Chapter 111 – Team Rocket survival crisis
Team Rocket's Castle...
Ashachu jumped through the Hoopa ring, hoping the sound of his paws hitting the floor wouldn't be enough to attract attention to him. The portal opened led from the Mecha hangar into another similarly large dimly lit room...wasn't anywhere in this castle properly lit.
"Your schematics better be right Meowth," Ashachu muttered to himself as he glanced around the room. Behind him, the wispy figure of Hoopa followed Ashachu through the portal and came to hover above his head.
Most of the space in this chamber was taken up by a giant glass tank, similar to the one which held Mewtwo. Only this one was four times the size and filled with a glowing green liquid. Inside was a lion shaped Pokémon that seemed to be made up of a series of angular crystals.
"Necrozma," Ashachu whispered. "Team Rocket must be drawing its energy as a power source!"
There were few others in the room. A couple of Team Rocket operatives wearing black uniforms, and some Pokémon. Electric types mostly; Magnamite, Elekid, Voltorb, and a single Raichu sitting on a highchair in front of a console beside the giant tank, whom Ashachu approached.
"Huh." The Raichu glanced down as he noticed Ashachu and Hoopa approaching. "You can't be in here?"
Ashachu vaguely recognised the Raichu. Hadn't he been one of the Pokémon working on the Shadowpiercer back in Galar. For a brief moment he started to have second thoughts about what he was about to do. He didn't really what to see this Raichu or any of the other Pokémon here harmed. But it was too late to pull out now...not with all of them trapped inside the castle.
"This is the central power and control room for the whole castle. These buttons and dials control the EM waves for the big guy here." Raichu flicked an ear towards the enormous tank containing Necrozma. "One turn of these dials or push of these buttons could rip open an ultra-wormhole and transport us somewhere else."
The Raichu looked back at Ashachu and coxed its head. "Why is your fur dyed like that."
Ashachu had redyed his fur black and painted a purple R on his chest. A homage to his brief time spent as part of the Team Rocket Trio, with Jessie, James and Meowth. Ashachu ignored the Raichu and climbed up onto the console.
"Hey. What are you doing?"
"Yeah, well it's a bad idea to have it designed that way isn't it," Ashachu retorted as he tapped at the console with his paws.
"Whaaa!" A horrified expression crossed the Raichu's face as the liquid in the tank begun to glow, filling the chamber with a bright white light.
Then around the castle, a crisscross of rainbow and white light begun to appear, taking over from the blackness of the Ultra Space.
[Pokémon]
Mossdeep City, Hoenn Region...
KABOOM...
The earthquake roused the inhabitants of Mossdeep city from their beds. All over the island, people and Pokémon spilled out of their homes and into the streets as the ground shook and the black skies filled with a weird display of white- and rainbow-coloured lights. A state of panic quickly ensured as people looked to the hill and saw what had occurred in the space centre.
A castle...An actual castle, with towers, turrets, and walls...Had appeared in the middle of the space centre.
It was quite the site to behold. It rested at an angle, with one section sticking up in the air and the other buried deep in the ground. As though it had been thrown there from a great height by Arceus himself. The castle had appeared on the main launch pad; The gantry and a large white rocket were poking out of the top and side of one of the central turret. The main control building looked like it had merged with a tower on the far-left side of the castle.
Whatever force had caused the materialisation of the castle, had sent debris flying through the air. Local cried out and screamed as Primids, a spacesuit and what appeared to be part of a rocket flew through the air like meteoroids. Fortunately, the force of the impact was sufficient to throw them into the ocean, and they did not hit the town.
[Pokémon]
"Wh-What the fuck," the Raichu cried out, his eyes wide as a Venonat's as he stared horrified around the chamber. Sirens were going off all around the castle, a red light was flashing overhead, and parts of the ceiling were caving in. The glass tank holding Necrozma had started to crack, liquid seeping out.
