Hey readers, here we are with another new chapter : )
Now I don't have an awful lot to say this time, so I'm just gonna jump straight on in to the results of the last voting topic.
As you might remember, we were trying to break a tie to decide which Pokemon would get to evolve as a result of my victory against the gym leader Bugsy. The previous vote had narrowed it down to two options: Zubat against Dunsparce. Well... sadly this ended up in a tie again, so to move things along, I decided to toss a coin. I really don't like deciding these topics by doing this, but I also want to get things moving again. So in the end it was heads to evolve Zubat, versus tails to evolve Dunsparce. I tossed the coin and...
Tails.
Dunsparce was the winner.
Now I'm not going to pretend that I'm over the moon with this result. I never intended what I said in the last chapter about Dudunsparce to be a dig against anyone who likes it, but I stand by what I said. In my personal opinion, after waiting roughly two decades for Dunsparce to get an evolution, I felt extremely let down by the result that we got. I mean, I literally couldn't even tell the difference at first and I had to compare them both side by side just to see that it had gotten a little bit longer. In addition to that, I can't even evolve Dunsparce in the game I'm currently playing. So yeah, I was disappointed when my coin toss resulted in this. At least nobody can say I cheat or am dishonest I suppose when I have to resort to tossing a coin XD
However, I am going to try and look on the bright side with this : )
After all, I did have serious doubts about getting Dunsparce to begin with, and he has actually pulled his weight and more so far. Plus, I do have an idea of how to evolve him during the Johto Arc of the story in what I personally think is quite an interesting where so hopefully you guys will agree when the time comes. You never know it might end up growing on me as several other Pokemon have whilst I've been playing these Nuzlockes : )
That aside, let's move on to this week's chapter : )
On that note, I just want to say a HUGE 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 : )
Sweet Melodies, Sweet Rivalries - Part 4
The world immediately tilted on its axis for poor Nolan as his mind struggled to process what was happening, the clearing a dizzying swirl of colours as the net plunged from the heavens, its metallic threads a cruel mockery of the sunbeams that had just been dancing on Jigglypuff's rosy cheeks. Nolan's heart plummeted faster than the net, his smile evaporating as the adorable Balloon Pokemon became a captive, its beautiful song cut short by the harsh sound of metal wiring against flesh. It was a sight that would haunt the golden haired boy's nightmares for years to come: the innocent Jigglypuff, its pink body struggling against the steel net, its beautiful voice replaced by a desperate squeak of fear. It was awful. Just... awful.
"JIGGLY... JIGGLYPUFF!" the small pink creature whimpered in fear as it frantically struggled the confines in which it suddenly found itself.
It was obvious that the poor creature couldn't understand what was going on or why, and naturally that was very frightening position for any innocent Pokemon to be in. It's struggles only increased with each passing moment.
Hearing the utter desperation in Jigglypuff's voice was enough to pull Nolan out of the stunned reverie he had fallen into, and back to the here and now.
"What the...?!" the golden haired boy managed to gasp out as the power of speech returned to him "Who did that?!"
Much to Nolan's genuine surprise, a voice actually answered him. Three voices in fact.
"Prepare for trouble!" a voice, female in origin, roared with maniacal laughter from somewhere high up in the sky over their heads.
"Make it double" another voice joined the first, equally as sinister in tone.
Nolan couldn't help but allow a small groan of despair to slip his lips as the familiarity of the voices hit him. The realisation of who was behind this dreadful sneak attack hit him like a ton of bricks, and the golden haired boy rolled his eyes in annoyance at their awful timing. Just when he had almost convinced Jigglypuff to join his beloved little Pokemon family, these three clowns had to show up and mess it all up. Of course.
"To protect the world from devastation" Jessie's distinctive voice was the first one to rain down from the sky, beginning the same 'motto' that Nolan felt as though he'd heard a hundred times already by this point in his Pokemon journey.
"To unite all peoples within our nation" James' voice added, echoing down from the heavens and ringing throughout the branches of every tree in the forest.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love" Jessie's voice declared boldly, picking up their well-rehearsed routine again.
"To extend our reach to the stars above" James' voice followed up with, staying in perfect sync with his female counterpart.
"Jessie" the female criminal's voice announced her name, as if any of them could have forgotten who she was by this point.
"James" the male criminal's voice joined his counterpart's, a nasty sense of smug pride in his tone as he announced himself.
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" Jessie's voice bragged, startling a couple of nearby roosting Pidgey right out of their tree.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" James' voice threatened them in a very ominous manner, although by now Nolan and the others had long-since learned not to bat an eyelid at them.
"Meowth! Dat's right!" Meowth's jovial voice entered the fray for the first time, gleefully finishing up Team Rocket's tedious little chant.
By the time that they had finished, Nolan was kicking himself for not realising who was responsible for this trouble sooner. The golden haired boy allowed his icy blue eyes to follow the trail of the net upwards, and sure as the sun itself, there it was. Nolan had only seen it a handful of times so far, but he would recognise that method of transportation anywhere. The Meowth-shaped hot-air balloon, a ludicrous contraption of beige fabric and oversized, grinning eyes, bobbing about gently in the summer breeze. Jessie, James, and Meowth stood proudly in the green wicker basket that hung below, their faces a mixture of amusement and sinister delight. It was enough to make Nolan's stomach turn.
"Team Rocket!" the golden haired boy snarled through clenched teeth, his icy blue eyes glaring up at the Balloon with a burning loathing, "Let that poor Jigglypuff go! You're hurting it! What do you think you're doing?!"
From the balloon's basket, the Sneering faces of Jessie, James, and Meowth, all grinned down at him nastily.
"Oh we know what we're doing, Twerp!" Jessie called down to the fuming trainer on the ground far beneath them, "We're commandeering the great power of Jigglypuff for the glory of Team Rocket!"
