xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Castelia City, 3:00 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hmmmm..." Don George said as he stood on a stand with Castelia City gym leader, Burgh, with a display next to the pair that had a briefcase filled with money.
"Where is he?" Burgh asked in curiosity.
"I do not know." Don George said plainly as the crowd for the PokéPotluck sat in their seats with a mixture of restlessness and fatigue. "But the crowd isn't particularly happy to have to wait..." He thought as he looked into the arena stands.
"Oh, here he comes." Burgh said towards Don George as he looked over to see a familiar face.
Emerging from the darkness was Keats, his hand over his eyes as the sun was hitting him in the face. Following behind him was Carter, his head down and a face full of frustration and depression. Looking at one another, Carter walked over to an area where the other trainers like Valeska and Kingston from the tournament were situated. Taking a deep breath, Keats walked up to Don George and Burgh as the crowd looked on.
"Was wondering where you went." Don George said as Keats looked at him and the gym leader.
"Yeeaahhhh..." Keats said in an elongated form.
"Anything you want to tell us?" Burgh said as he looked at Carter before turning to Keats.
"Nooooooo..." Keats said in response before the Battle Club owner and the Castelia gym leader looked at each other and shrugged as Don George grabbed a microphone.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Don George exclaimed into the microphone as the crowd seemed to wake up a little. "Today has been an exciting day of battling and I am proud to announce a winner to the PokéPotluck tournament: Keats!" He said as the crowd begun to cheer as Keats stepped forward and waved at the crowd as Burgh handed Keats the briefcase of money. "Any words from the winner?" Don George asked as he gave Keats the microphone.
"Hiiiiiiiiiii Peeeeeeeeoooooppppplllleeee..." Keats said, continuing in the elongated form as Don George, Burgh, the other trainers and the crowd looked on with confusion. "Thhhhhhaaaaaannnnnkkkkkkks..." He continued in stretched out words.
"Mr. Keats?" Burgh asked as Keats looked at him with his mouth shut.
"Uhhh are you alright?" Don George asked as well.
"Yeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssss..." Keats said as he looked at everyone before looking up into the stands and then putting the microphone on the floor.
"Idiot..." Carter said with a twitch in his eye. "I can't believe I lost to this guy..." He thought, mentally condemning Keats as Don George picked up the microphone from the ground and held it towards his mouth.
"Okay, man of few words. To everyone, thank you for coming today! We'll see you again at the Don George family Battle Clubs and for the next tournament!" Don George as the crowd snapped out of their confusion and cheered as they begun to leave.
Taking a similar action, the trainers also began to leave as Keats looked on and followed behind Carter as they walked onto the streets of Castelia City. Poking him on the shoulder, Carter turned around to look at Keats.
"What?" Carter asked with an agitated tone.
"Remember what we just talked about?" Keats asked as he looked downward at the teenage thief.
"...Yes..." Carter said with a begrudging tone.
"And?" Keats questioned.
"And I promise not to steal anything, or you'll tell the authorities because you have recordings on your phone..." Carter said with his head down.
"And?" Keats questioned again.
"...And I gave you the names of the others... I swear they're legitimate..." Carter said as he put his hands up.
"And?" Keats questioned a third time.
'"And" what?!" Carter exclaimed angrily. "I already gave you all the information I actually have! What more do you want just so you won't cart me off to a jail cell!" He said loudly as some people on the streets looked at him and Keats. "Guh..." Carter grunted as he looked around as Keats raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing, I just wanted to see if you were going to keep going. Hehe." Keats said with a smirk as he walked past Carter. "Go learn a trade, punk." He said as he walked away with the briefcase in his hand as Carter shook with anger.
Breathing heavily, Carter walked down the road and then pulled out his cellphone. Tapping through screens, he clicked to his contact list before scrolling down to the name "Imani" and then clicking on it, making a call as he held his phone to his ear.
"Come on. Pick up, pick up, pick up..." Carter thought as he walked down the street with the phone next to his ear.
"...Hello?" A feminine voice said in an uncaring tone on the other side of the phone.
