บท 93: Reinforcements?
With Cubone riding on my shoulders, Lucario and I hurried as we raced up the stairs of the Pokemon Tower.
Unfortunately that took even us several minutes due to how LONG the staircases between each floor was. As we climbed I couldn't help but recall a program about the engineering marvels of each region I'd watched as a kid.
According to it, the Pokemon Tower had only seven floors, but the space between each one was so massive that the tower itself stretched upwards higher than it had any right to be. This was because the actual floor on each level was somewhere between twenty and thirty feet thick, with stone and dirt being used almost exclusively in its construction.
This was to allow the trainers burying their Pokemon to do so in actual earth, instead of just entombing them in stone or something.
But thankfully the two of us reached the second level soon, to find a mess of people that were distraught.
"Did a member of Team Rocket come through here?" I demanded urgently.
"Yes! He went up to the next level some time ago, but not before he fought and captured all of our Pokemon in strange black Pokeballs!" One man declared urgently.
Looking around, they all seemed to be people that had either come to pay their respects to their departed Pokemon, or shrine maidens that helped to maintain the Pokemon Tower.
"Please!" One cried as she hurried towards me.
"That man took my Gastly! Please get it back for me!" She pleaded with tears in her eyes, before another came and tried to comfort her.
"I'm sorry, about her. But we're all a little shaken up." The other one said, before explaining to me,
"I don't know how he did it, but that man shined a light on our ghost Pokemon that forced them to become tangible. And as if that wasn't enough, he also had an entire pack of Houndour being led by a Houndoom with him as well."
I nodded slowly in contemplation as the maiden spoke, before telling her, "that sounds like what I saw them using on the ghost Pokemon outside. By my guess, I'd say they're weaponized Silph Scopes..."
Silph Scopes were an invention designed by Silph Co, which could make an invisible and intangible ghost Pokemon both visible and tangible. The idea behind it, according to the article I read, was to help people who were being harassed by ghost Pokemon, but didn't have either their own ghost or dark type Pokemon. After all, numerous ghost type Pokemon were infamous for their pranks they liked to play.
"Bone!" Cubone cried while tugging on my hair.
"He's right, we should go." Lucario said, before the two of us took off.
"I promise we'll get your Pokemon back!" I declared to the group behind us, who were staring dumbfoundedly at us after Lucario spoke.
The next several floors were pretty much he same thing. At least a two or three shrine maidens to maintain that floor, and MAYBE a couple other people paying respects to their Pokemon. But all of them had battled, and lost against the Team Rocket Admin that was making his way up the tower with an alpha Houndoom, and a pack of Houndour.
What worried me though was there was a noticeably sinister and malicious pressure coming down on us from above, which steadily grew stronger as we ascended the stairs.
"The next should be the highest floor!" I declared as we approached the stairs leading up from the sixth level.
Guarding the stairs was a massive wooden door that looked as if it'd be a pain for even Lucario and I to move, except there was a large hole burned through it that was probably the handiwork of that Houndoom.
Hurrying through it, we raced up the stairs until we FINALLY reached the top floor, and arrived to find a startling scene.
The top floor was much more expansive than all the others below, with a fraction of the tombstones that were lined up against the walls to leave most of the floor itself open. Above each of those tombstones was a mural depicting what was probably the Pokemon buried there, but I didn't have the time to admire them at the moment.
"Oh? Looks like we have visitors." Sneered the Rocket admin as he looked back at us.
Apparently we had arrived just in time since he had the only other person present, an elderly man, surrounded by the Houndour. You wouldn't have thought it though, as the old man glared at the Rocket admin hatefully without giving the Houndour a second thought.
Other than a passing glance though, I barely registered the old man and the Rocket admin that was more than likely Proton. Instead, the majority of mine and Lucario's attention was on the item sitting on what looked like a shrine behind the old man.
