Chapter 47 – Like Excadrill's claw grabbing Pikachu by his tail

It was like flying down a long silvery tunnel… Zacian sprinted so quickly and so gracefully that ridding her back felt more like floating than running. She burst through the doors separating the cars and knocked obstacles out of her way with such ease that they might as well as been non-existent.

Ash was amazed, as he squeezed her body tightly with his legs, his left arm holding Pikachu against himself, and his left clutching at her fur, at just how fast she was. Even Charizard, who could fly, would be unable to match her.

Charizard…He felt a pang in his heart as he thought of his faithful fire type friends, tapped with Ashachu on the roof of the train with a murderous Darkrai.

"Don't worry guys, we're on our way," he mumbled to himself.

But when Zacian came to a halt a moment later, it was not outside the train or on the roof. It was instead, inside the middle of a mostly empty and dark carriage, where the only furnishings were a series of wooden crates at the far end, a number of bags on a rack against the side.

He recognised where they were – this was the baggage and storage car they had entered when they had first boarded, hours ago. Zacian dropped to her knees, indicating that she wanted to him and Pikachu to clamber off.

"Zacian, what are we doing?"

"Pikachu," cried Pikachu as he clambered back onto Ash's head.

Zacian walked purposefully over to the crates. "When I was first captured, Team Rocket took something from me. Now I'm reclaiming it. You may want to stand back…"

She lifted her head back, opened her maw, then fired from it blast of pink energy. Ash recognised it as a Moon blast attack, though he was taken aback as he hadn't been expecting it.

He raised and arm over his and Pikachu's faces to protect from the dust and wood fragments that filled the air. Pikachu squeaked, "Pika," and shut his eyes.

"And now," declared Zacian triumphantly. "I shall earn back my status as a hero!"

Ash waved his hand to clear the dust around him as Pikachu opened his eyes slowly. What they saw, lying on the floor among the wreckage of the boxes, and more importantly what happened when Zacian picked it up, made their jaws drop.

"Whoa!"

"Pika Pika."

[Pokémon]

The Crown Tundra Mountain pass is treacherous; a series of high peaks, steep cliff faces, sheer drops and valleys filled with sharp point rocks or fast flowing streams. Its geography is such that it is a miracle one railway line was ever able to be laid across it, let alone two.

The Crown Tundra line, when it was built, had been envisioned to be a busy and well-versed railway line, so government decision makers had decided the line should be double rather than single tracked. But this had left a problem.

So steep where the rocky walls, that it was nearly impossible to build two lines side by side. It was not feasible or cost effective to excavate the amount of mountain side necessary for the corridor. The solution – separate the two tracks that ran apart by parallel to one another.

The tracks separate to the south of the Crown Tundra station, and each take a separate path across the crown shine and the path to the peak. The tracks then meet up again as the line enters the Snowslide Slope, the plateau that leads down the mountain side and towards the giant's forest to the south.

And it was here that the two trains first came into sight of the other.

"Namba, you told me we had complete control of the railway," Matori snapped as she lowered her binoculars and passed them to Gozu.

"We did," Namba replied through gritted teeth. "I hacked the software that operated the train and signalling system and forced it to shut down. Whatever that train is over there, it must be operating independently of the system."

Namba and Cassidy had returned to the executive carriage to find an angry Matori and Gozu demanding answer to the sudden appearance of the other train and subsequent red alert. Butch had been left alone with Rai-Rai in the locomotive.

"And you didn't consider this might be a possibility," demanded Matori, her face flushed red. "We're not the only villains to use railways. I though your plan was solid."

"To be fair," Cassidy interjected, in defence of her boss. "For another organisation to be able to access the railway now that Team Rocket in control means they would need to similar technology to ours. What are the odds of that?"

"You know that's a fair point," Gozu agreed as Matori shook her head.

For some reason, Namba pulled a face and tugged as his collar but did not reply.

After a couple of seconds of awkward silence, Matori let out a loud sigh and cried, "Well I suppose nothing will come of pointless recriminations at this point. We must deal with the situation as it arises. Do we know anything about this other train or who it may belong to? Can we contact it."

"We've sent a number of signals by radio," said Cassidy. "On multiple frequencies, but so far there's been no reply. The close up's we've been able to get don't reveal any visible insignia or symbol. If it's a rival team, they're not advertising it."

"So, what's your plan?"

"All we can do at this stage is try to out run it," replied Namba. "Once we reach the flatland it should be safe to accelerate. Worst comes to the worst, we may be able to lose some of rear carriages."

