This update comes at the end of a very eventful week for my family and me. Wrestlemania 27 on Sunday, my 30th birthday on Tuesday and my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary on Friday. Yup, pretty busy this week. Anyway, on with the story.
Chapter 22: Hounds of Team Cerberus
Just as Celebi had told them Ash and Nikki came across a Pokémon Center a short walk away from where they came back from the future. With their Pokémon needing a good rest and Ash eager to call on his newly caught Absol from Professor Oak's lab the two trainers entered the Center and approached the front desk where Nurse Joy was waiting.
"Could you heal our Pokémon for us?" Nikki asked.
"Of course. It's what I'm here for." With a warm smile Nurse Joy took Ash and Nikki's Poké Balls and placed them in trays.
"You two want to go with her?' Ash asked Pikachu and Buneary.
"(No thanks,)" Pikachu replied.
"(We're fine,)" Buneary added.
"Alright then, I'll have your Pokémon checked up and returned to you shortly," Nurse Joy told them. "In the meantime would you like a room?"
"That sounds like a good idea," Nikki commented. "After all our Pokémon aren't the only ones who need a rest." They accepted Nurse Joy's offer for a room and, after receiving their room key, headed for the trainer rooms while Nurse Joy left to give their Pokémon their examinations.
Unknown to everyone inside the Pokémon Center the mysterious group from the clearing had made their way to the Pokémon Center and currently had the building surrounded. Among them was Ares, who was with a scientist examining one of their energy reading devices.
"Are they still at the Center?" Ares inquired. The scientist looked at the device.
"According to this they should be. There are no traces of their energy leaving the Center," he replied. After confirming that their targets were still inside Ares took out a radio and relayed the orders to the rest of the group.
"The targets are still inside. On my command storm the Center and secure the targets. If there are any others inside secure them as well," he ordered. With their orders clear the mysterious group waited for the order to move.
Back inside Ash and Nikki had just gotten their Pokémon back from Nurse Joy and were pleased to hear that everyone was in good health.
"Thank you. That was surprisingly quick," Nikki commented.
"Well, you two are the only ones here. Most trainers go straight through the forest to the town on the other side," Nurse Joy explained. "Because of that I was able to examine your Pokémon and get them back to you that much faster."
"Wow. Guess we got lucky," Nikki commented.
"Guess so," Ash agreed. "In any case I need to contact Professor Oak so I can get Absol sent over." He and Pikachu made their way to the videophones, Nikki and Buneary right behind them. Ash dialed the professor's number and waited for him to pick up.
"Hi, professor," Ash greeted once Professor Oak's face appeared on the monitor.
"Hello, Ash. How are things going?" Professor Oak inquired.
"They're going great," Ash replied. "How's Absol doing?"
"He's fine," the professor reported. "I must say he's an incredible Pokémon. Where did you find him?" Ash, Pikachu, Nikki and Buneary glanced back and forth amongst themselves.
"It's a long story," Ash replied. "Do you think you could send him over?"
"Of course. Who will you exchange him for?" Professor Oak questioned.
"I'll send Swellow over," Ash answered. Once Professor Oak was ready on his end Ash sent Swellow's Poké Ball over. Seconds later Absol's was sent to him.
"Thanks, Professor," Ash said.
"You're welcome, Ash. Good luck on the rest of your journey." The call was ended, leaving Ash to reacquaint himself with his newest Pokémon.
"Come on out, Absol!" Ash shouted. He tossed Absol's Poké Ball and watched as the Disaster Pokémon emerged. Once he realized where he was he looked around for Ash, spotting him next to the videophones.
"(You have need of my services?)" Absol wondered.
"Actually, I wanted to take some time to get you familiar with the rest of the group. You're going to be working with them throughout our journey and I thought it would be a good idea if you got to know them all," Ash explained.
"(That sounds good to me,)" Absol commented. As Ash prepared to introduce him to the other Pokémon someone entered the Pokémon Center. At first glance Ash and Nikki could tell he was dressed rather strangely, his long black trench coat hiding his identity from them.
"Excuse me. I was wondering if you could help me," he said.
