Season 3 - Episode 02: Fully Charged_Pokemon Slate Gray

“I’ve been kidnapped,” said April.

“What are you on about, Ape?” August replied with a dismissive groan.

“I’m serious! And don’t call me that!” she snapped back. “Team Shade is holding us in the offices of Nutera Power. They’re maintaining the blackout from here.”

“Whoa, you are serious, aren’t you?” said August, a ring of concern evident in his voice now. “I’m coming to get you!”

The phone line crackled ominously.

“No, dummy! August, can you hear me? Call mom and tell her everything. I can’t get through to her. She will know who in the police to contact.”

August’s response was unintelligible, interspersed with static. They were losing the connection.

“August? Did you hear what I said? Call mom!”

Bob cut in at that point. “Please, tell the police to contact my wife, Sarah. Tell her I’m okay. My name is—”

The call failed. The huddled captives stared in silence at the phone for a few seconds, wondering whether it had been enough. Had the boy heard their message? Had he believed it? Would he do the right thing?

April then collected herself and redialed. The call wouldn’t go through. She tried her mother’s number, but that also failed to connect.

“It worked,” Slate asserted halfheartedly. “We’re getting out of here. He’ll get help, right April?”

The others all looked to April for her response. She didn’t answer right away. “August can be a little dense, and he acts rashly at times, but I’m sure he gets how serious this is,” she said rather unconvincingly.

Alice broke into tears, hugging the wild Rodenki in her arms tight to her chest. Jenny and Graham tried to comfort her, but she was inconsolable. “I can’t stay locked up in here anymore,” she bawled.

“It’s time for plan B,” said Joe confidently. “To keep what’s going on at Nutera Power quiet, Team Shade must have a strong presence here. If April’s brother comes here without going to the police, he’ll surely be overwhelmed and captured. If he does go to the police, we need to ensure that we’re found. Either way, we’re going to have to take action.”

Slate nodded determinedly.

“Should I have Rodenki try shorting the keypad?” April asked.

“There’s no need to risk that,” said Joe. “I have an idea.”

----------------------------------------

Joe shared his plan with the group, and they spent the next few hours preparing to enact it. Thanks to April’s Rodenki, they had support from its newfound friends, who were sent back into the ventilation system in search of just two types of objects: paperclips and wire. With these specific instructions, they soon amassed large piles of them.

“Bob?” Slate asked curiously as he connected what felt like his thousandth paper clip. “When we were talking to April’s brother earlier, did you say your wife was named Sarah?”

The old man nodded. “Why?”

April looked up at this point. Her eyes were wide. She had made the connection too.

“Do you own Pyne Farm?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“We met Sarah,” Slate said with a kind smile.

“You met my wife? When? Is she okay?”

“It was probably the day you were kidnapped,” April added. “Team Shade was after your Miltank. Slate and I were able to stop them, and Sarah made us dinner. She was really nice.”

“They must have wanted you and your Tauros out of the way first. We told a man from the International Police all about the incident, so I’m sure she’s safe,” said Slate.

Bob beamed and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he whispered, apparently choked up.

“You think this will be enough?” asked Alice, looking from her work to Jenny’s, the usual venom in her voice all but gone.

“It’s going to have to be,” said Joe as he reviewed the work of the others. “Okay, it’s almost time. Let’s get ready.”

With this, the captives assembled against the far wall of the office, sitting below the sealed windows, while April instructed her Rodenki to get the other Pokémon in position. It was a tense few minutes, silently watching the wall clock tick ever closer to noon.

Suddenly, a distant beeping could be heard from beyond the door. This was it. The Team Shade guards were entering the keypad code. After four *beep*s, the metal door slid open, and two black-suited guards entered with their Slugish on their shoulders. They entered the room to drop off the lunch, their arms full of sandwiches and water bottles once more.

As Joe had planned, their eyes were drawn to the huddled group of prisoners ahead of them, making them blind to the danger behind them. Just as they dropped the food in the center of the room, April ordered, “Now!”

With a follow-up squeak from her partner, the thirty Rodenki that lined the wall on either side of the door attacked, and the rest emerged from the bathroom. Before the grunts knew what was happening, their legs were covered with the tiny rodents, which proceeded to Nuzzle their electric cheek sacs against them, delivering a series of shocks.

