside from the Kalosian's Charizard, he wants that Greninja of yours, Kantonian, and won't stop until he gets his hands on him."
"So go and meet the professor. Try to fight him if you want, but with the Pokemon he has at his disposal you won't beat him," Anika said, glaring at both boys. "And all your Pokemon will be his."
"You also believed that we couldn't beat you, yet we proved you wrong. That professor of yours will follow the same fate as you," Alain stated.
"I admit that we underestimated you. Especially since we weren't expecting that you'd have a way to disable our Personal Shield Generators," Alina confessed, sounding a little regretful. "But between this fight and all the grunts that got in your way, your Pokemon teams must be pretty depleted. And while the Kantonian still has the Greninja, you no longer have your strongest Pokemon to rely on," the teal haired sister finished, shooting Alain a taunting grin.
Alain didn't say anything, he merely clenched his fists as his whole body trembled a little. As much as both boys didn't want to admit it, Alina was right. Greninja was Ash's only Pokemon who was still fresh, and all of Alain's Pokemon were either unable to battle or pretty close to collapsing.
Alas, fortune was about to smile upon them
"Ash! Alain!" a new voice said. Ash and Alain turned around, and saw Clemont running towards them. The inventor was red in the face, and once he stopped he started to heavily pant. It was obvious that the lemon blond had run all the way towards them, his lack of fitness now taking a toll on such decision. "At... last... I... found you... huff..."
"Great, the four eyes is here too," Anika said, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, are those the Team Omega captains we fought against in Bealbeach City?" Clemont asked, adjusting his glasses. "You beat them? Great!"
"Clemont, we know where Alain's Charizard is. Apparently, it's in the clutches of the Team Omega boss," Ash told Clemont. He then added, "Clemont, did you have to fight many grunts to get here?"
"Uh... no. Everything was pretty empty. You guys did a good job clearing the way," Clemont complimented.
Ash paid no mind to the compliment, since his thoughts laid elsewhere. "So all your Pokemon must still be in top shape, right?"
"Er... yes? The four I still have on me, at least. Remember that I lent Bunnelby and Geigeroach to Bonnie when she left with the girls," Clemont reminded him.
"Good. In that case, you're coming with me. We need to find that Team Omega boss guy, and I'll feel better if I have you as backup," Ash told Clemont, before turning towards Alain. "Alain, you better stay here and make sure these two don't cause any problems until we're done here. Also make sure no one gets past this point."
As expected, Alain didn't take Ash's decision kindly. "What!? Ash, you cannot expect me to stay here all idle while Charizard is still in the hands of those criminals!"
"I know, I know!" Ash replied, holding his hands defensively, hoping to placate the taller boy. "If it was Pikachu the one needing rescue, everyone knows there would be no talking me down from finding him myself..."
"Piiika..." Pikachu moaned.
"But... as much as I hate to admit it, they're right," Ash said as his eyes briefly drifted to the twins bound by the String Shot. "Your Pokemon want to recover Charizard as much as you do, and they've been pushing themselves really far while fighting these criminals. So they might not be at the top of their game anymore, not after so many battles."
"Nonsense, my Pokemon can fight just fine!" Alain fired back.
"Come on Alain, I think Ash has a point," Clemont intervened, something Ash deeply appreciated. "We can't leave these two unsupervised, they're too dangerous."
"Yet why don't you stay here then?" Alain retorted, his scowl deepening.
"Unlike you, I barely had to send my Pokemon to fight since we arrived at this place, so they're almost completely fresh," Clemont began, meeting Alain's fiery gaze with one of his own. "Plus, one of my current Pokemon is capable of Mega Evolution, should the situation require it."
"Don't you think we'll have a better chance of getting Charizard back if Clemont continued with me instead of you?" Ash asked.
Ash's question was followed by a tense silence. The boy from Pallet hoped that Alain would see reason and stay here instead. With each second they wasted arguing, the chances of the Team Omega boss deciding that stealing Greninja is not worth the effort and leaving the place with Charizard grew.
Finally, with a defeated sigh, Alain's head slumped. "Fine," he said.
"Don't worry Alain. I promise you that I will bring Charizard back to you," Ash stated, his voice full of resolve, as his auburn eyes locked into Alain's blue ones.
Alain couldn't help but smile, if only a little. "And I believe you."
"Here, have this," Clemont said, giving Alain his own earpiece. "Contact us if something happens."
"Got it," Alain said, putting on the earpiece. "Now go! And give those guys a beating on my behalf!"
"Don't worry, we will! Come on Clemont!"
Ash and Clemont left the hallway, leaving Alain alone to watch the defeated twins, hoping to find the Team Omega boss and rescue Alain's Charizard from his clutches...
Author's Note: Another chapter, another Team Omega admin (or admins) that go down. However, Alain's Charizard is still a no show, so the search for it continues. Unfortunatley for Alain, the match against the twins had exhausted most of his team, so now Clemont will be the one coming with Ash as they continue to search for the base.
Also, I remember that somebody said that Ash needed one Pokemon with Taunt so he'd stop that Gardevoir from Teleporting all the time. As you can see, that was the idea all along, albeit it was one of Alain's Pokemon who did the taunting. Then again, those two won't be going anywhere.
Thanks a lot to Fox McCloude, MarkusDarkus87 and MegaSalamence64 for revewing past chapter, and special thanks to Viroro-kun for betareading this chapter, whose edits and suggestions made it so much better.
Next time, the conclusion to the Team Omega arc! In the meantime, don't forget to drop a review!