Standing on the bridge of the largest ship in the fleet, Jessie, James, and Meowth observed route 12 of the Kalos region through the forward viewports with a look of pure hatred. By all accounts the place was beautiful, even from above it was quite the sight. Its lake shined, but they only seen a crimson lake.
They only seen an infinite source of food and weaklings to butcher.
A droid commander approached him.
Leaving the bridge, James, Jessie, and Meowth entered their personal chamber.
Holo-images of droids and were revolving above a ring of several holo-projectors.
The droid commander flanked them and stood at their side.
Kalos will bleed. Meowth thought. The Pancham are my prey. I am to be feared.
"Commanders. Specifically target where the Pancham are."
A holo-map blurred from a holo-projector outside the ring, detailing Kalos and the cities. Vaniville town, Aquadcorde town, Santalune City, Lumiose City, Camphrier Town, Cyllage City, Ambrette town, Geosenge town, Shalour city, Coumarine city, Laverre city, Dendemille town, Anistar city, Couriway town, Snowbelle city, and Kiloude city.
Another sixteen locations, spots, areas of significance, and monuments appeared on the holo-map. The rest of the Region's landscape was primarily forest. Mountains were dotted throughout, with rivers and streams, but this region was primarily a forest.
Lakes and rivers balanced things out on the otherwise mostly land-ridden world.
"I want fighters, assault crafts, tanks, and cruisers to destroy the canopy of the forest. Smaller vehicles are to pinpoint the canopy as well in addition to the forest itself. Focus planet wide fire on the forests and not just on one location, in addition troop transports should flank them and go level by level with flame throwers, grenade launchers, shotguns, and rocket launchers."
"The Kalos region has no advanced technology and nothing close to ranged weapons or planetary defense shields, orbital bombardment is the simplest means to obliterate them. We could wipe out the forests from space in a short time."
James nodded at the Droid.
"True, but that would obliterate them. They wouldn't even know what happened. Their deaths would happen too quickly. I want them out of their cities and clustered together so they can watch their forests burn and their kin being blasted to pieces. I want their will, their will to live, their spirit, and their very being to be broken."
"I know a little about the Pancham and Pangoro thanks to my advanced programming regarding biological life forms. They are contemptible and insignificant creatures. The fact remains that they won't be taken into captivity without a fight." James said.
Meowth grinned, red eyes glowing.
"I am fully expecting a fight with the Pancham and Pangoro. I want them to fight as hard as they can, I want them to run as fast as they can, because when they fail, when they lose, when they face death...It will crush them completely. They will beg and plead, and they will feel true horror. I want as many as alive as possible. Males, females, and the young. Tell the Droids to drive them from their trees and wherever else they want to hide into the open spaces. Then use whatever means are at our disposal to break, batter, and decimate them."
"Kalos has no aerial guard."
"Precisely. We are free to do we please." Meowth smirked.
"Shall we occupy the region with overwhelming force and begin the process of extermination in that case?"
"Occupy the entire region...Hold off on extermination, and look into using them as a food source possibly and also look into what their fur could be used for. The Pancham and Pangoro have a purpose they have to see through."
"What are we supposed to do with thousands of Pancham and Pangoro taken as captives if we do not exterminate them? A village contains at least two hundred and there are many villages concentrated around a central one. The entire Kalos forest region is covered with them. Pancham and Pangoro are not the only Pokemon that calls this place home. They could prove to be problematic if we give them the chance. If they go into the deeper pockets of forests we could spend years trying to route them out completely."
Meowth turned to the MagnaGuard.
"How many Pancham are there?"
"Left to breed like they have, their numbers are beyond expectation according to our estimates from scans of the world. There could be one thosuand, five thousand, or even more...This is a region that has never seen much attention. No one or anything has been able to decimate the population even once-they've been free and safe to reproduce."
"Are there any other Pokemon?"
"There are Fenniken, Froakie, Chespin, and Fletchlinder as well."
Jessie nodded.
"Herd the little filthy Pancham and Pangoro into containment and keep them contained until they accept their defeat. Beat them. Shock them. Separate the young from their families and the families from each other. Torture them. Beat their elders. Take off their arms and legs, their fingers, their toes, but do not kill them. Snap and break their limbs. I have something special planned for them, something that will break their spirits forever until they are butchered out of existence."
"And, what of our ships?"
