Kanto Gets Loud
Chapter 50: St. Anne (Part 3)
Later that night, outside the Ballroom,
Lincoln and company were waiting in line to get into the ballroom. They were all dressed up in formal attire. Lincoln was in a white tuxedo with orange trim. Misty was wearing an elegant, blue dress with some earrings and a necklace that she had bought earlier. Brock was wearing just a plain black tuxedo. Leaf was also wearing an elegant, forest green dress. Raigo was the only one there in casual clothing, since dressing up wasn't his style. It was soon their turn to go in, "Please enjoy your time," the usher said, allowing the five of them inside. Once they were in, they were in awe at the ballroom. It had to be the largest one any of them had ever seen, complete with at least five rows of buffet tables, a massive crystal chandelier, as well as a live band.
"Now THIS is style," Raigo commented.
"I'll say. Looks like everybody who's anybody is here," Brock added.
"I'm going to go check out the buffet table," Leaf commented, wandering off on her own. Brock and Raigo decided to follow her lead as well.
"Well, since we're here now, shall we dance?" Lincoln asked Misty, extending his hand. Misty blushed furiously.
"W-Well, I suppose since it would avoid drawing any attention to us, we shall," Misty replied, accepting his hand. The two then proceeded to the dance floor, where they began doing a waltz, alongside several others, including Rito and Lala, "My, my, you dance like you've done this before."
"Well, Lori taught me a bunch of different ballroom steps a long time before this whole mess started," Lincoln replied.
"I may not like her or that other sister of yours, but I can at least give her credit for doing a great job in teaching you," Misty replied.
"And what about you? You must've taken lessons yourself," Lincoln asked.
"My sisters taught me as well. They figured I should learn to do so if I ever do get a boyfriend," Misty replied, feeling butterflies in her stomach as she said that.
"And I think I might have an idea on what you want in a partner," Lincoln said. Misty was now blushing even more.
"R-Really?" Misty asked.
"All it took was that conversation we had before we went through the Diglett Cave," Lincoln replied. Truth be told, he was starting to get just as antsy as Misty was with where this conversation was going.
'Damn it, why does he have to be a detective?' Misty mentally cursed, "A-And what were you able to figure out?" Lincoln was about to answer when…
"Time to switch partners!" both trainers got really irritated at the announcement, but knew they had to in order to keep attention off of themselves. Misty wound up with some other guy, while Lincoln ended up with…
"Nana?" Lincoln was surprised to see Nana was his new dance partner. She was wearing a red and pink dress with black trim.
"Well, fancy seeing you here, Lincoln," Nana replied, feeling flustered. Truth be told, with all the talk about hers and Lincoln's accidental engagement, Nana could barely keep the white haired boy out of her mind.
"Well, seeing as how we're together now, shall we then?" Lincoln asked.
"We shall," Nana replied, as they began to waltz themselves. Meanwhile, in the shadows, Proton and Midori were getting ready for the heist.
"Are all units ready?" Proton asked.
"Yes sir. They're awaiting your order," Midori replied. Midori was wearing an elegant purple dress that hardly did anything to hide her L-Cup breasts, and gave a full view of her legs.
"Excellent. We'll begin in twenty minutes. You go and get into position yourself," Proton said, as he walked off. Midori only smirked.
"Oh, I'll get into position alright," Midori said to herself.
Just as the dance number came to an end, the ship's captain came out into the middle of the dance floor, "Ladies and gentlemen, are we all having a wonderful time tonight?" a round of cheers came from everyone in attendance, "Wonderful! Now that we've had ourselves a waltz, what do you say we move onto the next round of entertainment?"
"'The next round'? What does he mean by that?" Mikado wondered, as she was enjoying a plate of food.
"I of course mean allowing Trainers to show off how well they've raised their Pokemon. And the best way to do that is with a battle! Do we have any volunteers who wish to take part?" the captain asked.
"Wait, is a battle on board a ship really a good idea?" Aya asked.
"For those of you who are questioning whether this is a good idea, don't worry. The St. Anne is virtually unsinkable, and has been reinforced to withstand even the strongest of Pokemon attacks," the captain reassured.
"Pretty sure someone said the same thing about the Titanic," someone grumbled. Lorelei then stepped forth from the crowd.
"Well, if it's a volunteer you want, then I'll go ahead and take part. But what do you say we make this a bit more interesting?" she suggested.
"How so, Miss Prima?" the captain asked.