Meanwhile, the captives had jumped to their feet, revealing weapons they had fashioned from the objects the Rodenki had brought them. Each of them was armed with a whip of braided electrical wires or a flail made of interconnected paper clips with a pen for a handle. They wouldn’t inflict much in the way of damage but would certainly make any opposition they encountered think twice.

Slate and Joe each whipped a distracted Slugish from the shoulder of their owner, knocking them into the sea of Rodenki below, who quickly neutralized them.

Slate then stepped into the corridor beyond the doorway, making sure there was no one on the other side to deal with. He gave a nod to April, who called off the swarm, so Graham, Jenny, and Alice could secure the now unconscious guards and their Slugish with wire restraints.

When they were finished, they joined the others in the corridor with the excited mass of tiny Pokémon. Each of the escapees was smiling widely, marveling at their success and their newfound freedom, and breathing hard due to surging adrenaline.

“I can’t believe it! We did it, we’re free!” said Alice.

“Not yet, we’re not,” Joe cautioned as he pushed some buttons on the keypad to trigger the door to close. “We’ve still got to get out of here and none of us know the way. Look for fire exit signs.”

April had her Rodenki short the door’s keypad, hoping it would be enough to prevent the guard’s escape. When the door didn’t open after a jolt of electricity caused it to spark and smoke, they took it as a good sign.

Slate was glad they hadn’t tried it from the inside, after all. “Time to split up,” he said.

“You sure about this, Slate?” asked Joe.

“Yes. It’s the best way of ensuring some of us escape and get help. Besides, I’m not leaving without my Pokémon.”

“Ne neither,” April concurred.

“Okay. We’ll see you on the other side,” said Joe.

“Good luck!” Graham and Bob said.

“Be safe,” said Jenny.

Joe, Bob, Alice, Graham, and Jenny marched down one end of the corridor, with their makeshift weapons in hand and the Pokémon horde at their feet, while Slate and April went in the other direction at the behest of April’s Rodenki and one other.

“Are you sure this is the way?” Slate asked. The wild Rodenki squeaked in reply but didn’t slow down, so he took this as a yes.

Back in the office, they had identified the Rodenki that had brought April’s Pokédex to them. After attempting to communicate with the creature, they concluded that it seemed confident about locating the place where the device had been found.

Slate knew this was a gamble, but if there was even the slightest chance that his Poké Balls were being stored in the same place, he had to check. Just then, a black-suited man turned into their path. Upon spotting them, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a Silph ball.

Using his momentum, Slate launched a punch at the man before he could release his Pokémon. The man was knocked off his feet, but Slate swore and nursed his hand. Outside of playfighting with his brother, he had never hit anyone before. Apparently, his technique was flawed.

“Nuzzle!” April instructed after a good eye roll, and the two Rodenki attached to the Team Shade member’s legs and shocked him until Paralysis took effect. “Good work, both of you! Doesn’t seem like Slate’s going to be much help, so let’s be prepared. Use Charge while we’re walking, okay?”

Slate frowned briefly at this cheap shot, but he bit back a retort and watched as April’s Rodenki’s cheeks began to glow yellow and crackle. After observing this, the wild one followed suit, and then resumed running. It led them around the corner, then took a left at the next turn.

They hadn’t yet seen a window, making Slate worry about the size of the building. It was like a maze. Would they be able to find their way out? When the wild Rodenki paused for a moment, sniffed the air, and looked up at the ceiling, his anxiety rose. Was the little Pokémon lost?

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

It mumbled something to April’s Rodenki, who turned to April and pointed ahead. She and Slate peered around the next corner. A pair of Team Shade goons were blocking the way.

“Don’t worry, Slate, we’ll handle this. Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself,” April taunted. “Sneak up on them and use Nuzzle.”

The tiny rodents took off. A few seconds later, two high-pitched shrieks rang out, followed by a thud. The goons had undoubtedly been dropped by the charged-up attacks. Slate and April caught up with the Pokémon, who were leaning up against a door. It looked as though the suits, who were now twitching on the floor, had been guarding it.

“This must be it,” Slate declared. He tried the door eagerly, but it was locked.