Meowth smiled.
"Begin to descend. Prime the turbolasers. Ready the hyper focused beams. Begin to target all areas of interest in this region. Move all transports to these locations as well and begin surgical attacks from the ground and air. Equip all of the droids with jet packs or repulsors depending on their model. Ready the first generation Platoon Attack Craft and our most recent, the seventh generation...Deploy all of them. We will maintain our high position and allow our forces to swarm over this region."
"Overwhelming odds will be secured through this course of action. But, may I suggest one thing before we begin our attack?"
James nodded.
Mewoth and Jessie looked at each other for a moment and then looked at mewoth.
"Pinching and flanking them once they begin to retreat into the forests will prevent them from drawing the battle out."
"Circle the entire region in that case. Ready all Speeder Bikes and vehicles like them. Prep surgical aerial bombardments and prime every weapon for maximum destruction. We will force them into a retreat and then blast them right out of the forest."
The ships roared like thunder looming over the forests of Kalos, their gigantic forms blotted out the sun's light and covered the skies. Lines of Multi Troop Transports and Armored Assault Tanks formed the first wave, spread out over a distance of more than two thousand feet, armor plating and weapons blocking the sun's gleaming rays.
Behind them the gigantic transports of the Team Rocket loomed ominously, gigantic bodies of armor plated steel hovering with roaring engines, long fronts circled off with ion cannons, and sides splitting off into heavy laser turrets, all pointed at the forests, and all taking aim at something alive.
Battle droids controlled transports and assault tanks.
A Pancham stared at the sight in terror.
They blotted out the sun's light.
They blotted out the sky.
They blotted out the light.
There was not a living thing in sight, not one that would react to the terrible toll of battle like the Pancham and Pangoro would. Not one that would lose stamina, will, endurance, and drive like a flesh being would when massive death tolls began to climb.
It made the Pancham's skin crawl to know what the shadow meant.
They had no shields and no outside contact with anyone. There was no shield generator that could be activated to surround the region, nothing to repel blaster fire from tearing into the forests, nothing at all to stop the carnage that was about to be unleashed on the peaceful world.
The Pancham's blood ran cold. The coloring of the sky turned to pitch black, crackling and clicking as it morphed into one massive mechanical hive. On a signal from a Tactical Droid, tanks open fired, laser turrets streaked, and ion cannons burst and erupted, sending more than a thousand rounds into the canopy and forest in the first three seconds like a torrential thunderstorm. Beams hammered into the trees and earth, effectively shattering and obliterating everything that got in their way, splitting through wood, carving through clay, and blasting trees so great waves of rubble rampaged down their base and across the terrain.
Now under assault, the spying Pancham ran in fear, struggling to waddle away. Astride his fellows, one Pancham shrieked as a branch snapped, crushing his body. The other flinched and squirmed fearfully. With another cry, he too was crushed, body splitting in half under the weight of a branch. The last one screamed as a thick branch fell on its back, crushing its spine and ribs, leaving it to choke on its blood.
Another branch smashed it to a pulp seconds later.
The tank's cannons continued their attack, bursts of destruction spearing across the length of the sky, pounding at the canopy, sending flames and ash high into the atmosphere until it was covered in a smog and there was a black, suffocating haze. The flash and burn of the blasts was enough to burn them severely, but the explosions and impacts were agonizing. Each one pulverized the air, pulverized the Pancham and Pangoro into nothing but ash, ripped tree bark, sent Pancham charred corpses and remains across the forest floor, and sent more cartwheeling to their demise.
More were blasted to pieces by the tank fire.
Finally, the hail storm stopped. As successive and well timed the firing was, not every blast could break through the expansive canopy and even less into the trees. The canopy was burning, withering, but it was still remaining strong for the most part. The trunks and boles remained strong. Even if branches were snapping, crashing, and smashing through everything-it was their foundations that were remaining strong.
Within their protective canopy, the surviving Pancham huddled together.
"Cham." One Pancham muttered, eyes glazed over with fear. "Pancham."
"Pancham. Pancham. Cham." One Pancham pointed at the few.
"Pancham."
"Pancham."
"Cham. Pancham." One Pancham shook its head.
"Pancham-"
Their dispute was cut short.
