Hey readers - at long last, we are finally at the end of my second completely original episode : D
Let me tell you something, this chapter is a real doozy : ) This is, without a doubt, the longest chapter by far that I have ever written for this particular story to date. Normally I would have sliced this chapter clean in half, but to be completely honest, I really just want to move on to something else in this project now. I feel like I've been stuck writing this episode for months, so I gave it the final push to get it all done in this one extra long chapter. Hopefully the pay-out will be worth it, and you guys will all really enjoy it. That's the hope at least : )
Enough about that for now though. Instead, let's talk about the results of the last voting topic. Sadly, nobody voted for any of the options of bringing one of Nolan's older Pokémon back this time, so we are currently stuck at a five-way tie. I'll get into that more once you guys have finished reading this chapter though ; )
Finally, I just want to say a GIGANTIC thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favourited, and followed this story. The support that has been shown to the story is amazing, and it means so much to me, so thank you : )
Please remember that Pokemon is not mine, only my OC's are : )
I hope you enjoy this chapter : )
Day Care Dilemmas - Part 6
Nolan could not believe that this was happening again.
The golden haired boy was slowly but surely becoming more and more convinced that he must have done something truly awful in a past life to deserve this. It was the only logical explanation. After all, why else would fate see fit to force him to hunt down not one disobedient run away Pokemon but two, in the same day, within the space of an hour no less, unless it's sought to punish him? So yes, either Nolan Locke had been a truly terrible person in a past life, or else the universe really was just that unfair.
"Doduo! Stop!" the golden haired boy panted for breath that just wouldn't come quickly enough, the muscles in his legs burning from the strain he was currently forcing through them, "Get back here!"
"Doooo! Doduo!"
Both of the Twin Bird Pokemon's heads seemed to laugh at Nolan as the bizarre creature happily kept charging along its merry way, dodging and weaving its way around the perplexed citizens of Orange Town with expert ease.
"Rotten little..." Nolan growled angrily under his breath to himself, but the golden haired boy didn't allow the Twin Bird Pokemon's snide mocking to get the best of him. Instead, Nolan simply readjusted his grip on Fang and kept on running, quite literally forcing himself to stay hot on the Doduo's tail, as he wove through the crowds himself. His beloved partner Meadow was right behind him, her vines whipping through the air as she kept trying to use them to snag hold of their fleeing quarry, narrowly avoiding bumping into people.
"Come on, Doduo, this isn't funny!" Nolan complained, slowing down against his will as he began to exhaust himself with this hopeless chase, "You're cause Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni a lot of worry by being out here on your own like this!"
"Duo!"
Unfortunately, Doduo seemed to be enjoying itself far too much to be concerned about the feelings of those whose care it had been left in. Before Nolan's narrowed icy blue eyes, the troublesome Twin Bird Pokemon began flitting from shop to shop, pecking at things, and creating general mayhem.
"Doduo!" Nolan watched helplessly as Doduo dashed past a group of kids playing with a pokeball, knocking it out of their hands. The kids all cried out in dismay, but Nolan didn't have the time to stop and check they were all right.
"Hey!" the golden haired boy shouted disapprovingly, trying to scold the little feathery Menace, "That wasn't nice! You shouldn't be messing with other trainers' pokeballs!"
The boy's protests fell upon deaf ears.
"Doduo" both of Doduo's heads sniggered at Nolan again, before the strange creature put on an extra burst of speed. Nolan groaned in despair, struggling to keep up now. He turned towards Meadow with a hopeless expression on his face. The little Grass Type Pokemon mirrored the look, clearly having trouble keeping up with the nimble Doduo as well.
"Meadow! Fang!" the golden haired boy grunted in pain as he quite literally had to force himself to keep putting one foot in front of the other, "We need a new plan! I can't keep this up for much longer!"
"Bulba..." Meadow gasped, obviously struggling just as much as her beloved human was.
"Growlithe!" Fang barked in concern from his spot in Nolan's arms, his gaze filled with worry as he nervously looked up at the golden haired boy in question. Despite the fact that all he wanted to do right now was collapse to his knees and sleep for about a week, Nolan forced a smile for the Puppy Pokemon's benefit.
"Me and Meadow will be okay, Fang!" he assured the adorable little Fire Type Pokemon kindly, patting him on the head as he kept running, "We're just a little tired, that's all".
"Saur..." Meadow grumbled at his side.
"Growl..." Fang whimpered softly, his fluffy head tilted to one side. The Puppy Pokemon adopted a thoughtful expression. It was clear that he wanted to help his friends as best he could. An idea suddenly came to mind, and the small Fire Type Pokemon beamed excitedly before springing into action.
WHOOSH!
"HOLY SH-!" Nolan hastily cut himself off before he had a chance to finish the curse that he'd rather die then let his father hear him utterly. Honestly though, the golden haired boy had somewhat of a right to be surprised in that moment however. For quite suddenly, without any kind of warning or preamble whatsoever, Fang suddenly opened his jaw as wide as he could and from his mouth exploded a flurry of white-hot, honest-to-god fire.
Actual fire.
Nolan was so startled by this abrupt and unexpected turn of events that he actually forgot to keep running for a moment. Instead, he simply gaped down at the adorable Puppy Pokemon in his arms, who was still belching out a barrage of blazing embers in the direction of the fleeing Doduo. With a jolt, the golden haired boy realised that this must be Fang's Ember attack. An attack that Fang was firing off in such a crowded area rather recklessly...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
It didn't take long for the frightened screams of Innocent civilians and nearby Pokemon to suddenly fill the air around them, and Nolan couldn't help but wince in empathy when he watched as a middle-aged man was forced to leap for his life when Fang's Ember attack wavered dangerously close to him. The man ended up crashing into a dustbin with a sickening thud. The end result was... messy to say the least.
"You crazy fool!" the rubbish-splattered man yelled in incredulous disbelief, "What in Moltres' name are you trying to do?!"
"Err... sorry about that sir!" Nolan called back apologetically, but still not taking his eyes off Doduo for even a second. Despite all of his instincts saying that he should stay and help the poor man that Fang had just scared within an inch of his life though, Nolan instead just bit his lip, before he turned away from the fuming man and continued his pursuit.
"Hey!" the man's furious voice bellowed after him, "Get back here you little punk!"
It went against his own nature to do it, but Nolan made himself ignore the older male. Instead, he just kept running after Doduo. He did however take a moment to glance down at the tricky little furball he currently had tucked in his arms though.
"Fang! Whilst I appreciate you were just trying to help, you can't just randomly let off an Ember attack in a middle of a crowded street!" the golden haired boy gently scolded the small Fire Type Pokemon he was embracing, "You could have seriously hurt someone!"
"Lithe..." Fang whimpered, hanging his head whilst looking contrite.
Seeing the genuine remorse on the adorable Puppy Pokemon's cute features, Nolan sighs fondly, before he smiled in a slightly exasperated manner.
"It's okay, boy. I'm not mad" the golden haired boy gave the small furry creature a gentle comforting squeeze, "But you have to be a little more careful around other people and Pokemon, okay?"
"Growl! Growlithe!" Fang barked happily, perking up again now that he knew Nolan wasn't angry at him. He affectionately nuzzled up against the human currently. carrying him
Smiling, Nolan fondly petted Fang on the head again, scratching behind the Puppy Pokemon's ears, before turning his attention back to the matter at hands. The golden haired boy couldn't help but narrow his eyes thoughtfully as he spotted Doduo disappearing into a dark and narrow alleyway.
"Doduo!" Nolan called in a warning tone after the Twin Bird Pokemon, do even after all of this time had still yet to tire, "Don't think you can get away from me like that! Come here right now, or I will do this the hard way!"
"Doduo!"
There was no mistaking the challenge in runaway Pokemon's two voices. It was like the bizarre creature was quite literally saying 'bring it!' to him. Clenching his teeth together in sheer frustration, Nolan decided to do just that. Without pausing to second guess his actions, the golden haired boy determinedly charged into the mouth of the alleyway after his target, Fang still in his arms, Meadow right behind him.
The sight that met Nolan's icy blue eyes brought a smile to the young boy's lips.
For just a few feet ahead of the steadfast trio, and clearly deeply unhappy by the situation judging by the fact that both of it two becks were snapping angrily, was none other than Doduo, no longer dashing about like a large feathery bullet. But Nolan was under no illusion that the Twin Bird Pokemon had stopped of its own volition or because it was concerned about what Nolan might do to it. Oh no. The only reason that Doduo had finally stopped running was because it had ran headlong into a dead end. Nolan couldn't help but grin in delight.