"Imani, it's me..." Carter said until he suddenly heard a buzz noise as he looked at his phones screen to notice the call had disconnected. "She... Hung up?!" He exclaimed in shock as he proceeded to redial her and held the phone next to his ear. "You hung up on me?!" Carter asked angrily.
"Uhhh yeah? Why would I be talking to you ever again?" The person named Imani said on the other end of the phoneline.
"Because we were partners... Along with the others, we worked together for a long time doing what we did. That means something." Carter said with an agitated tone as he walked down the street.
"And it means nothing now. We disbanded, remember?" Imani said with an uninterested tone.
"Look, I need you to help me., I-" Carter said until getting cut off.
"No." Imani said bluntly.
"You-you didn't even let me explain my reason why!" Carter exclaimed in frustration.
"Because I don't care. You heard the others. Once we disbanded the group, we were never going to see one another ever again. We each took one of that champion ladies Pokémon, we do our own things with them." Imani explained as Carter's eyes widened.
"Look, I get that, but something changed." Carter said in a frantic tone.
"What? You misplace your Pokéball?" Imani said jokingly.
"No! It's... It's more serious than that." Carter said as he turned around and walked into an alleyway. "Remember that fat bum who was in the house the night we took the Pokémon?" He asked.
"Vaguely?" Imani replied.
"Turns out, the guy's looking for all of us and he took back my champion level Pokémon." Carter said into the phone.
"Oh?" Imani muttered.
"He actually managed to beat it too." Carter said. "Then he got me talking in the locker room of one of the Unova Battle Clubs with his sister talking on a Rotom phone... I... I spilled the beans on a few things." He said begrudgingly.
"...Like?" Imani asked.
"...He knows who we are and who has what Pokémon that belonged to Marie Dibiase..." Carter said. "He also knows where you are." He continued.
"Oh no!" Imani said with a shocked tone.
"Yeah, so you need to find me! If it's both of us working together, we can stop the chubby idiot before he-" Carter said until he was cut off by Imani.
"Don't care." Imani said as Carter's eyes widened again.
"What?!" Carter exclaimed.
"Who cares if you squealed on me or the others, we have nothing to do with you anymore. Or with each other for that matter." Imani explained. "And even if you told the guy where I am, it's going to take him forever to find me." She continued.
"I told him the region; he'll be skulking around looking for you. You need backup to try and-" Carter said in an attempt to persuade Imani.
"I don't need your help." Imani said bluntly. "I got someone to help keep me secure where I am. And if this tubby guy wants to try and find me, well... He's going to have to have a wet time. This conversation is over." She said. "What's on today's haul?" Imani said to someone where she was currently.
"Hola-" A male voice said as the buzz for the call to end happened again.
"Wait, Imani?! Hello?!" Carter exclaimed in frustration as he looked at his phone again. "...I can't believe this..." He said to himself as he put his phone away and slumped against the wall of the alleyway, sitting down on the ground as he took out his Pokéballs containing Pawniard and Eelektrik. "...Now I have to start over..." Carter thought with an upset face forming.
Meanwhile, in the opposite direction of where Carter went, Keats walked down the street as Rotom popped out of his pocket.
"Wazzzz that the best you could have said to the crowd? "Hiiiiii" and "thaaaannnnkkkkzzzz?"' Rotom questioned.
"I-I froze up!" Keats said in his defense. "We talked a lot in the back to get information out of that obnoxious brat and it was a lot of stuff to process! My brain was fried!" He exclaimed.
"We're just lucky I called your zzzzizzzzter in the middle of you asking questions to get everything back on track. She actually managed to get a ton of info; unlike someone we know." Rotom said judgmentally.
"We were going to get on topic eventually!" Keats said.
"You zzzzpent ten whole minutes just asking questions. From "where do you put your keys for the bathroom?" and "how do you vulcanize a pair of tires for the winter?" What did any of those questions have to do with stolen Pokémon or Carter's other associated thieves?" Rotom said with an annoyed face forming on its screen.
"...Well... I felt maybe the kid had a lot of life experience for someone his age, so I was just asking for some advice on junk..." Keats said honestly as Rotom's eye twitched.