"I'm suggesting a Tag Battle, and for an opponent, I would like… that young lady," Lorelei said, pointing to Misty.
"M-Me?!" needless to say, Misty was shocked, but flattered that her mentor was issuing a challenge to her.
"Of course. Now, before we begin, go ahead and choose a tag partner," Lorelei requested, as a well-dressed gentleman stepped forth.
"Would it be alright if I battled along side you, Miss Prima?" the gentleman asked.
"That would be lovely, thank you," Lorelei said.
"How about it, Misty? I can join in as your partner," Lincoln offered.
"Sounds good. Alright, looks like we're good to go. So, what are the rules?" Misty asked.
"One Pokemon each. The battle will be over when both of either side's Pokemon can no longer battle," Lorelei replied, holding a Pokeball.
"Sounds good. All at once?" Lincoln asked, readying his Pokeball. Misty and the gentleman got out their Pokeballs as well.
"Very well then, trainers, send out your Pokemon!" the captain requested. All four trainers tossed their Pokeballs into the air, releasing their Pokemon. Lincoln and Misty sent out Mienfoo and Dewpider, respectively, while Lorelei and the Gentleman sent out an indigo-colored bivalve Pokemon and a Pokemon that looked like Raticate, but it had black fur and chunky cheeks.
"Whoa, is that a Raticate?" Lincoln asked upon seeing the different Raticate.
"Indeed, young man. See, I caught this one during my last holiday to the Alola Region," the gentleman replied.
"And what about that other one?" Lincoln wondered, pulling out his Pokedex. This got some eager whispers from the crowd as he scanned both Pokemon.
"Shellder, the Bivalve Pokemon, a Water Type. It's shell can withstand any attack. However, when it is open, it's tender body is exposed.
Raticate, Alola Form, the Mouse Pokemon, a Dark and Normal Type. This gourmet Pokemon is particular about the taste and freshness of its food. Restaurants that Raticate live in have good reputations," Dexter explained.
"I must say, I wasn't expecting to see a Mienfoo or a Dewpider. Am I right in assuming you both got them from Wonder Trading?" Lorelei asked.
"That's right. I've had Dewpider since Pewter City," Misty replied, still shaking at the sight of her Bug Pokemon.
"And Mienfoo joined my team earlier today," Lincoln added.
"Alright, the tag team of Shellder and Raticate vs Mienfoo and Dewpider; Battle begin!" the captain declared.
"Let's get this started off strong, Mienfoo! Use Force Palm on Raticate!" Lincoln instructed. Mienfoo then dashed straight at Raticate.
"Shellder, stop Mienfoo with Water Gun," Lorelei instructed. Shellder fired off Water Gun, which was able to blast back Mienfoo, thus ending Force Palm's advance.
"Thank you kindly, Miss Prima. Now then, Raticate, use Crunch on Dewpider!" the gentleman ordered. Raticate then dashed up to Dewpider, was proceeding to bite down on the smaller Pokemon, when…
"Dewpider, use Bubblebeam!" Dewpider then fired off Bubblebeam, which was able to stop Raticate from using Crunch by sending it back to the other side of the field.
"Are you alright, Raticate?" the gentleman asked.
"A little soaked, but otherwise ok," Raticate replied.
"Now, use Swords Dance!" Raticate then summoned sword like objects that circled around it, causing it to glow red.
"We need to be careful, Lincoln. Swords Dance just increased Raticate's Attack power," Misty warned.
"Shellder, use Ice Shard," Lorelei ordered. Shellder then fired several chunks of ice at the two opposing Pokemon.
"Mienfoo, Protect!" Lincoln instructed. Mienfoo jumped in front of Dewpider and used Protect to block Ice Shard.
"Now Raticate, use Hyper Fang on Mienfoo!" once more, Raticate charged at the duo, this time, aiming for Mienfoo.
"Quick, use Vital Throw!" Lincoln called out. Mienfoo let Raticate get in close, before dodging at the last minute, grabbing the Mouse Pokemon's tail, and throwing it with all it's might.
"Now's your chance!" Mienfoo called out.
"Dewpider, use Water Pulse on Raticate!" Dewpider then fired off Water Pulse at Raticate, sending the Mouse Pokemon down to defeat.
"Raticate is out!" the captain declared.
"Quite the teamwork," the Gentleman commented, recalling Raticate.
"Yes. But like all good things, this battle must come to an end. Shellder, use Ice Beam on Mienfoo!" Lorelei ordered. Shellder then fired off a beam of icy energy at Mienfoo, trapping the Martial Arts Pokemon in a chunk of ice.