The response was enough to bring Nolan up short.
Whilst the golden haired boy had made no secret of the fact that he really wanted to add a Jigglypuff to his Pokemon family, the main reason he had for doing so was because the Balloon Pokemon had an enormous diversity of techniques that it could learn. It was an advantage that any upcoming and aspiring Pokemon Master would give their right arm for. Aside from that basis however, Nolan had never heard of a Jigglypuff possessing any phenomenal powers, so he couldn't help but wonder what Team Rocket was going on about. For a brief moment, righteous anger was replaced with genuine curiosity, and he stared up at the evil trio in the balloon's basket in utter bewilderment.
"Great power? What are you talking about?" the golden haired boy demanded to know, folding his arms and adopting a cross expression, "It's just a cute, and above all else innocent, little Pokemon!"
More maniacal laughter met that declaration head on.
"Oh, you really don't know anything, do you?" James replied, both his expression and tone practically oozing with smug condescension at apparently knowing something that Nolan didn't, "Jigglypuff can sing both people and Pokemon into a deep sleep where they stand! With a power like that under Team Rocket's command, we'll be invincible!"
If it was possible, Nolan clenched his jaw even tightly. Trust scum like Team Rocket to take something beautiful like a Jigglypuff's song and corrupt it into something dangerous and vile.
"And we'll start by taking Pikachu!" Meowth exclaimed, wagging his tail happily as he sneered his threat down to Nolan and the others.
From their position in the forest clearing behind Nolan's turned back; Ash, Misty and Brock all tensed, glaring up at the balloon in hatred. It was clear that they were all as equally disgusted by what the criminals were doing to poor Jigglypuff, and that fact that they were threatening to carry out even greater villainous acts only served to solidify the trainers' early low opinion of their enemies.
"You'll never get Pikachu, Team Rocket!" Ash promised darkly, his russet orbs burning and his knuckles turning a stark white from how tightly he was clenching his fists.
Misty and Brock both nodded sternly in agreement. They were ready to provide their friend with backup if needed.
"Team Rocket!" Nolan bellowed up at the no-good thieves dangling in the basket in the air above his head, looking just as angry as the rest of the travelling quartet, "Let Jigglypuff go right now!"
A burst of uncontrollable, sinister laughter filled the air at the golden haired boy's demand.
"You must be joking!" James roared with laughter, clearly enjoying taunting Nolan and getting the boy even more worked up than he already was at the sight of poor Jigglypuff, still flailing away inside the mesh net, "With Jigglypuff in our grasp, the ultimate power is almost within our reach. We can steal whatever we want from whenever we want, all over the world!"
"That's right!" Jessie concurred cheerfully, already putting together a mental checklist of all the jewellery stores we wanted to hit, "Which means there's no way we're giving Jigglypuff up!"
"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff whimpered in fright from within the net.
Evidently deciding that they'd toyed with the twerps long enough for the time being, Meowth picked up and brandished the remote that operated their balloon's burner. The Scratch Cat Pokemon knew that before they could use Jigglypuff to assist in their ultimate theft of Pikachu, they first needed to get the Balloon Pokemon to submit to their mastery. That would take time, and they needed to get away from these twerps before they could ruin everything like they usually did. As such; Jessie, James and Meowth had already decided that they would come back for Pikachu later, along with any other Pokemon they wanted along the way as well.
"See ya around, twerps!" the cute little Normal Type Pokemon cackled gleefully, before he slammed his paw down on the button.
The effect was instantaneous.
From beneath the balloon's underbelly, a strong stream of fire burst upwards, superheating the air already captured within the Meowth-shaped balloon. It clearly had the desire effect, for the balloon began to ascend much more rapidly. High and higher Team Rocket's contraction climbed into the air, and still caught up in the net dangling down from beneath the basket, poor Jigglypuff was being dragged along for the ride.
"JIGGLYPUFF! JIGGLY!"
Utter terror filled the Balloon Pokemon's voice as it frantically redoubled its efforts of trying to wriggle free of the net, but the poor creature only managed to entangle itself even further. It looked at Nolan with a pleading expression, its wide eyes watery with unshed tears. It was heartbreaking.
That was the moment that Nolan knew he couldn't allow this to happen.
"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE JIGGLYPUFF!" the golden haired boy screamed up at the villainous trio, all of whom were still laughing from the safety of their basket.
And then, in a move that was reckless, foolhardy, and something he would never get away with if his father was present, Nolan did perhaps the stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life before.
He charged towards the net holding Jigglypuff and grabbed it with both hands.
WHOOSH!
Before the golden haired boy even had a chance to contemplate the sheer insanity of his own actions, the hot-air balloon gained enough of a boost to ascend much more rapidly than Nolan had anticipated. As such, the up-and-coming Pokemon master was swept up into the air, his feet parting ways with Mother Earth entirely. He let out a small yelp of surprise, suddenly hanging on desperately for dear life.
"Waaah!" Nolan cried out in alarm as he abruptly found himself sailing past an ocean of leaves and tree branches.
"NOLAN!" he heard Ash's scream from down below in the forest clearing, his best friend's tone heavily tinged with concern for the golden haired boy's well-being. It wasn't long before Misty's and Brock's voices joined in, both frantic with worry.
"BE CAREFUL!" the voice of the Water Type Pokemon Specialist shrieked in alarm.
"HOLD ON TIGHT!" the nervous tone of the aspiring Pokemon breeder added, a little unnecessarily.
From his position hanging from the net dangling from the hot-air balloon, Nolan couldn't quite refrain from rolling his eyes upon hearing that last expression of concern. As if he had any intention of letting go when his toes were practically skimming the tree tops. The head boy was just trying to contemplate a way out of this predicament he had gotten himself into when he suddenly felt something latch onto his ankle. At first he thought maybe he had gotten it snagged on a stray tree branch, but when he felt a great strain of resistance suddenly applied to the appendage, Nolan knew that couldn't possibly be the case. Risking a glance down, the golden haired boy couldn't help but beam in delight at what he saw.