"Are you dumber than rocks, zzzzt?!" Rotom screamed in frustration as its phone body floated into Keats face.
"Ahhh! Ahhh! My eyes!" Keats screamed as people watched him freak out in the middle of the sidewalk before grabbing Rotom and pulling it away. "Ahhh! God, I told you to stop doing that! Anymore and my eyes will start to boil!" He said as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand before Rotom returned to floating next to him.
"Whatever, zzzzt!" Rotom exclaimed. "...Well... Anyway, congratulations." The phone Pokémon continued as Keats stopped rubbing his eyes.
"Huh?" Keats mumbled. "For what?" He asked.
"For winning a regional tournament, zzzzt." Rotom said.
"Oh yeah, that happened." Keats said casually.
"...Did you forget, zzzzt?" Rotom said, flabbergasted.
"I was surprised by how quickly it went to be honest. This whole day feels a bit like a blur." Keats replied.
"They were all one on one'zzzz before the final fight with Carter." Rotom said.
"Can't believe it though... I actually won a Pokémon battle." Keats said as he continued to walk.
"Not even, you won three in a zzzzingle day." Rotom said with a smile on its screen.
"Wow..." Keats said as he stopped, standing still on the sidewalk. "You know what, we should celebrate!" He exclaimed in a happy tone.
"Oh?" Rotom muttered. "Makes sense, this is a pretty big moment for him. He probably wants to go big with that money he won." The phone Pokémon thought.
"I got an idea! Rotom, go online and order me a plane ticket for a night flight! We're going home after we head to the Pokémon Center!" Keats said as he pointed at the phone.
"On it, zzzzt!" Rotom said as it looked online for a nearby airport.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Castelia City Airport, 6:43 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Keats walked up to the payment desk with his ticket, he slammed a stack of bills on the desk to the confusion of the clerk as he walked towards the passage to board the plane. Heading inside, Keats put his bags in the overhead compartment and then proceeded to sit down as Rotom popped out of his pocket.
"I think you overpaid, zzzzt." Rotom said with a judgmental face on its screen.
"Ehh who cares. It's not like I don't have the money now." Keats said as he laid back in the chair with it reclining onto someone behind him.
"Hey!" The man behind him exclaimed in frustration.
"Woops, sorry." Keats said as he readjusted back to normal.
"I forgot to azzzzk." Rotom said as Keats looked at the floating phone.
"Excuse me sir." A flight attendant said as she walked over to Keats and Rotom. "Please remember to shut off your phone before the flight takes off." She said as Keats nodded.
"Sure thing." Keats replied as she walked away before looking at Rotom. "You were saying?" He asked as he scratched his head before sniffing his armpit. "Crap, need more body spray." Keats thought as he stood up from his chair to grab some spray from his bag in the compartment.
"You said you wanted to celebrate the victory, zzzzt. What did you have in mind?" Rotom questioned as Keats took out a body spray container and begun to coat himself in it.
'"Blaugh! Coghf! Foaul!" The other passengers on the plane exclaimed as Keats' spray went all over and made them cough as Keats put the spray away as the flight attendant approached him.
"Sir, please refrain from disturbing the other passengers." The flight attendant said with a face full of annoyance over Keats' obnoxious behavior.
"Hehe... Sorry." Keats said with an embarrassed laugh as he sat back down in his seat.
"Keatzzzz?" Rotom said.
"Oh uh right." Keats said as he looked at the phone. "My celebratory plans." He said as he rubbed his hands.
"What did you have in mind, zzzzt?" Rotom asked.
"We're going to cover the entire inside of my entire trailer in cellophane." Keats said as he waved his hands slowly through the air. "Then... We're going to make peanut butter crackers..." He said with a smile on his face.
"...What, zzzzt?" Rotom replied, incredibly confused.
"Peanut butter crackers!" Keats exclaimed.
"Can't you juzzzzt buy thozzzze?" Rotom questioned as the plane was getting ready for takeoff.