"Of course. What can I help you with?" Nurse Joy asked. As the stranger spoke to the nurse Absol kept his eyes on him. Something about the stranger seemed to rub the Disaster Pokémon the wrong way.
"I've heard rumors of an ancient shrine of some kind hidden deep within the forest. Would you happen to know where it is?" the stranger inquired.
"A shrine? Let me think…" As Nurse Joy thought about the stranger's question Ash and Nikki spoke amongst themselves.
"You think he's talking about Celebi's shrine?" Nikki wondered.
"He has to be. We didn't come across any other shrine in the forest," Ash said.
"(But then again we weren't really looking for any other shrines,)" Pikachu stated.
"True," Ash agreed.
"(Whether he is or not we should not tell him of the shrine. There's something about him that I don't like,)" Absol warned.
"I'm sorry, but I can't think of any shrine being in the forest," Nurse Joy apologized. The stranger waved his hand, dismissing her apology.
"That's okay. I believe there's someone else here who can answer my question." Shortly after that he approached Ash and Nikki. The two trainers looked at him warily, their Pokémon ready to act at a moment's notice.
"You two wouldn't happen to know where the shrine is, would you?" he asked them. With Absol's warning still fresh in their minds they tried to come up with a convincing lie.
"We didn't pass by any shrine on our way here," Ash lied.
"Nope. Sorry to disappoint you," Nikki added. Then, in a move that surprised them, the stranger started laughing. After a few seconds he addressed them again, this time with a more serious demeanor.
"There's no use lying to me. We know you two were there, along with Celebi," he stated. Ash and Nikki gasped while their Pokémon stared in disbelief.
"H-How did you know?" Nikki stuttered. Before the stranger answered the doors to the Pokémon Center flew open and the mysterious group from earlier poured in. They were all wearing grey full-body suits with crimson "C"s emblazoned on the front. The majority of them surrounded Ash, Nikki and the stranger while the remainder encircled Nurse Joy. Then, the stranger removed his trench coat. He too was wearing the same outfit as the mysterious group, though his was slightly different. The "C" on the front of his outfit was a golden color, and on his shoulders were two gold bars.
"What's going on? Who are you people?" Nurse Joy demanded. One of the men approached the stranger.
"The building is secure, Commander Ares," he announced. Ares nodded and brought his attention back to Ash and Nikki.
"Now, you two will tell me what I need to know," he declared. Ash and Nikki looked around at the large group that had invaded the Pokémon Center. Though they were surrounded they believed they could fight their way through them with Pikachu, Buneary and Absol. Before they could call out any commands Ares snapped his fingers, signaling the others in the group to release their Pokémon. Within seconds they found themselves surrounded by a large pack of Mightyena and Houndoom.
"Resist and we'll be forced to attack," Ares warned. With the odds clearly stacked against them Ash and Nikki reluctantly signaled for their Pokémon to stand down.
"Now, it's time for me to get some answers…"
Outside the Pokémon Center the trio of Jessie, James and Meowth were lurking nearby. The recent blast off with the help of Absol's Shadow Ball had sent them all the way back to Lunick Town. The return trip was long, but they finally made it back to the forest.
"I'm really getting tired of those twerps," Jessie groaned. "I swear when I get my hands on them…"
"Get in line. We all want a piece of them," Meowth stated.
"What ever happened to 'Ladies first'?" Jessie griped.
"That stuff's only for gentlemen, and I ain't a gentleman," Meowth declared. Before a full-blown argument could erupt James brought something to their attention.
"It seems as though we're not the only ones with business here." He pointed at the Pokémon Center. There were two guards posted at the entrance, each one with a Houndoom by their side.
"You think they're security?" Jessie wondered.
"Perhaps, though I do wonder what's so important that they'd need security for a Pokémon Center," James commented.
"Maybe they've got a legendary Pokémon inside," Meowth assumed.
"Oh, like an Entei, or maybe a Latios!" James stated.
"Whatever it is it's going to be ours soon enough," Jessie declared. With thoughts of Team Rocket success in their minds the trio approached the front of the Pokémon Center, attracting the attention of the two guards.
"Hold it! No one's allowed inside!" one of the guards stated. The two Houndoom growled at them, enforcing their trainers' statements. Jessie simply laughed at their threats.
