Even exhausted and wounded Onix was not going to let Kezite walk all over him, and Noah could appreciate the fire in the rock-type's belly. He would probably one of the Smeltix in Umbal if he was a wild pokemon with that type of drive. But Kezite isn't the type to take it easy on a foe regardless of previous damage when it comes to something as important as a gym battle, he'll fight till the foe stays down. He figures that to an opponent, holding back unless it was for a specific purpose was nothing but the lowest of disrespect.
"Rock Blast!" Brock commanded, "Keep him from getting close!"
"Rock Smash to counter!" Noah shouted, "Don't let him tag you!"
Kezite wasn't quite at the level where he could throw a punch at all, but that just meant that he had to focus that power somewhere else if he wanted to use that move.
Naturally, Kezite decided to use his head.
Literally.
His horn glowed as he literally leapt at the boulder and slammed his horn into it, shattering it into chunks of rock. He wasn't able to fully destroy all of them and was sent skidding when one of them clipped his hide. Noah lips quirked into a smile at his Nidoran's stubbornness before he schooled his expression, returning back to his casual and focused expression. Kezite's biggest issue used to be his range; while Onix was sporting multiple cracks in his hide, Brock no doubt was prepared for Noah trying to capitalize on those. The real problem had come from Kezite lack of ranged options when it came to battling, Poison Spear and Poison Scatter were good moves to fit situations but he needed more than that. Maybe after Cerulean he should take a quick flight to Celadon and browse the department store? It certainly would be able to give his team — even his veteran dragons — some more variety to lean on in a fight.
Whatever, Rane cracked the armor and Kezite would do the rest from there.
"Strength, make a burrow!" Noah shouted.
"Kezite smashed the floor with his front legs, the ground cratered and Kezite ducked into the crater in time to avoid another salvo of rocks. Brock looked puzzled at the seeming odd order as making a divot in the ground wasn't a particularly impressive move. But while it did give Kezite some cover, that was actually only time for him to build up power for his new move.
"Trash Blast!" Noah commanded.'
Hopefully this new move would do what Poison Spear wasn't and generate the one thing it wasn't all that strong in.
Force.
Noah would never diss the usefulness of status effects, some pokemon were naturally better suited to dealing with it and some were immune outright. Steel completely resisted poison, some electric types could completely resist paralysis, even if it was a grass-based move like Stun Spore. Kezite's poison was potent and his application was brilliant, but what he really needed were moves that had more power and range than Poison Spear.
Kezite eyes narrowed in concentration as he called upon his poison-typing and his body glowed a dark purple. Almost instantly several wispy facsimiles of trash that came from almost nowhere slammed into each other till there were several crude spheres made of ethereal junk that hovered in the air. With a cry, Kezite launched them all forward with a sharp jerk of his head directed at the shocked Onix, who had definitely not heard of a move like this before. Noah grinned as they crashed against Onix and rocky serpent roared in pain — flinching from the attack —a fierce glee bubbling up in Noah's gut. That trainer who used a Zoroark to hide had several moves that were utterly unique and she had sold reusable versions of them to Noah who happily buffed his pokemon. They were unique in that the typing was really the only thing to guarantee them to work for whatever pokemon to work.
"Poison Sting!" Noah barked.
Kezite took a split-second to catch his breath, but fired a number of poisonous barbs at onix with several slipping into the cracks while Onix reeled. Immediately the poison in the barbs began to pump into Onx's body causing the weakened pokemon to roar in pain. Onix howled his rage and reared up while forming several boulders to attack when he paused and collapsed with a thunderous crash that echoed in the gym. The rocks he conjured began to break apart into loose dirt and pebbles and the gym went completely silent as Noah and Brock waited to see if Onix would rise.
The rock-type stayed down.
Noah couldn't help the wide grin on his face.
So this is what it felt like from the other side?
Incredible.
Brock blinked at him, "You want to battle with my real team?"
Noah nodded, "You only just fought the newest team I am making since I arrived in Kanto a couple of days ago. If your thinking I am being cocky, Ill have you know that I was a gym leader too you know. Just like any other gym leader — until you hit Fuchsia, Saffron, and Cinnabar City — I have a team that I've been raising since I was a kid myself instead of a rental. I am not a rookie with a big head or someone who is about to throw a low-level team against your best and expect to win easy."