"BULBASAUR!" Meadow screamed with effort from her position down on the forest floor.
Ever the loyal and faithful partner, the little Grass Type Pokemon had reacted immediately upon seeing her beloved human in danger, unwilling to stand for it. Once again proving just how clever she was, Meadow had unleashed her powerful Vine Whip attack and managed to grab hold of Nolan's ankle before he was too far out of range. Now, the Seed Pokemon was pulling with all her might, fighting valiantly to pull Nolan back down to Earth whilst also keeping her own feet planted firmly on the ground.
"Meadow!" Nolan gasped in awed relief when he realised what his beloved partner was trying to do.
The little green creature was focusing too hard to respond, not that Nolan would have heard it even if she did. For right at that moment came a cacophony of fierce battle cries.
"PIDGEY!"
"GROWLITHE!"
"VENONAT!"
"GEODUDE!"
One by one, each and every member of Nolan's little Pokemon family rush over to help Meadow. Be it with a hand, paw or talon; Welkin, Iris, Fang and Xanthite all grabbed onto the vine and heaved with all their might. It was by no means easy, but through the combined effort on all of their part, the group of small Pokemon were able to pull their beloved human back down a little bit.
"Whoa!" Nolan grunted up above as he felt the resistance in his ankle increase dramatically. He chanced another look down towards the ground and smiled at what he saw, "That's it guys! Try and pull us back down!"
Nolan's Pokemon did just that.
With another great heave, the small cluster of different Pokemon managed to drag the golden haired boy back a little bit further. And since Nolan was way too stubborn to let go of the net holding the poor little Jigglypuff, the end result was that it was dragged down a smidgen too, causing the basket up above their heads to sway ever so slightly, and alert Team Rocket as to what was happening. From within the gondola, Jessie peered over the side, and a scowl immediately etched itself into her beautiful features.
"Urgh! Those little pests! They're trying to reel us in!" the magenta haired woman growled in frustration, eyeing Nolan's little Pokemon family down below with a deep-seated annoyance.
The Scratch Cat Pokemon at her side allowed his tail to swish back and forth in sheer irritation.
"Of course!" Meowth spat furiously, raising his claws so that his lethally sharp nails flashed dangerously under the rays of the sun, "Trust Goldilocks' Pokemon to be just as blockheaded as he is!"
The cyan haired man in the gondola with them turned to Meowth with an air of desperation.
"We need to shake them loose, Meowth!" James cried in panic, knowing that this was usually about the time when their troubles started to begin, "Activate full power and get us out of here!"
"Aye aye, Captain!" Meowth teasingly saluted him.
On his little remote control, Meowth quickly pushed the button again, and the flames projected from the burner beneath the balloon roared to life once more. The balloon instantaneously began to accelerate upwards, dragging the net holding Jigglypuff prisoner, an subsequently Nolan as well, even higher into the air above the forest. The boy clung on to the net, his knuckles white, for all he was worth.
"BULBASAUR!"
"PIDGEY!"
"GROWLITHE!"
"VENONAT!"
"GEODUDE!"
Hearing the shocked and slightly distressed cries from each member of his beloved little Pokemon family, Nolan instantly became worried. Glancing down, which really was becoming more and more daunting each time he did it, the golden haired boy was stunned to see that each of his Pokemon were still clinging onto him. As such, all five of them had been swept up into the air along with everyone else attached to the balloon, dangling down from Nolan's leg like a bizarre-looking piñata. They simply refused to let him go, and despite their precarious situation, Nolan couldn't help but feel a surge of warm affection flow through him for each of his Pokemon.
"Hold on tight guys!" the golden haired boy called down to his team, both his tone and expression highly concerned for them, "Don't let go!"
Down below, Meadow was struggling to maintain her vine's grip on Nolan's ankle. It was because they were all being jostled around together, the five bodies colliding as they all clung on tightly.
"Meadow, reel all of you guys up to me!" Nolan quickly instructed when he took notice of the fact that his beloved Pokemon partner was beginning to struggle. The last thing that the golden haired boy needed right now was for his entire team to be dropped from the sky to the ground from such a great height after all, "We don't want any of you guys to fall, plus we still have to get Jigglypuff out of here!"
"Bulba..." Meadow grunted with the effort it took, but she quickly followed through with her partner's command.
Reeling her vine back underneath the base of her bulb, the effect was like a fishing rod in reverse. Instead of pulling Nolan to her, Meadow was pulled up to him. And since Welkin, Xanthite, Iris and Fang were still holding on for all they were worth, they were all pulled up to Nolan's level as well. Iris and Fang both quickly seized hold of the net and entangled their paws in it, hoping to relieve some of the strain on Meadow. Likewise, Xanthite and Welkin let go, hovering in the air next to their beloved human through the use of their internal magnetism and wings respectively. Nolan smiled at his little family, pleased to have them surrounding him, even in a situation as perilous as this.
"Jiggly... Jigglypuff..."
The soft whimpers of Jigglypuff were enough to bring Nolan back to the here and now. Taking precautions not to risk losing his grip, the golden haired boy reached through one of the holes in the net and tentatively petted the Balloon Pokemon, trying his best to soothe the terrified little creature.
"Don't be afraid, Jigglypuff" Nolan kindly smiled at the little pink Pokemon, who looked up at him with wide frightened eyes, "You're with friends now. We'll get you out of this. I promise".
"Puff..." Jigglypuff squeaked softly, seeming to understand.
"Can you float away if I free you, Jigglypuff?" Nolan, knowing that time was of the essence if they wanted to escape before Team Rocket could try to stop them, asked the small Balloon Pokemon with an air of hope.
