The emperor dustox did not come down to destroy the village like Grant had feared. Instead, it flapped its wings and a huge cloud of spores and powders carrying different effects was flung rapidly at the village, the cloud spreading out as it descended. Screams erupted as pokemon, and trainers alike braced for the oncoming attack. Grant acted fast. His shirt had been cut by a dustox earlier, leaving a large strip to flap over his arm. Grant ripped the piece of cloth away and wrapped it around his mouth and nose.
“Horsea, can you get this rag wet for me?” Grant asked. Horsea nodded, and shot a stream of water at Grant’s face, soaking the cloth. The cloud arrived not a second later.
Tangela had seen the giant dustox and had promptly ignored it. She knew that it wouldn’t risk itself in this battle. You don’t reach the emperor rank because you charge in at the front of your tribe. You reach emperor because you sat in the back, offered support, and were a decent leader. Tangela ignored the cloud of spores and powders too. She wouldn’t be effected by most of it, and the things that could affect her she could take. The important thing was that at last she had found the human. He looked alright, but his horsea seemed to be in rough shape. It looked wounded, tired, and now had a stun and poison condition from the spores. Tangela thought it was a miracle the horsea hadn’t fainted yet. Her dilemma was that now she found the human, what should she do? The dustox in this area were engaged with some other trainers. The magby and grimer leading the way in that fight seemed to be okay, and tangela thought about going to help, but if she helped them and the human needed her it would make this whole trip into the village a waste. Still, that magby probably couldn’t hold much longer.
Horsea had taken a full dose of the cloud, and Grant wasn’t sure what to do. Based on the purple streaks slowly spreading over horsea’s body he was poisoned, and his stiff jerky movements told Grant he was stunned. Grant wanted to recall him, but if he did, he couldn’t help fight any longer, unless he charged in to fight the dustox himself. Given that he had barely managed to fend off an attack from the tangela yesterday Grant had a hard time believing he could go toe to toe with half a dozen dustox. Then Grant spotted something.
As they had traveled into the village Grant had caught sight of the tangela following him and horsea. Grant was also positive it had been the pokemon to interfere when Gideon had wanted to beat Grant up for the challenge money. Here in the village, in the middle of what amounted to a small war, the last thing Grant expected to see was that very same tangela crouched behind a garbage can, and watching the magby, grimer, and other pokemon battle a few paces ahead of Grant. He knew it was the same one too, do the crisscrossing scars covering its body. Grant suddenly had a plan, he just needed to get through the flurry of warring pokemon to reach the tangela for his plan to work.
Tangela was just about to step in to help, as it looked like the magby was going to go down soon, when she noticed a disturbance in the line of battling pokemon. The human was on the move. Tangela’s eyes shot wide as he pushed aside other humans, a scyther, and a lickitung and charged into the fray. Instantly he was noticed by about 20 dustox, and they converged on his position. As they did, water guns blasted them back from the horsea cradled in his left arm. The horsea couldn’t get every angle though, and tangela’s heart froze as a dustox came in from the human’s right, where the horsea couldn’t see. Tangela should go, she should help, she should do something, but it wasn’t needed. The human mid-run pulled an arm back and punched the dustox in its face. It cried out and bit at the human’s arm drawing blood, but the punch sent it careening into the ground. It was at that moment, tangela realized the human was running directly at her.
Grant’s heart thundered as he charged through the warzone. He knew his charge would draw attention from the dustox, but he hadn’t expected so many to give chase. Horsea had gone limp from exhaustion after his sixth water gun, but it was enough. Grant slid on his knees, to dodge an oncoming dustox, and arrive next to the extremely startled tangela.
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“Hey there. I’m Grant.” He said, through heaving breaths.
“Ela.” She scolded making Grant grin.
“I know pretty stupid right? I have a plan though, and I need your help. Will you hear me out?” Tangela grumbled, but nodded, and Grant told her the plan.
The plan was simple in theory, if not in execution. The thing about wild pokemon, is that if they make an attack, and take too many losses, they will leave. It isn’t in their nature to fight until the last, so Grant knew that in time all of this would be over. The problem was Grant wasn’t sure what level of casualties the dustox would be willing to take to accomplish whatever they wanted to accomplish. This left them with their second option, which was getting the leader to leave. If the emperor dustox left, the rest of the dustox would leave with it. Obviously, there was a major power difference between horsea and the dustox, but if what Grant suspected about the tangela was correct, there was a chance, a very slim chance that they might be able to spook the dustox enough to make it leave. Not defeat it mind you, just startle it a little.
Immediately after hearing the plan tangela was convinced the human had a death wish. Charging through the warzone was stupid enough, but what he was proposing was an incredibly new level of stupid. Nevertheless, tangela agreed. She hadn’t just fought her way through the village to reach the human to deny his request for help. Besides, she wouldn’t be in any danger, just the human.
Part one of the plan was to quietly raid a few necessary supplies from a nearby store. They sold items like potions, escape ropes, and other utility items like that. Grant took what he needed, and well since he was probably about to save the village, he took some things he didn’t actually need. Besides, if he died it’s not like he would suffer any consequences. Supplies retrieved they moved onto part 2.
Tangela and Grant ran as quickly as possible to the pokemon center. They had to fight several dustox on the way, but tangela was able to quickly deal with them.
Arriving at the pokemon center Grant found a chaotic scene of absolute chaos. There were nurses administering potions, nurses wheeling fainted pokemon into the back, and nurses attending to injured trainers. An exhausted looking nurse stomped up to Grant.
“What do you need? We are very busy.” She demanded. Grant swallowed and shifted his weight nervously.
“I need to get onto the roof.” Grant said. The nurse blinked in surprise at Grant.
“Why? You know what actually I don’t care. Take that door all the way up.” The nurse pointed out a door set to the side of the main counter. Grant nodded and he and tangela were off.
Parts 2 and 3 of the plan were officially complete. He had arrived at and gotten onto the roof of the pokemon center. Now, things would get a lot more dangerous. There were flying pokemon battling all around the roof. Dustox, pidgey, spearow, even a knoctowl. They danced in complex patterns as they fought. Grant did his best to ignore it as he prepare his retrieved supplies. Well, the essential supplies. Those supplies, amounted to a big bucket, and about twenty max repels. The thing was, since they were locally made, the repels were specifically designed for the pokemon who lived in the forest, which included dustox. Grant had no idea if it would work, but as he opened the first bottle, Grant noticed every dustox in the area clear out to fight somewhere else. Grant dumped as much of the repel fluid into the bucket as he could fit, before he put the lid on the bucket, securing the liquid. With a glance over the side of the roof at the ruined village, Grant resolved himself to what came next. He turned to tangela.
“Let’s do this.”