The air roared like thunder once more, and the massive transports and troop transports moved forward, engines blasting. The rectangular, long doors opened, widening to reveal trillions and more trillions of racks mounted within. The racks rolled forward on kilometer long rails, revealing row after row of battle droids, super battle droids, perimeter droids, ultra battle droids, commando droids, rocket battle droids, and Spider Droids
The racks slowly, carefully, and methodically began to extend from their stationary positions. They moved lower and lower, spreading outwards, backwards, and forwards in grid formations, filling the open space in front of the horizon with raining droids. Suspended in the sky, the racks turned to black streaks that blotted out the horizon and every end.
The Pancham exchanged glances.
The racks began to release the droids, their repulsors and jet packs keeping them afloat as they unfolded into standing positions, arms and legs extending, bodies straightening. They reached over their shoulders and pulled their blaster rifles forward.
"Commence attack." James gave the order through his comlink.
The entire array of destructive droids began to disperse, spread, and zoom, all flying in opposite directions, taking to the canopy, cutting through it completely, spearing to the forest floor, and they even began to push across the forest floor itself blasters firing maelstroms of death. Bright metal glimmers filled the sky from end to end and horizon to horizon. Those same glimmers were raining onto the forest floor.
The battle droids and vehicles that had been the first to descend were already destroyed, from rocks, tree trunks, branches, clubs, spears, and the occasional palm from the Pancham. More and more attack craft and transports were dropping from the darkening sky, crashing, bashing, and spearing through the trees in smoking heaps to create an opening in the plexus. The attack wasn't confined to one area, it was being repeated in cites and villages region wide. The entire canopy was going up in flames.
Droids fell from their perches high above, repulsors shorting, and rockets exploding as they met their end.
Nothing or no creature was spared.
Not even the droids.
The surrounding trees made it difficult for the larger vessels to hover outside the perimeter of the landing platforms that had been carved out from tree villages. The mammoth trees were natural fortresses and as ancient as time itself. They not only smothered blaster bolts and other more powerful projectiles, but also provided thousands of defensive and offensive platforms for the Pancham and Pangoro.
They provided the Pancham and Pangoro with vines and branches to control massive trunk like pendulums. More importantly, these trees had endured for thousands and thousands of years and were not easily burned, chipped, let alone uprooted or obliterated from simple blaster fire. Even tank fire would do little damage in the long run.
The way Team Rocket deployed his aerial and ground force meant that he was taking advantage of the fact that the Kalos region had no ranged weapons, shields, and no defenses against air vehicles.
But, there was one thing they failed to take into account.
The Pancham and Pangoro lived off the land, and they used the environment for warfare. They had a network of vines, huge branches tied by thick vines to smash into assault craft, hang gliders, clubs, axes, and rocks.
The Pancham and Pangoro were putting it all to good use. The larger war ships were unable to descend below the level of the canopy without the risk of being contorted by one of the many branches or obliterating a tree trunk completely.
The Pancham used vines and tied trunks to mangle them on their descents. super battle droids succeeded in evading the rocks and debris being thrown by the Pancham, but were being devastated by the collapsing branches and friendly fire. Smaller troop transports hovered level by level in the forest all the droids mounted with rocket launchers, grenade launchers, shotguns, flamethrowers, and repeating blasters. They blasted every level, not even cowering when a branch destroyed them along with the transport
Droids, Pangoro, and Pancham alike that attempted to rappel or swing were picked off by the hails of blaster bolts and rocks, sometimes entire bands of Pancham swung out from the tree tops on braided vines to take down thousands of droids or be flung from their vines, to a plummeting death. The droids that survived the first airborne assault focused their fire high in the trees, throwing grenades, expelling trails from their flame throwers, and sending showers of flaming debris crashing down hard to the forest floor.
Hundreds of Pancham charged with wooden shields, spears, and clubs. Pancham females fought as fiercely as the males to protect their villages. Battle droids equipped with flame throwers targeted anything the aerial attack missed, and many Pancham and Pangoro were running away, intent on going deeper into the forest, and sequestering themselves.
The droids followed them, flame throwers unleashing a steady stream until it grew out of control and began to burn the droids themselves leading the assault.
In areas where the fighting had finally lessened, many Pancham and Pangoro females and younglings were falling back toward the tree-city, or evacuating the lower levels for the refuge of the high forest where it wasn't being burned. Others raced deeper into the forests, falling over on themselves in their quick retreats.