Brock was quiet for a moment looking slightly regretful, "I love to take that offer, but I need time to fix up my Gym as your Horsea really did a number on it. Also I need some time to get my Geodude and Onix to the center to be ready for the other trainers who are coming in. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll contact someone if your team can wait for it."
Noah gave a sheepish smiled, "Sorry. I know how much of a pain that can be depending on who you are up against. I'll take you up on that though. I don't know if I can respond immediately, but sure you can always call Professor Oak, he is the one who validated my trainer license and hooked it to my Gym Leader account from Umbal. He'll let me know."
Noah was disappointed but didn't let him affect the elation in his chest at his team having earned their first badge. He did intend to raise his newest member to their best and frankly his team liked fighting each other just as much as they did other powerful trainers.
Either way he had a win to celebrate.
Ash had never been more thankful for his teams willingness to fight off any hordes of Zubat and occasional Geodude that assaulted him as he trekked through the mountain. There were a couple of trainers he had seen, but a mutual understanding of not wanting to be bogged down by the cave's denizens made it inadvisable. Most of the time trainers would have a tacit understanding that if they wanted to battle, it was better they wait until they exited the caves so they wouldn't be stranded with weakened pokemon to get through the cave. Besides it would also allow for pokemon to be taken care of immediately thanks to pokemon centers at the start of Mount Moon and the nearby center in Cerulean City.
Which was exactly why he was in a rock and a hard place when he made it to the midway of the caverns of Mount Moon in a large open cavernous area.
Because there were trainers fighting.
But they weren't battling each other.
Apparently, Team Rocket had been in the cave for some reason and one way or another they got in a fight with the trainers. From what Ash could tell, the trainers were doing their best, but they didn't exactly have the necessary numbers or power to properly deal with the Rockets attacking them. No doubt these weren't exactly high level grunts, but they were definitely strong enough to beat any trainers who had beat Brock's rental team and were weary from traversing the caverns of Mount Moon.
Team Rocket had been a criminal gang that had long since been operation in the region and it seemed no matter how many time a nearby Gym Leader or League Operative went around and busted one of their operations, they would just crop right back up in a new area. Ash knew that they enslaved pokemon — which had him seething in outrage — and were generally bad news no matter where you went but he never actually considered he'd run across them on his journey. Ash had been aware of them, heck his mom sometimes let the news run while Ash was eating breakfast and sometimes they'd mention Team Rocket, but he'd never actually thought much about it. Even before he had been debating the starter he would pick, he honestly thought The League would have crushed them a long time ago.
None of those thoughts changed the fact that Team Rocket was trying to steal the pokemon from their trainers and disturbing the denizens of the caverns.
Which Ash did not find acceptable in the least bit, so really there was only one option left to him.
"Abra! Poliwag! Pikachu! Pidgey! The Rockets!" Ash shouted, releasing all of his team members to assist the trainers. "Abra handle the Rattata! Pidgey take down the Zubat! Poliwag and Pikachu, combine attacks to electrocute as many as you can!"
Ash would've personally like to call someone like Professor Oak — for all his age he was still a former champion with a master-level team — or maybe the police station in Cerulean or Pewter — he'd even take Noah — but it wasn't like a SOS signal would be able to penetrate several tons of rock and Ash didn't have a X-transceiver like Noah did so he didn't have a way to contact anyone.
Either way, his team knew what to do.
The Rockets and their pokemon were all caught off guard as his team fired off their best shots at the Rockets. Psyshard sheared through the air and impacted several fluttering Rattata that were boxing in the trainers. Poliwag let out a sphere variant of Water Pulse into the midst of the Rockets before exploding in a burst of water. Pikachu took advantage of the dissolving water and fired a thunderbolt into the glinting air, electrifying every pokemon and Rockets. Finally Pidgey flapped it's wings and fired a number of Air Slashes into the Zubat that were trying to pepper the trainer's pokemon.