"You think you two are going to stop us? You obviously have no idea who you're dealing with," she declared. At that moment they proudly went into their motto:
"Out of the sky, falling with grace.
A spark in the eye, arriving with haste.
Ready and willing to put you in your place.
Jessie!
James!
Meowth's the name!
Team Rocket, burning a trail!
Blazing a path!
Kickin' some tail!
Wobbu Wobbuffet!
Mime Mime Mime Mime!"
As Team Rocket finished the two guards stared at them.
"What was all that?" the first wondered.
"You got me," the second replied. "Maybe they're some kind of comedy act."
"Team Rocket is not some comedy act!" Jessie shouted. "We'll see who's laughing after we're through with you!" With that the trio charged.
"Houndoom, take care of them," the first guard said, waving his hand in Team Rocket's direction. The two Houndoom stepped forward and fired a pair of Shadow Balls at the charging trio. The orbs struck the ground in front of them, sending them flying through the air once again.
"Wah! First it's the twerps and now these clowns!" Jessie whined.
"I wonder… just who were they," James commented.
"Who cares! They're on my 'Trainers-I-don't-like' list!" Jessie declared.
"That list should be miles long by now!" Meowth commented.
"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they screamed. Shortly after sending Team Rocket on their way one of the guards was contacted through his radio communicator.
"What was all that racket?" The guard grabbed the communicator and replied.
"Nothing to worry about. Just a couple of annoying trainers," he reported.
"Understood." With that the communicator went dead, leaving the guards to resume their duties.
Back inside Ares had isolated Ash, Nikki and Nurse Joy in one of the back rooms. Ash and Nikki had their Pokémon and Poké Balls taken away from them, leaving them completely at the mercy of Ares.
"Now, you will tell me where Celebi has gone," he demanded.
"We're not telling you anything!" Ash declared. Ares smirked.
"I had a feeling you'd say that," he stated. He then took out a Poké Ball and threw it. The ball opened, revealing a Jolteon.
"Now, where has Celebi gone?" Ares asked.
"I told you we're not going to a…AH!" Before Ash could finish his body was struck with a powerful Thunderbolt from Jolteon.
"No, Ash!" Nikki screamed.
"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Nurse Joy pleaded. After a few seconds Jolteon ceased his attack.
"That was just a warning. Refuse to answer me again and I can assure you it will only get worse," Ares warned. "Now, where is Celebi? Where has she gone?" Ash stood up, still feeling the effects of Jolteon's Thunderbolt.
"I… don't know… and even if I did… I'd never tell you!" he declared. Ares sighed and shook his head.
"Such defiance," he said. "Jolteon." On his command the Lightning Pokémon struck Ash with another Thunderbolt, this one much more intense than his previous. The Pallet Town trainer screamed in pain as his body was fried by the electricity.
"Ash!"
In another room Pikachu, Buneary and Absol were desperately trying to break out in order to go help their trainers. There was a guard posted right outside the door, which meant they weren't going out that way.
"(We've got to find a way out of here,)" Pikachu said.
"(Couldn't we try and break through the door?)" Buneary suggested.
"(We'd be captured too quickly,)" Absol told her. "(If we are to escape we must find an alternate escape route.)" While they searched for another way out Buneary began to worry about Ash, Nikki and Nurse Joy.
"(Do you think… they're okay?)" she wondered. Pikachu walked over and placed a comforting paw on her shoulder.
"(I wouldn't worry about them. Ash has been in some dire situations before and came out perfectly fine. I have no doubt that he'll make sure Nikki and Nurse Joy are safe,)" Pikachu reassured. This made Buneary feel slightly better.
"(Look! Up there!)" Absol barked. Up towards the ceiling, at the top of a stack of boxes, was a small ventilation shaft.
"(We may be able to get out through there!)" Pikachu exclaimed. With a possible way out found Pikachu scrambled to the top of the box stack. Just as he expected the shaft had a cover on it.
"(I'm going to get this cover off and see how far it goes,)" he said.
"(Try to be as quiet as possible or the guard might hear you,)" Absol warned. With a confirming nod Pikachu looked for a way to remove the ventilation shaft cover. He tried pulling on it a few times to see if he could just yank it off, but the covering did not come off.