"Looks like you're cornered, Doduo!" Nolan cheered happily, ignoring how all four of Doduo's eyes were narrowed at him. Instead, the golden haired boy simply focused on the huge, overflowing dumpster that had somehow tilted sideway, blocking the alleyway and halting the feathery menace in its tracks, "Thank you universe, for conveniently placed dumpsters!"
"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" Meadow looked relieved to be done with the chase as well.
"Doduo!"
Nolan sighed and steeled himself as Doduo snarled at him, Meadow and Fang furiously, both of its two identical heads twitching angrily. It seemed determined to get away, and the bizarre creature was positively spitting with rage at having been cornered like this. It could not have been clearer that Doduo had no intention of fucking down without a fight. Still, Nolan decided it was worth a try before engaging.
"Doduo, it's time to go back to the day care centre" the golden haired boy stated firmly but calmly.
"Doduo!" the Twin Bird Pokemon hissed, but doing precisely the very thing that Nolan expected it to do. Doduo charged at Nolan, ready to attack.
"Bulba!" Meadow raised both of her vines at the incoming, ready to protect her beloved human. Fortunately however, the boy in question was already on the case. Before Doduo could even get close to him, Nolan had a pokeball in hand and was tossing it high into the air.
"Oh no you don't!" Nolan spat angrily, his patience with the Twin Bird Pokemon finally at an end, "Come on out, Xanthite!"
The pokeball arched high across the air above the narrow alleyway, before it suddenly snapped open. In brightly coloured crimson light, a familiar figure began to emerge. In a matter of seconds, it materialised into the solid form of Xanthite, Nolan's beloved Geodude.
"Geo! Geodude!"
Quickly taking in the severity of the situation, Xanthite wasted no time in springing into action. Floating through the air in that impressive yet slightly eerie manner of hers, Xanthite easily got in front of Nolan, loyally protecting her trainer and getting in Doduo's way. The Twin Bird Pokemon skidded to a halt, screeching at Xanthite angrily for blocking its path.
"Duo!"
"Geo!"
The two Pokemon stared each other down, practically daring each other to be the one to attack first. Doduo was clearly letting its anger get the better of it, whilst Xanthite, who was certainly alarmed and concerned about the obvious threat to her beloved human, was able to keep a cooler head. Therefore, it came as no surprise to Nolan what the overall outcome was when the two inevitably came to blows.
"Doduo!" Doduo lunged towards the mouth of the alleyway that Nolan, Meadow, Fang and Xanthite were all effortlessly blocking between them.
"Geodude!" Xanthite, using her internal magnetism to levitate through the air, drifted forwards to meet the enraged Flying Type Pokemon head on.
It couldn't have gone better if Nolan had planned it himself.
Xanthite easily withstood the foolish assault that Doduo launched upon her with both of its becks, pecking furiously at the Rock Pokemon as it allowed itself to fall into a frenzy. Then, in one single, simple manoeuvre, Xanthite ended it. With surprising speed and dexterity for such a bulky creature, Nolan's Rock Type friend threw out her arms so fast that were practically a blur, and easily grabbed both of Doduo's two skinny necks in her powerful grip in one fell swoop.
"Duo!" Doduo gasped as it choked for air, squirming furiously as it realised what had just happened. Sadly for Doduo though, it was already far too late.
CRUNCH!
Despite all the trouble that it had caused him today, Nolan couldn't help but wince with sympathy as he watched what Xanthite did to finally bring the feathery menace down. In one graceful and somehow dignified move, the Rock Pokemon slammed both of the Twin Bird Pokemon's two identical heads together, doing so with so much force that it was a minor miracle that both of their skulls weren't fractured immediately. Thankfully the damage wasn't quite so severe as that, though it was clear that Doduo wouldn't be running away from a while. As all four of the bizarre creature's eyes rolled back in its heads, Doduo slumped to the ground as Xanthite gently released it.
It was unconscious before it hit the floor.
"Way to go, Xanthite!" Nolan cheered happily, actually jumping up and down and fist pumping the air in delight as he congratulated his Rock Type Pokemon friend on a job well done, "You really saved the day this time!"
"Geo! Geodude!" Xanthite gave the golden haired boy a thumbs-up, smiling happily at him.
Nolan grinned at her for just a moment longer, before he turned his attention back to the matter at hand. Stepping cautiously forwards, the golden haired boy slowly approach the unconscious two-headed creature lying face down on the floor of the alleyway. A thoughtful expression tugged at his lips.
"We need to get Doduo back to the day care centre as soon as possible. But how?" the golden haired boy muttered under his breath to himself, "How can carry Doduo safely? Maybe Meadow…"
"Bulba!" at Nolan's side, Meadow stepped forwards important, the head held high with determination.
Nolan watched her in bemusement for a few seconds, but soon enough a gasp of realisation escaped him as he realised what his beloved partner was up to. Before the boy's eyes, Meadow effortlessly used her Vine Whip to carefully cradle Doduo's body. She was easily able to keep the unconscious creature's body aloft from the floor.
"Geo!"
Clearly following the same line of thought as her teammate, Xanthite drifted over to help Meadow with Doduo as well. Using her powerful hands, the floating Rock Type Pokemon carefully held both of the Twin Bird Pokemon's heads up off the ground.
"That's a great idea, Meadow!" the golden haired boy beamed, proud of both of his Pokemon, "You two make a great team!"
Meadow and Xanthite both preened at his praise, but neither one of them had a chance to respond to it. For at that exact moment, quite without warning or any kind of preamble whatsoever, another surprise came the group's way, although thankfully this one was a welcome one.
"Freeee!"
"Geotto!"
"Zubat!"
Glancing up instinctively upon hearing the three different yet all familiar voices, Nolan couldn't help but grin broadly when he saw who was descending out of the sky towards him and his little Pokemon family. Both Ash's Butterfree and Pidgeotto, followed swiftly by Brock's Zubat, were flying straight towards him.
"Butterfree! Pidgeotto! Zubat!" the golden haired boy greeted each of the newcomers warmly, pleased to see all of them, "You guys are all here! That must mean that the others have found the rest of the missing Pokemon!"
Butterfree, Pidgeotto and Zubat all nodded their heads I confirmation.
"Great! What a relief!" Nolan beamed, pleased by the news that he wouldn't have to go through this entire process again with any of the other Pokemon that had a escaped from the day care centre, "We're finished up here now as well, so why don't you guys all head back to the day care centre, and we'll catch up with you their?"
Again, the three Pokemon all hovering in the air all nodded at him, clearly taking on-board the golden haired boy's suggestion. With a flutter of three different sets of wings, they all took to the sky again, vanishing out of sight just a moment later. Nolan smiled, before turning back to his own Pokemon.
"Let's go, everyone!" the golden haired boy said encouragingly, "It's time we got this pesky little Doduo back where it belongs!"
And so working toward to half-carry and half-drag the unconscious Twin Bird Pokemon between them; Nolan, Fang, Meadow, and Xanthite soon began navigating their way back through the busy streets, carefully carrying the unconscious Doduo back to the day care centre.
What none of them had even the faintest inkling of however, was the great looming danger that awaited them there...
The journey through the bustling streets of Orange Town was the most uneventful part of Nolan's day so far, for which the golden haired boy couldn't have been more grateful, considering just how badly everything else had spiralled out of control so far today. Nolan had been a little worried initially upon leaving the alleyway that their group may have bumped into that middle-aged man who had taken a swim through a rubbish bin because of them, but thankfully they're managed to avoid any such incident. Instead, all they'd had to do was endure a few strange looks from people in the street, which Nolan supposed made a certain degree of sense. The people of Orange Town probably weren't used to seeing a Bulbasaur and a Geodude supporting an unconscious Doduo between them after all. Either way, it was nice to have a moment of relative calm for once. What poor Nolan had no way of realising however as he made his way back to the Pokemon day care centre, was that this particular calm was the one before the storm.
A storm of practically unprecedented magnitude.
Soon enough, Nolan and the small cluster of Pokemon accompanying him were back on the street where Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni's day care centre was located. Smiling to himself, and beyond relieved that this task was almost at an end now, the golden haired boy wasted no time in approaching the quaint little building that had charmed its way into his heart.