"No! No! Like from scratch!" Keats said as he put on his seatbelt. "It's a difficult process. We have to make sure none of the peanut butter overflows from the cracker or if they break, it's no good." He explained as Rotom just looked at Keats, even more confused.
"Why do want to celebrate a major victory like that?! I know no Pokémon trainer in hizzzztory who celebrated winning a regional tournament by just making easily affordable snacks by hand with arbitrarily cumbersome requirements!" Rotom screamed in frustration at Keats as the other passengers looked at the pair making a scene.
"Oh come on, it's not that bad! You're no fu- hackfhadgf!" Keats said in his defense as he turned his head towards the window and stopped speaking when he noticed a strange sight.
With the plane now in the air, Keats looked on into the night sky as he noticed something peculiar on the wing, partially able to be seen from the lights on the wing illuminating it. His eyes widened in shock and horror; Keats looked on as a familiar flat creature was hanging onto the wing, it's tail flapping about from the wind.
"Guuuuuhhhh..." Keats gasped with his jaw dropping.
"Wha- guhf!?" Rotom said in shocked as it floated over to the window to see the sight of Stunfisk holding onto the wing as its eyes twisted in the direction of where Keats and Rotom were looking from. "Keatzzzz..." The phone Pokémon said, worried."
"Yeah..." Keats said as he begun to sweat.
"What are the oddzzzz it won't destroy the plane before we get back to Ecruteak City...?" Rotom said in a fearful tone as Keats swallowed spit, terrified.
"Sir, once again. Please shut off your phone." The flight attendant said in an agitated tone.
"Uhhhh... Miss?" Keats said as he slowly turned to her. "There's a Stunfisk on the wing." He said with sweat dripping off his face.
"Yeah, yeah, like I haven't heard that one before. Just turn off your phone and be quiet." The flight attendant said as she walked away.
"...Welp, time for a power-nap! Night Keatzzzz!" Rotom exclaimed as it flew into his pocket and shut off.
"Wait! Don't just leave me! Grugh." Keats said as he looked at his pocket before sitting back in his chair with a groan before slowly shifting his eyes in the direction of the window as he noticed Stunfisk had now completely covered the window with its angry face sticking to the pane of glass. "Ain't no way I can sleep like this..." He thought as he slowly grabbed the cover for the window and pulled it down.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Ecruteak City, 8:15 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
With the plane now situated on the runway at an airport close to Ecruteak City, the passengers proceeded to leave the plane down the stairs onto the ground. After several people had gone down the steps, Keats popped his head out from the plane with his bags in hand as he looked around for Stunfisk. Slowly going down the steps with his head turning left and right with each footstep, Rotom popped out and begun to frantically look around as well.
"Anything, zzzzt?" Rotom said as it spun its phone body around.
"No-nothing..." Keats said, worried. "Maybe it got tired from holding onto the plane at some point and fell off the wing..." He said with his eyes darting in various directions before finally stepping onto the ground. "Hopefully..." Keats thought.
Looking over at the wing, Keats and Rotom squinted as they noticed something flop out onto the ground as they looked at their nemesis, Stunfisk, flopping over and turning to their direction.
"Stunfiskfiskfisk!" Stunfisk said with its usual agitation.
"I can't believe it followed uzzzz all the way here!" Rotom exclaimed.
"I can..." Keats replied as he got incredibly sweaty again as he backed up slightly.
"Stunfiskfisk!" Stunfisk said as it pointed its right fin at Keats.
"Tr-translation?" Keats asked towards Rotom.
"It said it wasn't through with you yet, zzzzt..." Rotom said as the phone Pokémon looked on nervously as well.
"Great..." Keats said. "I get back Lopunny and I got information on the other jerks who stole the other five Pokemon and now I am going to die! This is so... Not fair!" He thought with worry before his thoughts turned to aggravation. "Actually no..." Keats said as Rotom looked at him.
"Huh?" Rotom muttered.
"No! I just got back from a rough couple of weeks in Unova and then had to win a battles tournament. I've been through enough since I went to that damn region, and I honestly do not want to go back ever again either!" Keats said in anger. "And you have been a bigger pain in my ass than that teenager was!" He continued to rant as he pointed at Stunfisk.