The item was a ceramic mask that looked like it was laughing on the white right side, and crying on the black left. But radiating from the mask was the single most sinister, nauseating, and downright 'evil' aura I had ever felt.
It filled the entire room like we were living and breathing in thick soup, and was obviously responsible for the malicious aura I had been feeling ever since we got close to town. I just assumed it was entirely because of the ghost Pokemon and negative emotions that permeated the area, when most of it was because of THIS.
"What is that?" I immediately demanded, ignoring Proton's earlier comment since that THING was obviously the bigger threat.
"Y-you can sense it?!" The old man asked me incredulously, seemingly forgetting that he was surrounded by Houndour.
"Sense it? Just being in the same room as that thing is making me feel sick!" I exclaimed with disgust at whatever it was.
"I see you're not just a particularly annoying brat, Ace Ketchum." Proton sneered from my inquiry with a pompous attitude.
"Am I supposed to be impressed that you know who I am? Last I knew, Giovanni placed a massive bounty on my head after the Mt. Moon debacle." I stated in a condescending tone.
Proton blinked in surprise when I mentioned Giovanni's name, before saying dismissively, "I have no idea what you're talking about. While useful to our organization, Giovanni possesses no actual-"
"Cut the bullshit. I've known Giovanni was the leader of Team Rocket ever since he sent a pack of Houndour to kill May and Dawn. If you survive this encounter, tell him I'd like to know when his and Surge's wedding is." I stated with impatience, though I made sure to smirk when I mentioned the fake gay relationship.
Proton's eyes widened in shock from my revelation, and I could practically see the gears turning in his mind as he played over all of my known actions since the aforementioned incident.
"That explains so much..." He uttered in amazement, before saying with growing excitement, "I'm sure the Boss will appreciate it when I bring this to his attention, along with you and your Pokemon once I accomplish my current goal."
"You have to stop him!" The old man shouted suddenly with urgency. "Whatever happens, the seal on this mask CANNOT be broken! If so, then it will unleash an evil unlike anything this world has seen in the last thousand years!"
"Yes yes... That's why we plan to unseal it in our lab, where we will be able to contain it." Proton groaned with undisguised exasperation, as if he were talking to an idiot.
"Nothing you and your lot are capable of will be able to contain it!" The old man spat with an equal amount of disgust at Proton.
I couldn't blame him though. Team Rocket were known for their arrogance and complete disregard for anything inconvenient to their goals. And they would willingly trigger disasters that could claim the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, all in the name of furthering their goals, or acquiring data. Just like at the Seafoam Islands.
"If that thing is unsealed, it will be a plague upon all of humanity! Death and destruction will run rampant, and it will completely throw the balance of the world out of order! Even IF you lot managed to contain it, you would NEVER be able to control it!" The old man declared dramatically, only for Proton to basically yawn in his face.
"Yes yes, end of the world and all that jazz. So dramatic in your old age Mr. Fuji. But you see, it's not a question of 'IF' I'll be obtaining the mask."
As he said that, Proton snapped his fingers and the Houndoom turned its attention towards us, along with all but one of the Houndour.
"My companions here were brought along with me to help deal with your little guardians below and in case you had more Pokemon with you aside from your Marowak. But, that's obviously NOT the case since you'd have already called them out, and I personally dealt with your Marowak downstairs."
The moment those words left Proton's lips the old man, Mr. Fuji, looked as if he'd been slugged by a Snorlax as all the spirit and fight left his body.
"What did you say...?" He asked as his complexion turned paler by the second.
"Oh? I forgot to tell you. Your Marowak tried to prevent us from coming up here, so I had Houndoom tear her apart before putting three bullets into her chest."
"!!!"
In an instant Mr. Fuji lost all of his will to fight as he slumped down to his knees, his eyes empty. But he wasn't he only one affected by Proton's words.
"Cue cue cue, BONE!" Cubone cried out in challenge, standing on my shoulders while gripping my hair tightly, and hefting his bone fragment up into the air.