"(Well that didn't work. Guess I'm going to have to force it off.)" He then powered up an Iron Tail and managed to wedge his tail between the cover and the wall.
"(Okay. Now all I've got to do is apply a little force and… there!)" The cover came off. Pikachu managed to grab it before it fell to the ground and possibly alerted the guard outside. Now that the ventilation shaft was open he took a look inside.
"(What can you see?)" Buneary asked.
"(It's not that long, and if I'm right I think this goes to the hallway outside,)" Pikachu observed. "(There's another cover, though. We'll have to get that off before we can get through.)"
"(If you managed to get this one off I'm sure we can do the same with the other,)" Buneary stated.
"(In that case let us hurry and escape,)" Absol urged. Buneary was the first of them to climb the box stack and join Pikachu at the top, but once she got there she noticed something that could pose a problem.
"(It may just be me, but I think this is too small for Absol to fit,)" she said.
"(What?)" Pikachu looked at the shaft opening once again.
"(Oh man, you're right,)" he groaned. "(Now what are we supposed to do?)"
"(If need be I'll remain here while you two find a way to open the door from the outside,)" Absol suggested. That wasn't an idea Pikachu was a fan of, but given their current situation they really didn't have many other options.
"(Alright. Just make sure to stay hidden until we can get you out of here,)" Pikachu said. Absol nodded and hid in a dark corner of the room. This left Pikachu and Buneary to get out.
"(Come on. Let's go,)" Pikachu said as he went inside the ventilation shaft. Buneary nodded and went to follow him. As she went inside she bumped the cover, knocking off the top of the box stack and down to the floor. A loud clang reverberated throughout the room as it hit the floor.
"What was that noise?"
"(Oh no! The guard heard them!)" Absol panicked. Seconds later the door opened and the guard entered the room.
"What's going… hey! Where did those Pokémon go?" Inside the ventilation shaft Pikachu and Buneary heard the guard's outburst.
"(We've got to work fast!)" the Rabbit Pokémon exclaimed. "(Have you got that cover off yet?)"
"(I'm trying, but there isn't that much space for me to work here,)" Pikachu replied. While he tried to remove the cover the guard continued to look around for them.
"There's no way they got out without me noticing. Just where did they… huh?" As he looked he stepped on the ventilation shaft covering.
"That looks like…" He looked up and saw the ventilation shaft uncovered. Absol's concern grew by leaps and bounds as he watched the guard climb up the box stack.
"(No! He knows where they are!)" he exclaimed. Once the guard was high enough he looked inside.
"So that's where you two went," he said. His outburst attracted the attention of Pikachu and Buneary.
"(He found us! Quick, get that cover off!)" Buneary shouted.
"(I'm trying!)" Pikachu responded. He frantically tried to remove the cover, but it was on too tight. Seeing that they were trapped the guard reached in trying to get them out himself.
"(No, get away!)" Buneary screamed. She backed away as far as she could, trying to get away from the guard's outstretched hand. The guard couldn't see inside, but as he felt around inside the shaft he managed to grab Buneary's foot.
"Now I've got you!" he shouted.
"(Buneary!)" Pikachu shouted.
"(Help me!)" Buneary screamed. Pikachu abandoned the shaft covering and grabbed Buneary's hands, trying to pull her free of the guard's grip. Unfortunately for him the guard was much stronger and easily pulled both him and Buneary out of the ventilation shaft. Once he got them both out he grabbed Pikachu's tail. As the Pokémon struggled in his grip the guard glared at them.
"Looks like I'll have to teach you two a lesson," he spat.
"(Not if I can help it!)" Before the guard could react Absol emerged from the shadows and went on the attack, slashing at the guard with Night Slash. The guard avoided contact, but that caused him to lose his balance. As he fell to the ground he lost his grip on Pikachu and Buneary. The two Pokémon landed on the ground next to Absol.
"(Are you two alright?)" Absol wondered.
"(Thanks to you we are,)" Pikachu stated. "(Now that the door's open we can all get out of here.)"
"(But first we should take care of that guy,)" Buneary pointed out as the guard got back to his feet. He glared at the three Pokémon.
