163Author's Note: Yo.
I know I have been lax with the updating, but no need to worry anymore!
Disclaimer: I lost the rights to Pokémon in a beer drinking contest with Nintendo. Bastards used a Shuckle.
POKEMON
Apex
Chapter 2: Breaking in the new model!
(Undella Town)
At the Pokémon Center...
The usually lively Pokémon center looked barren and empty, with the only sounds being that of the lights and equipment whirring. Small grunts and groans came from behind one of the door, where the more critically injured Pokémon were kept. Only two figures were present at the scene, with the shorter one handing a Pokeball to the figure behind the desk.
"Will Dragonite be alright, Nurse Joy?" A worried voice started in the empty Pokémon Center.
The woman now identified as the Nurse, smiled, "No need to worry, Ash. I have run a full diagnostic on Dragonite, and if he stays in the Pokemon Center for just this night, I can assure you that he will be as good as new by tomorrow morning." Nurse Joy said as reassured the young trainer. Turning away, she then started making her way into the recovery room, with the Pokeball containing Dragonite held safely in her hands.
Ash heaved a sigh of relief, "Well, that's good." He said as he looked at the entrance of the room Nurse Joy was entering.
The Recovery Room 2 was used for treating unruly or dangerous Pokémon which had been caught by trainers or brought to by concerned rangers. Since there was no telling what a berserker could do, it was very unsafe to let them out in a hospital like a Pokémon center. So the recovery room 2 contained special equipment which allowed for treatment of Pokemon while they remained inside their Pokeballs. Not to mention his was useful for treating most fire types, since they burned of most salves and bandages anyway
Needless to say, it was not free of charge. Unlike the usual healing, which was sponsored by the league, such special treatments were only allowed for experienced trainers who could pay for it. Thankfully, Ash fit the criteria.
Just as Joy was about to enter the room, Ash stopped her, "Can I use the video phone, Nurse Joy? I have to make a cross-region call to Professor Oak in Kanto." He asked
The nurse waved while walking, not even turning around, "Sure! Feel free Ash."
Ash smiled in gratitude as he made his way to one of the many video phones located in the corner of the Pokemon Center. Since it was pretty late in the night, no one else was present in the main lobby of the centre, making for a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. And with Pikachu resting back at his room, Ash truly felt alone in the large room.
Sitting at the green chair comfortably, Ash quickly jabbing the contact number he had called so many times before, and then waited for someone to pick up the phone.
"Hello. This is Professor Samuel Oak's Laboratory, how may I help you?" The smooth of voice of one of Ash's oldest travelling companion came through the speaker.
Ash smiled as he turned on the video feature, "Hey Tracy! It's me, Ash."
Almost immediately, Tracy's grinning face appeared on the screen "Well, hello Ash! How's it going in Unova?" Tracy asked, intrigued about his friends journey in the far away region. It had been quite a long time since he had last called after all.
Grinning widely at the question, Ash pulled out a rectangular case from his jacket. Opening it, Ash showcased the eight badges he had won in Unova, "It's been going awesome Tracy. And as you can see, I even got all the eight badges!" Ash said with a thumbs up.
Tracy nodded, "That's amazing Ash!" He congratulated, before continuing, "Since you have much time now to train for the Unova League, I hope we all can see a splendid performance from you." He said, half optimism, and half warningly.
Ash nodded, "You can be sure of that Tracy." he promised, "Now, not to be rude or anything, but can you call Professor Oak? It's pretty late out here in Unova, and I've gotta talk about some really important things with him." Ash stated seriously.
The Pokemon Sketcher smiled, "My bad, its just 6 pm in Kanto Ash, but it's alright I'll call him in a second. Stay on hold." And with that, Tracy quickly made his way away from the Video Phone.
Ash hummed as he waited for Oak, observing the various lights, buttons, screens and pipes littered around in the part of the Laboratory visible from the video phones limited angle.
After about a minute, Oak appeared on the screen. Sitting on the chair, Oak smiled at seeing Ash, "It's nice to see you, Ash."
"Hey, Professor Oak!" Ash greeted jovially.
"How is your journey going on in Unova, my boy?"
The same expression of happiness coming to his face, Ash nodded, "Fantastic Professor! I have got all the gym badges, and now I can participate in the Unova League." Ash said happily, before continuing "How are my Pokémon doing?"
"They are fine Ash, just awaiting your return is all." Oak said in a usual tone, before suddenly grimacing "Well, most of them are..."
Ash immediately frowned at that, "Most of them?"
"Yes Ash, while most of your Pokemon are happy and even training most of the time, there is one Pokemon which is not doing well at all, ever since you left for Unova, in fact." Oak stated with a sad look.
Ash was extremely worried now. What was the matter with his Pokemon? Was it sick? Professor was going around in circles, and wasn't liking it, "Who is it Professor? And what's the matter with it?" He asked frantically.
Oak took a deep breath as he began, "Its little Gible." Seeing Ash's worry increase even more, he continued "And the problem seems to be that it's extremely bored, and probably missing you very much Ash."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"What the heck Professor? How's that something serious?!" Ash exploded as he asked in disbelief.
Rather than wilt under the voice, Oak looked at Ash sternly, "How can you say that Ash? I thought you cared for your Pokémon! One of them is missing you greatly, and that's all you can say?" He asked, a bit of disappointment in his voice.
The raven haired trainer immediately waved his hands in protest, seeing as to how his statement might have been taken in a wrong way, "No No No! That's not what I meant, Professor." Seeing that Oak still remained suspicious, he continued, "It's just that I thought it was something really serious like illness or something." He hastily explained.
Oak's gaze lightened after that, his face returning to the same kind look he always had, "If it had been an illness, I would have taken care of it without any worries Ash. But what's happening with Gible is something far more serious than what it might seem." He warned.
Obviously looking confused, Ash cocked his head at that, "What do you mean by that Professor? Gible's just bored, right? I can call him here for a few weeks-"
Oak cut Ash off at that point, "I'm afraid it's not that simple Ash. What I believe Gible is most frustrated about is that it's getting almost no training to develop its body." Seeing Ash getting ready to ask a question, he quickly continued "What you must understand, Ash is that for Dragon Type Pokemon, evolving isn't just a powerup, or something they can stay without. It's a part of life without which they cannot ever reach their full potential." He explained.
Taking the statement the wrong way, Ash frowned, "You know I don't like to force my Pokemon to evolve, Professor. They can get strong without evolving too." It was a rule of life that ash lived and breathed through. He wasn't about to push his Pokemon harder than he had to just to make them evolve.