Jigglypuff seemed to contemplate Nolan's words for a moment, before it pointed at the golden haired boy in question, looking worried.
"Jiggly?" the Balloon Pokemon's tone was so heavy with concern that Nolan couldn't help but smile reassuringly back at the little pink creature trapped within the confines of Team Rocket's net.
"I'll be fine, I have a good plan to get down, I promise" the golden haired boy winked playfully before he quickly got serious again, "But I need to know if you can get down to the ground on your own".
Still looking very uncertain, Jigglypuff nodded it's entire body hesitantly. Nolan's smile widened.
"Okay, get ready" the golden haired boy gently urged the wild creature that was being held captive, before he turned his attention to his own Pokemon, who were all still either hanging onto the net or hovering in the air, waiting obediently for his instructions, "Everyone, we're making our escape!"
A chorus of fierce battle-cries met the boy's bold declaration.
Up in the safety of the balloon's basket, Team Rocket were furious about what was happening. This was supposed to be an easy job, capturing a wild Pokemon as opposed to stealing one from a trainer. So how they had ended up with a twerp stowaway was quite frankly beyond their comprehension.
"That little brat is trying to ruin our plan again!" Jessie snarled, baring her teeth fiercely and inadvertently doing a remarkably accurate impression of an angry Arcanine.
At her side, the Scratch Cat Pokemon was as equally unimpressed by what was happening.
"We gotta shake Goldilocks loose!" Meowth exclaimed nervously, knowing that the longer Nolan was clinging onto their captive, the higher the chances were that he would successfully free it, "He's going to spoil our big plans!"
Springing into action, Jessie, James and Meowth all began jumping up and down, stamping their feet as hard as they could. The even grabbed the sides of the gondola and began rattling it, shaking the basket back and forth violently. It was a wild ride for the trio of villainous criminals, but it was something else entirely for poor Nolan and his Pokemon. Team Rocket were clearly very determined to dislodge them all.
"Whoa!" Nolan exclaimed after a particularly violent swing, forcing him to redoubled his grip on the net, "Quick Meadow! Before they shake us off, use your vines to tie yourself, Fang, and Iris to me securely!"
"Bulba!" the little Grass Type Pokemon nodded her understanding.
Meadow immediately unleashed both of her vines again. One of them, the Seed Pokemon quickly around the small forms of herself, Iris and Fang, both of whom squirmed slightly at the uncomfortable sensation. Meadow then quickly wrapped the end of that vine around Nolan's slender waist and tied it tightly, binding all four of them together. Meanwhile, she used her second vine to grasp the net tightly, aiding her beloved human in supporting them all and keeping them from falling.
Satisfied with the work that Meadow had done, Nolan flashed her a grateful smile, before he hastily moved on to the next phase of his plan.
"Okay Xanthite! You grab my shoulders and get ready to carry our weight!" the golden haired boy commanded the Rock Type Pokemon that was currently floating through the air alongside him.
"GEODUDE!"
The bellowing cry echoed across the top of the entire forest. Seeing her ragtag little family in such terrible danger was bringing all of Xanthite's maternal instincts right up to the surface, and she wanted to get them back down to safety as quickly as possible. As such, the Rock Type Pokemon quickly drifted through the air until she was situated behind Nolan, before she reached under the boy's armpits and hooked her own arms around his. She couldn't help but nuzzle up against him, trying to assure her beloved trainer that she would never let him fall.
His eyes focused with a determined intensity, Nolan gave his next instruction.
"Now Welkin!" the golden haired boy called over the gentle whispers of the summer's wind, attracting the attention of the Tiny Bird Pokemon who had patiently been awaiting his own task in this rescue mission, "Use your Quick Attack to slice through the net!"
The little Flying Type didn't need telling twice.
No soon had the last syllable parted ways with Nolan's lips than Welkin soared forward. The Tiny Bird Pokemon's wings blurred slightly as he used his powerful Quick Attack on the fabric that made up poor Jigglypuff's prison. The net immediately tore open under Welkin's swift assault, allowing Jigglypuff to inflate its body and drift out of its confines on the gentle breeze. The little pink creature positively beamed at Nolan and his team.
~"Jiggly... Jigglypuff... Jiggly!" ~ the Balloon Pokemon sang a few happy notes.
The cute little Jigglypuff danced about slightly, floating in circles around Nolan, who was still clinging onto the slashed net for now. It was obvious that the Balloon Pokemon was incredibly grateful for the selfless rescue mission that Nolan had mounted, and judging by the wide grin on its face, Jigglypuff was delighted to be free again.
Needless to say, Team Rocket weren't quite as thrilled.
"No!" Jessie whined angrily, her tone and expression both utterly horrified as she leaned over the side of the gondola and observed the little pink Pokemon happily dancing on the breeze, totally free of them, "The twerp freed the Jigglypuff!"
From his position in the balloon's basket next to her, James looked just as horrified as his female counterpart.
"That's our ticket to our fortune that's floating away!" the cyan haired man reminded them all unnecessarily in his panic. He quickly turned to the Scratch Cat Pokemon with an air of desperation clouding his features, "Meowth, do something!"
Meowth snarled, indignant over the trouble that Nolan was causing them, but he quickly came up with an idea.
"Don't worry!" the Scratch Cat Pokemon exclaimed, beginning to root around in all the clutter lining the bottom of their hot-air balloon. He re-emerged a moment later, holding in his little paws a mesh net, identical to the one that Welkin had just destroyed, "I've got another net at the ready!"
From his position down below, Nolan overheard what Meowth had just said, and he wasn't going to stand for a repeat performance.
"Oh no, you don't!" the golden haired boy hissed out through clenched teeth, unwilling to allow Jigglypuff to be put through such a horrible ordeal again because of these horrible individuals, "Welkin, use your Quick Attack on Team Rocket's balloon! We have to stop them, so bring it down!"