"I'm going to make you pay for that!" he yelled. He reached for something on his waist, but Pikachu was quick to react.
"(You're not doing anything!)" he declared. He hit the guard with a Quick Attack, causing him to double over. Buneary then followed that up with Bounce, jumping on the back of the guard's head and driving him to the ground.
"(Come on! Let's go before he gets back up!)" Absol urged. The three of them ran past the downed guard and into the hallway.
"(Hang on, guys! We're coming for you!)" Pikachu declared.
"No, stop it!" Despite being hit repeatedly by stronger and stronger Thunderbolts from Ares's Jolteon Ash refused to tell Ares anything involving Celebi. Ares, though, was beginning to grow tired of the resistance.
"You are really beginning to try my patience," he stated as he called off his Jolteon's most recent Thunderbolt. Sparks danced over Ash's body from the attack as he fell to the ground, exhausted by his ordeal so far.
"Now… where is Celebi?" Ares demanded. Breathing heavily Ash looked up at Ares, his defiant eyes never wavering.
"I… I'll never tell," he refused. Ares's anger grew with Ash's recent show of defiance.
"Your defiance shall cost you dearly," he stated. Just as he was about to order Jolteon to use Thunderbolt once again a call came through on his communicator. He grabbed the communicator and replied.
"What is it?" he demanded.
"I… I'm sorry, sir! The Pokémon… have escaped!"
"What?" Ares roared. Hearing that Pikachu and the others managed to escape filled Ash, Nikki and Nurse Joy with a bit of hope.
"You incompetent fool! How could you let them escape?" Ares chastised. After listening to his subordinate give out his excuse Ares turned off his communicator.
"I can't even trust these idiots to guard three Pokémon!" he yelled. He called Jolteon to his side and left the room. Before leaving he posted a pair of guards at the door.
"If they try to escape make them pay," he instructed. The guards saluted and stood outside the door. With Ares now gone Nikki and Nurse Joy hurried to Ash's side.
"Are you alright, Ash?" Nikki asked. Despite what he just went through he managed to look at her and smile.
"Well… I have been a bit better," he joked.
"What you did was very risky. Why didn't you just lie to him?" Nurse Joy wondered.
"He would have seen right through any lie I told him," Ash explained.
"You think so?" Nikki questioned.
"I'm positive," Ash replied. "Anyway, we should be looking for a way out of here."
"With those guards posted right outside the door I'm sure we won't be going that way," Nikki commented. As soon as she said that the sounds of a battle filled the air.
"What's going on out there?" Nurse Joy wondered. The supposed battle sounded like it was taking place right outside the room. After a few seconds everything went quiet.
"Do you think it's over?" Nikki questioned. Before anyone could answer something started banging on the door. In response to that Ash, Nikki and Nurse Joy all backed up to the far side of the room. After a while it stopped. Ash considered approaching the door, but before he could take one step the door exploded, spraying wooden shrapnel all over the room. Ash instantly tried to cover Nikki and Nurse Joy with his body to keep them from being harmed. Once things were clear the three humans looked at what was left of the door.
"What caused that?" Nikki asked.
"No clue," Ash answered. They would get their answer seconds later.
"(Ash! Nikki!)
"Pikachu?" The next thing they knew Pikachu, Buneary and Absol came running into the room. Instantly Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms while Buneary did the same with Nikki.
"(Are you okay?)" Pikachu asked.
"I was going to ask you the same thing, buddy," Ash replied.
"(I was so worried about you, Nikki!)" Buneary cried.
"I was worried about you, too. I'm so relieved that you're all safe," Nikki stated.
"How did you find us?" Ash wondered.
"(We saw Ares when he left the room and assumed that's where he was keep all of you,)" Pikachu explained. "(Looks like we were right.)"
"(After that it was a simple matter of taking out the two guards and getting into the room,)" Buneary added. "(Pikachu and I took out the guards easily, but it took Absol's Shadow Ball to get through the door.)"
"(Looks like I overdid it a bit,)" the Disaster Pokémon admitted. "(Sorry about that, Nurse Joy)"
"Don't worry about it. If it means we can escape I can overlook it," Nurse Joy stated.