However, the Professor, rather than wilting under Ash's determination, looked at him rather sternly, "Yes, Ash, I know that quite well actually." He said while his lips turned into a thin line, "But what you must understand is that it's actually very … depressing and painful for Gible to stay in its pre evolved form for long." Seeing a look of shock come across Ash's face, he continued, "Can you imagine how hard it is for Gible to block attacks or even reach out for something with its small hands? Can you imagine how it must feel after seeing its senior Garchomps flying in the sky?" Oak asked, his voice growing louder as his frustration creeped in.
Ash visibly deflated as Professor Oak continued "Evolving is something that comes to Pokemon naturally. It's their metamorphosis into a state that allows them to live their lives in a better manner. Not to say that they cannot do so by not evolving, but what i am just trying to say is that don't instill this belief into yourself that evolving Pokemon is something to be frowned upon. It's well and mighty that Pikachu and Bulbasaur don't want to do so, but don't do injustice to your other Pokémon just to keep them happy. Which I am sure is not their intention, nor will they be unhappy if the others evolve." Oak internally rejoiced at the shocked look of realization that came across Ash's face. That meant his lecture was doing its job.
He then continued, "Also, for Dragon types, evolution to their final states is the single dream upon which they base their entire lives. The sheer draconian energy they are born with can only be truly harnessed if their body matures into their final stages."
"Gible's desire for training is not something to be taken lightly Ash. By catching Gible, you have basically taken on the responsibility to help Gible reach its full potential, and I must say you have been very irresponsible with your duties."
"That isn't true." Ash murmured, now more in a defensive manner rather than with any conviction.
Professor Oak actually shook his head in disappointment at that "Do not act ignorant, Ash. You had Gible for a period of what, three months? You trained Gible to a very large degree in those three months, even taught it Draco Meteor, which was something I hadn't thought was even possible. But then, you left it to take just Pikachu to the Unova region. You could have at least taken it with you. I do remember Donphan went with you to Hoenn as a Phanpy, and look what wonders it did for its development." Oak said, looking quite disappointed by the time he finished.
Ash was looking towards the Professor with shock in his eyes. Never before had his pseudo-grandfather ever talked in a stern manner with him. And with Oak pointing out all of his mistakes ruthlessly, Ash felt his defenses crumbling away. He could see now, how he had not been fair to most of his Pokémon, by not training them as good as he could have.
Thinking about Gible, and how Professor Oak said the little guy must have been feeling so sad, Ash felt an off wetness appear in the corner of his eyes.
Samuel sighed as he looked at the near to tears boy. It truly hurt his heart to lay out all the things to Ash, but the boy needed to learn. Oak had for far too long let Ash do things his way, but if he had to truly help him achieve his dream, such talks were necessary once in a while.
"Look at me, Ash," Oak said, the kind tone returning to his voice. Seeing Ash look at him, he continued, "You are a very young trainer, Ash, and it's okay to make mistakes! God knows I made them. But what's important is that you learn from them. I hope that you won't dismiss my long lecture as that, but rather take it as a lesson. Which will help you become the best Pokémon Master the world has ever seen." He finished with a smile.
Quickly wiping his face, Ash looked at Oak with a new fire in his eyes, "You're right Professor." Clenching his right hand in a fist, he continued, "I have been way too lax and inefficient with following my dreams. I have to change that."
Taking a deep breath, Ash continued, "Please send Gible to me, Professor. I know that Gible doesn't deserve an irresponsible trainer like me, but I will like to try and make amends. I will like to train Gible to his full potential." He said, a fire of conviction in his eyes.
Oak smiled proudly, "Now, that's what I have been waiting to hear, my boy. I think Gible will be very happy to see you again." He said as he began rising up to bring Gible's Pokeball.
However, he was cut short as a large purple blob suddenly occupied the screen with a large drooping smile on its face.
"MUUUUKKK!"
Ash chuckled as he waved to his Pokemon, "Hey Muk! How's it going?"
Muk waved his hands in the air as he blabbered happily, seemingly telling Ash about something funny that had happened on the ranch. The reason Ash could tell it was a funny story was with the various globbering laughs the purple blob gave multiple times. Anyone else would have thought it to be creepy, but for a person like, Ash, such things were natural.
The raven haired trainer grinned at Muk as it completed its tale looking at Ash hopefully, "That's awesome Muk, looks like you guys are having a lot of fun there, huh?"
"Muk!" Muk vigorously nodded in agreement, happy that its trainer shared its views.
Taking a side glance at the equally purple human being beneath Muk, Ash sweat dropped, "Well buddy, as good as it has been talking to you, I think that you should get off of Professor Oak's chest..." Ash murmured, a little worried for his grandfather figure's life as his face had turned blue by now, with his eyes bugging out.
Apparently, Muk wasn't much worried as he continued giving a hug to Oak, somehow making his body travel through his own sludgy mass to properly wrap his two arms around the half dead Professor.
"Well, if Professor Oak is alright with it..." Ash said as the Professor glared at him.
Oak made some muffled shouts, which confused Ash as to what the professor was trying to do. Things were made clear to him in a few seconds as two hulking figures appeared on the screen.
One of them a deep orange in color, with a huge flame lit on its tail, was none other than Professor Oak's starter, Charizard. The other Pokémon was one with whom Ash had gotten more than familiar with today. Professor Oak's Dragonite.
"Hey guys! Been a long time since I've seen you." Ash chirped as he looked at the two dragons, who looked startled at the sudden voice.
Looking at the screen, both smiled at seeing Ash, who had been a constant figure in their life as a kid. Waving to the kid, both Pokémon began conversing with the raven haired trainer, even if they could not understand him.
They were close like that.
Meanwhile, Oak's muffled shouts of help were un heard by his two loyal Pokémon, prompting him to start thrashing wildly. Or as wildly as he could with a hundred pound living sludge on top of him.
The wiggling gained the duos attention, who both then frantically started pulling Muk off of Professor Oak, encountering a lot of resistance, but eventually succeeding. Muk pouted as it sulked away, giving one last goodbye to his trainer.
Somehow wiggling his way out the affectionate Muk's leftover sludge, Oak looked at Ash pleadingly, "Please, for the love of god, take Muk with you too. I simply cannot bear against such bone crushing hugs ten times a day."
Taking pity on the Pokémon professor, Ash nodded in an exasperated manner, "Al right, send him too."