"Alright, Doduo, back to day care you go" the golden haired boy couldn't help but carry an air of smugness about him as he gazed back over his shoulder at the unconscious creature being supported between Meadow and Xanthite, "Let's just hope you don't escape again!"
Nolan chuckled to himself as he stepped up towards the day care centre. It was only as the young boy made to open the front door, however, that something most peculiar started to happen.
"Grrrrrrrr!"
Thoroughly taken aback, and not to mention slightly disturbed by the downright threatening noise he'd just heard, Nolan looked down at the small Puppy Pokemon currently cuddled up in his arms. The boy's expression was utterly riddled with confusion.
"Fang? What's the matter, boy?" Nolan asked nervously, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding unease creeping into his bones, "We're back at the day care! Shouldn't you be happy?"
Fang was anything but.
The adorable little Growlithe, who had been perfectly docile and pleasant until just a few moments ago, was glaring at the door to the day care centre with such a heated ferocity, that Nolan couldn't help but swallow anxiously.
"Growl! Growlithe!"
Fang began barking angrily, his dark eyes narrowed practically to slits as he glowered at the charming little building. The Puppy Pokemon was getting so worked up that Nolan was honestly surprised that he hadn't started foaming at the mouth yet. But the most worrying thing to the golden haired boy wasn't just the strange behaviour that Fang was suddenly displaying, but the fact that there seem to be not immediate cause for it.
"Come on, Fang" Nolan chuckled nervously, trying to reason with the irate little Fire Type Pokemon, "Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni will be so happy to see you. Don't you wanna play with them?"
But Fang wasn't having any of it. The Puppy Pokemon just continued growling menacingly, his little ears flattened against his head.
"Growlithe!" Fang snarled again, the threatening nature of his tone intensifying.
At a loss, Nolan allowed a forlorn and slightly exasperated sigh to slip his lips. Uncertain of who else to turn to, the young trainer glanced down at his beloved partner hopelessly.
"Meadow, what's with Fang?" the golden haired boy asked his most faithful companion, a trace of worry in his tone, "He wasn't acting like this before".
Sensing that the Fire Type Pokemon's sudden and abrupt change in behaviour was starting to distress her beloved human, Meadow wasted no time in getting to the bottom of it. With a determined expression on her face, the little Grass Type Pokemon stepped forward until she came into view of the snarling Puppy Pokemon.
"Bulb, Bulbasaur, Bulba?" Meadow was clearly asking Fang what was bothering him so much.
"Growlithe! Growl! Lithe! Growlithe!" Fang barked back, a low, ominous growl in his voice.
Meadow's eyes became very wide at whatever Fang had said to her, and it wasn't long before the little green creature trained her gaze upon the front door of the day care centre too. To Nolan's immense surprise, she was now glaring at it as well, along with Xanthite, who had also been paying close attention to Fang's response and seemed as deeply troubled by it as Meadow clearly was.
"Bulbasaur!"
"Geodude!"
"Growlithe!"
Swallowing hard, Nolan glanced from the three angry Pokemon, to the front door of the day care centre, and back again. A bead of sweat ran across his forehead.
"Guys, you're starting to seriously freak me out" Nolan told them anxiously, looking deeply concerned by what was happening now. It wasn't long before the boy had a lightbulb moment though, and so he soon turned back to the Pokemon with another question for them in mind, "Are you trying to tell me something? Are you warning me not to go in there?"
Meadow, Xanthite, and Fang all nodded their heads simultaneously.
"But... what could be wrong? I don't see anything" the golden haired boy shook his head in bewilderment, not understanding what all the Pokemon were so concerned about but unwilling to dismiss their worries either, "But... you Pokemon always have better instincts about these things than us humans. Maybe... maybe erring on the side of caution wouldn't hurt".
And so with that decided, instead of opening the door, Nolan carefully peered through one of the window off to the side. And almost immediately, his icy blue eyes widen from sheer and unadulterated horror.
"Oh no..." the golden haired boy breathed, a cold chill running down his spine.
Inside the day care centre, was a scene that Nolan could only describe as being one of complete chaos.
"I don't believe it!" Nolan gasped, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing. Realising but none of the Pokemon accompanying him could see inside the building though, the boy quickly filled them in so they were aware of the true magnitude of this unexpected situation, "Mr. Tanga and Miss Reeni! They're both tied up! And... Ash, Misty, and Brock are too! What the heck is going on in there?!"
At Nolan's feet, Meadow, Xanthite and Fang all exchanged deeply unsettled looks.
"Wait! I see something else!" the golden haired boy continued in a frantic whisper, wanting to keep his Pokemon friends updated as best as possible, "I can see two cages. One of them's holding Pikachu, Starmie, Cubone, Oddish, and Machop. The other one has Butterfree, Pidgeotto, and Zubat trapped inside... wait! Who's that?"
Meadow, Xanthite and Fang all waited with baited breath for the boy to continue. Behind them, laying forgotten on the ground, Doduo slept on.
"Meowth, Koffing, and Ekans..." Nolan hissed as he continued spying through the window, the realisation hitting him with all the subtlety of a brick to the face, "So, it's Team Rocket's doing! Why am I not surprised?"
Nolan numbly staggered back from the window, stunned by the situation in which he now found himself.
"Fang... how did you know?" the golden haired boy asked in a shaky voice.
"Growlithe" Fang barked happily, his adorable little ears twitching in a suggestive manner. It didn't take a genius to work out what he was trying to communicate.
"You heard them? Wow, impressive ears" Nolan shook his head in amazement, a faint smile touching his lips, "But seriously Fang, thank you. You stopped me from walking straight into an ambush. You're a hero, boy!"
"Growl!" Fang happily barked again, his tail wagging like crazy as he affectionately nuzzled his furry cheek against Nolan's.
"But now we're the only ones left free" Nolan reminded the small cluster of Pokemon accompanying him as he got serious again, both his tone and expression practically gripping with deep concern for all of their friends, "We have to save them! We have to stop Team Rocket!"
"Bulbasaur".
"Geodude".
"Growlithe".
All three of his Pokemon friends were in complete agreement with Nolan on that particular front. The main question was, how were they going to do it?
It was Meadow who recovered first from the stunning revelation that the group had just found thrust upon them, and with a gentle use of her Vine Whip attack, the small Grass Type Pokemon gently tugged on the leg of Nolan's jeans, attracting the attention of the boy in question. The golden haired boy nodded stiffly, clearly on the same wavelength as his beloved partner.
"Alright Meadow, Xanthite, and Fang. We all need to stay quiet" Nolan whispered in a hushed tone to the group of small Pokemon all clustered around him, "Team Rocket's up to something, and whatever it is, I'm willing to bet my very last pokedollar that it's nothing good. Now come on. Follow me".
Thankfully none of the Pokemon protested, and they all followed Nolan's lead. Together, the golden haired boy, along with Meadow, Fang and Xanthite, all stealthily moved around the outer walls of the building towards the back of the day care centre. Taking extra care to avoid any form of detection, the group all risked a peek around a corner, hiding behind the building and doing their best to remain out of sight.
What they saw was a sickening sight, and it didn't leave Nolan very hopeful that there would be an easy way out of this predicament.
For standing there as bold as brass in the very same battle garden that Nolan himself had been a guest in just a few short hours ago, was none other then Jessie and James of the infamous Team Rocket Trio. Both of the villains were spotting huge grins on their faces that practically oozed with contentious smugness for the evil deed they were currently in the middle of committing.
Nolan trembled with barely suppressed rage as he silently observed the criminal duo working on fastening a large, heavy duty net to a hot-air balloon, ironically fashioned in the likeness of a Meowth's head. Nolan had never seen the contraption in person before, but he vividly remembered that when Team Rocket had attacked the Pokemon Center all the way back in Viridian City, they had done it from the air. It therefore wasn't too far of a stretch to assume that this balloon was the criminal gang's main method of transportation. The golden haired boy was quick to shake that thought away though. It hardly mattered right now after all, and Nolan had much bigger problems to deal with.
Namely the fact that the huge net that Jessie and James were juggling between them was full to the brim with various different Pokemon, all stolen from the day care centre.