Meowth was more than aware that if the Pancham and Pangoro were faced with captivity, they would flee their tree cities and villages, and then become a little army they hadn't yet faced, but that was the whole point.
They were to be crushed on every level.
If they mounted an army, it would be utterly wiped out.
But, they wouldn't get the chance-they wouldn't have the courage.
Not when he was through with them.
There was an exodus of females and younglings racing from a tree city's lowest levels. One Pancham thought about his friend, who was also under attack. He was several days away to the south.
It was in flames according to many, and many Pancham had been crushed and burned alive.
Even more were taken into containment or beat to death. Off to his left, three of the Pancham who had been fighting alongside him for the better part of two straight hours were racing back toward a tree that was about to fall. With a roar the whole top part of tree smashed them into pulp. Lifting his eyes the from the bloody sight, he spotted a shuttle that was taking fire from his fellow Pancham, Pangoro, and droids as it attempted to settle on one of the tree-city balconies.
Even higher, the sky was covered by streaking blasts and the flares of engines, flames spewed through the whole expanse, and still swarming with tanks and droids, eerily reminiscent of an eclipse in the shadow it cast over everything. Now there were so many enemies that there was no light to get through.
They were covering it completely.
Pangoro and Pancham fought against the ground forces and did what they could do against the aerial forces, but the outcome was inevitable.
The Pancham and Pangoro were successful in repelling the first waves of droids and assault craft, but it was only a matter of time before the ships began their attack.
And, then Kalos would fall without reprieve.
Packs bulging with survival food, Pancham and Pangoro streamed down vines and swung down to lower levels, racing across their suspended bridges, and disappearing into the thick vegetation that surrounded them. The Pancham and Pangoro had natural enemies and predators on the world. They had thousands upon thousands of evacuation routes and hideouts. Each one was filled with food and supplies that wove through the forest all the way to the ocean on the other side.
Even young Pancham knew of legends, how to construct shelters, how to fashion the vines, how to climb, how to swing, and how to make rope. They knew which plants were edible, the location of freshwater springs, and the areas where their predators lurked.
They looked up at the shuttle starting to whimper in fear.
Whoever was in that shuttle radiated such evil and hatred that it made their fur shrivel up.
"Pancham..."
Targeted by rocks, blaster fire from his own droids, and stones, Team Rocket's shuttle veered for the largest of the tree city's platforms. Its powerful defensive shields deflected everything and its lasers spewed fire at the Pancham that had been gliding towards him. Meowth focused the aim and unleashed another storm of fire. The trees splintered and shattered, falling towards the ground, sagging in heaps, and dozens of Pancham shrieked as they plummeted with them into the belly of flames.
The impacts ripped into the balcony's wooden columns and beams, filling the air with debris and the cries of Pancham and Pangoro falling to their demise, being burned alive, or being burned and ripped apart by the powerful weapons thrusting the region itself.
The explosions sent the Pancham flying far and wide. Hurled clear off the trees and the ground, some were sent flying high into the canopy to catch fire, and finally fall into a mess of blood as their bodies splattered from the impact.
In the shuttle, james looked at a holo-image of one of the Tactical Droids.
"Our attacks are being met with resistance planet-wide, and there are complications in many areas. The Pancham and Pangoro do not like the idea of captivity. They're abandoning the villages and cities and going for the high and deep forests. If they penetrate deeply enough, we will need years to route them out."
James addressed another commander.
"Do you agree?"
"Too many of our ranks are being jammed up in the forests, even with our flame throwers and other weapons. The Pancham and Pangoro have vines, ropes, bridges, and hideouts. They are digging themselves in and trying to get higher in the trees. Our droids and ships are starting to take each other out. Grant permission to initiate aerial bombardment."
Meowth thought about it.
This was what he was going to do in the long run anyways.
Herd them up in the forest and then blast them out.
"You may commence aerial bombardment, Do not target where I am right now. I have some Pancham and Pangoro to slaughter and maim. Be precise in your application of the bombardment."
The holo-images faded.
James leapt out the shuttle's window, drawing his blade with his right hand, and threw himself down even faster until the wind cut into his cheeks. His blade weaved and twirled, splitting rocks from all sides, cutting through Pancham, and brushing away flames. Droids were falling before they could even push into the deep pockets of forest. The Pancham and Pangoro were digging themselves in, using high vantage points to launch rocks and other projectiles, using their vines to send trunks flying every which way.