Looking at Oak's Pokémon, a thought came to his mind, "Uh, Professor, I have not told you this yet, but I need your help in something else too."
Looking especially happy now that he knew Muk was going back to Ash for a while, Oak smiled, "Well then, ask away my boy!"
Thinking about how he should proceed, Ash decided to bite the bullet and asked in a straightforward manner, "You see Professor, I have caught a Dragonite. And I need your help in taking care of it."
Oak's jaw dropped, "Y-You caught a Dragonite!?"
Ash smirked, proud of his achievement, "You bet!"
Shaking his head in wonder, Oak smiled, "You never cease to surprise me, my boy. Now tell me, what's the matter with it? Dragonites are very quiet and peaceful creatures. I cannot think that you have any problems with its behavior." He asked.
Ash shook his head, "You see Professor, that's the problem. This Dragonite is very aggressive. Nothing like the others I have seen in my journey at least. Its face almost constantly appears to be set in a scowl. Heck, even Lance's Dragonite's looked tamer than him."
Oak looked quite dumbfounded by the information, "I see… This is quite intriguing. I cannot say anything concrete without at least meeting the Pokémon once, but if I am correctly getting what you have just said, the Pokémon seems to be very competitive."
Ash nodded, "Yeah. It picked up fights with almost all of the Power Plant Pokémon, and then very readily battled Krookodile."
Oak smiled, "I assume that this 'Power Plant' you are talking about has some story behind it." He said, making Ash stuck his tongue out sheepishly, "Putting those matters aside, I think I must warn you about this Dragonite. You cannot have the same interaction with it as, say, Pikachu. Dragonite will simple see it as an insult to its honor. You need to be stern to it, and gradually it will soften." He said, getting a smile out of Ash, "But you will have to be patient. Don't expect immediate results." He warned.
"Also, I think you must be reminded of another one of your Pokémon who had a similar mindset?" Oak asked, getting a nod out of Ash.
"Of course, Charizard was just like this before he warmed up to me. But I haven't actually let out Dragonite even once, so I can't really say whether he will disobey me. Do hope not."
Oak raised a hand, "I hope so too Ash, but just for your safety, keep Krookodile out, assuming that's the Pokémon you defeated Dragonite with?" Receiving affirmation from Ash, he continued, "You must prove your superiority over Dragonite, Ash. You must make it clear that it is you, and not him, who is in control."
Ash frowned, not liking this one bit, "Is that really necessary Professor?"
Oak nodded with conviction, "Very. While it is true that Pokémon are very intelligent creatures, we must not forget that they are part animal too. Their natures are very similar to them, even if they are sapient." Oak said, mentioning the other non sapient beings that occupied their planet, animals.
Seeing Ash was still conflicted, Oak continued, "I am not saying you have to do it in a brutal manner, Ash. Just make your thoughts clear. Also, it won't be for very long, since I am sure you will win over Dragonite sooner or later!"
Ash smirked at that, "You can bet on that Professor!"
"I know I can, Ash." Oak pointed towards the transfer machine beside him, "Now, its getting quite late, why don't you send me two of your Pokémon, so that I can exchange them with Gible and Muk?"
The next morning...
The sun was barely peeking in the sky, and the refreshing morning chill was ever-present. Dew was present on the leaves, gracefully dripping down every once in a while. A small volcano appeared to have erupted, which turned out to be nothing more than a Camerupt making a huge show of its waking up. Chirps, cries and shouts of various avian beings made the atmosphere a pleasant one.
It was in this that three figures stood in a vast clearing. The first figure wore a black shirt, with blue jeans and multicolored sneakers. The defining feature being the red colored hat on the top of his head. Said figure also held a red and white sphere in his hands. The second figure was a much smaller one, and sat on the boy's shoulder. It was a yellow creature, with two red spots visible on its cheek. The third figure was a very dark and imposing one, with blue tinted sunglasses present on its face. A large snout, and a predominantly red body, with a long muscular tail finished the figure.
Ash, Pikachu and Krookodile watched with barely kept excitement as Ash pushed the white button on the Pokeball. With a loud crack, the Pokeball let out a glowing beam of energy, which first dissipated, but then organized itself into a shape. The newly forming figure was the largest of them all. With two small wings present at the back and a couple of antennas on top of what appeared to be its head.
Dragonite had a mighty scowl on its face as it looked at the trio standing in front of him.
The two parties spent a couple of minutes in uncomfortable silence, before Ash finally raised a hand in greeting, "Hey, I'm Ash Ketchum." He said, introducing himself, then pointing towards Pikachu, "This is my buddy, Pikachu." Pikachu gave a small 'Pika' in greeting, although the dragon did not respond. Finally pointing towards Krookodile, Ash said, "And I think you two already know each other. But still, this is Krookodile." Krookodile merely gave a subtle nod in greeting.
While the dragon did nothing but scowl while Ash introduced himself and Pikachu, its appearance took a vicious turn as it looked at Krookodile. Eyes narrowing further, and snarling in anger, it barely held itself back from attacking.
Ash had to admit. Had he been the same kid that had left Pallet six years ago, he would have been pretty damn scared at the growl, it was that effective.
But that was then, and this was now, and Dragonite's reaction did nothing but bring out an excited grin from Ash, "So, you wanna battle once again, is that what you're saying Dragonite?"
Taking one step forward, Dragonite gave the barest motion of his head as a response, showing that it did indeed want to battle once again.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that Dragonite, at least not now."
Eyes widening in shock, Dragonite looked with even more anger at the human who dared deny him.
Ash however, didn't wilt down under its gaze, "Krookodile defeated you fair and square, Dragonite. And then I caught you in my Pokeball." Ash stated sternly. He did not need to explain further.
Dragonite gnashed its teeth in anger. It damn well knew what that meant. You don't evolve fully in the wild without knowing about humans or Pokeballs. But that didn't mean he was about to back down.
Dragonite and Ash engaged in a glaring battle for a while. Neither side backed down under the pressure of the other, and remained head first in their thoughts. Without breaking his gaze, Ash stated, "You know, you can leave if you really want to Dragonite." This drew a shocked look from the dragon, prompting Ash to continue, "I can never force a Pokémon to work with me, or for me. Me and my Pokémon, have a motto of working together, not in a system where one is the lesser. I consider them all to be my family. And if you honestly think that this can never work out, you are free to leave." Ash said with full conviction in his voice, not even wavering a little bit.