"PIDGEY!"
Welkin screeched loudly, his fierce shrieks echoing across the vast ocean of leaves beneath them. The Tiny Bird Pokemon's wings became a white blur as he rammed himself into the Meowth-shaped balloon at full force. The fabric of the balloon's envelope didn't stand a chance.
BANG!
With a loud noise that was surprisingly startlingly, Team Rocket's hot-air balloon tore off across the sky, zigzagging and spinning about, completely out of control. Jessie, James and Meowth all clung on for dear life, screaming at the top of there lungs.
"Now, Xanthite!" Nolan cried, and taking a deep breath to help steady himself over what he was about to do, the golden haired boy did something that nobody would ever have expected.
He let go of the net keeping him up.
It was funny in a way. The concept that Xanthite wouldn't be strong enough to carry them all, or the possibility that she could accidentally let go, never even occurred to the young Pokemon trainer. It really was the ultimate exercise in trust. Thankfully for Nolan, Meadow, Iris and Fang however, it was trust that was well placed.
"Geo..."
Xanthite grunted with the effort it took to suddenly hold the weight of four other lifeforms so high up in the air, but her grip never once wavered. Using her internal magnetism to its fullest, Xanthite maintained her altitude, hovering in the air whilst holding everyone up. She slowly began the descend, heading gently towards a high-rise hilltop, where she planned to make a gentle landing. Welkin swooped down to join them, and the wild Jigglypuff also gently drifted down on the summer breeze beside them.
It wasn't long before they were all back on terra firma.
"WE DID IT!" Nolan immediately cheered as they all found their feet again. He glanced around at all the members of his little Pokemon family, so, so proud of all of them. It was because of their strength, loyalty and the powerful bonds they all shared that had resulted in this most wonderful outcome. They really were... exceptional, "Well done, everyone! We saved Jigglypuff from that lousy Team Rocket!"
"BULBASAUR!"
"PIDGEY!"
"GROWLITHE!"
"VENONAT!"
"GEODUDE!"
The jubilant cries of Nolan's Pokemon could be heard from the other end of the forest, they were all so hyped up. The award for the brightest smile of all had to go to Jigglypuff though. The adorable little pink creature was hopping from foot to foot, happily singing a few notes of its happy little song to shows its joy.
"JIGGLYPUFF!"
The Balloon Pokemon's exuberance was enough to pull Nolan's attention away from congratulating his team. He smiled down warmly at the happy pink creature.
"Are you okay, Jigglypuff?" the golden haired boy asked kindly.
"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff squeaked happily, confirming that it was just fine. The Balloon Pokemon looked up at Nolan, its wide eyes brimming with gratitude, before it turned to each of Nolan's Pokemon in turned and squeaked its thanks, "Jiggly! Jigglypuff, Jiggly!"
All five of the other Pokemon currently present on the hilltop just smiled boy modestly.
"You see, Jigglypuff..." Nolan began as he knelt down beside the adorable little pink Pokemon, tentatively petting it. When it didn't pull away, he happily continued, "My Pokemon and I make a great team! It's because we all love each other like family. And we'd all love for you to join us, right guys?"
Nolan's Pokemon all chimed in with their various cries of agreement, looking at Jigglypuff with hopeful smiles.
"Puff..." Jigglypuff smiled softly at all them, clearly giving the proposal some serious consideration.
Everybody was waiting on tenterhooks, eager to hear Jigglypuff's response and hoping that it would be one of affirmation. Unfortunately however; for Nolan, his Pokemon and Jigglypuff itself, the Balloon Pokemon didn't get a chance to confirm its decision. For at that exact second, quite suddenly and without any kind of warning whatsoever, something happened that none of them were ready for.
WHAM!
Nolan and all of the Pokemon almost jumped right of their skins, but they had good reason to. Dropping out of the sky faster and harder than any stone ever could, came something that had the golden haired boy's stomach clenching with dread.
Team Rocket's balloon.
The wreckage of Team Rocket's balloon had just dropped out of the sky and crashed straight into the hilltop. And judging by the feeble moans creeping out from beneath the deflated balloon, the villainous trio were still very much present inside of the wrecked gondola.
Nolan sighed deeply.
He had a sinking feeling that their troubles were only just beginning...
Meanwhile, a couple of minutes earlier from their position down on the ground, Ash, Misty and Brock had been observing the spectacle in the air with mounting horror. Despite their best efforts, they had been too late to stop Nolan's beloved Pokemon from being swept up into the air along with the boy himself, but that didn't mean they'd been standing idle. As soon as the Meowth-shaped hot-air balloon had begun drifting precariously across the forest, the net holding Jigglypuff dangling beneath the basket with Nolan clinging on for dear life, the three friends had immediately set off running. Now they were ducking and dodging through the trees, weaving a fierce and chaotic dance, as they desperately tried to keep their golden haired friend within their sight.
"HANG ON NOLAN!" Ash bellowed at the top of his lungs, his concerned gaze fixed on the tiny figure in the sky that was his best friend, "WE'RE COMING TO HELP!"
No response met the raven haired boy's fierce promise.
"He's not answering!" Misty panted for breath as she trudged along a few steps behind the boys, quickly ducking past a low hanging tree branches, "Why isn't he answering?!"
The concern in the young girl's voice was practically palpable.
"He's too high up" Brock exclaimed as he leapt over a fallen log, the aspiring Pokemon breeder's expression riddle with worry as well, "The sound won't reach him".
Suddenly, the anxious trio saw something that made them halt in their tracks altogether.
High up in the sky above their heads, Team Rocket's hot-air balloon suddenly began spinning wildly, faster and faster until it was completely out of control. Ash, Misty and Brock all watched as the basket, and subsequently the net attached to it, lurched dangerously. Ash and Misty gasp in horror, not out of concern from the villainous trio, but for their dear friend and his Pokemon.