"Stunfisk!" Stunfisk exclaimed in a similar anger.
"So you know what! I'm done! I'm not going home until we settle this crap!" Keats exclaimed towards Stunfisk as he dropped both of his bags on the floor.
"Keatzzzz, what are you saying?" Rotom asked.
"I am going to beat this thing to a pulp!" Keats said as he reached into pocket and pulled out one of his regular Pokéballs as Rotom looked on as Keats prepared to throw his ball.
As he was about to throw it, however, one of the balls in Keats' pockets opened suddenly as a light emerged from his pants. Appearing from the light was Druddigon, roaring loudly as he looked at Stunfisk.
"Druuuudddd!" Druddigon bellowed as it looked at Stunfisk.
"Huh?!" Keats said in confusion.
"Druddigon emerged from hizzzz Pokéball on his own!" Rotom said in similar surprise.
"Druddi! Drudddrudd-gon!" Druddigon angrily stomped as he points at his red spiky head.
"What's he saying?" Keats asked towards Rotom.
"He's saying that he wants to destroy Stunfisk for kicking him out of his home." Rotom translated.
"...Oh yeah, I forgot that's why he even let me catch him." Keats muttered as Druddigon turned around to face Keats.
"Druddigon! Druddigon!" Druddigon exclaimed as he pointed at himself then at Stunfisk.
"Huh?" Keats mumbled.
"He says he wantzzzz to fight Stunfisk." Rotom translated as Keats' eyes shifted back towards Druddigons serious face.
"...I was gonna send out Pineco." Keats said embarrassingly as he lifted up her Pokéball as Druddigons jaw dropped.
"Druddigon drudd-druddi! Gongon!" Druddigon exclaimed as he stomped his right foot in a complaining tone.
"Stunstunstunstun!" Stunfisk laughed as it watched Druddigon thrash about before the Dragon type turned around towards the flat Pokémon.
"Druddigoooon!" Druddigon screamed. "Druddigondrudd-drudd!" The Dragon type Pokémon grunted as he pointed at his head.
"Stunstunstunstun!" Stunfisk continued to laugh as it flopped around. "Fisk! Stunfisk-fisk." The Ground and Electric type Pokémon said towards Druddigon as Druddigon stopped thrashing as his jaw dropped once more.
"What's it saying?" Keats asked towards Rotom.
"Druddigon zzzzaid if it remembers hitting him and knocking him out and Stunfisk... In a rather offensive way said "no."' Rotom said as Keats' eyes widened.
"...Yeowch... That's a shot below the belt." Keats thought as he heard a sudden thud as Druddigon dropped to his knees and made a sullen expression before grabbing clumps of the ground by ripping through the tarmac with his claws.
Making a hole, Druddigon proceeded to bury his head in the dirt as it dropped the clumps over him, his red spikes sticking out the ground. As Keats saw this, he looked at Stunfisk with its evil smirk forming on his face as Keats frowned with agitation as he walked over to Druddigon, grabbing the Dragon type by one of his wings and pulling his head out of the ground.
"Okay, come here dummy." Keats said as the Dragon type was pulled to his feet and Keats put his arm around Druddigons shoulder to talk to him quietly as they walked away slightly from Stunfisk and even Rotom. "Alright, you basically showed your weakness to that thing." He said as Druddigon raised an eye in confusion.
"Druddigon?" Druddigon said.
"Stunfisk knows if it insults you, you're going to Shellder up and hide. Remember how you said you wanted me to take you to that thing? " Keats explained as he and Druddigon looked back at Stunfisk. "So now you are going to need help beating that thing. Right?" He said as Druddigon looked at his trainer. "That thing has been trying to kill me for weeks and I don't want it following us back to my trailer and look, I know I told you that I don't care for Dragons but... Can you please..." He said as he raised his hand. "Stop! Acting! Like! A! Loon! Or! I! Am! Going! To! Die!" Keats screamed as he smacked Druddigon in the back multiple times between words as Druddigon fell forward onto his stomach.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon exclaimed as he fell down.