Dragonite's jaw had actually fell open a little at what it was hearing. Being a fairly smart Pokémon with intelligence enough to fully understand human speech, Dragonite couldn't believe that he was actually meeting a human who would be happy to release a captured Pokémon if it willed so.
At first, Dragonite was a bit skeptical. What if the human tried to attack him while his back was turned? But no, Dragonite, despite its different behavior, still possessed the ability of recognizing a being of pure heart, and this trainer in front of him was as pure as one could get.
Joy filled its veins as it prepared to take off into the sky, but then, the voice of Ash once again came.
"I can help you get stronger, you know."
The words, while so softly spoken, were heard in a crystal clear manner by Dragonite, who turned around from its position a few feet into the air.
"I have seen it, Dragonite. The fire in your eyes to get stronger, to prove that you are the best of the best."
The words struck a chord with the dragon, which turned around even further.
"I have the same goal Dragonite, I want to be the best Pokémon Master that there ever was. We are quite similar, don't you think so?"
Dragonite made a noise similar to a scoff, although it was difficult to say. Still, it was paying rapt attention now, ears fully devoted to what Ash was saying.
"Krookodile wasn't always this strong. He started out as a Sandile, then evolved into Krokorok, and finally into what he is today. I helped him get through that Dragonite, and then I helped him in becoming one of the strongest Krookodiles in the entire Unova region." Krookodile nodded with his arms crossed.
Dragonite had a slight look of surprise on its face as it fully touched back the ground, eyes firmly set on Ash.
The raven haired trainer looked up at Dragonite with shimmering golden brown orbs, "I can help you too Dragonite. I can help you in becoming the strongest one of all time. Travel with me, and you can get to test your mettle against some of the strongest Pokémon in the entire world. With me, you will never have to fear again about being grievously injured for a long time, you will never have to worry for food. I will provide all that, and more for you." He said passionately.
By this time Dragonite's scowl had fully lifted off its face, instead an excited look replaced it. Hunger for power evident in its eyes.
"Me and my Pokémon are a family. And Dragonite, I ask you this," Ash said as he suddenly thrust his right hand forward. Dragonite flinched in surprise, but nevertheless looked at the appendage with curiosity in its eyes.
A smirk crossing his face, Ash looked Dragonite square in the eye, "Do you want to be a part of it?"
With the question out in the open, both Pikachu and Krookodile watched with barely concealed anticipation. Dragonite stared long and ahrd at the outstretched hand of friendship, with Ash keeping the smirk on his face.
Then, just as the clouds parted to let the first rays of sunshine hit the two standing figures, Dragonite extended its own right hand, only to clench it in a fist. A smirk crossed Dragonite's face as it extended the fist towards Ash.
Ash, getting the gist of what was happening, gave a wide grin as he too, clenched his hand into a fist, and in a near simultaneous motion, bumped his fist against Dragonite's.
"So, that means you're in now?" Ash asked, wanting for a definitive answer.
Dragonite nodded with a grunt, as if saying 'Only if you help me get stronger!'
This made Ash chuckle as he responded, "Sure thing, buddy!"
The look of annoyance that crossed Dragonite's face caused Pikachu and Krookodile to break into snickers. While Dragonite's cowl increased even more at that, eventually, even the brutish Pokémon allowed a small smile to cross its face.
Seeing as everything had sorted out, quicker than he had expected to be honest, Ash looked up at Dragonite with a mischievous look in its eyes, "Say….. what do you say to an alternate form of training? Between you and Krookodile, that is?"
Dragonite's grin couldn't get wider.
Back at Cynthia's villa...
The large hall was lit up by the sunlight coming from the large French windows, reflected off of the glass lights and chandeliers. Surrounded by various antiques and furniture was the large central table. A magnificent thing, it had twenty five chairs lined up around it. Occupying three of them were figures who had as of late become a common fixture in usually lonely villa.
Dawn, Iris and Cilan had just gathered on the table to start their breakfast, when Dawn noticed the absence of one of their members.
"Hey guys, where is Ash?" Dawn asked curiously as she looked around. Having left Piplup to get some extra sleep, Dawn was without her cute penguin starter.
Cilan, who was just about to start serving, shook his head, "I don't know Dawn, when I went to his room thinking that he had overslept, I found that he and Pikachu had already left."
Iris looked at Cilan with surprise, "Left? But where?"
With the green haired sommelier having no answer, the question was laid out in the open. And Jarvis, who had been motionlessly standing on the side for all the while, answered.
"Ahem." He said, as to draw attention, "Master Ash had left quite early morning towards the Pokémon Centre. I think he wished to do some early morning exercises or training." He explained.
Cilan smiled at hearing that, "That does sound like something Ash would do. Not to mention, the morning air refreshes one's body, mind and soul with a fantastic array of colors!"
Dawn and Iris too agreed with Cilan, although they weren't nearly as enthusiastic in expressing it. The bluenette still found herself weirding out at some of the antics of the sommelier.
Taking a bit out of her toast, Dawn looked at Iris, "I just hope he doesn't tire himself out. He stayed out for quite late in the Pokémon centre last night." Dawn said, looking a bit worried. She still remembered how Ash had so many full nighters, training with his Pokémon.
Iris hummed, "I don't know… Ash usually gets up quite early every day, even before me and Cilan. I think he can take care of himself." She stated reassuringly to Dawn, but not before adding, "But, being the little kid that he is, I won't dismiss anything out of hand." She said as she cut her omlette.
All the others rolled their eyes at the ending barb.
Continuing their breakfast in silence, Iris decided to speak up about something she had been thinking about for quite some time now.
"You know," She began, "I think it was pretty amazing how Ash caught Dragonite yesterday." She commented, making the other two look at her in surprise.
Dawn blinked, before swallowing her food, and smiling a little, "Yeah, me too." She said, before backtracking a bit, "I mean, don't get me wrong, Ash is an amazing guy," And she meant that in more ways than one, "But I had never thought that he would outright battle with Dragonite to catch it."
At the questioning looks of the two, she continued, "For all the time I travelled with Ash, he never specifically battled with a Pokémon to catch it. Most of his Pokémon are the ones who decided to join him after whatever crazy adventures we had." She finished with a smile. Seriously, Dawn couldn't even realistically believe whatever she had went through with Ash and Brock. They were just that surreal.
Cilan chuckled at that, "Ha, now that you mention it, I don't think any of Ash's Pokémon…. Well except Krookodile and Palpitoad… anyway, most of his Pokémon do indeed join him like that! Nice thinking Dawn." He smiled at the coordinator.