"What kind of a move was that? To be able to freeze something that quickly," Lincoln was shocked to see how fast Mienfoo was taken out.
"It's a favorite move among Ice Types called 'Ice Beam'," Lorelei replied.
"Mr. Loud, do you wish to continue battling?" the captain asked. He knew that Pokemon that were frozen solid can sometimes break out, so he was giving Lincoln a chance to continue.
Shaking his head, Lincoln answered, "No, I'm not going to force Mienfoo to battle any further."
"Very well. Mienfoo is out!" the captain declared. Lorelei then tossed a pink spray bottle at Lincoln.
"Use that Ice Heal to thaw out your Pokemon," she advised
"Right," Lincoln then went over and sprayed Mienfoo, causing the ice to vanish.
"Ugh, what happened? Why am I so cold?" Mienfoo questioned.
"We got taken out, Mienfoo. But you still fought well," Lincoln replied.
"I see. Well, I suppose I could do with more training," Mienfoo commented.
"And we can look into teaching you some more Fighting Type Moves as well. But for now, take a rest," Lincoln then recalled Mienfoo, and stepped away from the battlefield, "It's all up to you, Misty."
"Right," Misty replied, as she was ready to face Lorelei one-on-one, when…
"Unfortunately, no one is going to see the end of this battle!" a man's voice said. Everyone turned to the source to see Proton, standing on a table.
"And who the hell are you?" Misty asked, irritated that her battle was interrupted.
"I'm glad you asked, little girl. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Proton, one of four Team Rocket Admins," Proton replied.
"And just what are you doing here?" Lincoln asked. He knew he had to feign ignorance to keep the sting operation from getting discovered prematurely. Proton's smug smirk turned menacing upon seeing the American boy.
"Ah, so you're Lincoln Loud, the foreigner that's been causing trouble for us over the past few weeks," Proton said.
"Yeah, that's right! And I'd do it again if it meant stopping crooks like you!"
"A noble sentiment. Though I honestly don't see why the boss is so interested in you, what with all the damage you've caused in our goal to conquer Kanto," Proton said dismissively. Lincoln was surprised to hear this.
"Your boss is interested in me?"
"For some reason, yes. However, all I see when I look at you is a liability to Team Rocket," Proton said, taking off one of the Pokeballs on his belt.
"Hold it!" a familiar voice caused Lincoln, his friends, and Proton to groan in annoyance.
"Oh no, not those three!" Lincoln groaned, as Jessie, James, and Meowth appeared.
"We have a score to settle, little boy. After all, you're the reason the Boss is angry with us," Meowth declared.
"You idiots! Well, no use in keeping it a secret," Proton then took out a communicator, "All units, proceed with the operation!" with that, several passengers discarded their disguises to reveal themselves as Team Rocket grunts in disguise, "Attention, everyone! We, of Team Rocket, will now take possession of ALL your valuables, including your Pokemon. Failure to comply, or any attempt to resist is strongly…" Proton and several other members released their Pokemon, "Ill-advised." He then turned to Lorelei, "And that goes for you as well, Lorelei. Even if you are a member of the Elite Four, you can't hope to take us all on at once."
"Mr. Proton, sir, with all due respect, we implore you to leave the American and his friends to us," James requested. At this, a cold smile worked it's way onto Proton's face.
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Proton said, as several grunts surrounded the trio.
"Hey, what's going on here?! Don't you realize we're on your side?!" Meowth yelled, a bit unnerved.
"The Boss will hear about this betrayal!" Jessie declared. This caused all of the other Team Rocket members to start laughing.
"The Boss? Who do you think gave us the order to kick you three out of Team Rocket?" Proton questioned.
"Wait, what?" James asked, sounding like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You heard me loud and clear. You three have caused way more screw ups than any other member in our organization, even before this brat showed his face in Kanto, and have put major financial strains on Team Rocket. As a result, Giovanni has decided to cut you three out of the picture completely," Proton said.
"So that's it? You're just going to ignore all our efforts for the glory of…" Meowth got cut off.
"You efforts did more harm to Team Rocket than good. Face reality; you three are dead weight. All you do is hold back the rest of us," Proton declared.
"THIS IS ALL YOU FAULT!" Jessie yelled at Lincoln and Misty.
"Oh come on, what were we supposed to do, just stand by and let you rob the Pokemon Center?" Lincoln questioned, sounding irritated for being blamed for their expulsion from Team Rocket.