"Gah!" Keats screamed in pain as he clutched at his hand, now covered in marks from Druddigons "Rough Skin" ability. "Forgot about the ridges! Forgot about the ridges! Ahhh!" He said as he bent forward slightly as Stunfisk continued to watch and laugh.
"Stunstunstunstun!" Stunfisk hollered from the humorous situation unfolding as Keats and Druddigon looked at Stunfisk.
'"Grrrrr!"' Keats and Druddigon simultaneously grumbled as they noticed Stunfisk was laughing at them before Druddigon got back upright.
"Druddigon! Druddigon!" Druddigon said towards Keats as the overweight trainer shook his hand to wave off the pain as Rotom floated over.
"Druddigon says it wantzzzz to fight and it wants you to help him." Rotom translated.
"Got no choice in the matter if I want to make sure I can actually get Lopunny in my sister's hands. You got this?" Keats said before asking the Dragon type Pokémon as Druddigon nodded. "Alright then, let's do this." He said as Druddigon stepped forward as Stunfisk finally stopped chuckling.
"Stunfisk!" Stunfisk exclaimed with a malicious expression forming on its face.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon roared in response.
"Druddigon, use "Slash!"' Keats ordered as Druddigons right claw glowed white.
Rushing at Stunfisk, the flatfish-like Pokémon proceeded to flop its body to the side to dodge the attack. Charging up electricity, Stunfisk proceeded to fire off a "Thunderbolt" attack at Druddigon.
"Dodge it!" Keats exclaimed as Druddigon proceeded to flap its wings and jumped into the air, now flying above the ground and narrowly avoiding getting hit by the lightning.
"Stuuuuun-fisk!" Stunfisk said as it opened its mouth and a series of muddy bullets emerged from its mouth in Druddigons direction.
"That'zzzz "Mud Shot!"' Rotom exclaimed as Rotom looked on.
Putting up its arms to block the attack, Druddigon was pelted by the mud as Druddigon fell back down to the ground as the mud now made it harder for Druddigon to move. Bouncing up and down, Stunfisk proceeded to use "Bounce" to ascend into the air.
"And that's "Bounce."' Keats said in a frustrated tone. "This would be so much easier if Druddigon had a long-range attack!" He thought, annoyed. "Druddigon, use "Dragon Tail" when Stunfisk comes down!" Keats exclaimed.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon said with a nod as his tail begun to glow green.
"Stuuuun!" Stunfisk yelled as it descended for a strike with "Bounce."
Swinging his tail, Druddigon attempted to hit Stunfisk as the flatfish-like Pokémon and the Dragon type Pokémon collided with one another. From the force of one another's attacks, Stunfisk and Druddigon were sent flying backwards by a few feet.
"Zzzztalemate..." Rotom said.
"Do you know how to say an "S" like a normal person or no?" Keats said towards Rotom, disgruntled.
"Pfff" Stunfisk sputtered as he watched Keats and Rotom bicker.
"Hey!" Keats said as he pointed at Stunfisk. "Don't you laugh at me!" He exclaimed. "Druddigon, use "Slash!"' Keats ordered as Druddigon rushed at Stunfisk once more with a glowing claw.
"Druddigoooonn!" Druddigon exclaimed as he rushed at Stunfisk for another attack.
Flopping backwards to sidestep Druddigon once more, Stunfisk dodged Druddigons attack as it sparked up for a "Thunderbolt" a second time.
"Use "Dig!"' Keats quickly shouted as Druddigon used the momentum from missed strike and dug a hole into the ground.
"Stunfisk?!" Stunfisk exclaimed as it looked around for where Druddigon might pop up from.
"We're still at a standstill..." Keats said with a cautious tone.
"What are you gonna do, zzzzt?" Rotom asked as Keats bit his lip.
"...Not play fair." Keats said as Stunfisk still looked around for Druddigon. "Pineco! Timburr!" He shouted as he pulled out his other Pokémon's balls.
Emerging from their Pokéballs was Pineco and Timburr as they locked eyes with Stunfisk, distracting the flatfish-like Pokémon as it failed to notice the ground shaking underneath it. Breaking through, Druddigon proceeded to clothesline Stunfisk into the air.