"Could we change direction," Gozu suggested, but Namba shook his head.

"That would have been my first thought as well given how far the track diverge," he spat. "But alas our retreat has been blocked."

"Blocked," demanded Matori, raising an eyebrow. "By what!"

Cassidy and Namba glanced at each other before Cassidy said reluctantly, "There's a second train, further behind on the line. We actually sighed it first, we only just became aware of that one." She pointed out the window to the train rumbling on the adjacent track.

Matori stared at them both incredulously, while Gozu's jaw dropped.

"There are two trains! And you're only just telling me this now."

"Well."

"Two trains, on parallel tracks, travelling in the same direction, and you didn't think to make that your opening line when reporting to. The fact that there are two, boxing us in like this, means they can only have hostile intentions."

"I suppose when you put it like that," said Cassidy, unsure what else to say.

"Matori slapped her forehead with her right hand, then shook her head. "We'd best just hope we can outrun them both. What of Shadow and that boy?"

"I don't think they're such high priorities right now," snapped Namba. "Shadow can't escape the roof, nor can those other Pokémon. And I know well that the little boy won't leave without his precious Pikachu and Charizard. We can deal with them later."

"And Zacian?" asked Gozu.

Namba's face curled into a nasty smile. "Don't worry about her. I have ways of bring her to heel…"

[Pokémon]

"Wait, we're moving again," Ash exclaimed as he slid the door to the baggage car open and noticed the snow and sleeper rushing below. "When did that happen?"

"Doesn't matter," growled Zacian. "Now climb on and hold tight."

Ash obliged, clambering onto her back, and fastening his legs around her flank, while Pikachu dropped onto her neck, gripping her fur tightly.

"Here we GO!" Zacian barked as leapt through the door and from the train…

[Pokémon]

As the two trains sped down the Snowslide Slope, the tracks converged. The trains were now running side by side through the snowy field. From their position in the executive car, Cassidy, Namba, Matori and Gozu could see the other close up now.

While Team Rocket's was long thing and sleek, the train on the opposite track was big and bulky. A squarish locomotive with a slightly curved by mostly flat front, that towered over their car. A solid wall of steal.

Behind it were a series of double decked carriages. Like the locomotive, most were just a block of metal with no distinguish features. No clue as to what might be lurking within. The few that had windows, were so tinted that it was impossible to see inside. Just patches of black admis the grey.

"Butch," said Cassidy urgently into her communicator. "It's right alongside us. We need to go fast. Now."

"We're going as fast as is safe," replied a distressed Butch.

Cassidy gritted her teeth and spat back, "Well that's not fast enough."

In the locomotive cabin Butch groaned. He could hear the anger rising in his partner's voice. This was how she handled stressful situations…Badly.

"Alright, I see what I can do." There was a slapping sound, followed by a pained squeak of "chu." "You heard the woman you, increase the throttle."

"Rai."

The train begun to pick up speed. Or at least it seemed to. The other train started to fall away as the carriage occupied by Cassidy and the other rockets. Cassidy momentarily felt a sense of relief. Although it soon became apparent that this might not be the triumph, they thought it was.

The other train slammed on its breaks. Or at least, that was what it appeared to do. Its locomotive seemed to slow all but to a stop, and spark flew from its undercarriage, presumably as the wheel grinded against the steel rail underneath.

"Wait, is it slowing down," Cassidy exclaimed feeling definitely unnerved. Her heart thumped somewhere in her throat as she watched the other train disappear from view.

The reason became apparent a moment later. Just ahead was a switch track, connecting the line the other train was running on to Team Rockets. Unbeknownst to Team Rocket, the operators of the other train were planning to use it to pull behind Shadowpiercer…

[Pokémon]

Nothing of the warmth of the inside of the train had prepared Ash or Pikachu for what was outside. The night air, combined with the wind chill factor was bracing to say the least, as Zacian leap from the carriage and into the snow.

Ash prepared himself for a jarring landing, gripping Pikachu close to him, but was surprised when Zacian's paws lightly touched the snow. She was so light on her paws that it almost felt as if there was no ground at all, that they were floating rather than running.

She came to a gentle holt and spun around to face the Shadowpiercer as it flew by. The scream of its engine and the clickity-clack of the wheels echoing over the wind. Despite its noise, it was almost difficult to see in the dark of the night.

The only lights illuminating the carriages were the dim orange-yellow light coming through the windows – which thanks to its speed became a blurring orange bar in Ash's eyes. And the blue electrical beams overhead.