Immediately, the trainers seized the opportunity to begin launching their own attacks at the startled rockets. With the sheer number of attacks heading their way and swiftly downing their own already beaten pokemon, The Rockets knew they had to cut their losses. As The Rockets began to back away and recall their pokemon, a disappointed voice seemed to ring through the cavern.
"Really? A single trainer attacks and suddenly you give up? Clearly you people need to show some more grit, Team Rocket is no place for cowards."
The entire group turned to see a man standing at the entrance to one of the tunnels, he took in the rockets with a deep disappointment and turned to the trainers, eyes lingering on Ash in specific.
His hair was a slick purple with the ends dyed pink, he wore the standard rocket shirt but thad a purple vest thrown on top with a stylized Arbok belt curling up his black pants. At his waist hung five pokeballs as he strode forwards hands behind his back. He was in his late twenties and seemed completely at ease despite the defeat of his goons. The trainers and various pokemon eyed him warily as he seemed a cut above the average goons that they had been battling.
"I must say though, for you all to push back our forces as much as you have… I cannot say you have no potential. Would any of you young men and women be interested in perhaps joining our ranks as new members? I mean you all will start at the bottom but have the opportunity to go far if you put the effort in. We won't even have to take your pokemon and you can keep them on your teams if you make the right choice."
"Get bent!" One boy shouted, "You think we don't know what you people do to pokemon? We are not interested in becoming criminals!"
There was a ripple of agreement that rippled through the assembled trainers.
The man sighed, "A shame then."
Ash — realizing things were about to get really bad — relayed to Abra, "Get help!"
Noah was just about to start the party outside Pokemon Center when an Abra teleported in front of him.
Not just any Abra, butAsh'sAbra.
Half the people in the center flinched and paled at the sheer distress that was twisting the air around Abra.
It held out a hand and telepathically screamed, "Ash in danger!"
Noah didn't need to know anything else.
Ash and the other trainers stared aghast as the higher-tier member of Team Rocket released an Arbok, Seviper, Sandaconda, Milotic, and Serperior that began utter decimating the trainers' teams, forcing them to recall them. Ash's team — sans Abra who he sent to get help — didn't so much as scratch any of them despite their best efforts. Oh they tried, Pidgey tried to keep the Serperior away with it's Air Slices and Gusts, but the grass-type treated the super-effective moves as minor annoyances at best before it swatted Pidgey out of the air with a single Vine Whip. Pikachu and Poliwag tried to keep the other pokeman back, but Sandaconda shut Pikachu down and Serperior's vines slapped Poliwag around like a hacky-sack.
Now, Ash was handcuffed with plastic zip-ties as he huddled next to other trainers and gritted his teeth as The Rocket began to confiscate the defeated trainer's pokeballs, willing to strike them if they tried to resist. Ash hands clenched around his pokeballs, they'd have to kill him if they wanted to take his family away from him. He almost lost his fraying temper as one girl began sobbing as her pokeballs was taken from her after being struck across the face.
At least Abra was safe, his shrunken ball stowed away in the hem of Ash's underwear, something he did just to make sure he could at least keep his first friend when he saw the battle his other friend were being toyed with.
Just to make sure no trainer did anything too stupid, the man's — apparently his name was Viper — pokemon glared impassively at the huddled children.
'Please Abra.' Ash begged, 'Hurry and find someone! Anyone!'
There was the slight sound of teleportation and everyone stilled.
Everyone turned to look at the entrance rippled and Ash's heart leapt into his throat.
Noah and Abra stood at the entrance.
Noah eyes were blazing with rage when he saw the restrained trainers and The Rockets.
Noah was having a flashback.
The Riders drugging him.
The way he was actually scared he would be die.
It was happening again.
To goddamn children.
Ash was fucking ten years old and he was actually older than some, not to mention Ash was also a friend.
Noah generally wasn't too much of an angry individual.
Which was true.
His violence-inclined emotion generally ranged between two or three general levels.
One would be him irritated.
Sometimes it would be serious with a mix of stern.
The last was fucking apocalyptic apoplectic.
Naturally, he was deep in the last.