"Timburr! "Smack Down!" Pineco!" Use "Spikes!"' Keats ordered as Timburr readied with a caber toss stance and his log glowing orange.
"Pineco!" Pineco exclaimed as she jumped and threw down a series of caltrops that sank into the ground.
"Tiiiim-burr!" Timburr exclaimed as he threw his squared into the air as it went high above where Stunfisk had gone as the flatfish-like Pokemon looked up to see the log descending towards it.
"Stun- fush!" Stunfisk said until it was hit by the log and caused Stunfisk to slam against the ground, face side down, onto the same spot where Pineco fired out "Spikes." "Fisk?" The Ground and Electric type Pokémon said in confusion as the floor begun to glow lightly.
Emerging from the ground was a series of see-through spikes, piercing through Stunfisks body. As they went through, a series of small firecracker-like explosions went off as Stunfisk was sent flying upward once again before landing further back on the ground, now covered in some wounds.
"Stunfisk..." Stunfisk said weakly.
"Yes!" Keats exclaimed as him and his Pokémon looked on with joyful expressions at the fact they finally managed to do some sizable damage to Stunfisk.
"I wouldn't call thizzzz an "one hundred percent appropriate" battle against a wild Pokémon." Rotom said as it watched Keats and all of his Pokémon stood opposite of Stunfisk.
"At this point, if we're not cheating, we're not trying! And nothing says I can't use another Pokémon against Pokémon trying to kill me!" Keats exclaimed as his Pokémon turned to look at Rotom and agreed.
"Yeah, I guezzzzzzzz?" Rotom replied. "Not zzzzure if this is considered "fair" by any standards though." The phone Pokémon said as Keats made an aggravated expression.
"I didn't steal construction equipment, burned down a park, and started one of Unovas biggest PokéCryptid stories in the last ten years to not have to deal with stuff that isn't "fair!"' Keats sputtered out as Stunfisk overheard his odd rant.
"Stunstunstun..." Stunfisk slowly muttered.
'"Huh?"' Keats and all of his Pokémon grunted in confusion.
"Stunstunstun..." Stunfisk said again.
"Is that... Laughter?" Keats said, confused and surprised.
"Stunstunstunstunstunstunstun!" Stunfisk said as it bolted into laughter.
"...Okay, now I am scared." Keats said as Druddigon, Timburr and Pineco all nodded in similar worry.
"Stunfisk-stun. Fisk! Fisk!" Stunfisk said towards Keats with its left fin pointing at him.
"Rotom?" Keats said as he turned towards the floating phone. "Why is it chuckling and pointing at me? Is-is it saying it wants to zap me until I pee myself?" He asked as Pineco, Druddigon and Timburr looked at Rotom.
"...It's finding thizzzz fight amusing..." Rotom said with a disturbed face on its screen.
"Stunstunstun!" Stunfisk laughed once more. "Fiskfisk-stun." The flatfish Pokémon said as Keats raised an eyebrow as Pinecos eyes widened and Druddigon and Timburrs jaws dropped.
"What now?" Keats asked.
"...It'zzzz asking for you to catch it so it can enjoy the humor more." Rotom said, horrified as Keats' eyes widened.
"What?!" Keats exclaimed.
"Stunfisk!" Stunfisk exclaimed in response.
"It zzzzayzzzz to catch it now." Rotom said in shock as the other Pokémon turned to Keats and shook their heads left and right to signify a "no."
Standing silently, Keats looked at the Ground and Electric Pokémon as he and it locked eyes. Staring at it for a moment, Keats reached into one of his bags and looked around. Making an unsure face, Keats turned and reached into the other bag to look for something.
"...I'm out of balls." Keats said as everyone looked at him before everyone turned to look at Stunfisk, a plain expression on its face before smirking.
"Pffff! Stunstunstunstun!" Stunfisk laughed once again as it flopped up and down.
"...Does it think we're a comedy act?" Keats thought as him and all of his Pokémon watched the usually violent Pokémon just recoiling from laughter.
