Ash and Misty had come to Mt. Moon with the simple goal of traveling through the caverns to reach the other side and move on to Cerulean City. Things rarely go as planned, especially for trainers, but neither rookie could have predicted the extent to which their travels had blatantly gone off the rails.
The "setback" that they had been faced with wasn't a simple detour, an injury suffered by a teammate, or even just getting lost normally.
They HAD gotten lost, but it was because of the real setback: Team Rocket.
And in the chaos, they had both found themselves in the makeshift hideout that the terrorists had set up within the caverns of the mountain.
Things almost never go as planned, but in this case, no plan in the world could have prepared the duo for today's current events.
Nebula ducked under Golbat's Steel Wing as Cyan and the rest of the soldiers barked orders at the numerous bats flying through the air in the room.
Things had devolved into chaos the moment the battle had begun, with Nebula's Whirlwind doing well to keep the bats at bay, while Piplup's Icy Wind provided additional backup that took advantage of their inherent weakness to ice type moves.
Unfortunately, the bats weren't all they needed to contend with. The soldiers had taken to releasing multiple Poochyena to cleverly duck under the aerial combat, leaving Pikachu, Eevee, Valiant, and Staryu to defend their trainers, with Piplup pitching in whenever he wasn't providing additional backup for Nebula (who was contending with at least a dozen foes at once).
Cyan, despite the blatant advantage in numbers, was getting frustrated with the lack of progress. Ash wasn't counting on that continuing, however. Nebula could only use Whirlwind for so long, after all.
The Zubat were hardly an individual threat to her or Piplup, nor were the Poochyena to the rest of the team. However, there was a very large number of each. Nebula still fared well despite that, and the rest of the team was able to successfully split their efforts, but Cyan's Golbat was a completely different story. It was keeping pace with Nebula, and Nebula couldn't focus all of her efforts solely on it and give it the necessary attention to deal with it, due to the rest of the Zubat constantly preoccupying her.
A change in strategy would be a blatant necessity in making it out in one piece. But it was hard to come up with any sort of plans in the chaotic state of battle that Ash and Misty found themselves in, and the constant screeches of the bats certainly wasn't helping either rookie's inner concentration.
Ash let out a startled yelp as a Poochyena tried to slip through and leap at him, only for an angry Pikachu to smash it aside with a powerful Zap Tail to the jaw. Above them, A Zubat made its way down towards Misty, only to be met with an Icy Wind from an equally pissed off Piplup.
Team Rocket was not backing down on their offensive, and so far, all they could do in response was defend.
While watching Valiant blast another Poochyena away with Dazzling Gleam, Ash did his absolute best to tune out the chaotic noise of the battle, confident that his and Misty's Pokemon would be able to keep them safe while he attempted to come up with a plan.
But he still found it to be next to impossible, because even with his attempts to drown out the noise with his inner thoughts, his fear still dominated his brain. There was practically no escape from it.
No matter what he did, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from remembering that he and Misty were both being targeted by a terrorist organization.
It was why he had to focus. Because of the sheer stakes in a battle that they could not afford to lose. But the knowledge of those exact stakes prevented him from summoning the focus that he so desperately needed in order for them to win.
He needed to focus, or else they'll all probably die. But that same exact fear of death prevented him from thinking. Prevented him from-
"ASH!"
Ash screamed out of his thoughts as he suddenly ducked under a leaping Poochyena that nearly sunk its teeth into his face. His canine assailant was immediately smacked away by a powerful Brick Break from an enraged Pikachu.
Misty's terrified scream had saved his life.
Above them, Nebula swatted away a trio of Zubat with a series of powerful Steel Wings that sent the now unconscious bats crashing down to the ground.
Cyan grumbled. "Stubborn brats."
"Get used to it, thug!" Misty fired back pettily.
Unfazed, Cyan turned his attention to Golbat. "Golbat, Air Cutter!"
The boy grimaced at the mention of the move. Now Team Rocket was the one changing up their tactics, before they had a chance to do so themselves.
Nebula glared at her attacker as Golbat took aim. Smacking away yet another Poochyena with Iron Tail, Pikachu's attention was briefly turned upwards, Nebula preparing to evade the incoming offense. Meanwhile, the Zubat in front of Nebula parted in an effort to not get hit themselves.
Golbat had taken aim at Ash's powerful feathered friend with noticeable speed, leaving only a small window for reaction. The wind that was let loose in Nebula's direction was weaponized, but not in the same way as her signature Wind Blast technique. Air Cutter was something different.
When this move was used, the wind itself that the technique produced was sharp; quite literally like blades made out of wind. Ash had no idea how the move actually worked or functioned, but he knew that much about it. While Wind Blast was a good move to use for blunt force, Air Cutter was designed to slice through opponents to take them out.
Golbat howled viciously as it flapped its wings with vigor, sending as much sharp, blade-like wind towards Nebula as possible. The Staravia wasted no time in avoiding the technique, maneuvering through the air.
One blade-like gust nearly hit Ash, who sidestepped away in a frenzy to avoid being sliced. Another nearly hit Valiant, who had erected Light Screen to defend himself with. Yet another still almost hit Misty, who, much like Ash, frantically avoided it.
Nebula cried out angrily, retaliating with a Wind Blast. Golbat sailed upwards to avoid the attack, but suddenly found Nebula's beak meeting with its body as she charged upwards into him with Aerial Ace. The remaining Zubat that had previously moved to avoid Golbat's Air Cutter were now charging towards Nebula at once, the majority of them opening their mouths wide as their teeth glowed purple.
With her assailants coming from all directions, Nebula had no means to counter them all at once, but the Staravia's attackers were all left bewildered as she suddenly split into four. Taking advantage of the brief confusion, Nebula bolted upwards, her three clones not being able to move along with her, and slammed a metallic wing into one of the shocked Zubat in her path. As the bat was sent into free fall, knocked out on impact from the forceful blow, Golbat attempted to pursue Nebula, only to be forced to dodge to the side as a bolt of lightning from Pikachu nearly hit it.
Although Pikachu had just enough time to fire the Thunder Shock, the Poochyena immediately made themselves known again, but to the young mouse's luck, Valiant had teleported in front of him and erected a glass barrier to intercept them.