"Eh?" Mr. Fuji uttered as he JUST noticed Cubone was here as well, while Proton also looked at the little Pokemon in surprise.
"Oh? Another gift for me Ace Ketchum? A Cubone without the helmet will sell for a small fortune." Proton sneered at me while gloating over his 'luck'.
"Cuuuuuuue..." Cubone growled irritably at Proton, before I surprised him by lifting him up over my head, and setting him down in front of me.
"Don't make so many assumptions Proton. It'll make your loss that much more disappointing." I said while looking directly into his eyes.
"Is that so?" Proton asked with the edge of his mouth curling upwards. "Then I guess I better take this with the utmost seriousness."
As he said that Proton pulled out another Pokeball unlike any I had ever seen before, and tossed it out casually. The moment it opened though, the entire room was filled with a few dozen more Pokemon as the sound of buzzing filled my ears. It was yet more of the modified Beedrill we had seen with Mewtwo at Mt. Moon.
Now it was Lucario, Cubone and I, versus roughly fifty or so Pokemon along with Proton who had a gun. I liked those odds.
"Let's not forget this!" Proton said suddenly, holding his hand up to display a ring on his middle finger. A ring with a multicolored stone embedded into it.
"Oh?" I exclaimed in surprise, since Mewtwo hadn't mentioned anything about Proton being able to use Mega Evolution.
We watched as Proton proceeded to stretch his arm upwards with the stone on his finger, before it began to glow with increasing intensity. At the same time, his Houndoom was enveloped in a sphere of multicolored light as it began undergoing Mega Evolution.
When the sphere shattered we beheld an even larger Houndoom with pointed bone protrusions covering nearly the entire front half on its body, while they also extended down its back with a few rings even covering the base of its tail. It's horns were no longer curved back, but were instead sticking straight up while a pair of long tusks extended from its chest.
"Hey Lucario..." I called out to my partner, a smile widening on my lips. "When we kick his ass, do you think we could get the Mega Stone his Houndoom has and give it to my Houndoom?"
Lucario smirked as he stepped forward challengingly. "Of course partner!" He declared with his aura flaring.
I didn't even need to ask if he wanted to Mega Evolve himself, as I knew Lucario would be offended if I thought he'd need the boost against an opponent of this caliber.
"You ready?" I asked Cubone as the remaining Houndour and Beedrill surrounded the two of us.
"Cue!" He cried in affirmation while readying his bone fragment.
"Your arrogance is astounding. Get them." Proton exclaimed in awe, before ordering his Pokemon to move.
Cubone and I braced ourselves as a wave of Houndour and Beedrill bore down onto us.
"I'll hit them high, you hit them low!" I told him, to which he nodded in affirmation before digging the fragmented end of his bone into the ground.
"BONE!" Cubone cried as he sent a wave of mud flying into the oncoming Houndour, using Mud-Slap for what must've been the first time in his life.
"Good job!" I told him encouragingly, before swinging my fist at the Beedrill while creating a larger aura projection of it.
I ended up knocking one out of the air and into the opposite wall with a direct hit, while the others were forced to take some distance to avoid being hit. But once the aura fist vanished they rushed me yet again.
Meanwhile the Houndour that had been on the frontline were trying to clear their eyes of the mud from Mud-Slap, while those behind them were going around them to get to Cubone.
"Don't kill the Cubone, without the helmet it'll sell for quite a bit." Proton reminded his Pokemon, as he sat back and enjoyed watching us fight with a lazy and sadistic smile.
"Cubone... Try to use Bone Club!" I told him urgently, while dodging a Beedrill's fury attack and leaping up close to it to hit it with a Force Palm.
Unfortunately both their exoskeleton and their typing made them extremely resistant to fighting type attacks, if the moves I could use were even considered that.
"Oh? A human using Pokemon moves?" Proton exclaimed in surprise, but I just ignored him while focusing on fighting.