"What's happening?" Ash demanded, the most frantic of them all. That made sense though, considering that those two were practically brothers.
"NOLAN!" Misty screamed so loudly that she startled a roost Pidgeot and Pidgeotto right out of their tree.
Then the three friends witnessed something that chill their blood into ice.
Quite abruptly and without any kind of warning whatsoever, Nolan suddenly released his grip on the net. Ash, Misty and Brock couldn't quite manage to refraining from crying out in fear, certain that this was the end for their golden haired friend.
"Wait!" Brock suddenly exclaimed, a note of happiness in his tone when he realised something, "It's okay!"
And it was.
Somehow, inexplicable as it may seem, the tiny speck in the sky that they knew was none other than Nolan Locke was just... hanging there. Almost as if by divine intervention, the boy was just floating in the air. A second look however quickly determined that nothing heavenly was going on, and that it was simply Xanthite the Geodude using her strong internal magnetism to carry the boy. The three friends all sighed in relief as they watched the tiny speck, the small cluster that was Nolan and his Pokemon, slowly drift downwards before it seemingly landed great on a great towering hilltop off in the distance.
"They're okay!" Ash beamed with delight once he had processed what they had just witnessed, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, "What a relief!"
Misty and Brock both mirrored his relieved smile.
"He must have freed Jigglypuff" the Water Type Pokemon Specialist deduced, a broad grin blossoming across her pretty features, "Nolan was so determined to save it. There's no way he would have let go unless he managed to release the poor thing".
"Good" Brock smiled as well, agreeing with his female friend's assessment. "Because a Pokemon like Jigglypuff in the hands of Team Rocket..."
The aspiring Pokemon breeder trailed off with a small shudder.
"What do you mean?" Ash was the one who asked the most obvious question, clearly thrown by such a strong and unexpected reaction from his older friend.
Brock looked very uneasy as he began to explain.
"Remember what Team Rocket said about Jigglypuff's lullaby?" the aspiring Pokemon breeder prompted both Ash and Misty to remember, which the two of them did, "They weren't lying. It can put both people and Pokemon to sleep. Imagine what they could do with something like that!"
"I'd rather not" Misty breathed faintly, paling a little just thinking about it.
At the young girl's side, Ash looked just as queasy.
"They could take away Pikachu if they could just force us all to just go to sleep whenever they wanted" the raven haired boy whispered under his breath, his russet coloured orbs wide with dread and horror.
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, clearly very frightened as he clung to the leg of Ash's jeans with his tiny paws.
Ash knelt down to his beloved partner Pokemon's level, and began petting the small yellow creature in an attempt to soothe it and hopefully alleviate some of Pikachu's worries.
"Don't worry, buddy" the raven haired boy kindly assured the frightened Electric Type Pokemon, "I'll keep you safe. I promise".
Pikachu still looked worried, but nodded slowly. He knew that placing his trust in Ash wouldn't be a mistake in the long run after all.
"Well, the best way to keep Pikachu and all of the other Pokemon safe is to stop Team Rocket from ever getting their grubby little hands on that Jigglypuff" Misty reasoned, mostly just to move the conversation back to a slightly more optimistic territory.
At her side, Brock nodded his head thoughtfully in agreement.
"We need to hurry and help Nolan" the aspiring Pokemon breeder said with an air of seriousness befitting the tense situation in which the young trainers had found themselves.
"You bet!" Ash heartily agreed.
The three friends were about to set off running through the forest again, when suddenly a deafeningly loud noise rang out in the air over their heads, echoing through the trees and making all of them jump out of their skins in alarm.
WHAM!
Panicked, Ash, Misty and Brock all looked up to Team Rocket's balloon crashing into the top of the hilltop. The same hilltop they could have sworn they'd seen Nolan and his Pokemon land safely upon just a few moments prior. The three friends could do little more than gape in astonishment and shake their heads in disbelief.
"Did Nolan bring it down?" Ash breathed out an impressed, slightly awed breath.
"Good!" Misty spat, feeling a stab of vindictive pleasure, which despite being out of character was totally justified. Team Rocket had been a thorn in their side for weeks now after all.
"Maybe not" Brock muttered, suddenly sounding worried again.
"Why?" Misty was the one who questioned the aspiring Pokemon breeder this time around.
The expression that flashed across Brock's stoic features was not promising.
"Nolan and all of his Pokemon are on that hilltop too" Brock prompted his friends to remember, and both of them took on uneasy expressions as they began to realise what he was driving at, "They're all together with Team Rocket. Alone".
The two younger Pokemon trainers both swallowed nervously.
"I see what you mean" Ash admitted, the bubbling sense of dread he'd felt earlier for his best friend coming back with a vengeance.
"We have to go help him!" Misty fretting, wringing her hands together anxiously.
"Let's go!" Brock concurred, his tone grim.
The three friends all set off running again, no longer using the villainous hot-air balloon as their beacon but now the towering hilltop standing proudly in the distance. They weave through the trees, determination etched onto each of their faces.
"We're coming, Nolan" Ash promised softly under his breath as he led the charge, "Just hold on!"
He only hoped that they'd make it there in time. Nolan had to be okay. He just had to be.
The alternative didn't bare thinking about.
Sunlight continued to filter through the canopy of trees, illuminating the forest clearing that everybody had just vacated because of Team Rocket's latest scheme. Well, almost everybody. Completely forgotten in the madness that had unfolded, the rude girl from before was still sprawled out on the earthy floor, still trapped in the slumber that Iris' Sleep Powder attack had forced upon her. A girl asleep in a forest. It was like something out of a fairy tale. But this wasn't a story where the girl would only awaken with True Love's Kiss. No. This was the real world, where even the deepest sleep had to wear off at some point. And for the rude girl in the forest, that time was now.
