Chapter 9; a rival appears, part 2
Sonic kept jumping from cage to cage racing to the other side of the warehouse followed by his pikachu and kadabra.
"What went wrong?" he thought in terror as another ear piercing scream echoed in the warehouse.
He eventually reached the source of the screams and what he witnessed made him feel sick. 2 grunts defeated but 3 more standing, 1 of them holding down Mike's Jolteon and the other 2 having locked a collar around Mike's neck electrocuting him with every press of the button. Jolteon was watching its trainer suffering as tears were streaming from its eyes. He also momentarily noticed a few cages had been moved as if someone was roughly shoved into them.
"Hey there's the other one!" the grunt holding down Jolteon said as the other 2 got their attention off Mike momentarily. Mike full of anger tackled the grunt holding the controller to the ground. Sonic wasting no time jumped on the other grunt.
"Pikachu! Kadabra! Help Jolteon!"
Pikachu used quick attack tackling the grunt, causing him to release Jolteon who zapped him and Pikachu.
"Again Jolteon let him have it!" Mike ordered as he and the grunt were reaching for the controller while fighting.
"Wait no! Pikachu get out of there!"
Pikachu however was grabbed by its tail before it could escape receiving another thunderbolt from Jolteon while the grunt was launched back towards the wall. Pikachu was freed though weakened as Kadabra rushed to its side.
"Kadabra get Pikachu out of here! Teleport!" Sonic ordered them as he dodged an attack from the grunt he was fighting, while calling out wartortle to assist him.
Kadabra however didn't obey. It instead used psybeam sending all of them apart from Sonic who managed to hold on to the bars of a cage. The grunt who was fighting Mike over the remote was knocked out cold, giving Mike the opportunity to grab the remote and press the unlock button removing the collar.
"What is wrong with you!" he yelled to Kadabra "you hit me too!"
"Hey don't pin this on Kadabra! Not after hitting Pikachu with thunderbolt!" Sonic said getting up obviously pissed.
"I had to ok?"
"No you didn't! Duck!"
Mike ducked avoiding a hit from the grunt Sonic was fighting who also happened to have the keys to the cages. He delivered a devastating kick to the stomach and pushed his head down under his shoe. Jolteon rushed to his side.
"Blast him" he ordered Jolteon.
"Wait no!" Sonic intervened "he's beaten. Let's just get the key to the cages and free the pokemon before reinforcements arrive".
Mike hesitated but punched the grunt knocking him out so he wouldn't intervene and grabbed the keys. Turning to leave however they saw the woman who was talking to Jessie and James earlier blocking their way.
"Ariana!" Mike said sounding genuinely pissed off.
"You have made a mess for the last time Michael! This time you won't get off easy! I will deliver you to the boss myself!"
"Who's this?" Sonic asked quietly.
"An admin of Team Rocket!" Mike said as Jolteon growled angry.
"This time you won't win Michael! I brought something from the boss specifically for this! Go Nidoking!"
A Nidoking came out of the pokeball roaring, causing Jolteon to grown angry again but Sonic to flinch.
"A Nidoking? From the boss? We're in serious trouble" he thought.
"Listen" he whispered to Mike "we've bit more than we can chew. We need to tactically retreat".
Mike however shoved him aside.
"You can run if you want! Jolteon use double kick!"
Jolteon rushed Nidoking kicking it 2 times barely hurting it.
"Nidoking mud slap!"
Nidoking threw a small amount of mud sending Jolteon crashing into a cage, heavily injured.
"As I told you. Too easy! Finish it off Nidoking! Sludge bomb!"
Nidoking threw a huge ball of sludge out of its mouth heading straight for Jolteon.
"No!" he screamed.
"Wartortle rapid spin!" Sonic yelled sending it out.
Wartortle emerged in front of Jolteon and span really fast sending most of the sludge in all directions.
"Wait your turn brat!" Ariana threatened him smiling.
"My turn is now!" Sonic declared "you won't lay another finger on my friends!"
Mike's eyes bulged as he heard Sonic's words.
"We're not friends Sonic! And I don't need your help!"
"Your Jolteon thinks otherwise" Sonic's answer came as Jolteon curled in the corner with Pikachu sharing some electricity with it to heal via its ability, volt absorb.
"Fine. If you wanna lose that badly" Ariana said waving her hands as if she was saying your choice "Nidoking mud slap!"