As a few of the soldiers released more Zubat, Nebula attempted to take advantage of Golbat's distraction with a Steel Wing, but as she charged forward, Golbat raised a metallic wing of its own, blocking the strike. The Staravia's momentum sent Golbat flying through the air before the opponent righted itself, but no harm was done by either side.
"Ash." the boy turned to Misty as Nebula fired another Wind Blast, which Golbat dodged. The orange haired girl was glancing at him from the corner of her eye, but did not turn her head, her vision divided between him and the two Poochyena advancing towards her.
Suddenly realizing that he needed to be paying attention himself, Ash turned his head away from Misty, looking at her from the corner of his eye as well.
"I think I might have a plan." she said as Piplup and Staryu blasted away her attackers. "They seem to be running low on Poochyena, but there's still more Zubat up there." she gestured towards the reinforcements that the soldiers had sent out. Ash assumed that they hadn't sent them all out at once because they feared that crowding the room too much would limit their flight ability. "We need to get Piplup on Nebula's back. His Icy Wind can be aimed better up there."
Ash nodded in understanding. Looking up at his feathered friend, he cupped his hands. "Nebula! Pull back and use Whirlwind! Then come down here quickly!"
Nebula was somewhat surprised by the order, but complied nonetheless. Backing away to ensure that all of her opponents were in the blast zone, she flapped her wings with all of the fury that she could muster, the powerful gale of wind forcing her adversaries backwards. Golbat responded with an Air Cutter aimed solely for the Staravia, but the bird was already headed downwards, staying on the ground just long enough for Piplup to climb onto her back, before returning to the air.
"Icy Wind, Piplup!" Misty shouted upwards with cupped hands.
Complying, Piplup opened his beak and allowed the frozen wind to flow freely. Feeling the cold air up close made Nebula unpleasantly wince, but she powered through the pain to allow Piplup to continue.
Multiple blasts of cold air were fired as the bats circled around Nebula and Piplup with perfect coordination. Although some were hit, and sent falling to the ground, many still eluded the penguin's attacks, dodging the icy gusts that were fired in their direction.
Golbat made a bold move and charged head on towards the duo of birds, cloaked in Aerial Ace as it took aim at the Staravia with a Steel Wing. Although Nebula blocked the fast-approaching assailant with a Steel Wing of her own, the momentum from Aerial Ace carried Golbat forward still, knocking Nebula off balance and leaving a shrieking Piplup to hold on for dear life as the bird began to fall.
Ash was about to cry out when Nebula suddenly let loose a series of small, but forceful, gusts of wind, flapping her wings downwards towards the ground to push herself upwards with the gales that she created. Golbat and the squadron of Zubat all descended downwards towards the duo with purple teeth ready to sink into their targets, but were all forced to scatter as an upwards Icy Wind from Piplup threatened to collide with them.
Ash inwardly grunted. They were elusive, but…
This gave him an idea. He couldn't bring himself to grin in such a dire situation, but a surge of confidence suddenly found its way to his chest.
"Nebula!" his hands were cupped as he shouted upwards. "Combine Piplup's Icy Wind with your Wind Blast! And rotate while you use it!"
Nebula shot herself upwards yet again, this time deliberately positioning herself in the middle of her adversaries as she began to flap her wings madly, taking aim at Golbat.
As Piplup's Icy Wind escaped his beak yet again, the wind from Wind Blast immediately carried the icy air forward. Although Icy Wind already traveled at a fairly decent pace when Piplup was using it, the extra momentum from the concentrated blast of air that Nebula had let loose carried the ice type move forward far more quickly, and therefore, forcefully, than normal. Although Golbat just barely avoided the attack, the two Zubat behind it weren't so lucky, shrieking in agony as the fast moving air assaulted their bodies. It could have been the brute force of the Wind Blast pounding against their bodies, or it could have been the freezing cold air from the Icy Wind that the Wind Blast was carrying along with it, enveloping them and painfully coating parts of their bodies with a thin layer of ice. Either way, both Zubat fell to the ground, unconscious, and down for the count.
And the rest of the group soon followed. Although Golbat had initially evaded the attack, it was immediately hit full force as Nebula spun around in midair, rotating several times as the brutish and frigid combination of Wind Blast and Icy Wind collided with every bat in the air. The Staravia was spinning around as fast as she could, rotating herself, and, by extension, the combination attack that she and Piplup were both using together, at high speeds and leaving their opponents with very little time to adapt.
Soon every Zubat was coated in ice, falling to the ground in unceremonious defeat.
Only Golbat remained. Weakly but defiantly all the same, the larger bat continued to flap its wings as it struggled to maintain its aerial balance. Ice layered several parts of its skin, and it was very clearly bruised from the repeated rounds of getting assaulted by the brutish force of Wind Blast, which had smacked it into the rocky walls at least twice, if not more.
Nebula and Piplup glared at their mutual rival's tenacity, but showed no signs of pessimism. It was very clear who was in control now.
"Steel Wing, Nebula!" And Ash took quick advantage of that as he gave the final order. Letting out a brief, but triumphant shriek, Nebula blitzed towards her opponent as Piplup gripped her feathers tightly. Carried by the momentum of Quick Attack, Nebula slammed her metallic wing into the large bat's face with all of the muscle that she could muster.
The solid, blazingly fast moving metal was overkill for the already wounded bat. Sent flying through the air at a record pace, the Golbat was unconscious mere moments before colliding head first with the stony walls, and had no chance of changing that as it dropped to the ground.
Nebula and Staravia remained in the air as Cyan blanched pathetically. Looking around him, Ash saw that all of the Poochyena had been defeated.
But neither he, nor Misty and the Pokemon allowed themselves to smile.
"Damn this!" the agent backed away a hit as he eyed the victorious team. Snarling with anxiety, he raised his voice across the room. "Everyone! Send out another wave!"
Ash and Misty braced themselves as their respective Pokemon all remained in their fighting stances, but no such reinforcements came.
"I'm… out!" announced one of the soldiers.
"Me too!" another one.
To Ash's relief, a chorus of announcements erupted from the enemy soldiers, none having any Pokemon left to send out.
The boy still didn't smile, though. Not when Team Rocket was still active, and certainly not while Cyan enlarged one, final Poke Ball.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" the agent moaned in displeasure. "I'm really starting to hate children…"
Misty dared to speak up. "Yeah, well you're the ones causing us trouble! Quit whining about losing fights that you started!" she was trying to sound intimidating, and was very clearly angry, but the color had not yet completely returned to her face.