"Urgh..."
A soft groan of mild pain slipped past the rude girl's rosy lips as awareness and consciousness slowly returned to her. Her eyes cautiously fluttered open, but she immediately had to close them again to block out the harsh rays of the sun.
"Oh... my head..." the girl moaned as she tried to open her eyes again, slower this time, "What happened? My head is... pounding!"
It was going to take a while to fade away completely, but the sleep-inducing spores in the rude girl's system were beginning to lose their effect. Enough so that the girl was able to gradually sit up and look around. She was momentarily disoriented to find herself sitting in the middle of a forest.
"What... where...?" the rude girl mumbled incoherently.
Even in her groggy, fogged-up state, the girl was aware enough to be relieved by the sight of Pistol the Squirtle and Queenie the Nidoran not too far from her. What she was less thrilled about however was the fact that both of her Pokemon were in a deep a sleep as she herself had been. The two of them were cuddled up together, looking surprisingly peaceful.
The rude girl felt anything but.
Rubbing her temples in an attempt to ease the heavy migraine she could already feel building behind her eyes, the rude girl ran a weary hand through her hair. When she pulled it away again, she was confused to find some green glittering spores clinging to her fingers.
"What is that?" the rude girl wonder aloud, her tone and expression both very perplexed, "It looks like..."
The rude girl let out a sharp gasp.
In an instant, everything came flooding back to her. She was remembering it all; how Pistol and Queenie had been put to sleep, how she had been put to sleep, and perhaps most importantly of all, who was responsible for all of this.
"Sleep Powder! I remember now!" the girl clapped a hand to her forehead as both the memory and the realisation hit her, "It was that loser, wasn't it? He got his revenge!"
Her bold declaration was met with a ringing silence.
Her face contorted with anger, the rude girl felt her mood only darkening at the total lack of response. Letting out a frustrated growl, the rude girl crawled over to the small creatures and began shaking them, a little too roughly truth be told.
"PISTOL! QUEENIE! WAKE UP!" the rude girl bellowed at the top of her lungs, her frustration only growing with each moment that passed, "CAN'T YOU HEAR THAT I'M RANTING HERE AND I NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN TO ME?!"
The faithful Squirtle and the sassy Nidoran both jolted awake, looking around frantically in fearful confusion.
"Squirtle?"
"Nido?"
Both of the small blue creatures were pulled from their startling realisations that they had no idea what had just happened to them by their trainer's angry ranting and raving.
"THAT LITTLE BRAT!" the rude girl raged, her voice like thunder as it cracked through the air, "HE USED HIS VENONAT TO PUT US ALL TO SLEEP, RIGHT WHEN WE HAD THAT JIGGLYPUFF ON THE ROPES! HE'S PROBABLY LAUGHING HIS HEAD OFF RIGHT NOW, WALKING OFF WITH JIGGLYPUFF WHILE WE'RE STUCK HERE!"
She threw her hands up in sheer frustration. Pistol and Queenie both cowered. They knew how volatile their trainer's temper could be at times after all.
"I SWEAR, I'M GOING TO MAKE THAT LITTLE LOSER REGRET EVER DARING TO CROSS ME!" the rude girl continued her self-righteous tirade. It was convenient how easily she forgot about the fact that she had messed with the other Pokemon trainer first, such was the way with hypocrites.
Pistol and Queenie both just watched her, the latter rolling her eyes in distain.
"He's going to learn that messing with me never ends well" the girl swore darkly under her breath as she slowly managed to calm herself.
"Squirt..." Pistol groaned uneasily, just knowing that a confrontation with that other trainer was just asking for trouble.
The Tiny Turtle Pokemon was just about to try and communicate that concern to his human partner, when he suddenly caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.
"Squirtle!" Pistol exclaimed, tugging on the rude girl's arm was his small webbed claw.
The rude girl glanced down to see that Pistol was pointing a something further in the forest. She followed his tiny finger with her sharp gaze, and to her immense surprise, she saw that three figures were retreating quickly through. It didn't take her long to place them in her memory, and the rude girl gasped as she recognised them as the loser's group of friends.
"Them!" she snarled, furious that they had just stood back whilst their friend had effortlessly knocked her and her Pokemon out cold, "Where are they going in such a hurry?"
Surprisingly enough, one of the small creatures under her command actually had an answer for her.
Queenie rolled her eyes once more, but pointed with one of her short, stubby towards a hilltop in the distance, the same direction that they losers were heading in. Under further study of the scenic landscape, the rude girl noticed something that seemed rather out of place. What appeared to be the wreckage of a deflated hot-air balloon seemed to have crashed on the side of the hill, and was now littering the landscape. She arched an elegant eyebrow in mild surprise.
"A balloon crash?" the rude girl muttered thoughtfully, before she scoffed and sneered down her nose in distain, "Only a bunch of simps like them would rush to help! If whoever was in that basket was stupid enough to get themselves hurt, that's their problem".
And so dismissing the potential crisis right in front of her, the rude girl turned her attention back to more selfish matters. Namely the wild Jigglypuff that her enemy appeared to have made off with.
"Where could that loser have taken that Jigglypuff we saw?" the rude girl muttered thoughtfully to herself, trying hard to think of a new strategy to counter the predicament that little blonde twit had placed her in, "I need to get it away from him and capture it for myself".
The rude girl's gaze then turned back at the hilltop. She smiled. It was a very menacing look.
"You know, that loser already proved to be the type of guy to stick his nose in other people's business when he decided to try and catch that Jigglypuff" she grinned slyly, once again forgetting that it was her actions that had led to all of this, "I bet you anything he can't resist a little drama like that".
The rude girl smirked, a mischievous plan forming in her head. Pistol and Queenie exchanged somewhat nervous glances.
It was a while before the girl said anything more.