"Yes! That's precisely what you should've done!" Jessie yelled.
"It doesn't matter if you had succeeded in the Viridian City heist. As I said, you three cause more harm than good, just by being around," Proton said, noticing that Lorelei had readied a new Pokeball, "Oh Lorelei, you're going through with defying us, all on your own?"
"That's just it, I'm not alone," Lorelei said, snapping her fingers. Several other party goers removed their disguises to reveal themselves as…
"The Pokemon G-Men!?"
"We've been set up!"
"How did you know about our operation?!" Proton yelled.
"Oh, a little birdie told me," Lorelei replied. She knew she couldn't reveal Midori's true colors.
"Damn it all! Well, what are you all waiting for?! Attack!" Proton ordered.
"We can't just let them get away with this!" Nana exclaimed.
"But what can we do?!" Rito asked.
"We can fight back!" Lincoln declared, causing many eyes to fall on him, "Come on, these guys are planning to steal the Pokemon a lot of these people put their hearts and souls into raising themselves. Are they really just going to roll over and let them take our friends? Our family?"
"Lincoln, as noble a sentiment as that is…" Brock was cut off when one passenger stepped up.
"The boy's right! If we join forces with Lorelei and the G-Men, we might be able to fend off Team Rocket! I would never allow my Pokemon to be taken away from me, not after everything we've been through! Arcanine, let's do this!" the passenger said, as he sent our a larger version of Growlithe.
"He's right!"
"We can't let Team Rocket do what they want!"
"We have to fight for our freedom!"
And with that, several passengers began releasing their Pokemon, which included a black, bipedal fox with red tips in its mane, a floating Pokemon that looked to be a knight with spear like arms, and a large, red and black striped crocodile Pokemon.
"… Nevermind," Brock said, as the other passengers began helping push back Team Rocket.
"Alright, Charley, lead the Fire Pokemon in a group Flamethrower!" Leaf instructed. Her Charmeleon, along with several other Fire Pokemon began blasting streams of fire at some of the Rocket Pokemon.
"Skipper, use Hydro Pump!" Raigo instructed. Skipper, along with many other Water Pokemon, blasted some Rocket Grunts with high pressured water blasts.
"Are you three going to join in on this?" Lincoln asked Jessie, James, and Meowth.
"Why should we team up with you? You're the root cause of all our problems!" Jessie questioned.
"Because if you don't then there's a chance you might live to see another day," Lincoln replied.
"He… raises a valid point, Jessie," James commented.
"Oh, fine! We'll call a truce this one time!" Jessie said, as she and James released their Pokemon, which had five new members. From Jessie's Pokeballs, she released a small, pink and dark green plant like Pokemon with two, scythe-like claws, and what appeared to be a long, grey colored catfish like Pokemon. From James' Pokeballs, he had a Pinsir, a white and orange octopus like Pokemon with black, boxing glove shaped tentacles, and small, navy colored eaglet like Pokemon with a large plumage of beige colored feathers around it's head, "James, what Pokemon did we get from the Wonder Trade?" Jessie asked.
"Lets see, you got Fomantis and Barboach, while I got Pinsir, Clobbopus, and Rufflet," James quickly replied.
"I'll scan them later to find out more about them. For now, driving these guys off is our top priority," Lincoln commented, as he and his friends sent their Pokemon in to help the others, "Nana, you and the others try to stay clear of this battle," he warned.
"I'll have you know that my sisters and I are a lot tougher than we look!" Nana said, a little annoyed at the tone Lincoln took with her.
"No Nana, he has a point. We don't know anything about Pokemon, so there's not telling what they could do," Lala said.
"Well, alright," Nana replied, as she and the others grouped behind Lincoln and all the other trainers.
The battle between Lorelei and Proton was nearing an end as Lorelei's Pokemon, a large, blue sauropod Pokemon with a coral like shell on it's back, was battling Proton's Golbat, "Lapras, use Ice Beam!" Lorelei ordered. Lapras then fired Ice Beam at Golbat, sending it down in a block of ice.
"Damn it all!" Proton yelled, recalling his frozen Pokemon.
"I must say, for a Team Rocket Admin, you weren't really all that tough, especially considering all the Pokemon you used have similar weaknesses to Psychic and Ground type moves," Lorelei smirked tauntingly.
"Oh, you think you've one, but it will be Team Rocket that will have the last laugh!" Proton said, pulling out a remote device. He then pressed a button, which caused the entire ship to start shaking violently.