"Can it, brat." Cyan snarled as his finger shot out at the blunt toned girl. "You must really not want to leave these caverns alive, if you have a mouth like that."
Before another word could be said, they were greeted with the sight of the large, hulking figure that escaped the Poke Ball's flash of light.
Ash's eyes widened at the sight of the creature.
It was very clearly a dragon. Blue skinned. With red in the middle, and a light blue underside. On both sides of its head were appendages that looked like they could pass off as engines for planes. Each arm had a fin, as did its back and tail. Near both of its knees were spikes, and sharp claws occupied its feet.
A Gabite.
A quite intimidating dragon/ground type Pokemon native to the Sinnoh Region. They were famous (or was that infamous?) for evolving into one of the most powerful and near-universally feared species of Pokemon in the world: Garchomp.
"Say your prayers while you still can, children." Cyan leered nastily at the duo, having lost all of his patience with them. "Bet you haven't gone up against a dragon before, huh? Well, he'll be your last opponent."
As Gabite snarled ferociously, a horrible, monstrous sound escaping from his throat as Pikachu, Eevee, Valiant, and Staryu all backed away in caution under his dreadful gaze, a startled Ash felt a firm hand clasp his arm, and he dared to turn his head to see a tense Misty shivering ever so slightly.
The color was completely gone from her face once again, her previous facade of bravado having vanished.
"I'm… scared." her voice was weak, quiet. Terrified.
Hearing the horror in her voice certainly wasn't doing any favors for his own morale. She was a much bolder person than he was, and the look of terror on her face, as she spoke in the quivering voice that accompanied it, would have been more than enough to sell him on the sheer weight of their current situation, had Gabite's mere presence not already been able to do so.
He knew the frown on his face wasn't helping her mood. It was just vindicating her fear. But despite his best efforts, he couldn't put on a brave face. She was a lot better at that than he was.
Looking forward, and inclining her head upwards towards Nebula and Piplup, Misty practically screamed. "Piplup! Nebula! Use your combo from before!" All of her hot headedness had been replaced by a desperate voice of despair as she attempted to end the fight as fast as possible.
Icy Wind would be tremendously effective against Gabite. No doubt the mighty dragon was far stronger than any of their teammates, and Ash wasn't sure if Reckless would be quite enough for Nebula to match the behemoth's brute strength. Dragons were famous for their raw power.
The ice type move would practically be a necessity. And with Wind Blast greatly bolstering the force behind it…
Unfortunately, Cyan had other ideas as he quickly responded to the order.
The boy felt a pit in his stomach as the agent let out a counter command. "Use Flamethrower!" he called out to the dragon as Nebula and Piplup fired their combo downward.
Gabite responded to the order by inclining his head upwards, a surging stream of fire escaping from his open maw. The powerful blast of frozen wind was met with the scorching flames, intercepted in an explosion as the shockwaves pulsed through the air.
Ash snarled in frustration and panic. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. It was only natural to teach a dragon/ground type how to use fire so that it could counter ice.
Looking around him, the battlefield was filled with the unconscious bodies of the Poochyena and Zubat, with the Golbat lying down at the far end of the room. It suddenly occurred to him why the Rockets hadn't recalled their defeated Pokemon. The unconscious bodies throughout the room would force his and Misty's Pokemon to avoid tripping over them as they moved throughout the battlefield.
The far larger Gabite had no such worries.
No doubt those unconscious Pokemon could suffer serious injuries (or worse!) if they were to be hit by a stray attack or stomped on by Gabite… Was Team Rocket really going to leave them out and risk their well-being just for a tactical advantage?
That answer, of course, was obvious. It was far from the worst thing they had ever done.
Instinctively, Ash and Misty backed further away from the fray. At the same time, Cyan gestured for his crew to move behind him, the group of Rockets all gathering in front of the entrance to the tunnel at the back of the room they were in. The towering adults fixated their stern gazes onto the two children, as though they were attempting to intimidate them to make up for not being participants in the upcoming battle.
Ash felt himself shrink under their gaze, forcing himself to look at Gabite instead. It didn't help his mood in the slightest, but it was a lot more practical.
A flash of light briefly appeared in front of him and Misty. On edge, the two children were startled in the moment, but a split second later, Valiant was in front of them, ready to erect a barrier at a moment's notice.
An anxious smile made its way to Ash's lips. Even with everything going on, Valiant was concerned for their safety. Two humans who had no moves or special powers to defend themselves with.
"Thank you… Valiant."
A nod. Ash would have seen the stern, determined glare on Valiant's face if the young Ralts was facing towards him. Instead, Valiant's eyes were locked fiercely onto Gabite, who was now inching his way towards Pikachu and Eevee, both of whom backed away cautiously.
A nudge from Misty's elbow quickly brought Ash's attention to his new friend.
"Don't even consider close-up combat for now." she stated firmly. "That behemoth would crush our Pokemon in an instant."
Ash nodded in understanding, but winced. Pikachu had no ranged attacks that would work on Gabite. His ground typing granted him absolute immunity to all electricity.
It mattered not. Misty was right, after all. Getting in close would just make things worse.
"Keep your distance, everyone!" he called out quickly, as Cyan finally got tired of playing the waiting game and ordered Gabite to move.
The dragon was fast. Thankfully not too fast for Pikachu and Eevee to avoid him with Quick Attack, but his speed was far greater than his bulk would make things seem. Not that Ash was surprised, at this point. Plenty of large Pokemon moved a hell of a lot faster than one would ever realistically expect them too. He himself had even seen it firsthand with Brock's Onix.
The dragon raised a large claw, glowing a powerful pinkish-purple as he brought it down towards his two targets. The Dragon Claw collided with the stone floors as Pikachu and Eevee yelped in fright and leapt aside in opposite directions, small rocks kicked up by the impact of Gabite's mighty blow.
A distressed Ash was suddenly having flashbacks to the fight with Meowth, all the way back at Viridian City's Pokemon Center back on Opening Day.
And just like with Meowth, just one strike from that Gabite's mighty claws could be the end of it.
The image of Pikachu and Eevee's bodies being torn through like tissue paper filled Ash's mind, and he could have sworn that his heart stopped for just the briefest of moments.