“Stand aside,” said April. She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and began trying them in turn.

“Are those the keys Rodenki found?” asked Slate, marveling at how the little one had come through for them. He couldn’t believe he had ever doubted it.

April nodded, then gasped as one of the keys turned in the door’s lock. She opened the door, revealing a large storeroom full of tall shelves. They were packed tightly with personal effects as well as electrical equipment. There was a noticeable hole in the ventilation tubing above.

“This is the place. Hang on,” said April. A couple of seconds later, a ringing disrupted the quiet. She had dialed Slate’s red Rotom Phone, which could be seen vibrating amidst the belongings.

“Nice one,” said Slate, grabbing his device, and turning his attention to the rest of the room. There was a lot of stuff to sort through, no doubt taken from all the civilians Team Shade had kidnapped thus far. “Do you see our bags?”

“No, there’s too much to sort through. We’ll have to come back for them.”

Slate didn’t like the idea of leaving his incubating egg behind, but they had already discussed their priorities. For now, they needed backup to assist with their escape. “Look!” he said.

Two of the long shelves held dozens of Silph Co. brand Poké Balls. His heart was caught desperately between hope and despair. His Pokémon may very well be among them, but barring a handful of orange Super Balls and a couple of pink Hyper Balls, how was he supposed to tell which were his?

“Bring up your Pokédex app,” April advised as she brandished her own device. “Select the data for one of your Pokémon, go to their capsule details, and toggle the settings in my mom’s Poké Glove extension. The corresponding ball will fly right into your glove!”

Slate smiled widely as the pair began waving their arms over the shelves. One by one, Poké Balls magnetically leaped into their outstretched hands.

Just then, Rodenki squeaked urgently.

“Got all mine!” said April. She then stuck her head into the corridor. “Hurry, Slate, they’re coming! Rodenki, Thundershock!”

“What the…? Yargh!”

“Hey, you, stop! Go, Slugish!”

April’s voice called out again, urging him to hurry as battle commenced. “I can’t find Larvoid!” he shouted.

“No, Rodenki!” April cried.

Slate didn’t like the sound of that. He was becoming frantic now, checking and re-checking every ball in the room. All of his other Silph Balls had been located and secured to his belt, but if Larvoid’s was here, it wasn’t responding to the glove command.

“Go Mossym!” April called. “No, not me! What are you…? Would you get off my leg, you ridiculous creature! Slate, we’ve got to go!”

“Slugish Acid!”

“Mardupe, Scratch!”

It was no use, Slate couldn’t find Larvoid, and by the sound of it, things outside were not going well. They couldn’t linger any longer. They would have to come back for Larvoid. He thumped one of the shelves in frustration, then emerged from the storeroom to take in the situation.

A grunt had collapsed but two more were now battling April’s speedy Zunshin, which deftly dodged their attacks in the air, while her Mossym clung uselessly to her calf. Her Rodenki had presumably been defeated, and its compatriot had fainted. Slate picked up the little Pokémon that had helped them so much, and then angrily threw Crimsant’s Silph Ball deep into the enemy’s territory.

As expected, the testy Akant queen immediately began attacking everything in reach upon emerging, man and Pokémon alike. The grunts fled, so she focused on the enemy Slugish and Mardupe, making quick work of them with savage swipes of her flaming mandibles. She then took a swipe at Zunshin, though.

Slate recalled her as April recalled Mossym to get it off her leg, and they took off for the nearest fire exit with Zunshin in tow. Thankfully, they found one before encountering any more guards, and pushed it open to find fresh air, daylight, and a set of sturdy metal stairs affixed to the outside of the building.

Descending the steep steps was slow work, not only because Slate’s right hand was still sore and his left was cradling the wild Rodenki, but it also transpired that they had been imprisoned on the top floor. Halfway down, April stopped and pointed over the rail at something below them, breathlessly crying, “Oh, no! Slate, look!”

In front of the building entrance, Slate sighted Joe, Bob, Graham, Alice, and Jenny. They had made it out with the Rodenki horde. However, they were now huddled closely together, surrounded by seven Slugish-wielding Team Shade grunts.

“Chuck Crimsant’s ball, set her loose on them, like before,” April suggested.