"Well..." she eventually said slowly, breaking the slightly tense atmosphere that she had created, "It looks like I'm getting some well-deserved payback. Let's go!"
And without waiting to check if Pistol and Queenie were even following her, the rude girl leapt to her feet and started hurrying towards the base of the hill. Her sharp gaze was fixed on the crashed balloon, convinced that that was where she'd find the loser so was determined to get even with. The rude girl couldn't help but grin nastily as she ran.
Her retribution this time was gonna be sweet.
And that's part four done : )
Once again, I don't actually have much to say about this chapter, but there is something else I would like to use this footnote for, let's just move straight onto that.
Now before we get to this chapter's Voting Topic, I figured it might be a good idea to give you guys run down on what's been happening in-game during my Johto Nuzlocke so far. It's been a few weeks since the last time I gave you one and I do like to keep you guys in the loop of what's happening behind the scenes.
Okay, so if you guys have been following along closely, you'll know that Nolan's Johto Team so far consists of Cyndaquil, Mareep, Slugma, Wooper, Togepi, Zubat, Ariados and now Dudunsparce. In addition, he has also got Lickitung and Goldeen from the previous Nuzlocke back in rotation.
These Johto Pokemon however are not the only new faces, as I have played ahead a little bit in the game and there are now two new Pokemon I feel it's time you guys became aware of.
First of all, I can tell you that the team now contains a male Ekans. I got him at the Game Corner in Goldenrod City. This one wasn't a vote as it was the only eligible prize I could pick due to the Duplicate Clause. He has a Bold Nature and the Intimidate Ability. I actually got pretty good at the Voltorb Flip game when earning the necessary coins. So good in fact that I have already earned over ten thousand coins, which I will be using to buy one of the extremely powerful TMs the Game Corner has on offer. It really wasn't that hard actually, and it only took a couple of hours, so I might do it a few more times to get more of the really powerful TMs. I'm not messing around after all. I don't want any of my Pokemon to die and be forced to write them out of the story ; )
The next new team member is the gift Eevee that Bill gives you. It was one of the rare female Eevee which was a surprising bonus, and she has a Bashful Nature and the Adaptability Ability. I don't have an awful lot to say about her yet, but soon she will become very prominent in a upcoming voting topic.
These new faces are not the only aspects of the Nuzlocke I have crossed off the checklist however. In addition, I have also fought and won perhaps the most terrifying battle in this game. I am of course talking about Whitney and that monster of a Miltank she has. It actually turned out to be a lot easier than I initially thought it was going to be, although I think part of that was due to very good luck. I'll give you guys a rundown of that battle when we get to the voting topic relating to it though.
Next, I have also unlocked the Pokeathlon and have mastered several of the events there, meaning that I have unlocked some new evolutions that will soon be put to the vote as well. Again, I'll go into more details regarding those events when it's time to use those for the extra evolutions : )
I then made it to Ecruteak City (obviously, since I needed to go there to unlock the aforementioned Eevee event XD). I have obtained the Surf HM from the Dance Theatre, but cannot use it yet, and I unleashed Raikou, Entei and Suicune from the Burnt Tower. I actually have run into Raikou twice now whilst moving between towns, and let me tell you, it's pretty terrifying to face a Pokemon that strong in a Nuzlocke when your own team can't surpass the next level cap, which is a level a lot lower. On a brighter note however, whilst in the Burnt Tower I managed to defeat my rival again. This of course means that soon another old face will be able to return to the team : )
And that's pretty much where I'm up to at this point. I am also very pleased to say that all of this has been done without a single death, so my chances of getting that gift Hoenn starter in the post game are still looking good XD
Sadly however, I can't progress any further now in the game until I defeat the gym leader Morty, and I don't plan on facing him until I have the best chance at defeating him available to me.
This of course leads us nicely into this week's Voting Topic, and I'm very excited to say that not only is it a new Encounter Voting Topic, but a themed one as well. To my knowledge, I think I've only ever done a themed Encounter Voting Topic once before, that time in the Orange Islands Nuzlocke when all of the options were Water Type Pokemon. This one however is a little different, so I won't keep you guys hanging any longer, and we'll just get straight to it. This time, all of the available options are Pokemon that are owned in canon by other main characters in the series. Since there are so many Pokemon that fall into this category, I really wanted to try and limit the number of ones that Nolan gets too. I like it when he has different Pokemon after all, ones that none of the other main characters have ever had on their teams. It was for this reason that I grouped these five together, rather than risk him ending up with more than one of them. There are still others that'll pop up in the future after all. Here are the options.
Pokemon Options: -
National Park: - Butterfree - Male - Careful Nature - Compoundeyes Ability
Olivine City: - Corsola - Female - Modest Nature - Natural Cure Ability
New Bark Town: - Pineco - Male - Relaxed Nature - Sturdy Ability
Route 36 - Sudowoodo - Male - Rash Nature - Sturdy Ability
Route 46 - Rattata - Male - Rash Nature - Run Away Ability
Now before anybody asks who in the canon owned a Rattata, well technically nobody, but Ash did have a Raticate, even if it was only for one episode, so in my mind it counts. But more pressingly, the Butterfree up for the vote here actually won me the Bug Catching Contest, and I got a Sun Stone out of it. I never knew it when I was playing these games as a kid, but by damaging the HP of the Pokemon you were trying to catch, you actually made it impossible for yourself to win the contest. This however is not a problem if you merely use a status move on it and capture it at full health, which I did with Mareep's Thunder Wave attack. Getting it to appear wasn't even that hard either actually, since I first came across a Scyther which activated the Duplicate Clause. As I said, I won first place in the Bug Catching Contest with Butterfree. Second and third place were ironically given to two trainers who both caught a Venonat each. All in all, lots of good fun. Anyway, please go vote for the Pokemon that you would like to see join Nolan's Johto Team next by leaving your selection in a review : )
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 : )