Eevee was responding, however, having already begun charging up a Shadow Ball prior to Gabite's attack. She fired it at him while she retreated, the ball of distorted energy colliding with the dragon's face just as the Evolution Pokemon's feet hit the ground. The small explosion from the impact sent Gabite staggering back with a pained grunt, but there wasn't much visible damage done to the dragon's body from what Ash could see. Maybe if he was a bit closer to the action, but Ash doubted that they'd be able to dish out all that much lasting damage with just one attack.
Thankfully, Misty was following up. "Staryu! Dazzling Gleam!" Her Staryu wasn't very skilled with Icy Wind yet, so she was going with the next best thing.
The gem in the middle of Staryu's body glowed brightly as a bright beam of pink light fired off from it. However, Gabite righted himself and lowered his head. Ash winced as the dragon's head suddenly glowed and became coated in metal, Staryu's Dazzling Gleam bouncing harmlessly off of Gabite's Iron Head.
Turning his gaze towards the water type now, Gabite kept his head lowered and charged forward. Staryu was caught off guard by the sudden offense, but Gabite was suddenly forced to change direction to avoid Nebula's Wind Blast, carrying Piplup's Icy Wind. As the powerful blast of frozen wind collided with the ground (and the unconscious bodies of a Zubat and Poochyena), Cyan called out a follow-up order.
"Dragon Pulse!"
Ash's eyes widened at that. Dragon Pulse was a strong move. So was Dragon Claw, but unlike that move from before, this wasn't being aimed at the agile Pikachu and Eevee.
Gabite roared with great ferocity as a glowing, pinkish-red orb appeared in his mouth. Growing in size, it suddenly expanded into a large blast of light with dragon-like jaws at its front. The attack sailed towards Staryu at great speeds.
But at the last second, Staryu surrounded itself in a golden cube. With a large explosion, the Light Screen immediately shattered on impact, and Staryu was sent flying away a few feet, struggling to maintain its balance as it landed.
Ash couldn't see it from where he was, but the whiplash alone had left Staryu with bruises on its body. A direct hit from the attack would have spelt doom.
Gabite was about to pursue his prey, but suddenly stopped as he felt a series of golden stars pelting his back. Only slightly fazed, he turned his attention towards Eevee, who was attempting to put on a brave face as a Shadow Ball charged up in her jaws.
Valiant considered firing a Dazzling Gleam of his own while Gabite was distracted, but quickly decided against it. That would just draw the dragon's attention to him, while he was trying to protect Ash and Misty from harm. And after what had just happened with Staryu, the young Ralts' confidence in his barriers being able to properly defend against the Gabite's attacks was suddenly beginning to dwindle.
Thankfully, Ash took the initiative as Gabite began to run forward, his foot stomping down on an unconscious Poochyena's skull with a sickening CRUNCHING noise as he raised his glowing claws.
"Move backwards while you fire, Eevee!"
"Mud Shot!" Cyan called out.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
As Eevee began to run backwards, her Shadow Ball firing out of her mouth and towards her target, Gabite opened his maw, allowing a large ball of mud to escape from his throat, firing towards Eevee with staggering speeds as it collided with the Shadow Ball.
Although it was somewhat weakened by the explosion, the Mud Shot easily overpowered the Shadow Ball, continuing on its course, only slightly smaller than before. Eevee bolted to the side with Quick Attack, without thinking as she desperately avoided the ball of mud. The attack nearly clipped her in the side, but missed its mark and collided with the nearby wall.
Before Ash and Misty could breathe a sigh of relief, however, their eyes widened in horror as Eevee, moving too quickly to stop, tripped over the unconscious body of a Zubat.
Eevee yelped in shock as she flew through the air, her momentum carrying her forward as she collided headfirst with the ground, rolling painfully along the stone floor of the room. Once she stopped, she lifted her head, lying on her stomach as her eyes suddenly bulged, a weak, fearful gasp escaping her throat as Gabite loomed a few meters away, eyes locked murderously on his target.
"Eevee!" Ash and Misty shouted in horror as a grinning Cyan took advantage of the situation.
"Dragon Pulse again!"
The bruised Evolution Pokemon worked her way up to her feet, but Gabite was already charging up his attack, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Strong enough to shatter a Light Screen, the powerful blast would surely destroy her body. Eevee was left with no time to react as the dragon-jawed blast escaped from the roaring Gabite's mouth, speedily flying towards its vulnerable target.
Ash was thinking a million thoughts at once.
One of his Pokemon was about to die. Right in front of him. And the rest of the team.
And he had no way to stop it. No moves that he could use to save her. No command that he could give her would help, there was no time for her to react.
Eevee had joined the team just two days ago. And he had already failed her. And now-
The explosion happened before the blast could reach its target.
In a split second, Ash and Misty realized that Valiant was no longer in front of them anymore.
In a flash of light, the young Ralts was standing about halfway between the Evolution Pokemon and the blast's current position.
But with the swift speed of the blast, there was no time for Valiant to fully erect a barrier. His Light Screen was incomplete, only half finished, when the Dragon Pulse smashed into him.
The shockwaves of the explosion generated a strong gust of wind that sent a yelping Eevee rolling a few feet backwards, but she was spared from her fatal fate.
Valiant was part fairy type. Immune to dragon type moves. But he wasn't immune to the explosion that was generated from the impact of the blast.
The Light Screen that he had erected cushioned the blow a little bit, but as it was half finished, it was annihilated even more easily than Staryu's had been. Some blood sprayed from the young Ralts' head as he was catapulted into the air.
The brief moment of surprise that Gabite felt from Valiant's sudden intrusion was just the distraction that Nebula and Piplup needed. The next moment, before Gabite could act, the dragon was suddenly howling in pain as the combination attack scored a direct hit on him. Pushed backwards by the force of Nebula's Wind Blast, carrying with it the merciless, frozen might of Piplup's Icy Wind. The dragon let out a deafening roar of rage and agony as the ice from the attack assaulted his skin, the effectiveness all the more amplified by the force and momentum of Nebula's powerful attack. He felt his skin grow cold, his back covering with ice…
Ash took a brief moment to turn his attention to Valiant, sighing with relief as the young Ralts, while bleeding in the head a bit, made his way to his feet, having been caught by a fast moving Pikachu before his body could hit the rocky floors of the caverns. He was still in fighting condition, despite being hurt.
And looking over to Eevee, she was now on her feet as well, an awed gaze directed towards the psychic/fairy type Pokemon that had saved her life.