The golden haired boy's heart threatened to break clean in two as he took in the terrible overwhelming sadness and terror of all of the creatures that had been so cruelly stuffed into the harsh wire net. He even recognised some of them, like the Clefairy and the Paras he had seen in the playpen earlier. Unbeknownst to Nolan of course, but the Squirtle that Misty had been so taken by was inside the net as well, along with many others. And even from this distance, Nolan could make out their sorrowful faces. Each of them was etched with fear and panic. It was devastating for such a loving young Pokemon trainer to watch, and a wave of pure revulsion stormed through Nolan's body when he heard Jessie and James actually laughing about the horrible thing that they were doing.
Nolan had to stop them.
He just had to.
Jessie and James on the other hand were happily carrying about their day as normal, blissfully unaware of the fact that Nolan was watching as their heinous crime unfolded. Both of them were very busy with the task of tying the massive net filled with the captured Pokemon to their hot-air balloon. They needed to make sure it was very secure if they hoped to bring all these wonderful prizes to their beloved boss in one fell swoop after all.
"Almost ready to go, James!" Jessie couldn't help but cackle with glee as she went about her work, "This time we'll get the ultimate Pokemon haul!"
James on the other hand didn't seem quite as giddy as his female counterpart.
"I can't believe Meowth is taking so long" the cyan haired man grumbled impatiently, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead as he struggled with the strenuous task that he and Jessie were sharing between them, "It's so typical of him to disappear when there's hard work to be done. Where is he?!"
Jessie merely shrugged her shoulders at him, unwilling to get as worked up about it as James was since there really wasn't any need to. James on the other hand couldn't seem to let it go.
"MEOWTH!" the cyan haired man called over his shoulder loudly in the direction of the day care centre they were currently in the process of robbing, "WHAT'S THE HOLD-UP IN THERE?!"
Thankfully for his brewing temper, James wasn't kept waiting very long for an answer to his sharp inquiry. For barely five seconds after the last word had passed his lips did Meowth emerge from the back entrance of the Pokemon day care centre. The Scratch Cat Pokemon didn't look too impressed by the tone that James had used, but thankfully he held his tongue.
"Still waiting for da last twerp, Goldilocks, to show up" Meowth grumbled up at the male human.
"Typical twerp" Jessie rolled her eyes in annoyance, tossing her long magenta coloured hair back with an air of impatience creeping into her own expression now, "They're always late!"
James scowled and shook his head in a clear show of annoyance.
"Do we really need to wait for him?" the cyan haired man asked tiredly, his tone and expression both dripping with doubt, "That Nolan kid doesn't even have any interesting Pokemon. We already have Pikachu, remember?"
Jessie levelled him with a look that was deeply unimpressed.
"We want as many Pokemon as possible James!" the magenta haired woman snapped at her male counterpart in a voice that invited no argument, "So we're going to wait for the last twerp to walk right into our trap, and take every last one of his Pokemon too! Now, go back inside and keep an eye on our captives, Meowth! James and I need to finish loading the balloon".
"Fine, fine" the Scratch Cat Pokemon waved his paw in an airy, almost dismissive, manner, "But dat kid better turn up soon. I'm getting bored in dere!"
With no more complaints, Meowth slunk back into the Pokemon day care centre. Jessie and James likewise returned to their own task of securing the huge net to their hot-air balloon.
None of them had even the faintest inkling that their entire exchange had just been observed...
The scowl that had settled on his face with each word he'd heard was so heavy that Nolan was in danger of having his handsome features permanently stuck like that. He honestly didn't know which he found more enraging: the fact that Team Rocket were trying to steal all of these innocent Pokemon, or the fact that James hadn't thought that any of his own team was worth the hassle. It was just so... insulting, and rest assured, the golden haired boy had no tension of letting any of this slide.
Knowing that rushing in with a head full of steam was the quickest way to fail however, the golden haired boy forced himself to take a deep breath, before he turned back to the three Pokemon currently hiding with him. He silently gestured for them to go back around to the front of the day care. Nolan needed to be able to think, and he did his best thinking when he could speak aloud to himself.
As soon as the group made it back to the front of the building, thankfully without being detected, the golden haired boy immediately set about coming up with a plan. He began to pace, muttering under his breath to himself.
"Okay... they're waiting for me to show up, which means we have some time before they try to leave..." the golden haired boy was thinking hard, his brow furrowed with concentration, "Still, we need to act fast. Let's see, what do I have to work with. Meadow, Welkin, Xanthite, and Iris..."
"Growlithe!" Fang barked softly, gently nudging Nolan's cheek with his snout. The boy couldn't help but smile warmly.
"Fang, are you saying you'll help me too?" Nolan beamed down at the adorable Puppy Pokemon still cuddled up in his arms, who barked again and eagerly nodded his head, "Good boy! Thank you, Fang! Now, first thing's first, we need to get our friends away from Meowth. Then we need to stop Team Rocket from escaping with all those Pokemon!"
"Saur!"
"Geo!"
"Growlithe!"
The three Pokemon all nodded their heads vigorously in agreement. Meadow, who looked the most determined out of all of them, stepped up and gently tugged on Nolan's leg with her Vine Whip again. Once she had her beloved human's attention, Meadow gestured with her vines towards something around the side of the building, just out of sight. Nolan's eyes widened in realisation when he understood what she was trying to tell him.
"That's brilliant Meadow!" the golden haired boy praised the little green creature, who couldn't help but preen slightly, "The hole in the wall that Rhyhorn and Nidorino made! That'll give us the element of surprise! I have an idea…"
Nolan gently set Fang down on the ground at his feet, trusting that the severity of this situation would be enough to keep the Puppy Pokemon from misbehaving. Using his now free hands, Nolan reached down to his belt and plucked off the two occupied pokeballs that hung there.
"Welkin! Iris!" the boy muttered in a hushed whisper as he tossed both of the capsule devices into the air, "I need you guys!"
The two pokeballs split open, and thankfully not making too much noise, two identical bursts of scarlet coloured light quickly emerged from them. The two lights immediately materialised into the familiar forms of Welkin the Pidgey and Iris the Venonat.
"Veno!"
"Pidgey!"
Nolan smiled at them both in greeting, but didn't waste time by offering them any pleasantries. Instead, the golden haired boy immediately got down to business.
"Listen up you two!" Nolan began in a voice that was so serious in tone that Iris and Welkin couldn't help but immediately fix all of their attention upon him, "Team Rocket has captured all of our friends. We need your help to rescue them".
The boy paused for a moment to allow those words to sink in.
"Veno?" Iris squeaked in a tiny sad voice as she recovered from the shock Nolan had just given her. The boy allowed his features to soften when he realised what his friend was tentatively asking him.
"I'm afraid so Iris" Nolan nodded sadly as he looked at the fluffy purple creature with great sympathy, "They've managed to get Butterfree too".
Iris's large crimson coloured eyes widen in shock for a moment, then she clenched her tiny fists with anger.
"Veno!" she spat furiously.
"Don't worry, Iris. We'll get them all back safely. Plus I already have a plan" the golden haired boy kindly reassured his angry Bug Type Pokemon before she had a chance to do anything reckless, "Now listen up everyone. Iris, I need you to sneak into the day care centre through this hole in the wall. Use your Sleep Powder on Meowth, Koffing, and Ekans, but make sure you don't hit any of our friends in case we need them. Once there asleep, Welkin, you use Quick Attack to break the ropes holding everyone prisoner. Got it?"
"Veno!"
"Pidgey!"
Iris and Welkin both nodded, understanding their task. Nolan smiled at them both before silently gesturing for them to get on with it. As they snuck away, Nolan then turned his attention back to Meadow, Xanthite, and Fang.
"Now, we need to get those Pokemon out of Team Rocket's net before they have a chance to fly away!" Nolan continued talking their problem through. He suddenly turned to the Puppy Pokemon with a hopeful look in his eye, "Fang, do you mind if I scan you with my Pokedex? I want to know what moves you can use just in case we have to battle Team Rocket together".
"Growlithe" Fang looked slight confused, but he clearly trusted the human before him. The Fire Type Pokemon quickly nodded his head at Nolan's request.
"Thanks boy" Nolan smiled as he petted Fang's head, before fishing his pokedex out of his back pocket and aiming it towards the adorable fluffy creature sitting at his feet. Moments later, the boys icy blue eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, Fang, you know so many moves already! Ember, Roar, Bite, Fire Spin, Crunch, and Body Slam! You must be learning a lot here at the day care centre!"
"Growlithe! Fang barked proudly, his tail wagging happily.