A joking look came on Iris's face came as she went over Dawn's statement, "Hmm, I wonder if I could have done that with Dragonite. Just imagine, me, someone who hasn't even journeyed for one whole year, catching a Dragonite! That would have shown that stupid Georgia." Iris commented, imagining herself to be actually catching and then commanding Dragonite, utterly crushing Georgia..
Dawn sweatdropped as she looked at the goofily grinning Iris, but Cilan spoke up, dashing Iris's daydreams, "I don't think you would have worked well with Dragonite, Iris."
"What!" Iris exclaimed, "But why?" She asked with a frown.
Cilan looked at her with an even gaze, "You said it yourself Iris, you're a very new trainer, and this is essentially your rookie year as a travelling trainer. Dragonite, in my opinion, was a very strong willed Pokémon. He wouldn't have bent to just anyone's command. And I highly doubt Ash would have any fewer amounts of problems." Cilan finished with a sagely look, bobbing his head.
"Hey! Are you saying that I am not as good of a trainer as Ash?" Iris asked with a dangerous look on her face, causing the green haired sommelier to sweat.
Knowing that the blunt answer would probably not work out well, Cilan decided to warp his words, "Uh, no of course not! But what I meant to say was that Ash has been travelling for a long time, and as we heard from Dawn, has some pretty strong Pokémon under his belt. So he is just better suited for it, is all!" He hastily explained.
Before Iris could respond, Dawn sighed, "Look, Iris, I myself know just how hard it is to control a Pokémon with a huge ego. You may not believe it, but Mamoswine was just like that once upon a time. " She said, surprising the other two, "Yeah, it took a whole lot of pampering and dangerous situations to get him back on my side. But I guess what I am trying to say is that Ash really just has the experience to control Dragonite." She finished, making the purple haired girl sigh in a dramatic way.
"You guys really know how to obliterate someone's dreams, you know that?"
A few minutes later...
Finishing up their breakfast, and adding Piplup and Axew to their group, the trio of Cilan, Dawn and Iris made their way out of the villa, giving thanks to Jarvis for the hearty food. Walking together, the group of the five made their way to the adjacent fields which surrounded the large villa. Having been made in a quaint area, not many houses or even travelers were seen around. Just the usual small Pokémon, and sometimes large avian like Pidgeotto and Tranquill.
"I really like the weather here." Dawn commented, "It's just so pleasant over here, even though its January." The blue haired girl had a smile on her face as she took in the pleasant and pollution free air of the Unova countryside.
Cilan smiled at the coordinator, "I am not surprised that you do so, Dawn. Southern Unova has always been known for being a year-long vacation spot. The mix of seasonal flavors, and the amazing combination of Pokémon from all the regions truly make it a beautiful place!" The sommelier exclaimed in his usual cheerful glory.
Dawn sweatdropped at the rather… 'enthusiastic' words, "Uh… sure, whatever you say Cilan."
Iris sighed at the behavior of her green haired friend, who looked, as always, totally nonchalant at the minor discomfort anyone felt from his foodie thoughts.
While their trainers talked, Axew and Piplup comfortably took a look around at their surroundings. It was a surreal experience for both of the Pokémon. While Piplup had never seen Pokémon from Unova, it was similar for Axew, who had never before seen Pokémon from any region other than Unova.
Walking for a few more minutes, the group collectively jaw dropped as they arrived at an area riddled with craters, ripped up rocks and boulders, and fallen trees. Heck, some of the trees were still smoking from whatever they had been hit with.
"What the heck happened here!" Dawn shouted as she took a look at the pure devastation filled in the small area.
Looking equally surprised, the girl from the dragon village then deadpanned as she pin pointed a group of figures standing together at a small distance.
"I think I have our culprits." She said in a flat voice as she pointed at the group of six before them.
The group looked at the dirt, grime and dust coated figures of Dragonite, Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Krookodile and Ash. There wasn't much debate about who had created all of the ruckus in the area. All of the six were panting hard, well except Dragonite, and were covered in multiple layers of dust and soot.
Ash in particular looked quite happy as he gave a thumbs up to Oshawott, "Great job, Oshawott! You were able to perfect Hydro Pump and that too in just one day!" He said in a proud voice to the little otter Pokémon, who looked pleased.
"Osha! Oshawott." Oshawott replied in a pompous manner while it rubbed its shell, eyes closed. Snivy rolled her eyes at the overconfident otter, but looked sharp as she sensed the presence of some newcomers.
"Snivy Vi!" Snivy exclaimed to get Ash's attention, who looked down at the legged serpent, "What's the matter Snivy?"
"Vy!" Snivy said as she pointed towards the approaching group of five.
"Huh?" Ash looked at the figures, only to have a look of pleasant surprise come across his face as he waved a hand in the air, "Hey guys! Over here!"
"Pika pi!" Pikachu ran up to the group with a smile, jumping up a chuckling Cilan's shoulder.
"Hey Ash." Dawn greeted as she came near, but obviously a bit wary of Dragonite.
"Hi Dawn," Ash nodded at the pretty bluenette.
Cilan then asked Ash the question which was on all three of their minds, "So Ash…. What exactly happen here?" He asked, to which he got a blank look.
Iris rolled her eyes, "What he means to say is that just what the heck were you all doing to make this place look like a warzone?" What a kid.
Ash look at his surroundings in a curious manner, and then looking at the craters, smashed boulders, and ripped out trees, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Heh, guess we kind of went overboard here!" He said in an embarrassed manner.
"Well, as long as no one got hurt….." Cilan sighed, "And I see that Dragonite is still here." He commented.
Ash grinned, "That's right, Dragonite and I have sorted out our differences, aint that right buddy?" He asked to the mighty dragon, who scoffed at the 'buddy' but nodded nevertheless.
Dawn nodded, impressed, "Wow, I must say I am really not surprised Ash, I knew that a trainer as good as you would not have any problems." She said with a smile.
The statement did make Ash blush, who smiled in gratitude, "I won't say it was easy, but I am really happy Dragonite and I have worked out our differences, it will really help in the training of one of my older Pokémon." He said thoughtfully.
"Older Pokémon? I didn't know you had any more dragon types, Ash?" Iris said in surprise.
"I do, actually." Ash replied, "I have a Gible." The boy replied pleasantly, only to be replied by an almost violent response from the aspiring dragon master. Grabbing Ash's collar, and lifting him off the ground in an inhuman display of strength, Iris glared.