"Speaking of which let's get out of here before Ares gets back," Nikki suggested.
"First things first, we need to find our Poké Balls," Ash declared. "Do you have any idea where they might be, Nurse Joy?"
"They may have stored them in one of the other storage rooms," she said.
"Then that's where we need to look first," Ash decided. The group quickly exited the room and, with Nurse Joy leading them, headed for the other storage rooms.
So far in their search the group had failed to find Ash and Nikki's Poké Balls, but they still pressed on. Now, though, they had arrived at the final room.
"Do you think they're in there?" Nikki wondered.
"They have to be. They weren't anywhere else, and I doubt if Ares would have posted guards at an empty room," Ash guessed, bringing up the point that there were a pair of guards in front of the door.
"How are we going to get passed them?" Nurse Joy questioned.
"(Just leave them to us,)" Pikachu stated. "(You ready, Buneary?)"
"(You bet,)" the Rabbit Pokémon confirmed. In the blink of an eye the two Pokémon charged the guards.
"Hey, where did you… oof!" Before either could react Pikachu struck the first in the stomach with a Quick Attack while Buneary used Jump Kick, striking the other in the face. Both guards fell to the ground knocked out. With their work done the two Pokémon signaled to Ash and the others that the coast was clear.
"Nice work, you two," Ash praised.
"(It was nothing,)" Pikachu responded. The group quickly entered the room and began searching through the numerous boxes.
"One of them has to have our Poké Balls," Nikki assumed.
"Keep looking. They're in here somewhere," Ash encouraged. Everyone kept rummaging through box after box in search of Ash and Nikki's Poké Balls. Pretty soon they had searched through half of the boxes without finding the Poké Balls.
"Do you think they hid them somewhere else?" Nikki wondered.
"I doubt it. There aren't many places they could have hidden them inside the Pokémon Center," Nurse Joy stated.
"That means they have to be in here. Let's keep looking," Ash said. They continued to sift through the contents of the numerous boxes.
"(I found them!)" Buneary exclaimed. She emerged from one of the boxes carrying two belts filled with Poké Balls.
"Great job, Buneary!" Nikki praised. She gave Ash and Nikki their Poké Balls. Once the two trainers were sure there weren't any Poké Balls missing they fastened their belts around their waists.
"Okay, we got our Poké Balls back! Now we can get out of here and notify Officer Jenny about what's going on here!" Ash stated.
"You won't be going anywhere!" Standing in the door was Ares, his Jolteon by his side. He glared at the group.
"I should have known better than to trust those idiots to guard you while I was gone," he spat. "I shall deal with them later, but first comes the lot of you."
"I don't think so! Now that we've got our Poké Balls back you don't stand a chance!" Ash declared. The very notion that they believed they stood a chance against him amused Ares.
"If you truly believe you stand a chance then by all means… come at me!" he challenged. His Jolteon stood in front of him, waiting for Ash to send his first Pokémon to challenge him. Just as Ash reached for one of his Poké Balls Absol stepped forward.
"(Let me take him,)" he requested. Ash admired Absol's eagerness to battle.
"Alright, let's do this!" Ash shouted. Absol let out a challenging bark as he stared down the Lightning Pokémon.
"Let's start off with X-Scissor!" Ash instructed. The Disaster Pokémon charged his opponent, his forepaws giving off a light blue glow.
"Dodge that!" Ares ordered. Absol slashed at Jolteon in an X-shape, but by the time the attack reached its destination Jolteon was safely out of the way.
"Now use Double Kick!" Ares shouted. With blinding speed Jolteon went on the attack, delivering two powerful kicks to Absol's chest. The Disaster Pokémon was driven backwards, the wind knocked out of him.
"Now finish him with Thunderbolt!" Ares ordered. Before Absol could recover Jolteon flooded his body with thousands of volts of electricity.
"Absol!" Ash shouted upon hearing the pained cries of his Pokémon. Ares called off Jolteon's attack after a while, but by then the damage had already been done. Sparks danced all over Absol's body as the Disaster Pokémon struggled to get to his feet. After trying for a few seconds it was clear that Absol was in no condition to go on.
"Return," Ash said as he recalled Absol back to his Poké Ball.