Nolan smiled, before a serious look over took his expression again. The golden haired boy up to his full height, practically radiating pure and unadulterated determination.
"Alright, team, are you ready?" he asked them with a grim mockery of a smile.
Meadow, Xanthite, and Fang all nodded back at him, and Nolan was relieved to see that the same resolve he held was reflected in their eyes. It was obvious that each and every one of them was ready to face Team Rocket and rescue their friends.
They quickly set about making it a reality.
Iris and Welkin were as stealthy as they could be as they carefully made their way across the rubble that littered the hole in the outer wall that had been caused by the earlier shenanigans. Thankfully, luck appeared to be on their side, as the two of them were able to enter the dishevelled waiting area of the day care centre where all of their friends were being held captive without being detected. They quickly noticed a large pot plant sitting in a corner, and Welkin and Iris both immediately hid themselves behind it, obscuring themselves from sight before Meowth, Koffing or Ekans had a chance to spot them.
"Pidgey, Pid, Gey" Welkin growled under his breath as he watched Meowth smugly standing over Ash, Misty and Brock, all of whom were still tied up and helpless.
Iris on the other hand was more fixated upon the two cages that their fellow Pokemon had been trapped in. Tears swam in her large ruby red eyes as she watched Butterfree dejectedly slump against the bars, unable to break free of them. Honestly, it broke poor Iris' heart to see one of her closest friends in such a precarious condition.
"Veno..." she whispered mournfully.
Welkin, sensing the distress of his fellow teammate and friend, gently patted Iris on the back with his wing. He wanted to remind her that they hadn't lost yet, and that they were going to save all of their friends. Iris smiled at her friend gratefully.
"Veno!" Iris growled with a stronger resolve, her spirits bolstered by Welkin's gentle encouragement.
Both feeling renewed and utterly determined now, Iris and Welkin both continued watching from the shadows, biding their time until they had the perfect opportunity to strike. They scowled as they saw Meowth continuing to loom over the tied-up Ash, Misty, and Brock, along with the cages containing all the Pokemon. Ekans and Koffing stood menacingly close by.
"Well, well, well, look who ain't so big and strong now! The twerps!" the Scratch Cat Pokemon gloated smugly, his tail swishing back and forth with a vicious kind of glee, "You ain't so tough now, are you? Meowth!"
Ash, who thankfully was gagged or else he'd probably best spewing all sorts of profanities right now, struggled harder against his bindings.
"Meowth's sick of you always getting in our way, Twerp. But dis time you've lost!" Meowth continued his string of taunts, clearly enjoying having the upper paw for once, "Dis time, me and my pals are taking all da Pokemon, and Pikachu too! This is our sweet revenge for all da humiliation you've subjected us to! Meowth!"
The Scratch Cat Pokemon laughed cruelly, enjoying when Ash struggled furiously against his bonds but to no avail.
From their hiding place, Iris and Welkin had decided they'd seen enough. The two members of Nolan's little Pokemon family exchanged a stoic glance, their eyes alight with determination. They both nodded in agreement.
The time to act was upon them.
"Pidgey" Welkin wished his friend good luck with her part of this little rescue mission.
"Veno. Venonat" Iris nodded, her face screwed up with concentration.
The Bug Type Pokemon's long antennae began to gently quiver as she unleashes a cloud of her of powerful Sleep Powder attack. Being careful to avoid breathing them in themselves, Welkin and Iris both watched as the glittering jade-green spores drifted silently through the air towards the unsuspecting targets.
THUD!
With a dull noise that somehow attracted the attention of not only Meowth but the captives as well, they watched in confusion as Ekans and Koffing both slumped to the ground and were out like a light in a matter of seconds. The prisoners were also confused by the sight that they momentarily stopped struggling against the ropes holding them. Likewise, Meowth was gaping at his fellow villainous Pokémon in sheer disbelief.
"What the…?" the Scratch Cat Pokemon rubbed at his eyes in bewilderment, wondering if they were playing tricks on him.
They weren't.
Ekans and Koffing really had just fallen asleep instantly. Meowth scowled in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he impatiently stomped over to where they lay prone.
"You two are so lazy!" the Scratch Cat Pokemon complained, raising his claws disapprovingly, "What do you think you're doing, taking a nap right now?!"
From her position behind the plant pot, Iris smirked in self-satisfaction. Before her opponent had a chance to figure out what was going on, the Bug Type Pokemon quickly unleashed another glistening cloud of Sleep Powder from her twitching antennae.
Before Meowth knew what was happening, he'd already breathed in several of the intoxicating spore.
"Hmm..." the Scratch Cat Pokemon yawned loudly, before he laid down on the ground and curled himself up into a little furry ball, "I guess I could catch a few Zs. Watching twerps is... exhausting..."
He was out in a manner of seconds.
"PIDGEY!"
Now that the coast was clear and he could act without fear of detection, Welkin wasted no time in surging into action. With one graceful sweep of his small but powerful wings, the Tiny Bird Pokemon flew into the room at full speed, effortlessly using his Quick Attack to slash the ropes binding Ash, Misty, and Brock.
"What…?" Ash gasped as he quickly removed the gag from his mouth upon realising that he was now, "What happened?!"
"PIDGEY!"
The raven haired boy got his answer soon enough, for without missing so much as a single beat, Welkin had pirouetted in the air and was now using his Quick Attack again. This time his goal was to destroy the cages holding his fellow Pokemon captive.
CRASH!
The iron bars immediately gave way under the strain of Welkin's expertly-placed attack, and it wasn't long before Pikachu, Starmie, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Zubat, Cubone, Oddish and Machop were all free. They all smiled in relief, Pikachu rushing to Ash's side. They looked around in confusion for a moment, before their saviours quickly made themselves known.
"Veno! Venonat!"
"Pidgey!"
Iris stepped out from her hiding place and made a beeline towards Butterfree. The Butterfly Pokemon look stunned for a short moment before a wide grin split his face and he hovered happily around his fellow Bug Type Pokemon, chirping gratefully.
"Freeee!"
"Veno!" Iris blushed happily as Butterfree affectionately nuzzled up against her, clearly trying to show just how grateful he was for her help. He, along with all the others, also express their thanks to Welkin, who nodded sharply in response.
"Welkin? Iris?" Misty was the first of the humans in the group to take notice of the two newcomers, "What are you two doing here?!"
Iris and Welkin both just smiled proudly up at her. Ash, Misty, and Brock were all overwhelmed with relief and surprise, but it didn't take long for them to figure out what must have happened and who must have sent the two Pokemon here to assist them.
"Nolan!" Misty gasped as the realisation dawned on her, "He must have figured out what Team Rocket was planning! Before they had a chance to ambush him!"
Iris and Welkin both nodded their heads in confirmation, their eyes shining with pride.
"So where is Nolan now?" Brock, who had taken on the task of unfastening Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni from their own bonds, asked the most obvious question.
Ash clenched his jaw, knowing precisely what action his best friend would have taken under these dire circumstances.
"He's probably trying to stop Jessie and James from stealing all the Pokemon!" the raven haired boy was quickly able to deduce, knowing Nolan better than he knew himself sometimes, "We have to help him!"
"Yes!" Mr Tanga immediately removed his own gag upon being freed by Brock, a look of intense worry overtaking his aged features, "We can't let Team Rocket take even a single Pokemon!"
"We have to put a stop to them!" Miss Reeni agreed once she was freed as well.
The group of Pokemon and humans all nodded at each other in agreement, their resolve firm. They all quickly set off running, their hearts pounding, towards the day care centre's rear entrance, ready to face Team Rocket and save the Pokemon.
They only hoped that Nolan was handling the situation okay without them
Nolan used the few short seconds he had before his confrontation with Team Rocket wisely. As he snuck back around the building, the golden haired boy took several deep calming breaths to try and steady his building nerves, not that the exercise was particularly effective in that regard. He just couldn't help it though. Despite being reasonably confident in the strategy that he'd chosen to deploy, Nolan knew just how much was riding on the outcome of this fight. The fact that they'd be no second chances or do-overs if he messed this up was rather daunting, hence his nervousness. Nolan knew he couldn't back out now though, not when all of his friends were counting on him.
He couldn't let them down.
"It's now or never…" the golden haired boy muttered under his breath to himself as he finally reached the rear of the day care centre and entered the prestigious battle garden. The boy then puffed out his chest and raised his voice, hoping to appear a lot more confident than he felt right now.