Turning his attention back to Gabite, the dragon was still reeling from the powerful combination attack, doubled over in pain as he desperately gripped at his back in agony.
Misty took a step forward. "Staryu, Dazzling Gleam!"
"You too, Valiant!" Ash quickly called out in turn.
A spinning Staryu flew over Gabite's head as it directing its pink beam towards the dragon's already agonized and frozen back. At the same time, Valiant took aim at the behemoth's face.
Both attacks landed, inciting more roars of rage and agony from the bulky dragon as Ash gave a follow-up order.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail! Eevee, Shadow Ball!"
Now reeling from multiple hits that his typing was vulnerable too, Gabite saw no reprieve as the young mouse bolted his way towards him, metallic tail at the ready. At the same time, Eevee bolted as well, quickly advancing towards her opponent as a Shadow Ball appeared in her jaws.
Both Pokemon were enhancing their speed with Quick Attack, as per usual. Pikachu leapt upwards, preparing to strike down on the dragon that had nearly taken the life of one of his teammates, while Eevee fired her Shadow Ball at the behemoth that had nearly been her killer.
Both attacks landed at once, Eevee's Shadow Ball colliding with Gabite's chest while Pikachu's Iron Tail was brought cleanly down on his head.
Gabite wheezed from the impact of the Shadow Ball, while the metal tail from Pikachu smashed down onto his skull. The next thing Ash, Misty, and their respective teams knew, the large dragon was lying face first on the rocky ground of the caverns, motionless.
The Rockets were left stunned, backing away slightly as Nebula and Piplup returned to the ground, Valiant teleporting back in front of Ash and Misty while Eevee and Staryu made their way back to their respective trainers. Eevee's eyes were locked on Valiant, who, despite his bleeding head, greeted the flabbergasted Evolution Pokemon with a raised hand and a smile.
Only Pikachu chose not to return to everyone else, his feet instead slowly carrying him forward towards the Rockets, his angry gaze fixated on them as his cheeks sparked madly.
Cyan's fists were clenched as his knuckles began to turn pale white. "I… I lost… to these brats?!" he shrieked pathetically as Pikachu began to charge.
Ash didn't even need to give the order; his starter already knew. The dashing rodent raised his tail as his cheeks crackled with lightning, ready to incapacitate the Rockets-
The Rockets suddenly parted with a collective yelp as a silver beam with a metallic aura came flying out of the tunnel, aimed right at the charging Pikachu. Crying out in surprise, Pikachu fought against his own momentum to take a leap backwards. The beam struck the ground from where he once was, with such tremendous impact that the young mouse cried out loudly as the wind force from the collision sent him flying across the room.
Ash, Misty, and their teams all yelped out loud with startled expressions as the kicked-up wind reached all the way towards them, fighting against the shockwaves that threatened to bowl them over. Valiant raised a Light Screen to help protect himself, Eevee hiding behind him while Staryu erected its own Light Screen, while Nebula jabbed two Steel Wings into the ground, Piplup holding onto her for dear life.
The unconscious bodies, however, were currently capable of no such resistance, flying across the room, with only Gabite not being lifted too highly off of the ground, instead rolling a few feet away in comparison.
Ash and Misty had their arms crossed protectively in front of their faces as they stumbled backwards, each of them thankfully pressing a hand against the wall before they could fall over completely. Ash looked to see Pikachu catching himself with iron Tail, but couldn't sigh with relief as he and his friends took in the newcomers.
Cyan's face was pale as a masked man made his way out of the shadows. Flanking him was four other men in Team Rocket uniforms, and a Pokemon that Ash recognized as a Scizor.
The mask hid much of his facial expressions, but it didn't hide the Iron-Masked Marauder's snarl.
"So… this is what's gotten all of you in such a bind? When I heard that a couple of children were doing this, I was already disappointed, but it's even worse than I thought." His glowering face, hidden beneath his mask, turned its attention to Cyan and the rest of the soldiers, all of whom were miniscule under his brutal gaze. "How are you bumbling cretins so incompetent at managing affairs that this is supposed to be an emergency?!"
Ash let out an audible gulp as he felt the pit in his stomach growing ever deeper.
Whoever this guy was, he already wasn't liking the vibe that he gave off. The sensation of dread that formed in his chest like a bottomless pit just by looking at him. The same pit that extended all the way to his stomach as the masked man began to talk. And that Scizor must have been the one who fired the blast. It was strong. Much stronger than even any of the attacks that that Gabite had just used.
He inched closer to Misty, practically involuntarily. She seemed to be doing the same. It was as though they were both desperate for the close physical contact make them feel more secure, and less vulnerable.
Despite knowing that it would not.
Fear worked in strange ways, sometimes, and it almost felt as though Ash's own feeling of fright was mocking him with the situation that he was in right now. Any sense of comfort that he might have felt from being close to someone else would just be an illusion of safety that these newcomers could shatter easily, with just a single attack from that Scizor.
What's more, Ash knew that he wouldn't even feel the illusion anyway, that getting close to another was just a desperate attempt to try to feel it. So why was he so determined to even make the attempt in the first place, knowing that it was hopeless? Why even try to get rid of this feeling, when you already know that your methods will never yield any results? Was that, in and of itself, an illusion of comfort?
Cyan staggered backwards as the Marauder's gaze pierced into him. "What are you doing here?" He stammered out in panic. "Weren't you-"
"Someone from your group sent a distress signal saying that a couple of kids were giving you guys trouble. Sounded pretty mundane, but his tone of voice seemed to imply that you were losing control of the situation. I had most of the squad continue while I rushed up with a few people."
Cyan was about to demand just who had sent the signal, when he suddenly felt fearful vomit in his throat as Marauder pulled him in with one arm, locked around the man's head as he grinned sadistically.
"You know, Agent Cyan? I think I owe you an apology." Marauder's voice was laced with cruel sarcasm. "When I gave you this mission, I figured it would be a simple one. After all, I was only instructing you and the others to look after the base and keep the rest of the mountain under control while we retrieved the Moon Stone. I guess I thought the assignment would be an easy one for you. Something that you can handle. Stress free, my friend, you know?" he pulled the agent in closer, and Cyan could almost feel his heart ceasing to beat forever as the Marauder's deadly grin came into full view. "But I must have made a massive oversight. How could I ever forget about the possibility of something like this happening? How could it slip my mind that you and your group would be faced with something as terrifying, horrific, and daunting, as two rookie children?!" the derisive sarcasm in his voice was beginning to give out, the true fury behind his words slowly leaking through his condescending demeanor.