"Well, are you ready to give up yet?" Ares wondered. Ash glared at Ares as he grabbed another Poké Ball.
"No way! I'm not done yet!" he declared. "I choose you, Bulbasaur!" Ash's Seed Pokémon appeared from his Poké Ball moments later.
"Use Razor Leaf!" Ash instructed.
"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Ares ordered. Bulbasaur fired off a Razor Leaf volley, but Jolteon easily cut through it with his Thunderbolt.
"Now use Pin Missile!" Ares shouted. Once the Razor Leaf was dealt with Jolteon fired a Pin Missile volley. The super effective attack struck Bulbasaur, striking the Seed Pokémon and causing a great deal of damage.
"Now hit him with Thunderbolt!" Bulbasaur barely had time to recover before being struck with a massive Thunderbolt. The Electric attack fried Bulbasaur, causing even more damage.
"I don't get it. I thought Electric type attacks didn't do that much damage to Grass type Pokémon," Nikki said.
"They normally don't, but the damage Bulbasaur took from that Pin Missile made him more vulnerable to Jolteon's Electric attacks than he'd normally be," Nurse Joy explained.
"Oh no!" Nikki gasped. Seeing how badly beaten Bulbasaur looked filled Ares with great pleasure.
"Ready to quit now?" he asked.
"Not by a longshot!" Ash refused. "Bulbasaur can keep going! Right, Bulbasaur?"
"(You bet I can!)" the Seed Pokémon declared.
"Is that so? Well then Jolteon will be more than happy to play with you a bit longer," Ares said. The Lightning Pokémon approached Bulbasaur, a cocky smirk on his face.
"(I'll make short work of you, and then you trainer and his friends will be next,)" he spat. This sent a wave of anger through Bulbasaur.
"(There's no way I'm going to let you or your trainer harm them!)" he declared. At that moment he felt a surge of power building up inside of him. It was something he had felt once before. Back then he rejected the power, but this time was different. Unlike then he was ready this time.
"(Time to get busy!)" he yelled. Right then his body became engulfed in a bright white light.
"N-No way!" Ash gasped.
"Bulbasaur's evolving!" Nikki said. Bulbasaur's body grew in size. His bulb grew larger and sprouted leaves at the base. When the light faded Bulbasaur had become an Ivysaur.
"Alright, you've evolved into Ivysaur!" Ash cheered. Though it was not something he was expecting Ares didn't appear too concerned with Bulbasaur's evolution.
"Evolved or not, you shall not win!" he declared. "Double Kick!" Jolteon jumped at Ivysaur, his hind legs ready to deliver two powerful kicks.
"Grab him with Vine Whip!" Ash instructed. Reacting fast two vines shot from Ivysaur's bulb and wrapped around Jolteon's legs. Ivysaur slung Jolteon into the wall and then slammed him down on the floor, stunning him.
"Now use Razor Leaf!" Ash instructed. Without giving Jolteon time to recover Ivysaur assaulted him with a Razor Leaf volley, the razor sharp leaves bombarding his body.
"Now finish up with Vine Whip!" Ash shouted. With a loud battle cry Ivysaur struck Jolteon with one final Vine Whip, slapping him across his face and knocking him down at Ares's feet.
"Alright! That's the way!" Ash cheered. While he celebrated his victory Ares glared at them. The fact that he had lost the battle infuriated him, and though he wanted nothing more than to teach Ash a lesson the mission had taken far longer than he had anticipated. He recalled his defeated Pokémon.
"Don't think this is over! We shall meet again, and I will have my revenge!" he declared. He grabbed his communicator and relayed new orders.
"All troops, fall back!" he ordered. After giving those orders he left the room.
"Hey, get back here!" Ash started to follow him but Nikki stopped him.
"Hold it, Ash! We need to take care of our Pokémon first!" she said. Right then Ash remembered that Ivysaur had just finished a difficult battle and Absol was in bad shape after his battle with Ares's Jolteon.
"You're right. Guess we'll have to let them go for now," he sighed.
"I'll notify Officer Jenny about what happened here," Nurse Joy said.
"That's a good idea," Ash commented. After Ash returned Ivysaur to his Poké Ball the three of them headed to the Pokémon Center's main lobby.