But none of that was what had Raichu horrified...The location on the display on the console before him, was the thing which had him most frightened.
"You just teleported us into a fucking military base..."
Ashachu spun around, looking at the Raichu with an almost pitying expression in his eyes. But he had no time to dwell on the other mouse. "Hide," he snapped as he jumped off the console, then gestured to Hoopa with his paw.
Hoopa promptly removed a ring from his ear and tossed it down to Ashachu, who jumped through it and disappeared...
[Pokémon]
Throughout the now merged Team Rocket's Castle and the Mossdeep Space Centre, pandemonium reigned...
Since Jessie, James and Meowth had first infiltrated the Mossdeep Centre and nearly stole a space shuttle, the government had transferred all civilian space operations to the military, specifically newly conceived Space Force and the Space Centre was now a military base.
Commander Hux, who had led the raid on the Centurion, had been promoted to the rank of General and put in charge of the facility. This was his first real emergency that had occurred under his watch, and there wasn't anything in basic training that covered it. But disciplined and courageous as he was, he took charge, sending a distress signal to every nearby military post.
"This is the Mossdeed Space Centre facility to all available units notifying of a Code Red. The enemy is within the walls, I repeat the enemy is within the walls. Requesting immediate assistance, I repeat immediate assistance."
Of course, Mossdeep was not defenceless against Team Rocket. Far from it. As the main launching facility for the Space Force, the base garrisoned at least two legions of Primids at all times. And when placed under direct hostilities, with no other orders issued, the Primids reverted to their primary objective; to slaughter every enemy Pokémon in sight.
They were, after all, machines designed to kill and murder Pokémon...
The legions stormed the castle, marching down its corridors three abreast, armed with blasters and laser swords. Secret high-tech weaponry built by or commissioned for the military. Though desperate Team Rocket grunts sent their Pokémon out to, they quickly proved ineffectual. The Primids were impervious to their attacks, and the Pokémon were cut down in a fury of swords and gun fire.
The Primids plunged through Golem and Ryhdon with their laser swords, causing their rocky bodies to literally melt from the insides like magma in a volcano. Machop, Sandslash and Mightyena were literally gutted. Slashed so widely and so deeply across their bellies that their entrails fell out. And then there were the poor Golbat and Crobat, favourite of Team Rocket and other villains, who were shot out of the air by the Primid's blasters. The laser burned their skin and wings black.
The floor and walls of the castle were slick with blood.
[Pokémon]
"What in the name of the distortion world is going on!"
The ground shook violently and cracks started to appear in the walls and across the ceiling. Bits of plaster and cement cell to the floor, causing Ash and everyone else present to fear a cave in. The tanks holding the members of the Zeraora Guild were starting to crack, though not sufficiently to free the Pokémon held captive within.
For both Ash and his Team Rocket captives, one questions was on their minds...What in the distortion world was going on...
Doctor Namba was trying to figure it out. Taking a communicator out of a pocket in his lab coat and barking queries to various Rocket agents, all of whom were failing to respond.
"This is Doctor Namba to the Halberd Bridge. Commander, do you read me...Halberd bridge, come in, I demand an immediate indecent report."
...tck...
"This is Namba calling Secondary flight deck for an immediate incident report. Do you read me. Secondary flight deck come in."
...Tck...
"This is Doctor Namba on all frequencies. If anybody is listening, please respond. I am with the boss in the secondary energy chamber requesting an immediate status update." He grimaced and returned the communicator to his pocket, before saying desperately to Giovanni, "Sir, I can't get contact with anybody outside."
If Giovanni were concerned or worried by the situation, he wasn't showing it. He nodded to Namba before glaring at Ash and demanding, "What have you done?"
Ash shrugged. "I-I haven't done anything."
Ash's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to work out what to do. Mewtwo still had Pikachu and Pichu held in his psychic grasp and the two yellow mice continued to spin around his head like planets around a star. Without the rest of his Pokémon, Ash had no hope of freeing them, but maybe there was another way out. His eyes darted between the tanks that were cracking around him. If he could get these legendary Pokémon free...