“I can’t. She’ll go for the Rodenki like a Snorlax at an all-you-can-eat buffet,” quipped Slate, gripping the rail tightly.

A distant bang of the fire door above them signaled that they were being pursued.

April rubbed her temples with her index fingers. “I’ve got it! Zunshin, use Double Team, then dive bomb them. That will keep them busy. We’ll be down in just a moment.”

The hovering lime green bird Pokémon shot toward the ground like a meteor, then like a meteor shower following the activation of its clone technique.

“Come on out, Larvibe!” said April, releasing her last Pokémon, and picking it up. She then hoisted herself over the rail onto the outside of the staircase.

“What are you doing?” exclaimed Slate.

“Come on, we’re taking a shortcut.”

“You’re nuts!” Slate expelled, but the increasing tapping of footsteps on metal above prompted him to comply.

“Okay, Larvibe, use String Shot and keep it going until I say stop,” April ordered, and her wriggling, yellow Bug Pokémon began spewing its sticky thread on the stairs.

Standing on the other side of the rail, the idea seemed even more absurd to Slate. “Wait, I’m not so sure about thi—” he started.

Too late. April had already wrapped Larvibe and its lengthening white rope around her waist, wrapped her arms tightly around the boy, and kicked off from the rail, dragging him along with her.

“You are nuuuUUUTS!” slate yelled, his stomach lurching, clinging to the girl for dear life as they repelled down the side of the glass building at speed.

“STOP LARVIBE!”

Barely five feet from the ground, April’s Pokémon halted their rapid descent, but they rebounded upward as if tied to a bungee cord. On the second drop, Slate managed to grab the rail of the bottom flight of stairs to prevent another contraction, and April had Larvibe release its String Shot, so they could drop to the ground.

With no time to get their bearings, owing to the grunts still on their tail, they dashed toward the other former detainees to provide support. Resembling a small flock now, Zunshin was swooping at each of the attacking suits in turn, who ducked without realizing the murmuration was made up of mirror images.

Unfortunately, before April could give Zunshin any fresh orders, it was hit by the Acid of one of the Slugish. This caused its Double Team to fail, revealing that it was a single opponent, and the suits had their slug Pokémon target it as one. Even with its quick movements, Zunshin was unable to dodge all the attacks and was soon shot down.

“No!” April cried. Luckily, she managed to hit Zunshin with her capsule’s return beam just before it hit the ground. After hesitating, she released Mossym in its stead. However, the clump of green fuzz promptly made a beeline for her leg again, causing her to groan exasperatedly.

Slate and April reached the others as the unhelpful Mossym was returned to its capsule. Their predicament looked hopeless. Other than the Rodenki horde, who seemed terrified of their poisonous foes, their only healthy remaining Pokémon were April’s weak Larvibe, Slate’s unpredictable Crimsant, and…

“I guess it’s worth a shot,” muttered Slate, reaching for the Silph Ball housing the newest member of his team. With his Gym match being moved up the previous day, he hadn’t even had time to meet the Beakon he received in trade for his Haughron. Still, considering the situation, he had no choice but to test its abilities on the fly, so to speak. He wasn’t ready to give up hope, not when they had made it this far.

Surreptitiously crossing the fingers on his left hand, Slate tossed the ball containing their last hope into the air. “I choose you, Beakon!” he cried as his newest Pokémon’s cells formed amidst a flash of white.

Beakon appeared on the paved ground and turned to Slate, cocking its head to one side as it surveyed him. It was a small bird Pokémon with deep purple plumage, a darker purple beak, and black talons. One of its bulging yellow eyes appeared to be bigger than the other, but that may have been because they were partially obscured by a skull-like mask of sorts.

Slate wasn’t sure what to make of the creature. It was a little more…unique than he had envisioned, but he thought that made it interesting. “Hi, Beakon,” said Slate. “I’m your new Trainer. We could really use a hand. You up for a battle?”

The bird squawked loudly in reply and cocked its head to the other side.

“Alright! Let’s do this!” Slate cheered, smiling as he unclipped his Rotom Phone to review Beakon’s information more closely.

*Ping*

SPECIES

#092 Beakon

DERIVATION

Beak + Beacon

Season 3 - Episode 02: Fully Charged

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