"WHAT!" Iris thundered, "Why didn't you tell me you had such a beautiful Pokémon!" She asked, all the while shaking Ash to and fro.
"I!" Ash managed out between violent shakes, "DIDN'T!" A few more world spinning shakes, "GET!" A particularly hard one, "A CHANCE!"
"Answer me!" Iris yelled once again, to a partially unconscious, Ash, having been unable to make out any of his broken answers.
Dawn sweatdropped as she looked at the scene, "Uh, Iris?"
"WHAT!"
Gulp, "I think i-it would be better if you stop shaking Ash,"
After a few minutes in which Ash recovered, and Iris apologized with a sheepish look, "Whoops! Sorry Ash, but you know how I get when dragon types are involved!"
Dangerously muttering under his breath, Ash kept his hand on Dawn's shoulder to steady himself, making the blue haired girl get a tint of red on her cheeks from the skin to skin contact. This went unnoticed by the aspiring master, though.
Meanwhile, Piplup was feeling a sense of foreboding as it nervously shuffled in Dawn's arms. The little penguin couldn't help but wonder, just what was it that was making him so nervous?
Taking his hand off of Dawn, thanking the girl to which she just murmured an 'it's alright', Ash took out a Pokeball from his belt.
"Sheesh, Iris, I would have shown you anyway, no need to kill me…" Ash grumbled as he held up a Pokeball. With a progressively more embarrassed Iris apologizing once again, Ash reverted to his previous state, "Well, if you are THAT excited to see it, why not, I have Gible with me right now!" And with that, he pushed the release button on the Pokeball.
Piplup's insides went cold as the words reached its ears. Its eyes widened, and stomach lurched in fear as the light died down from the Pokeball, revealing the shape of its probably most dangerous friend.
What appeared from the Pokeball was a small, round Pokémon. Grey in color with a red underbelly, the protrusions on the Pokémon's thick hide gave it an intimate similarity to a shark. Perhaps the most telling feature of the creature was its large mouth, which was open, and combined with the glazed over eyes, showed the Pokémon was in fact, quite dull.
Most people didn't find such a Pokémon even slightly appealing.
Iris found it to be a specimen sent by Arceus himself.
"Oh. My. Gosh." Iris breathed out every word, as she crouched down to meet the gaze of the dumbly staring Pokémon, "You are sooo cute!" Iris gushed as she looked at the Pokémon in admiration.
As Ash, Dawn, Cilan(who had been 'tasting' a very unwilling Dragonite until now), and all of Ash's Pokémon watched with beady eyes, silence reigned in the area for minutes. While Iris looked at the pint sized Pokémon with starry eyes, the said Pokémon just kept its dull look.
Only, after five minutes of utter silence, Gible responded. Taking a step forward, making Iris further gush over how cute its small steps were, Gible jumped about three feet in height, and then promptly, grabbed Iris's head in a chomp.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"AAAHHHHHHHHH!" Blindly running about the clearing, Iris's muffled cry was enough to put everyone in motion, with Ash, Cilan and Dawn rushing forward in an animated manner.
Meanwhile, Piplup, having already jumped off from its trainer's arms, ran as fast as its legs could carry, praying to all of the gods its knew(and considering it was from Sinnoh, they were quite a few), Piplup hoped that the single greatest tragedy that always happened to it when Gible was out, did not happen.
"GEFF HIUM OFFF MUIIII!" Iris cried as she tried to pry off a cheerful looking Gible.
"No! Gible, get off her!"
"Gah! It's so strong!"
"Ash, do something!"
OOO
Meanwhile...
Many miles away...
Meanwhile, a very secret and sinister operation was taking place in the southern part of Unova.
Tens of helicopters hovered above the ground, with many yet stationed on the ground. A large number of boats floated in the clear waters of the ocean. Multiple Utility Vehicles and SUVs were parked around the area. But perhaps most importantly, hundreds of black clothed individuals, both male and female, patrolled on the ground. Multiple Pokémon were seen in similar states, with Growlithes, Mightyenas and Houndooms scouting the areas at untraceable speeds. But all of these individuals and vehicles had one thing in common.
All of them had a 'R' emblazoned across their selves.
The soldiers also had darkened paints over their eyes, and black caps, to protect against recognition. All of them had at least one Pokeball strapped to their waists.
With advanced machinery, and tones of wires laid out all over the place, the scene was nothing even comparing to normal. With multiple ground based satellites, and large computers laid out, a number of people in white clothes were diligently working about their stations, many of them running about in a frantic manner.
In all of this, the sudden pulling up of a limousine not only looked quite out of place, but also indicated that the boss had just arrived.
With the limousine coming to a halt, a number of the operatives lined up in parallel lines outside of the door. But two individuals in particular came forward to greet the man about to exit.
Exiting the limo was an orange suited man. A good six feet in height, with slicked brown hair, and cruel black eyes; the man was accompanied by a feline, regal in its appearance, and powerful by stature.
"Are the preparations complete, Pierce?" The man asked the saluting blue haired man.
"Yes, sir. All of our elite operatives have arrived without any problems. Our ships and helicopters did encounter some problems, but they are dealt with." Pierce replied, a smile on his face as he did so.
Giovanni grinned, a regal looking thing, "Indeed, it seems the 'esteemed' politicians we bought have been doing their jobs admirably well." He said, making many of the black clad operatives chuckle. "And what about your job, Dr. Zaeger?"
The short man in the white lab coat stepped forward, his glasses flashing, "The Psychic Pokémon are set up in the place where we need them to be, Sir. The barriers area working properly, and any and all signals, radar, radio or anything else, will be blocked out without any trace." Zaeger explained.
"Excellent. We can't have any of the league fools interrupting us, now, can we?"
Pierce nodded, "Indeed not, sir." Looking inquisitive, the man asked, "If I may ask, is Operative Domino going to take part in the operation?" As the agent asked this, Giovanni's Persian came quite close to him, with teeth bared in a violent manner. However, for an operative as experienced as Pierce, this was nothing.
Indicating his Persian to follow him, Giovanni nodded as he started walking, "Yes. Domino is going to join us in the coming days. She will take joint command of the operatives with you."
"I…. see." Pierce balked a bit at the knowledge, but nodded nevertheless.
"Matori!" Giovanni called out to the woman who had been following after him, "Are all my other appointments taken care of?"