Ash shuddered. Sitting there on the wolf-like Pokémon's back, with little in the way of warm clothing while the cold wind and snow battered his body had left him feeling as if he were the recipient of an ice beam or blizzard attack from a particularly malevolent Ice Pokémon.

Pikachu, protected only by his short fur, and being much smaller than Ash, fared little better. His partner shivered and trembled in his lap, trying to press himself against the, rather inadequate, warmth of Ash's stomach. And being grateful when Ash held him a little closer to himself.

"Pikapi," he cooed gratefully.

Zacian, for her part, seemed unaffected by the cold. Her coat was much thicker than Pikachu, and certainly a lot better than thin unprotected human skin. Her head moved from side to side as she watched Shadowpiercer fly by.

"Let me know when you see your friends," she shouted, her voice just audible over the sounds of the wind and train.

"Can you get us up there," Ash asked.

"Yes!"

"What about the blue things."

"Trust me. Just let me know when you see them."

The train was moving so fast, Ash wondered how on earth he was going to be able to spot Ashachu and Charizard. Especially in the low light. He kept his eyes peeled, frantically scanning the top of the train for anything that resembled the glow of Charizard's tail. Or else the outline of a Pokémon or something other than the triangular structures projecting that blue light.

It was Pikachu who spotted them first, his Pokémon eyesight and reaction time being far superior to that of a human. "Pikapi Pikachu." He raised his paw frantically pointing at the train.

"Where?" Ash had to squint. What was Pikachu pointing to.

He had less than a split second to look however, as almost as soon as Pikachu had cried out, Zacian had bolted again, running towards the train….

[Pokémon]

"It's right behind us," Gozu exclaimed, sounding uncharacteristically panicked for a man of his size and muscles.

A harsh jolt was felt throughout the whole of the train, in every carriage and even in the locomotive. Their carriage swayed violently from side to side, causing Cassidy to lose her footing. She grabbed onto the wall to prevent herself falling to the ground.

Far behind them, the other train had crossed the switch track and was now directly behind Shadowpiercer. As the square locomotive had crossed over, its buffers have caught the end of the Shadowpiercer's rear end car, almost derailing it.

Now chasing Team Rocket's tail, so to speak, the other train begun to increase speed. The image on the screen, being beamed from the overhead drone, showed it slowly gaining on them.

"Butch it's now or never," cried Cassidy into her communicator. "It's right on top of us. Get us out of here."

Her partner's reply nearly made her heart stop. "Cassidy, we're already travelling at full speed…."

The other Locomotive was like a mechanical Arbok…Or perhaps Guzzlord. The front begun to split in two, opening up right down the middle, almost like mechanical jaws. Then the two sections split into two again, the top half lifting up into the air, while the lower half continued to open wide.

Watching from inside the train, the members of Team Rocket must have, in that moment, felt what a Rattata or Zigzagoon feels in the second before they are pounced upon by an Umbreon. Or in the split second when they see the Ekans emerge from its hole, maw wide to swallow them whole.

The terrifying realisation you are about to die, horrifically, and knowing you a powerless to prevent it from happening. In that moment, were any of them actually capable of demonstrating empathy, they may have understood how their captive and stolen Pokémon feel…If only.

The other train put on a burst of speed until it was right behind them, buffer to buffer. And then its mechanical jaws stretched out and clamped down upon the end of the rear carriage. Like Excadrill's claw grabbing Pikachu by his tail…

[Pokémon]

"What in the distortion world is going on, we're losing speed. Raichu, what are you doing?"

"Rai Raichu." Raichu gave a cry of protest as Butch pulled down hard on his ear, his gravelly voice so loud he thought it might burst his eardrum.

Despite the Raichu's paw pushing hard on the throttle – as far as the lever would go, the locomotive fast running out of momentum. Like something had taken a hold and was pulling back. Like being dragged across a battlefield by your tail.

And then out of the corner of his eye, Butch noticed something. Two red words had appeared on the screen that stood in place of the forward windshield.

FULL STOP

"Brakes," he muttered under his breath. He pulled out his communicator and whispered urgently into it, "Cassidy I've lost control. Something's hacked us. It's activated the brakes."

"It's got a hold of us Butch," came Cassidy's reply, almost shrill. "It's right on the tail."

"I know that…I can't speed up."

"No, I mean it's physically latched onto us. They've got us."

Butch let go of Raichu's ear and stood up, his face going pale and his mouth falling open. "Oh shit! Do we have a plan?"

"Get down to the last carriage. NOW! Bring the Pokémon!"