Noah's voice carried easily across the cavernous "I am going to give you one chance. Return the pokemon to their trainers and leave."
Noah's voice was steel, and Ash remembered how he had talked to the Fearow back on the way to Viridian. His voice carried a dark promise, but he knew a show of force would be enough to cow the flock from attacking them. This wasn't that, he was going to attack something and this was simply a courtesy call for them to get out of the way.
Viper snorted, "Another trainer? That's it? Arbok, would you kindly scare him away?"
Arbok's tongue flicked and it reared up and slithers at Noah in a blur of purple, fangs extended as it made for Noah's face.
Girac was there to meet it.
There was no wasted movement as the steel behemoth grabbed Arbok by the tail, swung it into the cavern floor, and stomped on the Arbok's face. The stomp wasn't the normal move, but rather a Bulldoze at point blank range into the Arbok's body. Girac's tail flashed white as it snorted in disgust before the steel-dragon type smacked the unconscious snake to Viper's side.
The silence was deafening after the swift knock-out.
Ash couldn't help the triumphant grin that was stretched across his face as all of Noah's original team members erupted on the scene and Viper's eyes widened in worry at the sight of Noah's dragons. None of the Team Rockets grunts who had been taking the pokemon wanted any of that as they dropped the stolen pokeballs and began running past Viper to where they probably had an exit.
Abra flashed behind Ash and with a twist of telekinesis, shredded the plastic binding his hands and several other trainers who had been handcuffed. One of the rockets made to stop Abra, when Astaroth began dashing towards him and the Rocket chose life as he ran away. Serperior moved to attack Astaroth only for the orange blur of Surya to crash into it with a Fire Punch and sent it crashing into the far wall, Surya decided to follow it with a beam of white hot flame in a move Ash had never seen before. Milotic aimed at Surya only for Grimm to appear and fire a Thunderbolt right into the Milotic, causing it to spasm before Grimm downed it with Dragon Pulse right into its face. Viper stepped back, eyes narrowed with displeasure as his Seviper and Sandaconda were his only two viable pokemon left. Whoever this trainer was, he was in a completely different class that these one-badge brats they captured.
"I suppose there's no point staying here…" Viper muttered, "Retreat."
The remaining Rockets all threw down smoke grenades and by the time Surya blew the smoke away, the group had apparently left and sealed the exits they using Sandacomda's ground moves. Noah strode towards the trainers and flipped out a pocket knife, using it to expertly cut the plastic ties.
"Let's get you guys free."
Noah waited withAsh while Abra recovered, while teleporting was literally what Abra was built for, side-along teleporting was strenuous on the psychic at this stage at his development, so he needed rest while the trainers thankfully collected their partners. Noah hadn't exactly wanted to skip halfway through the mountain without Kezite entering so he was going to backtrack to the pokemon center at the foot of the mountain. He had Stromm out to use Wish on as many pokemon as he could, but the electric-type could only do so much before he had to rest as well. With almost of the trainers's pokemon having been taken out by Viper and only partially better thanks to Stromm, Noah ended up leading twenty people back the Mount Moon pokemon center. As soon as they came out, Noah used his X-transceiver to send a SOS to the league while the children rushed to the center to treat their injured pokemon.
"Gotta say Ash, it was pretty smart to use Abra to call for help, but why me?" Noah inquired as Nurse Joy took Ash's pokeballs and the League's rangers were conducting interviews with the other trainers.
"I just said get help. Abra must've thought you were the best choice." Ash mumbled.
"Glad he think so highly of me." Noah chuckled.
"A single trainer?" The voice inquired emotionlessly.
"I apologize for my inadequacy sir." Viper replied, head bowed in shame.
"You said he had a full team of fully evolved Dragon Pokemon? And my contacts said it couldn't have been Lance…" The voice mused, "Did we find what we needed?"
Viper shook his head, "We found no evidence of how to get to the main chamber, our excavation into finding The Moon Stone will not be available. Not until we can make sure Mount Moon will be cleared of any troublesome interlopers for the foreseeable future."
The voice from the screen was quiet for several moments, "Abandon the project for now then, there is no point in continuing this now, we will focus our efforts on our wayward trump card for now."