The woman wearing a business suit, and carrying a modern looking tablet in her hands nodded, "Yes, Giovanni sir. The Viridian City Gym is being taken care of by Operatives Butch and Cassidy. And all of your league meetings have been taken care of by an alibi. There is little to no chance that we could ever be implicated in case anything goes…. Awry." The woman finished, looking up from her tablet.
"Oh believe me, it won't, Matori. Team Rocket will not be failing, not this time." The man said, conviction in voice evident, before addressing the scientist, "Dr. Zaeger, I hope you and Dr. Namba have been able to work together in an efficient manner?" He asked in a pointed matter.
The addressed Doctor huffed at the mention of his counterpart, but answered nonetheless, "We have, sir. Chamba is in charge of the inner workings of the temple, and how to make it completely mechanized for you to have a better environment to work in." Zaeger said.
Nodding in satisfaction, Giovanni could actually not believe just how good things were going for him and his organization. After years of failures, and billions of dollars in losses, it seemed that they were finally going to be able to achieve something.
Remembering one final thing, Giovanni spoke up, "Pierce, what about Meloetta? That Pokémon is a must if we need to achieve our objective." Without the little fairy, all of this would have been for nothing. There was no go around about that.
Swallowing nervously, Pierce replied, "I am afraid there is a….. Big problem about that."
Stopping suddenly, and his spine going stiff, Giovanni's voice was cold as steel, "Explain."
"The legendary Pokémon is under the guardianship of Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, and she is with Unova Champion Alder at the moment. There is absolutely no chance we can capture her while she remains in close proximity to these two. My Pokémon can probably defeat one of them, but both? No chance." Pierce replied flatly. There was no way to spin it around.
"And why am I hearing this just now!?" Giovanni thundered, for the first time losing his calm.
This time, Zaeger stepped forward to explain the situation, "The situation has turned this bad just about a day ago, sir. Before that, Meloetta was travelling with a group of trainers, one of whom was the Straiton gym leader. The Pokémon had gotten quite attached with the apparent leader of the group, a sixteen year old named… Ash or something, who has been followed by Jessie, James and Meowth for a period of six years. They had all the Intel on the group, and we were sure that with enough force, we can probably capture Meloetta." Zaeger explained, while many of the other operatives began murmuring about the boy.
Just how strong of a trainer was this boy that he was followed by Elite Rocket Operatives for six years?
While Giovanni started getting a headache at the mention of the boy, "Tell me," He said, interrupting Zaeger, "Is this a boy who travels with a Pikachu on his shoulder?" He asked in an exasperated manner.
"Why yes!" Zaeger exclaimed, "Yes it is the same boy." Now, the operatives were even more nervous. A boy, just sixteen years old, was personally known by the Boss? Now that was something to think about.
Meanwhile, unknowing of his operatives thoughts, Giovanni nursed his head, trying to stem the headache, "Continue."
Nodding at the command, Zaeger started again, "So, as I was saying, we were pretty confident. Even when the Sinnoh Champion personally joined the boy, we were sure that Pierce could get the job done with a hit and run tactic. But now…. Well you already know the situation."
Giovanni growled. This was not good. Yet, all hope was not lost. It was not as if the Legendary would travel with the champion for long. Eventually it had to rejoin the kids. "What measures have been undertaken by you to solve this problem of ours, Pierce?"
"Jessie, James and Meowth are on the job, sir." The man said with a smile, knowing that his decision was right, not noticing Giovanni's bulging vein, "Seeing the amount of Intel they had on all of the opposing parties involved, as well as the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, I think they are the most suited for the job. And not only that, they have performed admirably well in our dealings in Unova this year, not even one job was left alone. All databases have been hacked into, and we have little to fear for otherwise." The blue haired man stated with confidence.
Giovanni, whose mouth had opened in a pre-emptive motion to shout at Pierce, shut. While it was true that the trio were probably some of the biggest screwups he had ever employed, he had to agree that they had cleaned up their act a lot this year. A lot of the S-Rank jobs regarding infiltration and subterfuge had been done by them without any problems. The fools didn't even know what purpose their jobs filled! They were loyal to an extent Giovanni considered downright moronic.
But they were indeed the most suited to do the job, Giovanni couldn't disagree with that. Doing a large scale operation with all their operatives could end in an unmitigated disaster, especially when two of the regional champions were together at one place.
And if by some crazy twist of fate, they were indeed successful, and then Giovanni could lead the biggest operation in Team Rocket history. The single largest scale operation, one which had been in the making for more than eight years. The operation, which would finally allow him to rule the world.
"It seems Operation Tempest would go on after all."
OOO
Back at the fields...
After getting Gible off of Iris, things finally got to an almost normal level for the group.
With Dragonite and Oshawott doing elemental training, Pikachu and Krookodile faced off to test their abilities against opponents with sizes far different than their own. While Snivy continued her stamina training by performing multiple attacks, doing physical work with her vines, and then absorbing energy faster using Leech Seed.
The other three let out their Pokémon as well, with Ash also taking out a Pokeball. However, the action confused Dawn, who had already counted six of Ash's Pokémon in the open.
"Oh this?" Ash asked, while pointing at the Pokeball in his hand, "I actually sent Pikachu's Pokeball back to Professor Oak." At his friends shocked look, he continued, "I know that no matter the circumstance, Pikachu aint ever getting back in. So that Pokeball just occupied a wasted spot on my belt. So, by sending Pikachu's Pokeball home, I can keep a total of seven Pokémon with me." Ash explained.
"That's….. brilliant." Cilan commented, clearly impressed by the innovative training.
"All I wanna know is whether you got another Dragon type in there." Iris asked, showing no tact as usual.
"Is it one of your Sinnoh Pokémon, Ash?" Dawn said, hugely wishing it to be Buizel, her old Pokémon. Meanwhile, Dawn once again noticed the absence of Piplup, but shrugged it off.
"No, its neither a Dragon, and nor any of my Sinnoh Pokémon, sorry Dawn." Ash stated apologetically, knowing that Dawn must have wanted to meet her old buddy Buizel.
"But," He said, continuing in a grand manner, and also getting the attention of his Pokémon, who all rushed near him, even Dragonite, "The Pokémon inside is one of my oldest, and bestest buddy. He is a Pokémon who can't even be hurt by Physical attacks, and he isn't even a ghost!"
Now after the fabulous introduction, all of the individuals present were getting quite eager to see just what Pokémon it was.
"Friends, get ready to meet-!" Ash yelled as he hurled the Pokeball in the air,
"MUUUKKK!"