Jessie focused the power to the engines on the shuttle, swung it around hard enough that the engines whined and spewed out enough force to set fire to nearby trees, and drenched the entire area with a barrage of blasts. At the same time, two hundred Pancham with survival bags rushed from cover and managed to get a few inches. A deafening explosion blew the entire tree and suspended bridge to shrapnel, sending the Pancham plummeting into a fiery pit.
James marched through the flames and destruction searching out every Pancham and Pangoro. His blade whacked left to right, up and down, diagonal and even at odder angles. He cut through swinging branches, bisected vines to send Pancham and Pangoro flying to their deaths, and flourished his blade so he amputated one arm or one leg.
He destroyed their traps and sent their swinging tree trunks toppling to the ground to crush them under it or send the trees themselves crashing to the ground. Shrieking, the Pancham tried to just not hold their positions, but they tried to push against James in a would be vicious attack.
But, they had never faced Team Rocket, even their worst enemies could compare to members of Team Rocket.
Taller than all of them, except for the Pangoro, james roared with laughter as he marched forward to obliterate their foolish charge and chop them to little pieces. He cut swaths through their furry ranks, taking dozens and soon hundreds down with each swipe of his blade. He bit chunks off of their faces and skulls, he snapped their arms and legs, and he bit off their noses when he got the chance. His blade hacked and slashed hang gliders, slicing through fur, separated hands from wrists, elbows from arms, and feet from ankles, leaving more than four dozen convulsing, amputated bodies in his wake.
Those on fire ran until their flesh finally burned through. They tried to drag themselves across the ground, but their fingers melted.
James signaled an order to a Droid Commander with a half open hand.
It powered the shuttle, smashing right through the balconies nearby, sending Pancham and Pangoro flying and screaming through the air, and unleashed another barrage of fire that blew out the rest of the balconies in quick succession. Pancham waddled and dragged themselves across the ground, whimpering in pain, grunting in agony, or moaning until they died. A massive tree city, with more than three dozen Pancham smashed right on top of them, smearing the whole area in gore.
Daylight was nowhere close to fading and the air was filled with the smoke, blood, and grit of battle.
Pancham and Pangoro ran every which way across their hanging bridges, only to be launched high overhead by an explosion. Others tried to carry the wounded to shelter only to be engulfed by flames. The most intense fighting was starting to encroach into the lakes and deeper into the forests. It was stretching more and more into the forest pockets where the vegetation was dense and began to turn into a swamp.
Several warships were erupting into masses of flames, spreading outwards and decimating thousands of droids, even more Pancham, and even more of the forest in the process of meeting their own destruction. The ground was piled high with the bodies of dead, dying, maimed, or wounded Pancham and Pangoro.
The droids swarmed the tree-cities from all sides, even from the far shore of the lakes, rivers, and even swept into the canopy itself. They began to chip away at the massive trunks and tear deep into their forms, sending them falling like thunder. Nothing escaped the hail storm of blaster and tank fire. They arrived on watercraft in areas that needed it.
They utilized speeder bikes and other swift vehicles to clear vast distances and push the Pancham and Pangoro to where they wanted them to go. Blitzing storms of blaster fire streamed high up into the trunks of the trees, splintering and fracturing branches, and gouging out parts of the foundation.
With other smaller troop transports, the Pancham and Pangoro were being pushed to the ground rapidly. Out of billowing smoke came more Pancham running for safety, some of them limping, some with blood-matted fur, some with fur half burned or burning, others screaming in pain, and others half dead. They all struggled to carry and support each other.
James walked in front of them, pointing his bloodied blade in their eyes, forcing them to stop in their tracks lest they impaled themselves face first.
"Where do you think you're all going in such a hurry?"
He removed one's head without making a single movement, picking it up and facing it towards the rest of the group.
He smashed it with his fist.
The Pancham trembled, staring up at him with their big black eyes, their little mouths moving in a plea for mercy, fear, both, or they were weeping in fear completely.
"Pancham!"
"Pancham!"
Their big eyes became even more glassy, as if they were shedding even more tears.
"Pancham!"
James laughed cruelly.
"Pancham!
James grinned sadistically as he cornered them, feeding off of it, allowing their tears and their fear to fuel him.
"Pancham! Pancham!"