Nidoking launched the projectile only for Wartortle to deflect it with rapid spin.
"Wartortle water gun!"
Wartortle's attack connected but didn't do more than double kick did despite being super effective.
"Nidoking use horn attack!"
Nidoking charged forward horn first.
"Bite!" Sonic ordered.
Wartortle bit Nidoking right before the attack could harm it causing it to roar in pain and shake around trying to throw Wartortle off. Wartortle was thrown off but the desired effect was achieved; bite had caused Nidoking to flinch.
"Yeah!" Sonic yelled but then saw purple bubbles emerge from wartortle.
"Damnit no! I forgot! Nidoking can have poison point!"
"Too late now kid! Nidoking double kick!"
Nidoking rushed Wartortle delivering 2 devastating kicks and knocking it out while sending it flying towards the wall. Pikachu and Jolteon rushed to its side, to Mike's surprise.
"Damnit! Kadabra you're up!" Sonic said as kadabra floated in front of him.
"Psybeam!"
Kadabra unleashed its attack catching Nidoking off guard with its power. Nidoking shook its head trying to get it together.
"Confusion!" Sonic said keeping up the momentum.
Once again the attack connected even causing confusion however the nidoking still looked able to fight.
"Sludge bomb!"
The attack was launched and connected causing kadabra to also be sent back towards the wall crashing into wartortle. Jolteon was rushed to its side as well.
"Jolteon come here" Mike said not understanding why his Jolteon was becoming soft all of a sudden.
"Want more kid?" Ariana taunted Sonic.
Sonic gritted his teeth. But he knew it was time for their secret weapon.
"Pikachu you're up!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu cried out as it jumped on Sonic's shoulder then onto the battlefield in style.
"A mere Pikachu is all that's left between me and victory? Pf. Let's end their misery Nidoking! Mud-slap!"
"Quick attack!" Sonic said as Pikachu dodged the mud slap before hitting the Nidoking with little effect.
"Now tail whip!" Sonic said hoping to reduce nidoking's defense enough to end it without revealing their trick.
"Sludge bomb!"
"Quick attack again then slam it!"
Pikachu did as Sonic ordered, causing Nidoking to be pushed back but not fall. Additionally, Pikachu was poisoned as well.
"Looks like the end of the line! Nidoking double kick!"
Sonic knew they were out of options decided it was all or nothing.
"Thunder shock!"
"What are you thinking?!" Mike screamed in anger and confusion.
Pikachu charged its cheeks to unleash the thundershock when Jolteon suddenly also used thunderbolt striking Pikachu's tail. Sonic for a moment thought it was attacking him but then realized what the plan was.
"Thanks Jolteon" he said behind his shoulder.
"What did it do?" Mike asked, now totally confused.
"Charged up Pikachu more! Now to end it!"
"It won't matter! Ground has immunity!" Ariana said calmly.
Pikachu discharged its attack causing to Mike and Ariana's shock Nidoking to roar in pain and topple, knocked out.
"Wha… No! Noooo! This can't be happening!"
Sonic knowing it was their chance rushed past Nidoking to tackle Ariana to the ground. Ariana however reacting faster, recalled Nidoking and fled.
"Reinforcements won't be long!" Sonic said as he rushed to the door to barricade it. Now that the controls were fried it would be opened manually.
While barricading it a lot of locks started being fried from the inside. The cage doors were opened and several pokemon came out running in all directions. Mike came out of the corner helping Sonic keep the door shut.
"How did the doors…?" Sonic went to ask.
"Jolteon fried the circuit. The locks are electronic".
"Smart" Sonic commented as all the locks were soon open and chaos was reigning in the warehouse.
A bang on the door was heard.
"Open up! There's no escape!"
Sonic however had one final trick up his sleeve even though it was a longshot.
"Do you have any healing potions or something on you?"
"Only one. A super potion".
"Give it to Kadabra quick".
"One psychic type can't beat an army of poison types".
"We're not gonna fight" Sonic said with a mischievous smile.
Mike guessed through the plan and knowing there were no other alternatives, he took out the super potion.
Outside the warehouse a total of 10 grunts were preparing a makeshift battering ram to bring the door down under Ariana's command.
"Ram ready ma'am!" a grunt said.
"On 3!" Ariana said "1,2,3!"
The grunts charged at the door which opened with no resistance causing them to crash into the empty cages. Getting back up the only saw the empty warehouse. No trainers, no pokemon.