Delia put her two hands on her father's shoulders and said in a high voice, "father, how can he have had anything to do with this, he's been with us the whole time."
Jessie and James meanwhile were giving their usual display of cowardice, huddling together while calling out each other's names.
"Jessie..."
"JAMES..."
Though nobody was paying them any attention.
"Alright, I'm heading up to the bridge," snapped Giovanni, shrugging Delia off him. "Mewtwo..."
But whatever command he was going to give to Mewtwo was cut off at that point, by the appearance of a bright red ring in the middle of the chamber, out of which a certain black Pikachu leapt; fur bristle, tail raised and cheeks sparking.
"TEAM ROCKET!"
"A-Ashachu," Ash gasped in disbelief. "H..."
Ashachu let off a bright spark of electricity. Ash felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end from the static caused by Ashachu's display. Pikachu and Pichu both gasped as all eyes in the room fell on Ashachu and the portal from which he had emerged.
"Pikaka!"
"Pichu pi."
"Wait, isn't that mini-twerp Pikachu," James wondered aloud.
Geyser leapt out of the portal from behind Ashachu, standing on his hind legs with his Simitars held in each forepaw like swords. Followed by Oshawott, Blade, Sniveon and Dragonite.
"It's over Team Rocket," growled Ashachu. "We got you!"
"What. Who are you and what are you doing here?" Giovanni seemed genuinely taken-a-back by the arrival of Ashachu and Ash's other Pokémon, but he maintained his composure. "It matters not. Mewtwo, new orders...Destroy them!"
Mewtwo stepped forward, raising a gloved paw like a pitcher about to bowl a baseball. And Indeed, a large shadowy orb formed between his three fingers, which he hurled at Ashachu and the others, causing Ash to cry out, "Ashachu...LOOK OUT!"
At the same time, Pikachu and Pichu flew further up towards the ceiling. Mewtwo's method of keeping them out of the way for the fight. Ashachu meanwhile conjured a ball of sparks on his tail and hurled it at Mewtwo, while Geyser hosed out a water gun attack, and Dragonite fired off Hyperbeam. The Trio of attacks fired stopped the shadow ball in its track and caused it to explode.
BOOM!
The ground shook, and deeper cracks started to appear in the walls. At first, Ash blinked in disbelief that those attacks could cause such a shockwave. However, he quickly realised that it was not the colliding attack that had caused the fresh cracks in the walls. A hole had opened through which Primids poured in. A unit of about 6 of them.
"Wait, government Soldiers," cried Namba. "What the hell did those little brats do!"
"Brought you to justice," Ashachu replied. "Literally."
The Primids were vaguely humanoid in shape with round heads and bodies. They were black, except for a pair of red eyes in the middle of their heads (and sometimes other patterns in red). They were each dressed in a green military uniform, with the Pokémon Nation crest embroidered under the collar. They were each armed with laser swords, which they brandished as they entered the room.
"You will surrender?" The Primid spoke in an electronic sounding voice. "You are commanded to withdraw all Pokémon, or they will be destroyed."
Mewtwo spun around, turning away from Ashachu, Geyser and the others and towards his new enemies. Once again, he raised a hand and produced a shadow ball. The Primids raised their swords in response and charged at Mewtwo. Mewtwo threw his shadow ball, striking the first of the Primids in the chest.
It exploded into a shower of small shadow like particles, like bugs. It's uniform and laser sword fell to the ground. The others continued to advance. Mewtwo raised his arm again and prepared to use another Shadow Ball attack. But this time he wasn't fast enough and the Primid's were upon him. The first struck him in the legs with the laser sword.
Mewtwo fell to his knees, making a sound that sounded like a cry of pain. "Whaaa…"
The other four Primids grabbed him from behind and forced him forward headfirst into the floor.