"You… what have you done?!" Lorelei yelled.
"Attention, all units! We're pulling out! The heist was a bust!" Proton yelled to the other grunts, who quickly recalled their Pokemon, before making a run for it.
"Stop them!" Lorelei ordered.
"You sure you have time to chase after us? As we speak, the lower decks are filling up with water at an alarming rate," Proton explained.
"You sneaky son of a bitch! You used explosives?!" Lorelei yelled.
"That's right. I figured if this operation was a bust, then I would try to take this ship down with everyone in it," Proton replied, as he ran off to join the others.
"Why you…" Lorelei seethed, before remembering that everyone was panicking, "Everyone, please make your way to the deck and begin evacuating!" she instructed.
"Miss Lorelei, should we go after Team Rocket?" one of the G-Men asked.
"As much as I want to make some arrests, we can't afford to play with the lives of these passengers. Make sure everyone gets off the ship safe and sound," Lorelei instructed. The G-Men were steadily making sure everyone was evacuating in an orderly fashion.
"I guess that's our cue to leave," Lincoln commented.
"Wait, what about our stuff?" Misty asked.
"Our stuff we can replace. Our lives, on the other hand, are irreplaceable," Lincoln replied.
"Well, I guess you're right," Misty replied, as someone bumped into her, Leaf, and Raigo, causing them to loose a Pokeball each, "Oh no!" the three of them went chasing after their Pokeballs.
"Misty! Leaf! Raigo!" Lincoln and Brock wasted no time in chasing after them.
"Lala, do you have something that can get us out of here?" Rito asked.
"Sure do! Let me just," Lala rummaged through her pockets, trying to find something, but came up short, "Oh no! We left our D-Dials in our rooms!" Lala exclaimed.
"If we hurry, we can get them back!" Nana said, as they all made their way back to their rooms.
Meanwhile, at an exit point on one of the lower decks,
"Hurry it up! I'd like to get out of here before we go under!" Proton said, as all of the grunts were piling into the boats. Midori was rattled by what had just happened.
'He never said anything about explosives! Proton must've been doing this independently of Giovanni's orders,' she thought.
"Hold it, right there!" Proton groaned as he turned to see Jessie, James, and Meowth standing before him.
"What is it? In case you haven't figured it out, you three are not members of Team Rocket anymore. Giovanni's orders," Proton said.
"And that's why we're here! We want answers as to why the boss wants us kicked out of Team Rocket!" Jessie demanded.
"Don't you ever listen? The boss doesn't want dead weights like you skulking about our organization anymore. That's why he told me to tell you three were out of the Team," Proton said.
"The boss legitimately wanted us fired?" Meowth asked.
"Now we're getting somewhere. And since you three are here now, I'll take the opportunity to go through with his wishes to the bear minimum," Proton said, as he released a Pokemon that looked like a larger version of Koffing, but with a small, spherical body attached to it, "Weezing, use Explosion! Make certain those three do NOT make it out of here."
"Ugh, not another Explosion Mission. Well, I got to do what I got to do," Weezing said, as it began glowing, and floating closer to the trio, who bolted away, prompting Weezing to go after them.
"Alright, now that those three are dealt with, we can get out of here!" Proton said, as he leapt down onto the getaway boat.
"But what about your Weezing, sir?" one of the grunts asked.
"What about it? It's just a Weezing. We've got plenty more back at HQ. Now shut up and set a course for Five Island!" Proton ordered. With that, the Rocket Boat sped away from the sinking St. Anne.
Meanwhile, with Lincoln and the others,
"Guys, hurry and grab your Pokeballs! We gotta go!" Brock called out, as the three trainers chased after their runaway Pokeballs.
"We know that, Brock! We're trying!" Misty snapped, just as they had retrieved them, "Got them!" she exclaimed, before the ship jerked hard to the side, causing the five of them to crash into a nearby room, and falling unconscious.
Meanwhile, with Rito's Group,
"And we got them!" Lala exclaimed, as she and her sisters held up cellphone like objects.
"Great, now that you got your D-Dials, get something out here so we can go!" Saki demanded.
"Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a bundle!" Nana replied, as she and her sisters scrolled through their D-Dials, only for the ship to jerk hard, causing them all to crash into a nearby wall, knocking them out.
Meanwhile, with the (former) Rocket Trio,
"Get away from us!" Jessie demanded, as they were trying desperately to escape Weezing, who was glowing brighter and brighter. Eventually, their efforts proved to be in vain, as Weezing suddenly exploded, causing them to fly into the kitchen, hitting their heads, and passing out.