Ash wanted to grab Misty and run. Even from where he stood, he could feel the monstrousness creeping through this man's voice, and all he wanted was for them and their teams to be as far away from Team Rocket as possible.
But he knew that he couldn't. Scizor's sharp eyes hadn't left them, and the powerful bug/steel type looked ready to eviscerate them all at a moment's notice. That blast that it had fired would have surely obliterated Pikachu if it had made contact, too.
Their Pokemon all had their eyes locked onto the powerful bug, expressions ranging from either outright fear, or a mixture of fright and anger. Even Staryu, despite seemingly being faceless, trembled in a manner that conveyed genuine horror for the current situation. Valiant was the least fearful of the group, eyes locked onto Scizor with grinding teeth. Even then, however, the sweat flowing down his head was quite visible.
Daring to spare a glance at Misty, if only for a moment, he could see her face was frozen. She was barely even blinking, not taking her gaze off of Team Rocket. It was like she wanted to gulp, but couldn't.
Quickly returning his own gaze to Team Rocket, Ash felt his fists clenched. Taking his eyes off of them would be a bad idea, but it's not like paying attention to them would suddenly change the situation.
Perhaps, that too, was an illusion of comfort.
Marauder released Cyan, roughly shoving him backwards, leaving the terrified man to be caught by a couple of comrades before he could topple over. The force behind Marauder's push was strong, conveying a great deal of muscle and strength, without much effort needed to speak of it.
As the masked man walked forward a bit, Ash and his friends reflexively took a small step back, while also not trying to move too much, so as to not provoke Scizor into retaliating. Marauder turned his head to look around the room, surveying the end results of the battle that had just taken place.
"Honestly, it's quite the spectacle to see all of these Pokemon from our side out like a light! It's almost as though you weren't even able to pin down a couple of children with such a huge numbers advantage!"
One soldier dared to speak up. "Most of our stronger Pokemon are tired after-" a stern look from Scizor stopped whatever remaining words that there were from exiting his throat, leaving Marauder to continue.
Ash and Misty suddenly felt sickly as his eyes finally found their way to them. His mask hid his face, leaving them unable to deduce how he felt towards them.
All they could see was his malicious grin.
"Children shouldn't be meddling in our affairs like this. Although, I suppose Cyan and the others probably said something similar. Perhaps words don't work on you now that you already proved most of this squad wrong?"
No response. Ash didn't know what he could say that wouldn't piss this man off. Was there even a safe response? Was staying silent also wrong? What could he...
That Scizor was right there.
A sinister chuckle from the masked man. "Well, someone's going to pay for wasting my time." his face slowly turned serious. "So, I'll just skip the dialogue for now-"
"NEBULA! Reckless, and Steel Wing!" Ash's tongue moved faster than his brain.
Apparently, Nebula's body moved faster than her brain as well. Cloaking herself in the blood-red aura that accompanied her ability, shrieking madly in a manner that didn't even make Marauder flinch, she rocketed forward towards Scizor, moving at untrackable speeds, metallic wings at the ready-
THUNK!
Scizor didn't even budge as his raised claw, now glowing a metallic blue, was struck by Nebula's wing.
Misty's hands shot up to her mouth as the uselessness of Nebula's offense became known to everyone else in the room.
Marauder simply chuckled again. "Metal Claw, Scizor."
In a flash, Scizor had shoved Nebula away, catapulting her into the air, where, with an amount of sheer flight speed that was far greater than even her own, the bug was suddenly above her. Ash didn't have time to register the armored bug's actions as its glowing claw was smashed into Nebula's stomach. Nebula didn't even have time to wheeze in pain as she was rocketed towards the ground, landing on the unconscious body of a Zubat, the impact kicking up a great deal of dust as she immediately lost consciousness.
Before Ash could even react by shouting out his feathered friend's name, Pikachu acted.
The mouse's voice was filled with fury. By the time Scizor returned to the ground, Pikachu's body was crackling with electricity. Ash and Misty could feel the heat of the sparks as the lightning cloaked Pikachu's fur, surrounding him as he rushed madly towards his best friend's assailant.
It was his first time using Volt Tackle.
Ash didn't even have time to shout at Pikachu to stop as the young mouse leapt forward. His cry was animalistic as he shot headfirst towards Scizor's body, only to be intercepted by another Metal Claw.
Much like when it had stopped Nebula's Steel Wing, Scizor made no offensive moves. Simply raising a claw to block the attack, not moving an inch from the force of the impact. Pikachu angrily grinded against Scizor's defenses, desperately trying to get his opponent to even budge with his attack, but it was to no avail, and he was quickly shoved away.
As Pikachu was sent flying through the air, Ash threw his arms out to catch his starter Pokemon. His eyes widened as he took in Pikachu's unconscious form.
The young mouse was not yet strong enough to handle Volt Tackle. Not that it mattered, because Scizor likely would have retaliated again if he had remained conscious.
His eyes darting towards Nebula's body, Ash could feel the vomit building up within him. Two teammates down already. And that armored bug would take care of the rest with no effort.
A snarl turned his attention towards Valiant, who was holding his head in pain, the emotions radiating throughout the room overwhelming him.
Tears brimming in his eyes, the young Ralts glowered at Marauder and Scizor, both of whom practically bore holes through Ash and his friends with their merciless gazes. Walking forward, the Feeling Pokemon spread his arms out defiantly, doing his best to remain steadfast despite his shaking legs, and Eevee's attempts to pull him back.
Marauder's gaze was dangerous as he turned his focus to the Ralts. "Heh, another hero in the group, huh? Well Scizor and I don't have time for those. So if you would be so kind as to just drop dead-"
Marauder was cut off as Valiant let out a battle cry that carried across the room.
And then, his body was glowing a pure, bright white.
Ash's mind felt jumbled as the Ralts began to grow in height, suddenly replaced with a Kirlia as the light around him dissipated.
Had it not been for the circumstances, he would have expressed his surprise and shock wholeheartedly.
It was as though Valiant had called upon the strength of the evolution to power through the bombardment of overwhelmingly painful emotions that he had been detecting.