"Ho… How?!" was all Ariana was able to yell in terror knowing the boss wouldn't be happy.
Meanwhile Sonic and Mike were outside the city, having teleported with Kadabra's teleport along with all the captive pokemon, at the cost of a lot of Kadabra's stamina. Sonic immediately recalled it, deciding it would stay in the pokeball until he could get it to a pokemon center. Meanwhile all the captive pokemon fled upon Pikachu telling them to, with one rattata bringing it a pecha berry to heal the poison. Afterwards the captive pokemon fled, leaving only the 2 boys and their pokemon taking deep breaths.
"I can't believe that worked" Mike said in relief.
Sonic however didn't answer. Mike looked around and saw where they were.
"Well. Got you out as you wanted".
"You got some explaining to do".
"Me?"
"Yeah. First you suggest a stealth plan and then not only do you get captured but after I had to save you, you almost kill them".
"They deserve it".
"Your Jolteon was almost beat to death because we wasted so much time with those guards".
"Yes but it would be ok. It has experienced so many hardships already it would get better! Now look at it!" he said angry as Jolteon was cuddling with Pikachu to relax "you turned it soft!"
"How did I turn it soft?"
"Your pikachu shared its electricity with it. And afterwards Jolteon returned it to supercharge your Pikachu in that attack!"
"Yes. It's called teamwork".
"Teamwork is for the foolish" Mike said begrudgingly.
"Why do you say that?" Sonic asked him "and how can you say that? In that case your Jolteon is a fool because it works with you".
"It's not the same".
"Now you know you're caught. It is the same".
Mike grunted and turned his back.
"Why were you in the city?"
"What?"
"When I met you" Sonic continued "you were in the city before I arrived. Why?"
"….."
"This is personal isn't it?"
"Yes. You see the tower?" Mike said showing Sonic the tower again.
"Yeah you showed me earlier".
"There are rumors they have taken it over and use the company located there, Silph co. to produce pokeballs".
Sonic's eyes widened momentarily knowing that indeed a big problem.
"Ok but that doesn't explain your violent assault".
Mike had a tear stream across his cheek
"They took my original partner! My beedrill! They also took Jolteon's sibling! They were both eevees when I met it!"
Sonic sighed silently understanding.
"Still. That doesn't explain the stealth plan".
"I wanted to only see if my beedrill or Jolteon's sibling were here trapped. They were not".
Sonic sighed silently again.
"If you want to call me a manipulator go ahead. I only wanted to save my pokemon".
"That is not a wrong feeling" Sonic said in a serious tone "but going as far as to try and kill those grunts is wrong. I know".
"How?"
Sonic contemplated revealing his own dark moment in cerulean city but refrained.
"That is a story for another time. Also what you said about Jolteon becoming soft isn't true. It's just remembering compassion. Pikachu shared its electricity because of compassion".
"I…."
"Look. I too want to go –and plan to go eventually - after team Rocket. But we are not strong enough yet. Me and my pokemon. And neither are you and Jolteon. We – my pokemon and I – need to grow stronger. And if you want to be able to stand up to them and maybe save your beedrill one day, you will need to get a bigger team".
"It's not as easy as you make it sound".
"It's not. But it's something I would do for any of my pokemon or my friends if I had to. You can do it too".
Mike looked at him in obvious conflict.
"Even if I get more pokemon how do I get stronger?"
"Challenging the gyms is one way. But an even greater source of power comes from the bonds you have with your pokemon".
"Is that why your Pikachu beat a nidoking with thunder shock?"
"Still working that one out. But yes. I'm starting to believe it was fate I met it" Sonic said.
Mike looked down trying to decide what to do. Jolteon approached him and stood on its 2 back legs as it put its front 2 legs on Mike's chest and licked his face.
"You think so too partner?"
"Jolt!"
Mike smiled.
"Then it's decided. We're going to grow stronger! Sonic! Thank you! And next time we meet if we have time let's have a battle!"
"You bet!" Sonic said smiling determined.
The two newly formed rival nodded at each other in approval and Mike rushed back to Saffron city.
"Pika pika?" Pikachu cried out looking up at Sonic.
"He's gonna make it across just fine. Let's go to Vermillion. You guys need healing asap" Sonic said as Pikachu climbed on his shoulder holding on as best as it could as they made their way to Vermillion city.