"Stun! Fiskfisk!" Stunfisk said as Keats looked at Rotom.
"Rotom...?" Keats said with a questioning tone.
"It zzzzayzzzz "you win."' Rotom said, eyes wide on its screen as Keats' eyes twitched.
"...I am so confused." Keats said as Stunfisk proceeded to flop away. "Is it... Leaving?" He thought as Keats and his Pokémon just turned their heads in its direction as the flatfish-like Pokémon waved goodbye to them as it proceeded to go up the stairs that connected to the plane.
'"Haaaaaa!"' Keats, Druddigon, Timburr, Rotom and Pineco all exclaimed in a sigh of relief as they proceeded to lay down on the ground.
"Finally... Finally over..." Keats said in a sigh of relief.
"Never have to zzzzee that Pokémon ever again." Rotom said as it looked up at the sky from the ground. "And good work on that lie about the Pokéballzzzz." The phone Pokémon said.
"Huh? Oh, I was being serious. I didn't have any more Pokéballs." Keats said as he sat up as he turned his head to the side and noticed the turbines were beginning to wind up. "Oh crap! Everyone move!" He screamed as Druddigon grabbed Pineco and Timburr and Keats grabbed Rotom, Timburrs log and his bags as the plane flew off into the air.
"Hey!" A man in a pilot's uniform exclaimed as he ran out onto the tarmac. "Where's the plane going?!" The pilot said in confusion.
"What the heck!?" Another man in a pilot's uniform said. "Hey, you!" The man said as he pointed at Keats and his Pokémon.
"Huh?" Keats said as he stood back up with all of his Pokémon.
"We're the pilots of that plane from Unova and everyone got off when we landed. Did you see who stole that plane?" The pilot asked Keats.
"I didn't see anybody go inside that plane aside from-" Keats said until a realization formed in his head as to who may be flying that plane.
"Well?" The other pilot asked as the two of them looked at overweight trainer.
"Not really..." Keats said as he and his Pokémon walked away. "Even if I told them, they wouldn't believe me..." He thought after grabbing his bags off the ground.
Pulling out his two Pokéballs and Ultra Ball, Keats recalled all three of his Pokémon as Rotom flew beside him.
"Thizzzz has to be probably the most dysfunctional Pokémon journey in recorded history..." Rotom said.
"...At least we're in Johto now..." Keats said with a head shake.
"Hold on, Keatzzzz." Rotom said as he flew in front of Keats to talk to him.
"Yeah?" Keats said as he stopped walking.
"Did you remember to bring the prize money and Lopunny's Pokéball, zzzzt?" Rotom asked as Keats made a confused expression as he looked down at his twin messenger bags.
"Uhhhh..." Keats said as he put down his bags.
"Are you kidding me?!" Rotom said as it began to scream in anger. "All thizzzz time, all thizzzz effort and your zzzztupid butt couldn't even keep a hold onto zzzzomething azzzz important azzzz-" The phone Pokémon ranted until Keats stopped.
"Found it!" Keats said as he pulled out the briefcase of money he won from the PokéPotluck and Lopunny's Pokéball as Rotom made a regretful face on its screen.
"...I'm zzzzorry..." Rotom said as Keats looked at the floating phone.
"Don't worry, I tuned you out the moment you stopped to talk." Keats said with a dumb smile as he put away the case of money and Lopunny's Pokéball back into his bag and walked away.
"...I need to go on a power nap for three months after all of this..." Rotom thought as he followed Keats back home.
Hiiiiiiiiii Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooooopppppppppppllllllllllleeeeeeeeeee... Hoooooowwwww yooooooouuuuu liiiiiikkkkinggggggggg daaaaaaaa shhhhhhhhhhoooooooowwwwwwwww soooooooooo fffaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr? *The narrator has been removed from the booth*
Keats' Pokémon:
1. Pineco.
2. Timburr.
3. Druddigon.
Authors Note: (Hey folks, sorry for the slight delay, this chapter was supposed to be up before the change of the month, but time got away from me as I was hitting into my backlog and other things. We've officially made it to the end of Arc 1! Woo!)