If anything, however, it was a moment that they were robbed of. No joy came out of the evolution. Not when they were all about to die, and Ash knew for a fact that Valiant's sudden evolution wouldn't turn the tables in their favor, and so did Misty.
Scizor had already proved its strength against Pikachu and Nebula.
Marauder's laughter grew ever so crueler as Valiant continued to stand defiantly between Scizor and his friends, eyes locked dangerously onto the armored bug, as though he was attempting for his glare to split the opposing Pokemon in two.
It was a nonverbal form of empty words, however, for both Pokemon involved in the nonverbal exchange knew exactly who the far stronger of the two was.
"I suppose evolving is a pretty good way to spend your final moments." Marauder pointed out dismissively. "I'll give you an A for effort, Kirlia."
Ash finally found his voice.
"Please…" he said. "We just-"
"So now you're willing to negotiate?" Marauder cut him off crudely. His fists pressed against his hips as he turned his gaze to the boy, who's face remained colorless along with Misty's. "Not exactly the time for that, kid, not when you were so quick to spring into action before." Scizor tensed up as it prepared to launch itself forward, claws beginning to glow again.
"Ash…" Misty's voice practically cut itself off as Ash suddenly felt her hands squeezing his arm. He would have winced in pain from how hard she was gripping him had his senses not been jumbled. And the panic in her voice was too great to even register. The fact that they were all about to die hitting her full force, with no more beating around the bush.
"Scizor," Marauder's voice was perfectly even, and even uncaring, as he spoke the words. "Go for their hearts."
Ash finally allowed the scream to escape his throat as Scizor rocketed forward towards them.
Suddenly, however, he felt a blast of cold air surge by him, a figure rocketing past him and Misty, an icy fist colliding with Scizor's skull.
It was now Marauder's turn to have difficulty registering things, as Scizor was sent sailing through the air, skidding across the ground and struggling to return to its feet, the armored creature's face dented and icy from the blow.
Marauder's face was twisted beneath his mask as he snarled out in response. "Who dares-"
"Me. No more questions."
Ash and Misty perked up at the voice, suddenly whirling around at the figures behind them exiting the shadows.
Ash immediately recognized the silvery-blue haired woman in front of the two men that stepped into the room, and Misty seemed too as well.
With wide eyes, Ash Ketchum gazed at Karen, of the Indigo Elite Four.
The young woman was known for being lively, even on camera. She exhibited an aura that was much more casual compared to what you would expect from somebody of her position. Despite being Indigo's third highest ranked trainer, and one of the world's most revered dark type trainers, her personality was said to be completely dissonant from the indescribable strength that she possessed.
None of that was visible today, however.
Karen's face was stoic as she strode forward, stopping in between Ash and Misty, both of whom's gazes followed her movements as though she were a magnet for their eyes. She stood a good deal taller than both of them, her hair falling behind her as her eyes locked onto Marauder.
Ash briefly found himself lost in gazing at the woman, before his focus suddenly came back, returning his own gaze to Marauder as well.
Standing in front of the masked commander was a Pokemon that Ash quickly identified as a Weavile. Karen's Weavile was as infamous as the rest of her team, known for his unbelievable speed and dexterity, and the sheer precision behind each and every one of his attacks. Ash had seen him battle alongside the prodigious Master a good number of times on television, and it was always a spectacle to watch him blur about the battlefield, striking his opponents from nowhere as though his speed made him invisible.
Behind Marauder, Cyan and the rest of the Rockets were petrified at the site of the woman. Some Rockets made pitiful attempts to stammer out their words, only to come up short of anything to say.
Although Marauder seemed to keep it together better than his subordinates, he took a couple steps back, sweat piling up behind his mask. "How… how did you get here?!" he did his best to ensure that his anger masked his shock as he stammered his words out. "The League shouldn't have known about-"
"One of your goons leaked your plans." Karen interrupted cooly. Ash wasn't sure how to place her voice. Was it elegant? Brash? A mix of both? "You came here to steal the Moon Stone, and you've placed the entire mountain on lockdown to secure your mission." she crossed her arms. "Unfortunately for you, you did not take the fastest route to your target. Our men have already gone ahead to intercept yours. We have the entire mountain mapped out, including secret routes that nobody else should be aware of, let alone you thugs." She strode a few more steps forward, the two men following her. Ash and Misty froze as her gaze turned back to them. Her presence was dominating, incredible, and Ash's breath caught in his throat as her eyes briefly met his. "Stay put, you two. We'll get you and everyone else out of here."
Up until now, Ash and Misty's Pokemon had their gazes locked on the Weavile that had just saved their lives from Scizor, but upon the woman's declaration, they immediately retreated back to their trainers.
A tug on the leg from Valiant finally snapped Ash out of his stupor, the boy taking the moment to quickly return the unconscious Pikachu and Nebula to their Poke Balls.
He felt Misty grip his arm again. It was much less tight this time, her muscles relaxing as the new circumstances behind their situation slowly began to sink in.
Ash felt it, too. Before, they were alone. Trapped inside of the caverns with Indigo's worst terrorist organization, the masked man's Scizor about to tear through all of them as though they were made of crumpling paper.
But now, the League was here. Their soldiers were here. She was here. The one and only Karen, who's prowess on the battlefield was rivaled, let alone exceeded, by few trainers in existence.
It didn't matter how many Rockets there were to deal with or how strong their Pokemon were. A member of the Indigo Elite Four was here.
Her gaze was steel as her eyes never left the masked man. "Iron-Masked Marauder." her voice oozed confidence, and professionalism, despite her usual casual demeanor. "One of the most infamous Pokemon Hunters known throughout the world. You're wanted by three major League's for crimes that stretch to mass poaching and murder, and have one of the highest bounties ever put on a criminal." her gaze sharpened, the look in her eyes forming into a glare as she bore a hole through all of the Rockets standing behind their masked superior. "I had no idea you had thrown your lot in with Team Rocket, but I suppose I should have expected as much from the likes of you."
Ash blinked rapidly, his eyes turning to the now significantly calmer Misty to see if she had any knowledge of this information. The look on her face told him she did not.
Returning his gaze to the confrontation in front of them, Ash inwardly gulped. No wonder this man's Scizor was so strong. No wonder just his mere presence was so terrifying. He wasn't anything like any of the other Rockets that he and his friends had encountered up to this point. This one was in a class of criminal reserved for only the world's most elite evildoers.