"Pikapi!"
"PICHU."
The psychic link to Pikachu and Pichu fell from the ceiling like stones. Ash ran to grab them but was elbowed out the way by Giovanni. Giovanni grabbed the falling the Pichu by the scruff of his neck and stuffed the little mouse into a pocket on the inside of his blazer.
"Hey, watch it." Ash just managed to stop himself falling over. He pushed himself up, clutching at the pain in his side and glared at his father. "Let him go," he demanded.
"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu growled, as he managed to land on his paws.
Giovanni ignored Ash, instead pointing at Jessie and James, and demanding, "you two. Take care of the others. Delia come with me."
The floor shook violently as more of the ceiling fell into the chamber. Jessie and James stood to attention and saluted the boss.
"Yes sir."
"You can count on us!"
Giovanni took no notice of this, as he grabbed hold of Delia's arm and ran over to the door at the other end of the chamber. The two disappeared out the door.
"Hey! Get back here!"
Ash gave chase, Pikachu at his heels. Mewtwo continued to moan and cry as the five Primids held him down. Meanwhile, Ashachu, Geyser and the remainder of Ash's Pokémon and the three remaining Team Rocket members rounded on each other.
"Where's Serviper," Ashachu snarled, his cheeks sparking furiously.
"Oh, you want to play," Jessie laughed, tauntingly as she removed a Pokéball from her belt and tossed it. "Have fun!"
Ashachu suddenly found himself standing in the wake of the giant form of the Totem Serviper. The giant snake was looking down on them, his tongue, almost as big as Ashachu was himself, flicking in and out of its maw.
"Well. Thissss issss a pleasant sssssurpise, issssn't it."
Ashachu stood his ground, pointing a paw at Serviper and growling, "I'm going to fucking kill you!"
[Pokémon]
Meanwhile…
"Ugh… what the heck is going on!" Cried a bewildered Cassidy, several floors above in the castle's main entrance chamber.
Here too, the floor was shaking and the walls and ceiling starting to crack as the Primids invaded the castle. All around, Team Rocket grunts and Pokémon were rushing for the hangar and the exit, while overhead a siren was whirring and something inaudible was being shouted over the intercom.
Cassidy tore off her communicator and started shouting into it. "Butch, are you there. What's happening…Butch are you there. Hello, Butch…can you here me…ANSWER YOUR PHO E!"
She let out a frustrated groan and then reached out and grabbed a hold of one of the passing grunts by the neck. "You…what's going on?"
"We're under attack," the young man replied, his voice high and frightened. "We teleported into a military base."
"What…"
In all the confusion, Cassidy had momentarily forgotten the two prisoners in her charge. Cameron and Jimmy, stripped to their underwear (or moreover, still stripped), shackled by their ankles and forced to get done on their hands and knees to scrub the floor. A dirty bucket of water and a pair of brushes lay on the ground beside them.
"Wait, did he say the military," Jimmy whispered as he raised himself onto his knees. "Did you think Ash…"
"Ssssh." Cameron put a finger of his lips to quite his friend.
"Hello, central command…hello is anyone there." Cassidy had put the communicator back to her ear and bellowed into it. She was still holding the other Rocket grunt with her other hand. "Is this even work…" THUMP!
In the blink of an eye, Cameron jumped to his feet with the mop bucket in his hands, raised it above his head, turned it upside down and slammed it over Cassidy's head. The contents of the bucket cascaded over her, soaking her uniform. Cassidy, dazed by the blow to the head, collapsed to her knees and fell forward.
Cameron folded his arms and admitted his handiwork. "Hey you alright man," he giggled. "You're looking a little pale."
Jimmy scrambled to grab the keys to the shackles from Cassidy's belt. "That was amazing," he exclaimed as he looked back up at Cameron. "You're amazing!" He sat up and heard the key to undo his and Cameron's shackles before getting to his feet and adding, "right let's go find Ash and our Pokémon."