"And that's that. Now, how do… i…" Weezing then fell to floor, having spent all of it's energy with that one attack.
Back up on the surface,
Lorelei was helping oversee the evacuation from atop of her Lapras' back, just as the St. Anne disappeared into the briny depths of the ocean, "I hope everyone managed to make it out in time," she prayed, just as a G-Man made his way over to her.
"Miss Lorelei, we just finished taking testimony from all of the passengers, and did a complete census of everyone who was onboard," the G-Man said.
"Excellent. The testimony will be of the most instrumental use when dealing with Team Rocket. And what of the census?" Lorelei asked. This caused the G-Man's expression to turn somber, which put Lorelei in a state of unease.
"We tallied up everyone in the lifeboats, but several others are still unaccounted for," the G-Man replied.
"That's terrible! Do we have their names?" Lorelei asked.
"Yes. The passengers in question include Rito Yuuki, Mikan Yuuki, Celine Yuuki, Lala Staline Deviluke, Nana Astar Deviluke, Momo Belia Deviluke, Haruna Sairenji, Yui Kotegawa, Saki Tenjouin, Mio Sawada, Risa Momioka, Rin Kujo, Aya Fujisaki, Ryoko Mikado, Kenichi Saruyama, Ren and Run Elise Jewelria, Jessie Musashi, James Kojiro, Lincoln Loud, Brock Slate, Leaf Rose, Raigo Haiyama, and…"
"No, please not her…" Lorelei pleaded, her eyes filled with dread.
"Misty Waterflower. I'm sorry, but those are the only people still unaccounted for. We don't know if they were still on the ship as it went down, but…"
"Contact the higher ups at Kanto TV," Lorelei said, her normally calm demeanor now sounding harsh.
"Ma'am?"
"Tell them that Lorelei of the Elite Four wants to make a declaration of war against Team Rocket, as well as upgrading their status from 'underground mafia ring' to 'full fledged terrorists'," Lorelei said, her eyes now filled with pure rage and hatred towards Team Rocket.
"At once," the G-Man replied.
'Mark my words, Proton, you will pay for this transgression. Not just you, but all of Team Rocket!' she thought, before thinking about Misty, 'Misty, I hope that you did make it out of there alive, but if you didn't… I promise I will avenge you and the others.'
Meanwhile, at the Loud House, morning,
The Monster Royals had returned the following morning to join the Louds for breakfast. After they were done eating, they were all sitting around, either chatting with each other, or watching TV. Charlie, Vaggie, Loona, Octavia, Verosika, Moxxie and Millie were all playing with Lily, who seemed to really like them, "She's so cute!" Charlie squeed, as she and the others had sock puppets on while playing with the youngest Loud.
"I have to say, I'm glad that Lily has taken a shine to you ladies already," Lisa commented.
"I'm usually no good with little kids like her, but I'm glad she seems to like us," Octavia commented, as the others in the room, namely Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, the twins, Miu, Milt, their parents, Blitz, Wolfgang, and all of Lincoln's Pokemon were watching TV, which was showing footage from Lincoln's first match with Surge, which ultimately ended in a loss.
"Ooh, tough break for the kid," Wolfgang commented.
"I'm not surprised. That jinx always has been a looser, and he always will be," Lynn said, feeling satisfied upon seeing Lincoln's loss.
"Here we go," Loona commented, rolling her eyes.
"And three days later, Lincoln was back to challenge Surge once more for a chance at the Thunder Badge," the news reporter said.
"Different strategy, same outcome," Lynn commented.
"Now hold on. Let's see how this round plays out," Charlie said, as she picked up Lily and faced the TV. Lily giggled happily upon seeing her brother.
"INKY! INKY!" she reached out for him. The following footage showed Lincoln and Surge's rematch, which had Lincoln using evasiveness to wear out Raichu.
"I see. He's using a hit and run maneuver," Moxxie commented.
"What do you mean, hon?" Millie asked.
"Lincoln must know that his mouse can't win against that larger mouse in a head on fight, so he's evading the larger one's attacks, while dishing out small attacks, thus gradually wearing out the larger one," Moxxie explained.
"That's not how you win! You have to use brute force!" Lynn yelled. Lapis then used Thunder Punch to silence her, just as the final collision between Volt Tail and Volt Tackle ended in Raichu falling in defeat.