Ares sat in the helicopter as it fled the forest. He was disgusted for not only failing his mission but also for allowing himself to be defeated by a trainer he felt was beneath him. The more he thought about it the more disgusted he became.
"That trainer… I'll remember him, and the next time we meet I'll be sure to make him pay for embarrassing me like that," he swore.
"Sir, we've received a call from HQ," the pilot informed him. He handed Ares the communicator. Ares sighed as he took the communicator.
"Ares here… No, we were unable to complete the mission… Understood. Ares, out." He gave the communicator back to the pilot.
"Orders, sir?" the pilot inquired.
"Return to HQ," Ares instructed. The pilot nodded in confirmation and directed the helicopter in the direction of their HQ.
It was much later in the day when Officer Jenny arrived. By then things at the Pokémon Center had quieted down, allowing them to give Officer Jenny an accurate account of what happened.
"Now you said it was a large group, correct?" Officer Jenny inquired as she listened to Ash, Nikki and Nurse Joy retell the events of earlier.
"That's right," Nikki confirmed. "I can't remember how many there were, but they all wore these white uniforms with a red 'C' on them." That last part got Officer Jenny's attention.
"Did you say a red 'C'?" she asked.
"Yeah. As far as we could tell all of them had red 'C's on their uniforms," Nikki said. Officer Jenny brought a hand to her chin.
"So they've begun operations here too," she mused.
"Who has?" Ash wondered.
"Team Cerberus," Officer Jenny replied.
"Team Cerberus? Who are they?" Ash inquired.
"A group of radicals that want to use Pokémon to bring down the various governments around the world," Officer Jenny explained. "Their methods are very extreme. They don't care who gets hurt as long as they accomplish their goals."
"You don't have to tell us twice," Ash grumbled, recalling his battle against Ares earlier.
"In any case I need to get the word out that Team Cerberus is operating in this area," Officer Jenny said. After receiving thanks from Ash, Nikki and Nurse Joy Officer Jenny left to go file her report. Unknown to any of them, though, the trio of Jessie, James and Meowth had overheard their conversation.
"Seems we have some competition," Jessie commented.
"The Boss will want to know of this," James said. His comrades agreed with him as they quietly snuck away from the Pokémon Center.
"Sir, you have received a call from the Legenda region."
"Put it through," Giovanni instructed. His monitor lit up with a video of Jessie, James and Meowth.
"What do you have to report?" Giovanni inquired.
"Sir, it has come to our attention that there is another organization within the Legenda region," Jessie reported.
"They go by the name Team Cerberus and clearly have a vested interest in the powerful Pokémon found here in Legenda," James added. Though Giovanni already knew of Team Cerberus's existence the fact that Jessie, James and Meowth had already encountered them meant that he'd have a way to discover their motives.
"I have a new assignment for you," Giovanni announced. "I want you three to find out all you can about this Team Cerberus and report it back to HQ."
"Sir!" the three of them replied. The call was ended, leaving the trio with a new assignment and a new sense of pride.
"The Boss is really putting a lot of trust in us," James commented.
"Clearly he's beginning to see our true potential," Jessie boasted.
"Then let's not let his trust be misplaced," Meowth advised. The fact that Giovanni was trusting them with a new assignment filled them with determination as they looked to carry out their new mission.
"Look, there's Carnation Town!" After leaving the Pokémon Center and traversing through the rest of the forest Ash and Nikki finally arrived at Carnation Town.
"Time for me to win my first ribbon," Nikki stated.
"Feeling confident?" Ash asked.
"You bet! There's no way we're leaving without that ribbon!" Nikki declared.
"(That's the spirit!)" Pikachu commented.
"With that enthusiasm that ribbon's as good as yours," Ash said.
"Yeah," Nikki agreed. "You ready to win, Buneary?"
"(You bet!)" she replied. With Nikki ready for her second Pokémon Contest the group headed into town so Nikki could register.
Ash and Nikki finally arrived in Carnation Town, but not without incident as they had their first encounter with the evil Team Cerberus. Will that be their only encounter, or will Ares make good on his promise to get revenge on Ash? And what of Nikki's second attempt at her first ribbon? Will she succeed? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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