And a Pokemon Hunter, no less. Ash didn't know much about the occupation outside of the barebones basics. It was an inherently criminal job to have, and often involved poaching illegal Pokemon, or even outright stealing Pokemon from others, and auctioning them off at the black market. Most hunters, particularly the notably successful ones, were infamous for using especially cruel methods at obtaining the Pokemon that they planned to sell. Apparently the most wanted Pokemon hunter on the planet had access to horrifying technology that allowed her to quite literally turn Pokemon into stone temporarily as a means of capturing them.
The fact that he had crossed paths with such a man even once made Ash's legs feel as though they would turn to jelly. He was sharing this room with a man that had probably killed more people than years he and his mother had been alive combined. And that was likely putting it lightly.
As though his confidence was starting to return, Marauder's lips curved upward.
"Heh. It's nice to see the League is proactive enough to keep track of what's going on elsewhere in the world. I would be flattered if you hadn't just botched our entire operation." Despite everything, he put his arms to his chest and performed a mock bow. "Yes, I am the famed Iron-Masked Marauder, butcher of many unbearable souls and one of the most accomplished Pokemon hunters who hold the world of the black market in the palm of their hand." his head lifted upward as his eyes blazed with rage from behind his mask. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Elite Four Karen, Princess Of The Shadows."
Ash had always loved Karen's moniker, an enigmatic title that she had voluntarily dubbed herself as to the public before even winning the Conference. But hearing such a horrific man snarling it through his teeth with the seething hatred of a provoked Gyarados made his stomach churn.
One of Karen's men glared dangerously at the masked hunter as Marauder righted himself, eyes not leaving the Weavile that was currently clicking his claws together in preparation.
"It's over, Marauder. Your operation has been thwarted, and you and your squad will be behind bars before you can blink."
"And as for you, specifically." Karen's glare would have terrified Ash and Misty if she was facing them. "Once we're done getting whatever information that we can out of you, we'll either ensure that you never see the sun again, or ship you off to one of the other places that you have wronged with your demonic presence. I hear that one particular Region that you are wanted in has even considered giving you the death penalty."
Marauder's teeth grinded with livid ferocity as he glared lasers into Karen's eyes, as though he was trying to kill her with his own gaze as the sweat behind his mask drenched his face.
Behind him, Cyan and the other Rockets looked as though they were already dead.
They knew that this wasn't a fight that they could win. Any victory that they may have hoped for was immediately dashed the moment the Indigo League Elite Four had come knocking.
"Ummm… Sir-"Cyan began to stutter.
"QUIET!" Marauder roared, only to flinch as Weavile made a motion in response to his raised voice. Behind him, Cyan and the Rockets whimpered at their impending doom.
"Enough, Marauder." said Karen sternly. Her tone of voice was inspiring, Ash's eyes and ears enamored with the way that she carried herself, and how she spoke to such a dangerous man. "You're coming with us." she gestured to Weavile, who sneered demandingly at the Rockets and their masked leader. "Now, stand down."
Relief continued to wash over Ash for the briefest of moments, only to abruptly be replaced with apprehension as the masked man began to chuckle.
His laughter was dark. Deep. Hollow. A thoughtless, uncaring noise that rumbled from his throat.
Suddenly a Poke Ball was in the man's hand.
"Sorry, Princess," Marauder snarled in defiance as he raised the ball in front of his face. "But there are ways out of situations even like this!"
He chucked the orb into the air. First there was a bright flash of light.
And then there was terror.
Crashing down to the ground was a Pokemon that could not simply be described as a behemoth. The towering figure that loomed over the two groups was a Pokemon that struck fear into the hearts of nearly every human in the world.
It stood several feet tall. Was bipedal. Its hide was like a suit of armor.
Its towering appearance, the monstrous aura that its presence gave off, it all immediately did away with any sense of relief that had previously overcome Ash, Misty, and their teams.
Ash's eyes were filled with agonizing fright as the creature rose to its full height. He and Misty helplessly gazed up towards the monstrosity of a Pokemon that had been let loose by the Iron-Masked Marauder. Its eyes were filled with murder.
And above all else, the roar that it let out was a horrific, deafening, mind numbing noise that had Ash, Misty, and their Pokemon all screaming in pain, fright, and panic as their hands desperately shot up to their ears.
There were many dangerous Pokémon in the world. Some were more feared than others. Other Pokémon still may have been placed in a special tier of dangerous beasts that all trainers in the world needed to be wary of at all costs.
But there were very few Pokémon in the world with the murderous bloodlust, and consistent reputation, of Tyranitar.
Classified as a "Grade S Threat" by analysts who were known for examining the wild, Tyranitar were notorious for their absurd raw power, even among completely untrained members of their species, astronomical durability credited to the thickness of their armor-esque hide, along with their infamous, animalistic rage. Taming such a creature was considered one of the greatest feats that any trainer could ever accomplish, and they were among the rarest Pokemon to ever be seen in battle as a result.
Marauder didn't waste any time.
"Tyranitar, Hyper Beam! Upwards!"
Ash and Misty's eyes practically bulged out of their skulls.
"WHAT?!" Karen's composure was suddenly gone.
"THAT MADMAN!" A League soldier screeched.
Weavile was about to spring into action, but it had already been done.
Tyranitar's head craned upwards towards the ceiling of the caverns. An orb of bright, orange, white, and purple energy forming in its maw.
And then it fired.
The malicious beam of light soared in a straight, vertical line as it tore through the rocky ceiling of the room. It continued onwards, barreling through the levels of the mountain above them, and suddenly, the cavern began to shake.
It started out as a light tremble. An instant later, it grew in intensity. Soon, the cavern and the very earth around them had become the site of a terrifying tremor.
Rocks were falling from the ceiling. Ash was struggling to maintain his footing as what felt like an earthquake shook the room around all of them.
The rocks were falling at a faster and faster rate. And they were increasing in size, too. Ash covered his head with his hands as an involuntary shriek escaped from his lips.
"KAREN!" one of the soldiers shouted. "EVERYTHING IS COLLAPSING!"
"Valiant! Eevee! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Ash's mind was beginning to stop working again.
"Staryu, Piplup!" He could hear Misty's cries.
"HOLD ON, EVERYBODY!" Karen's voice echoed over the chaos as Ash, Misty, and their teams finally lost their composure.
Suddenly, everything was black.