"Hey! Team Rocket!" the golden haired boy barked in the most fiercest tone he could muster, surprising even himself by how sharp it turned out to be, "Stop what you're doing right now!"
Nolan watched as Jessie and James both jumped in surprise as the sound of his voice cut through the silence like a knife through butter. The two criminals abruptly looked up from their struggle with the net holding the stolen Pokemon, as they continued preparing their hot-air balloon for take-off. Their eyes grew very wide when they landed upon Nolan.
"The twerp!" Jessie gasped in horrified shock.
"You're supposed to be in the reception area getting ambushed by Meowth, Koffing, and Ekans!" James declared angrily, suddenly feeling the uncomfortable sensation that things were about to come crashing down around their ears.
Nolan smirked arrogantly, crossing his arms across his chest in an aim to project confidence.
"Yeah, well, messing up your plans is my specialty" the golden haired boy announced smugly, before he fixed both Jessie and James with an incredibly stern expression, "Now, I'm giving you one chance: let those stolen Pokemon go and leave. Otherwise I promise this is gonna get ugly".
Jessie scoffed and folded her arms, clearly unimpressed. At her side, James mirrored the action, sneered down his nose at Nolan condescendingly.
"Wow, you've got some guts for such a little boy" the magenta haired woman taunted the child daring enough to stand up to them.
"Yeah! We're Team Rocket!" James announced proudly with a sinister grin, as if Nolan could have possibly forgotten such a detail, "So we don't take kindly to ultimatums from children!"
If the criminals were expecting a stronger reaction from the golden haired boy, they were both left wanting. Nolan simply raised an eyebrow at them, seemingly unfazed.
"Don't say I didn't give you a fair chance" Nolan shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
The golden haired boy then focused his attention on Meadow and Xanthite instead. He grinned a dark grin, the expression looking quite out of place on his usual kind and gentle features.
"Alright, you two!" Nolan beamed at his two beloved Pokemon mischievously, "Let 'em have it!"
Neither Meadow nor Xanthite needed telling twice.
Watching them go with a wide grin splitting his face, Nolan observed as Meadow immediately sprung into action. The little Grass Type Pokemon quickly used her Vine Whip to snag hold of Jessie, effortlessly flinging her across the garden with one simple manoeuvre. Not one to be outdone, Xanthite copied the action, grabbing him with her bulky hands and launching him with ease with her Rock Throw attack.
"WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
CRASH!
Jessie and James both landed on the ground with a sickening crunch, a good few metres away from Nolan, and more importantly, safely away from both their hot-air balloon and the Pokemon they were trying to steal. The two criminals both groaned as they disentangled from the messy heap in which they found themselves.
Needless to say, they weren't best pleased about what Nolan had just done to them.
"Hey, you little twerp!" Jessie fumed, angrily tossing her long magenta coloured hair back over her shoulder, "We're not ragdolls to be thrown around!"
"How dare you punt us across a field like we're footballs!" James snarled, just as outraged as his female counterpart.
Nolan just cockily grinned down at the criminal duo.
"Oh believe me, that's the least of your worries" the golden haired boy promised them in a tone that was so dark, even they couldn't help but shiver at it.
Turning to Fang, Nolan couldn't help but beam at the adorable Puppy Pokemon.
"Okay Fang! It's time to set all your friends from the day care centre free!" the golden haired boy took charge of the Fire Type Pokemon he had borrowed, " Use your Bite Attack!"
"Growlithe!"
Barking happily, Fang lunged forward with all of his small sharp teeth in display. The Puppy Pokemon then eagerly performed his Bite Attack, chomping down on the net and easily shredding straight through it, releasing the stolen Pokemon. From her spot on the ground, Jessie's eyes widened in horror.
"No! The Pokemon!" the magenta haired woman exclaimed in despair.
"Everybody out!" Nolan called out cheerfully, holding the net aloft to make it easier for all of the captive Pokemon to walk out freely. Jessie and James both watched him helplessly.
"Stop!" James whined in a manner that could almost be construed as comical, "You little brat! We worked hard to capture those Pokemon!"
"Oh, I'm just getting started" Nolan nastily taunted them both in response, his icy blue eyes cold as he narrowed them sternly, "You went too far this time by hurting my friends. I'm not gonna let you get away with that".
The chilling promise was the last straw for the villainous duo.
"You've really got some nerve!" Jessie snarled at the golden haired boy across the clearing from her, leaping to her feet furiously.
"Let's teach this kid a lesson, Jess!" the cyan haired criminal at her side bared his teeth menacingly.
Nolan braced himself, trying to be mentally prepared so that he'd be ready for whatever dirty trick Jessie and James tried to throw at him. Before any of them could react any further however, several new voices broke into the confrontation, and Nolan couldn't help but grin upon hearing them.
"NOLAN!"
Glancing over his shoulder, sure enough the golden haired boy saw Ash, Misty and Brock, along with Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni and the other Pokemon, all rushing towards him, no doubt ready to jump to his assistance against the threat posed to them all.
"Hey, you guys are okay!" Nolan couldn't refrain from beaming in delight at the sight of all of them. Jessie and James on the other hand weren't quite so thrilled.
"How did they get free?!" James demanded to know, an edge of panic beginning to creep into his voice at how disastrously wrong their plan was going.
"Meowth and the others were supposed to be watching over them!" Jessie shook her head, struggling to understand how this was possible.
To their collective horror, Nolan piped up again, his tone practically dripping with condescending smugness.
"I'll think you'll find that that was my doing too, with a little help from Iris's Sleep Powder attack of course" the golden haired boy smirked, before he spotted his Bug Type Pokemon in the crowd of newcomers and he smiled at her, "I take it it worked like a charm, eh Iris?"
"Veno!" Iris chirped happily from her spot next to Ash's Butterfree.
Jessie threw up her hand in sheer frustration, just barely managing to suppress the urge to wring the golden haired boy's scrawny little neck with her bare hands. The magenta haired woman turned towards the day care centre and began bellowing at the top of her lungs.
"MEOWTH!" the female criminal screamed furiously, immediately holding him responsible for all of this despite her own failings against Nolan's superior strategy, "GET OUT HERE NOW, YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING HAIRBALL!"
To the surprise of everybody present, the woman's ear-splitting shrieks actually did the trick.
The last syllable had barely parted way with the enraged woman's lips when the back door of the day care centre creaked open, and Meowth, along with Koffing and Ekans, all stumbled out. They all looked around at their surroundings sheepishly.
"I can't believe you woke up from that so quickly!" Nolan couldn't quite refrain from expressing his surprise. Meowth leered up at him unpleasantly.
"A little catnap never hurt anyone!" the Scratch Cat Pokemon drawled mockingly as he raised his claws, "It'll take more den your dirty tricks to keep us down, Goldilocks!"
The three villainous Pokemon all moved to join their human counterparts. Soon enough, all five members of the criminal organisation were glaring at Nolan, pure and unadulterated loathing burning in their eyes.
"Attack that little brat!" James commanded all three of the criminal Pokemon furiously, practically spitting with rage at this point, "He's the one that's totally wrecked our plan!"
"Oh no you don't!" Ash cried out indignantly upon seeing his best friend being ganged up on. Much to the raven haired boy's surprise however, his best friend simply held up his hand to stop him from intervening.
"It's fine Ash" Nolan shook his head with a genuine calmness about him, "I've got this".
The golden haired boy then pointed at their enemies decisively.
"Iris, hit Ekans with your Psybeam!" Nolan commanded with expertise, before he turned his attention to another beloved member of his little Pokemon family, "Welkin, use your Quick Attack on Koffing!"
Whilst the serpentine creature and the sentient demented balloon surged through the air in the direction of Nolan, fully intending on heeding James' command to get revenge upon him for disrupting their heist, Iris and Welkin didn't hesitate to meet them head on. From her large ruby red eyes, Iris fired off an intense beam of concentrated psychic energy that glowed with every colour of the rainbow. At her side, the Tiny Bird Pokemon shot off in a blur of dust and feathers, slamming into Koffing with all the grace and charm of a cannonball.
"Ekans!"
"Koffing!"
The two villainous Poison Type Pokemon were both sent careening backwards, helpless in the face of Iris and Welkin's combined might. Meowth however didn't seem to get the memo that Team Rocket were fighting a losing battle, as the Scratch Cat Pokemon suddenly lunged forwards with his claws raised high, clearly intending on slashing the golden haired boy to ribbons out of vengeance.