A huge purple blob thumped out of the Pokeball in bright silver light. Shivering and contusing, the blob eventually began to regain shape, with two arms jutting out, and a cavity opened in its mid section, inside which a thick purple tongue was clearly visible. The grass around the blob visibly wilted and turned into a poisonous purple color. Two white spots with black dots appeared above the creature's mouth, appearing in a droopy shape due to the Pokémon's ever changing shape. An extremely foul smell of rotten corpses filled the air, before it was controlled by the being.
Dawn and Iris's jaw dropped, "After the entire introduction….. This is the Pokémon?" A living purple sludge?
"Muk, meet your new friends, Dragonite, Oshawott, Snivy and Krookodilllllleeeeeeeeeee!" Ash was unable to complete as a huge weight suddenly dumped itself on him. Two slimy arms wrapped themselves around the boy, none of the usual poisonous effect which was associated with Muk.
"Its good to see you too, Muk!" Ash rasped out to his over affectionate Pokémon, while patting it over the head awkwardly. "Now can you get off, I can't bre…." Just before Ash was about to pass out, Dragonite thankfully punched Muk out of the way, making the Pokémon land five feet away.
Initially, Ash and others worried about him, but before anyone could say anything, Muk reformed effortlessly, giving a creepy laughter as he did so.
"Gurk Gurk Gurk."
As Dragonite, even with all his years of training and battles filled with blood, cringed away, Cilan helped Ash stand back up, who immediately took heaps of breaths, "Thanks, Dragonite."
Then looking towards the three of his friends, Ash's face cracked into a hopeful smile, "Isn't he really awesome guys?"
While Dawn and Iris looked at each other awkwardly, Cilan wasted no time in giving his enthusiastic answer, "There is no doubt about it, Ash! Muk has all of the sweet tasting flavors of a Pokémon who dearly loves his Master. There is also the strong tasting essence, which comes from its strong and nigh indestructible body! Your Muk is truly a wonderful specimen." Cilan finished, getting a radiant smile from Ash, while Dawn and Iris looked at him in disbelief.
Unfortunately for Cilan(And in accordance, Dawn and Iris), the living blob had heard the statements, and with tear filled eyes, moved towards the three with arms outstretched and an open mouthed smile.
"Muukkkk!" Just as Muk was about to hug the three, Ash recalled Muk into its Pokeball hastily. While he loved and appreciated all of his Pokémon, even he could admit that getting hugged by Muk wasn't the most invigorating experience of all.
Nor was it common. Heck, the two regional professors that Muk had hugged, and without any harmful poisonous effect, had published papers regarding the behavior of the Pokémon, and one which had been well known for disrupting industrial work before capture.
Taking in a lungful of the morning air, since it was still 6 am, Ash decided to get things going, "Right then, I don't mean to be rude guys, but I'm afraid me and my Pokémon have to get on with my training." When his travel companions nodded, Ash walked away, with his Pokémon following close behind.
Reaching a partially secluded area, Ash began jutting out orders, "Snivy, I think you should work with Oshawott. Your type advantage against him would help him get better, and you can get experience with strong water type attacks." He said, to which the two Pokémon nodded. While it was true that Oshawott wasn't actually that strong, and neither was he the most experienced, so was Snivy. So, to put one of his older and more experienced water types, such as Squirtle or Totodile against her would prove to be a massive disadvantage.
"Krookodile, practice your digging. We saw how helpful it was against Dragonite, so you need to perfect it even more." He said to the glasses wearing Croc. Hmm, now that he thought about it, he needed to have Squirtle and Krookodile meet soon. They did have awfully similar styles.
Turning to his starter, he said, "Pikachu, you will work with Muk, help him regain his fitness, yeah?" Pikachu responded with an enthusiastic 'Pika!', "Use Thundershock to get his pain tolerance up, and then use Quick Attack until Muk can start tracking you."
While Pikachu ran off, Ash released Muk once more, but this time with a warning that they were doing serious training, and any playful behavior will have to come later. Muk pouted, but sludged off nonetheless.
Dragonite had a look of impatience across its face, while Gible still had the blank look it always showed, "Dragonite, do you know Draco Meteor?" Ash asked, to which Dragonite responded with a confused glare.
"Agu?" Dragonite seemed to have no knowledge of the attack. Understandable, since the attack was native to Sinnoh and few dragon types outside of the region knew it.
Realizing that Dragonite might not be understanding, Ash decided to show a demonstration, "Gible, use Draco Meteor on that boulder right there!" Ash commanded.
"Gib Gible."
While Gible didn't show any look of understanding, it started making its way with small, wobbly steps, its mouth still wide open in a blank look. However, a few seconds later, orange energy began gathering in the Dragon's mouth. The grass wilting away from the sheer heat gathered, the energy began to coalesce into a glowing sphere. With a mighty cry of effort, Gible launched the sphere into the sky, where upon reaching twenty feet in height, the sphere exploded in a magnificent shower of energy balls. The scene representing a meteor shower, the multiple meteors of energy all hit the boulder, and the area surrounding it.
Ina magnificent explosion, the boulder was shattered into a million pieces, with the area surrounding the boulder turning into a minor crater.
No one noticed a minor meteor sailing way off course.
Dragonite looked with wide eyes at the attack, and the sheer magnificence of it. The hunger was evident in its eyes, and for the first time, Dragonite genuinely believed he had made the right decision in joining the trainer known as Ash Ketchum.
OOO
Piplup ran.
It ran as fast as its little legs could carry. Blasting away oppositions like rocks and plants with water attacks, Piplup ran a large distance away from the clearing where the behemoth known as Gible was.
While the Pokémon wouldn't have had such problems with the dragon type usually, knowing that Ash was out here for training had lit all of the red flags in its mind.
Finally resting to a stop, Piplup let out a breath as it rested against the bark of a tree. Truly, he was safe now. How improbable it was that something could find him here and more so something with no thought process.
Sinking into the glory of peacefulness and quaint surroundings, Piplup merrily folded its wings behind its head, and laid out in a relaxed pose.
*swiiii*
Its eyes wide open, and mouth opened in horror as the horrible screeching sound of that attack reached its ears, Piplup ran out from under the tree. Looking towards the sky, its mouth was open in horror as a single meteorite burned its way towards his location.
When Piplup started running, the meteorite amazingly followed, almost as if it were being remote controlled.
No matter what Piplup did, whether it made a sharp turn, or rolled under a fallen tree, the meteorite followed.
Anime tears fell from its eyes, Piplup cursed the day when Gible had learned that godforsaken attack.
OOO