"Well, that looks like a battle of power vs power if I've ever seen one," Blitz commented, turning to the sporty sister, "Happy now, you majesty?"
"No, I'm not! Lincoln was supposed to lose again! A new strategy shouldn't have made a difference!" Lynn yelled, still reeling from the Thunder Punch she had received.
"Junior, I will not have you being so rude to our guests!" Rita scolded.
"Bite me! I don't care what these freaks think of me. They're opinion matters even less than Stinkcoln's!" Lynn said.
"Junior, if you use that awful name for your brother one more time, you'll be grounded until you graduate from college!" Rita warned.
"And to help your mother make good on that word, here," Lucius then handed Rita a notebook.
"What's this for?" Rita asked.
"That notebook has a special enchantment on it that can subject anyone who's name is written in it to whatever punishment is written alongside it. And to ensure that it isn't used for selfish purposes," Lucius then pricked Rita's finger, allowing a single drop of blood to fall onto the first page, "There. Now the book is link to you, so only YOU can use it."
"Ugh, this totally sucks! Why are you guys even trying to defend that geekwad anyway? I mean, come on! It's Lincoln!" Lynn said.
"She has a point," Lori said, coming downstairs, looking rather irate, "Why are we even still considering that twerp part of the family? All he ever does is cause trouble!"
"Well, that might be your opinion, but the rest of your family may not share it," Charlie retorted.
"Shut it, clown face! And who said you could hold Lily?!" Lori then stormed over, and took Lily from Charlie, causing the baby to cry out, "Oh, don't worry Lily, that mean monster won't hurt you anymore," Lori tried to reassure Lily, only for Lily to struggle furiously out of her sister's grasp. Lapis acted quick, and used Confusion to catch Lily before she hit the ground. She then returned Lily to Charlie.
"Lori, Charlie was doing nothing wrong. She can hold Lily if she wants to," Rita scolded.
"Not a chance, honey. I'd rather not any of our daughters be associated with these monsters!" Lynn Sr. replied.
"Ooh, finally having some kind of a spine, are we, Lynn?" Lucius questioned condescendingly.
"Alright, that's it! I've had it with you talking down on me like your better than me!" Lynn Sr. snapped, but Lucius didn't flinch. In fact, his expression was even more mocking than before.
"We are better than you, Lynn. We enforce discipline on our daughters when it is absolutely necessary, much like how your wife is doing now. But you? You're remaining stubborn to the fact that you've already subjected your only son and your daughter, Lucy, to more punishment than what can be considered acceptable," Lucius chastised.
"That's because both of them HAVE to be punished to OUR specifications. Lincoln's little fib is going to cost him the rest of his journey, because as soon as he calls again, I am going to order him back home, where he will be grounded until the end of this new school year. The same goes for you, Lucy, for casting that curse on us," Lynn Sr. declared.
"Lynn, please, the two of them have been through enough as it is," Rita pleaded with her husband.
"If Stinkcoln can endure this much suffering, then he can endure some more!" Lori proclaimed.
"Lori, don't you go using that awful name!" Rita warned.
"Why shouldn't I? As far as I'm concerned, that twerps feelings, if he ever had any, don't matter in this family! I honestly don't care if something really bad happens to him!" Lori proclaimed.
"The same goes for me. As long as we never see or hear from him again, I couldn't care less what happens to him!" Lynn added, before turning to the others, "And if you guys have any loyalty to the family, you'll agree with us!"
"Not a chance, Lynn!" Luan proclaimed.
"Excuse me!?" Lynn yelled.
"Getting mad and blaming Lincoln for stuff that happens in this house is one thing, but actually wishing something really bad on him is going too far!" Luan declared.
"For once, I have to agree with Luan," Lana commented.
"And that goes for me as well. I think I speak for the three of us when I say that I don't want any part of this whole 'I hate Lincoln' thing you two have going on anymore," Lola added.
"So, you're going to turn your backs on us too?!" Lori couldn't believe what she and Lynn were hearing.
"That's right! We're abandoning this band wagon before things go too far," Luan proclaimed.
"Well, at least Dad is still on our side, right Dad?" Lynn asked her father, who looked nervously around, "Oh come on! You're really going to favor Stinkcoln over us?!"
"Not at all, Junior," Lynn Sr. relented. Lucius and the others shook their heads in disappointment.
"Pitiful," Lilliana commented. Just then, a news report came on.
"We've just been handed an important news bulletin. The luxury cruise liner, the St. Anne, was attacked last night, and was sunk to the bottom of the sea. Witnesses have confirmed the individuals involved was Team Rocket," the reporter said.