"Geodude!"
Xanthite wasn't having any of that though, and without even waiting for a command from her beloved human, the Rock Pokemon floated forwards to meet Meowth head on. In one swift manoeuvre, the mothering Rock Type Pokemon grabbed the Scratch Cat Pokemon by the tail, and was spinning him around above her head like a lasso.
"WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Meowth screeched at the top of his lungs in protest at what his enemy was doing, feeling dizzy and looking rather sick. That wasn't enough to stop Xanthite though, and with a smug smirk lining her rather jagged features, the Rock Pokemon suddenly let go off Meowth's tail, and sent the poor Normal Type Pokemon flying.
WHAM!
Ekans, Koffing, and eventually Meowth all ended up in a bizarre kind of dog-pile whilst still hurtling through the air. The three of the roughed up creatures continued flying backwards... at least until Meadow decided it was time to add her own two cents to the fight. Using her powerful Vine Whip attack to the best of its potential, the loyal Grass Type Pokemon scooped the villainous trio of Pokemon out of the air for a moment, before flinging them with an even stronger intensity in the direction of Jessie and James.
Team Rocket never even stood a chance.
"Aaaahhhh!" the two human members of the infamous criminal organisation both screamed in alarm as the heavy bodies of Ekans, Koffing and Meowth all landed on top of them at once. The end result was that they were both bowled over, ending up in a messy heap all sprawled out on the ground once more. They all let out a few feeble groans.
What none of them had any way of knowing however, was that their world of pain was only just getting started.
"Okay boy, it's time to finish this!" Nolan cheered excitedly, fist-pumping the air as he turned to glance down at the small Fire Type Pokemon that he had befriended over the course of the day, "Fang, why don't you show these losers your Fire Spin Attack?!"
"Growlithe!"
Roaring in both delight and complete agreement with the golden haired boy's suggestion, Fang wasted no time in heeding his new human friend's instruction. Leaping towards the scumbags that had dared to attack the place he had long-since called home, the adorable Puppy Pokemon unleashed a powerful vortex of swirling fire.
It was like that night in the Viridian City Pokemon Centre all over again.
The moment that some flashes of flames from Fang's Fire Spin attack licked at his body, Koffing simply just couldn't contain the building pressure inside of him any more. With a resonating anguished shriek of pure and unadulterated agony, the balloon-like creature let out a shrill whistle that was horribly similar to the noise that a boiling kettle might produce. Koffing began pumping out plumes of jet black smoke against his will. It didn't take a genius to work out what was coming next.
"KOFFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG!"
Koffing screamed as he began to involuntarily explode as the fire from Fang's attack began to ignite the highly flammable gases pouring out of him...
"Duck! Everybody!" Mr Tanga suddenly screamed as he grabbed his beloved wife by the arm and collapsed to the ground, dragging her along with him. Nolan and the others are mirrored the action, protectively covering their heads as they're waited for the inevitable.
They were not kept on tenterhooks for long.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Nolan was forced to shield his eyes from the intensity of the bright white light that burst out of the explosion which engulfed every single member of Team Rocket. Thankfully however, all of Nolan's friends, both Pokemon and human alike, were completely untouched by the massive discharge of dangerous boiling energy. Jessie, James and the Pokemon of Team Rocket weren't quite so fortunate though, and ended up being catapulted high into the air.
"It's time Team Rocket blasted off!" James yelled as he sailed higher and higher into the sky until he all but vanished into the clouds themselves.
"You may have won this round, but we'll be back!" Jessie screamed furiously as she joined him.
Smiling smugly to himself, Nolan couldn't help but grin as the villains became nought but a twinkle upon the horizon. All around him; Ash, Misty, Brock, Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni all had similar reactions, cheering loudly in delight and jumping up and down enthusiastically on the spot as they celebrated their victory over the wannabe thieves.
"Bulba!"
"Pidgey!"
"Veno!"
"Geodude!"
"Growlithe!"
Nolan couldn't help but laugh a joyous laugh as all of his Pokemon, along with Fang, all immediately surrounded him. Each and every one of them was nuzzling him affectionately, clearly very proud of their trainer for stepping up and being the hero of the hour when it was needed of him. The golden haired boy beamed and petted each of them in turn, so, so relieved that all of them were okay. The boy was so preoccupied with this task actually, that he didn't even notice when Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni shared a conspiratorial glance with each other.
"Tanga, dear... I just had a wonderful idea…" Miss Reeni admitted as she watched the golden haired boy in front of them with a fond look in her eye.
Her husband smiled knowingly at her.
"You know, my love?" the kind elderly gentleman said warmly in response, watching how happy Fang was when Nolan knelt down and scratched behind his ears, "I think I might have had the same one".
Nolan was too busy just being happy surrounded by those he loved to even notice the exchange.
After all, it was moments like these ones that really reminded the young Pokemon Master in the making what his Pokemon journey was truly all about.
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon now, casting a warm orange glow over the whole of Orange Town, including the Pokemon day care centre. Nolan, Ash, Misty, and Brock were all standing in front of Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni in the half-demolished reception area, both of whom were wearing expressions of intense gratitude on their faces.
"Thank you, Nolan!" Miss Reeni said empathically, practically radiating with warmth and affection for the young boy she now held in the highest regard, "I really don't know what we would've done if you hadn't stopped Team Rocket from stealing all the Pokemon being cared for here. We owe you so much".
"We really done" Mr Tanga nodded in agreement, his eyes blazing with a deep respect.
The golden haired boy blushed a faint shade of pink at the praise they were bestowing on him. He was about to tell them that they didn't owe him anything, but before Nolan had a chance to utter so much as a single syllable, his best friend was laughing and clapping him warmly on the shoulder.
"Yeah, that's Nolan" the raven haired boy said warmly in agreement with the sweet elderly couple standing before them, "We can always count on him in a crisis!"
"Exactly!" Misty chimed in, looking at her blonde haired friend with both admiration and gratitude, "We were super lucky you were here to save us from Meowth's clutches!"
"You're a true hero, Nolan!" Brock nodded enthusiastically.
By this point in the conversation, Nolan was practically a previously undiscovered shared of scarlet.
"Aw, you're all being way too kind" the golden haired boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he shuffled his feet modestly, "Don't forget, it wasn't just me that stopped Team Rocket. I had a lot of help from my Pokemon too".
"Bulba" Meadow smiled up at her beloved partner fondly, glad that her efforts weren't being left out.
"I'm just glad that Jessie and James didn't manage to get their hands on any of the Pokemon here" Nolan continued kindly as he gestured around at the quaint little Pokemon day care centre. Miss Reeni smiled warmly at the words.
"You don't have to worry about that" the kind elderly lady assured him gently, "I did a register, and every single Pokémon is accounted for. Team Rocket didn't get any of them!"
"And that's not all!" Mr Tanga piped up at her side, smiling widely down at the four youngsters as well, "Turns out that the damage to the building isn't as severe as it looks. We'll have it repaired in just a few days!"
"That's great news" Nolan said in genuine relief for the kind elderly couple before him, "I'm really glad everything turned out well! But I think it's probably time to say goodbye now. We still have a long way to go if we're ever going to make it to Vermillion City".
Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni both nodded their heads in understanding.
Ash, Misty and Brock all stepped forwards, beginning to say their goodbyes to the kind elderly couple that despite only knowing for such a short amount of time, they had all become incredibly fond of. But whilst they were all busy with that, Nolan had a goodbye of his own that he was dreading having to make.
Fang the Growlithe stepped up to him, his gaze downcast.
Nolan couldn't help but feel an intense heaviness in his heart as he knelt down and began petting Fang's head gently. The golden haired boy honestly felt a powerful connection with the Puppy Pokemon, but alas, the time for them to part company had quickly snuck up upon them.
"I'm really going to miss you, boy" Nolan admitted with a small wistful sigh.
"Growl..." Fang whimpered softly, and when tears began welling up in his eyes, Nolan could have sworn that he felt his heart break clean into at the emotional sight.
"Hey, don't cry Fang" Nolan whispered gently as he carefully scooped the adorable little Fire Type Pokemon up into his arms and cuddled him close. He didn't want to leave on bad terms after all, and he hoped that the Puppy Pokemon would understand someday, "I'm sorry I can't stay here with you".