"Wait, did she say the St. Anne?" Luna asked, sounding nervous.
"That's the ship Lincoln was on," Lucy added, sounding just as nervous.
"I'm guessing these Team Rocket guys are bad news?" Miu asked.
"From what Lincoln told us, they're a mafia style organization that cause trouble in Kanto," Lisa replied.
"While everyone was reported to have made it out, several passengers still have not been accounted for," the reporter said.
"Wait, they were still people on that ship?" Stolas questioned. Now he, and the others were really worried.
"Lets hope Lincoln was one of the people accounted for," Luan prayed.
"Relax! Knowing that spineless coward, he was probably the first to get out," Lori replied.
"And I bet he's the one who caused the ship to go down with his bad luck! No good, rotten jinx! If this isn't enough proof to my claims, then I don't know…" Lynn was silenced when Queeny kicked her into Lori, sending them both into the wall.
"Would you shut your mouth about bad luck already, Lynn?! We've already established that Lincoln lied about it just to get some free time, and you're still holding onto some stupid, petty grudge over ONE softball game!" Luna ranted. Inferna, Aizami, and Andrea took offensive stances, ready to stand against the two sisters.
"The names of the people sill unaccounted for are as follows: Rito Yuuki, Mikan Yuuki, Celine Yuuki, Lala Staline Deviluke, Nana Astar Deviluke, Momo Belia Deviluke, Haruna Sairenji, Yui Kotegawa, Saki Tenjouin, Mio Sawada, Risa Momioka, Rin Kujo, Aya Fujisaki, Ryoko Mikado, Kenichi Saruyama, Ren and Run Elise Jewelria, Jessie Musashi, James Kojiro, Misty Waterflower, Brock Slate, Leaf Rose, Raigo Haiyama, and…" a sense of dread washed over everyone in that room.
"No… please, not him!" Rita begged in vain, as the last name was said.
"…Lincoln Loud. According to authorities, they are currently combing the surrounding waters for any sign of them. We'll keep you posted as this story develops. In related news, Lorelei, the Ice Master of the Elite Four has issued a declaration of war against Team Rocket, who are now to be labeled as 'terrorists', rather than a criminal organization," the reporter said. Upon hearing the lone son's name, there were several mixed reactions from the people in the room. Lucy, the twins, and Lily all began bawling at the thought of their brother having been killed. Rita had instantly broken down into a sobbing mess.
"MY BABY!" she cried out, prompting Lilianna and the others to come offer comfort to the Loud Matriarch. The Royals were just as shocked and horrified to hear this news. Even the normally crass Blitz couldn't utter a word. Lincoln's Pokemon were equally saddened to hear this. even Raphael was stunned to hear this. Both Lapis and Queeny embraced each other for comfort, but to no avail. Luna and Luan then glared hatefully at Lori and Lynn.
"Well, you got your wish! I hope you two are proud of yourselves!" Luna snapped.
"As a matter of fact, I am happy! This world will be a lot better off without that rotten jinx!" Lynn snapped back. Rita finally had enough, and stormed right over to Lori and Lynn, taking them roughly by the arms.
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR STUPID GRUDGE AGAINST YOUR BROTHER?! HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LOSS, GET OVER IT!" she screamed in their faces.
"But he did have everything to do with it!" Lynn argued.
"As he did with my break up with Bobby!" Lori added.
"Lapis, could you hold these two down with Confusion? I need to administer a heavy dose of discipline," Rita said, as she stormed into her room, before returning with a cricket bat. Lapis then used Confusion to hold down the two sisters.
"I'll go and contact the Professor! He might know if Lincoln is alive!" Lisa said, as she retreated upstairs, just as Rita began to paddle both of her daughters. Lucius and the other parents glared disapprovingly at Lynn Sr.
"Some father you are, idiot!" Akuma spat.
"B-but I didn't want them to think I was favoriting their brother," Lynn Sr. feebly defended.
"What do you think giving into their blackmail was?! You were favoriting your daughters over your own son! This is why you're the most hated person in the Monster Realm, Lynn! You're a terrible person, a spineless father, and a whimpy husband! I'm amazed Rita stayed with you as long as she did!" Elanor commented.
"B-but I…"
"Save it! You've already proven yourself to be an awful person. Don't even try to defend yourself or your daughters," Rasha sneered, as they all looked at the TV, hoping that the boy was alright.