The golden haired boy hated how choked up his voice sounded when he said those last few words. God, this was so much harder than he thought it would be. Why did this have to be so hard?!
"Growlithe..." Fang whimpered again.
Before Nolan had a chance to try and console the clearly distraught creature before him again, a throat cleared itself from up above him. Looking up, Nolan saw to his slight confusion that Mr Tanga was approaching them both, a wry smile on his aged face.
"Nolan..." the kind elderly gentleman started tentatively, clearly unsure what reaction he might be about to receive for what he was about to propose, "What if you didn't have to say goodbye to Fang?"
Nolan's expression went completely blank. Fang's did too.
"What do you mean?" the golden haired boy asked in bewilderment, his tone and expression both thoroughly confused. Before Mr Tanga had a chance to explain the meaning behind his words, his beloved wife gently cut in.
"What my husband is trying to say is..." the sweet little old lady smiled warmly down at the young boy and the Puppy Pokemon, hoping this wouldn't be too much of a surprise for them both, "Would you like to take Fang with you as his new trainer?"
Nolan honestly didn't think he'd heard that quite right at first, he was so utterly stunned by the suggestion.
"But... but how can I do that?!" the golden haired boy gaped like a Goldeen out of water, spluttering for words like a fool. He just couldn't help it though. The boy was so thoroughly taken aback by the unexpected proposal that it was almost as if all rational thought had just been driven out of his mind, "I know you said that Fang wasn't your Pokemon, but I kind of assumed that meant you were just caring for him for someone else? Like all of the other Pokemon here at the centre?"
At the bewildered child's words, Mr Tanga sighed deeply, before shaking his head in a weary fashion.
"I'm afraid that's only partly true" the kind elderly gentleman's eyes lost a little of their spark as he reluctantly began to explain, "You see, a long time ago, Fang was dropped off here at the day care centre on the premise of us teaching him some new moves, and at first, everything seemed fine. But…"
Mr Tanga had to trail off for a moment to try and collect himself. Nolan swallowed hard feeling and not a worry beginning to form in the pit of his stomach.
"The trainer who dropped Fang off never came back to pick him up" he announced sadly. A soft gasp of horrified surprise left Nolan's lips before he could stop it, whilst in front of him, Fang hung his head sadly at the clearly very painful memory.
"When he didn't show after a week, we started to piece things together" Miss Reeni picked up the sad tale, her eyes and voice both incredibly sorrowful now, "Our suspicions were confirmed when we tried putting Fang into one of the spare pokeballs that we keep here and it captured him successfully. We knew then that the man had abandoned poor Fang here".
Nolan couldn't help but gasp in horror once again.
"I can't believe it!" the golden haired boy blanched, his expression becoming incredibly sympathetic as he turned his attention back to the adorable Puppy Pokemon sitting in front of him. And for the life of him, Nolan couldn't understand why somebody would be so cruel as to do something like that to a creature that was so beautiful inside and out as Fang was. It just didn't make any sense to him.
"Sorry to say it, but it gets worse" Mr Tanga admitted miserably. Nolan's jaw dropped and he stared at the man in sheer disbelief.
"How can it possibly get worse?" the golden haired boy demanded to know. Now that he was beginning to learn Fang's awful backstory, the aspiring Pokemon master was terrified of missing so much as a single word of it.
Mr Tanga's expression became very grave indeed.
"This day care centre isn't supposed to be a permanent home for the Pokemon that come into our care" the kind elderly gentleman began to explain, looking so terribly sad now, "But naturally, being Pokemon lovers ourselves, there was no way that we could just toss poor Fang out onto the street. As such, we've tried to place Fang with several other trainers over the last couple of months, but each and every single one of them has brought him back eventually".
Nolan honestly felt sick to his stomach.
"How could anyone do that?!" the golden haired boy exclaimed angrily, furious at the nerve of all of those people for calling themselves Pokemon trainers. Hot tears were welling up in his own eyes now, and in that moment Nolan wanted nothing more than to just cuddle Fang close and never let go of him, "Fang's a wonderful Pokemon! Any trainer would be lucky to have him!"
Miss Reeni heaved a great sigh. She looked almost physically pained by what she was about to say.
"I'm afraid it's because Fang can be quite a handful" the kind elderly lady admitted softly, knowing from first hand experience just how difficult it could be to keep up with the over-excitable Puppy Pokemon, "Not many trainers have the patience and dedication to invest in him".
"Growlithe..." Fang whined sadly again.
Unable to bear what he was hearing and the sheer scope of misery that was clouding Fang's adorable little face now, Nolan couldn't help but scoop him back into his arms and squeeze him tightly.
"I'd never give up on you, Fang" the golden haired boy whispered a soft promise to the little Fire Type Pokemon, "No matter how much chaos you cause".
Above them, Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni exchanged hopeful looks.
"We really do believe that you're the right trainer to truly bring out Fang's full potential, Nolan" Miss Reeni told the young blonde haired boy earnestly.
Nolan didn't even have to think about it. He looked down at Fang with a welcoming smile.
"It's your decision Fang" Nolan decided that despite his own personal wishes, the best course of action he could take in this situation was to put the decision in Fang's own paws, "Would you like me to be your new trainer?"
As fate would have it, it turned out that Fang didn't need to think about the answer to that question either.
"GROWLITHE!" Fang was practically ready to start doing backflips, he was so thoroughly overexcited. Barking happily, the Puppy Pokemon lunged at Nolan in a playful tackle, knocking the golden haired boy down on his back with a soft Oomph, before Fang sat on his chest and began licking his cheek enthusiastically.
It was obvious what the Fire Type Pokemon's answer was.
All of the others all quickly burst out laughing at the incredulous expression of disbelief on Nolan's face. The golden haired boy by paid them no mind however, as his handsome features were soon eclipsed with a smile of his own. Laughing gently, Nolan reached up and began petting Fang with the deepest level of affection imaginable.
"Looks like you're stuck with me now, boy" Nolan beamed up at not only his newest Pokemon friend, but the newest member of his ever expanding family.
"Growlithe!" Fang certainly had no problem with that.
Watching the pair of them with an unprecedented amount of warmth in their expressions was Mr Tanga and Miss Reeni. The elderly couple looked genuinely touched by the adorable display in front of them.
"Fantastic!" Mr Tanga beamed, before he excitedly began to shuffle off in the direction of the back room behind the front desk, "I'll go get the paperwork for you to officially adopt Fang then. Back in a tick!"
As her husband went, Miss Reeni clapped her hands together in pure and unadulterated happiness.
"This is wonderful!" the kind elderly lady dapped at her eyes with a lace handkerchief, beyond thrilled at how well things had worked out, "I'm going to miss Fang terribly, but this is truly the best thing for him".
Nolan honestly couldn't have agreed more.
"I'm so glad I won't ever have to say goodbye to you now Fang" the golden haired boy admitted in a gentle whisper that was so soft only the Puppy Pokemon could hear him, "You're going to be part of my Pokemon family forever boy!"
"GROWLITHE!" Fang threw back his head and howled. This was everything he'd ever dreamed of and more.
But despite the touching moment of pure and unadulterated happiness for all those involved, Nolan would be lying if he didn't admit that lingering at the back of his mind was a single question of doubt. It was a question that kept repeating itself over and over again, no matter how hard Nolan tried to shake it out of his head. And that question was a relatively simple one.
Namely... how much trouble had he just let himself in for?
And that's not only another chapter but another episode over and done with : D
Yay! Nolan finally has Fang the Growlithe officially on his team! This is one of my favourite Pokemon characters I've written for Nolan so far, and I certainly think he's the most characterized out of the bunch. He's just an adorable ball of hyperactive fluffy energy, and I truly do love him for it XD
But since this chapter is super long and I'm exceptionally tired right now, let's just move on to the result of the last voting topic. As I said before, nobody actually voted to bring one of Nolan's older Pokemon back this time, which means that all five of the options are still in the running. Those options are: - Gastly, Goldeen, Meowth, Voltorb and Seel. I'd really appreciate it so much if you all went and left your vote in a review so I can break this tie. I'm very keen to move on in the Nuzlocke now, but I don't want to progress to far without having this decided, so please, please go and vote : )
And I think that's just about everything from me for this time. Thank you so much for reading this chapter and my story in general. I hope you are enjoying it all so far, and please consider leaving a review because I'd love to hear your comments and feedback : )
Until the next time, keep on reading : )