"Cue!" Cubone cried as he used Bone Club on any Houndour that tried to get close to him, which was successfully keeping them at bay for moment. It also helped that they were focusing on capturing and not killing both of us.
Off to the side I could see both Lucario and Houndoom going at it, with the latter radiating so much heat that it was getting difficult for Lucario to get anywhere near it. Meanwhile its fire attacks were powerful enough that they were melting the stone walls and headstones around them. On top of that, Lucario was extra vulnerable to fire type moves as a partial steel type.
Despite all that I spied a manic look on Lucario's face as he fought, relishing the challenge that the Houndoom was presenting him. It was only then that I recalled in the back of my mind that Lucario's first ever opponent had been a Houndoom with a pack of Houndour.
"!!!"
I barely dodged another attack while being shaken from my reminiscing, only for a Beedrill stinger to graze my leg due to my late reaction.
Thankfully it wasn't deep, but Beedrill stingers were saturated in poison normally. And there was no telling what these ones were capable of after Team Rocket's modifications.
"Cue?!"
"I'm fine, don't lose focus!" I told Cubone as he glanced at me worriedly.
Even as I said that I punched a Houndour that leapt at him suddenly, apparently after getting tired of pussyfooting around with the others.
The two of us then had to go on the defensive as the Beedrill and Houndour moved in, with me conjuring walls of aura while Cubone was repeatedly using Mud-Slap.
"Cubone!" He cried, trying to use his Growl attack to lower their strength. But none of them were the slightest bit affected by the Growl, as they snarled and buzzed back at us threateningly.
"!!!"
At that moment my concentration on the aura walls faltered slightly, as my leg that had been scratched earlier started shaking.
"How is it? The specially concocted venom our modified Beedrill have?" Proton sneered victoriously.
"They all have different varieties of venom to utilize in different scenarios. Since I ordered them to take you alive, then it's probably the non-lethal mixture. First, your limbs will start loosing feeling, followed swiftly by your strength leaving them."
As Proton spoke I could feel exactly as he was describing, as both my fingers and my legs started going numb.
"Then your vision will start to blur, as each of your senses begin to dull. Following that, your organs will begin to slow their activity, one by one. They won't stop functioning, but they will put you in a state of suspended animation, similar to a coma. Making it nice and easy to transport you to the Boss."
The more Proton spoke, the less aggressive the Pokemon surrounding Cubone and I became as the poison took further affect.
"'Work smarter, not harder' I always say. Now the rest of you, deal with his Lucario as well so we can prep them both for transport. Along with the mask."
Proton gloated over his apparent victory as all of his Pokemon proceeded to ignore Cubone and I to gang up on Lucario.
"Cue!"
"No!" I told the little Pokemon while forcing my hand in front of him urgently, though it was a growing struggle to do so.
I knew Lucario would be able to take care of himself, and in the worst case I'll use Mega Evolution on him before I became unable to. But if Cubone tried to help him then Lucario would have to split his focus between protecting him, and keeping himself from getting poisoned by the Beedrill.
It sucked but, despite everything going on, Cubone was in fact just a baby.
I noticed the grip on his bone tighten as I kept him back, but he didn't move as we watched Lucario fight. Though my vision began to grow blurry as we did so.
Lucario was completely surrounded and vastly outnumbered by both Houndour and Beedrill as he fought, though the situation wouldn't have been THAT bad if it weren't for the poison of the Beedrill or the flames of the Mega Evolved Houndoom.
"If we had just a few more Pokemon with us..." I grumbled, now slightly regretting leaving ALL of my Pokemon back at the Pokemon Center. Or at least Charmeleon.
"Go Ariados, Golbat, and Venonat!"
"ARIIIIIIIII!"
"Gol!"
"Venonat!"
I blinked as three new Pokemon all appeared suddenly, before they were joined by a young woman dressed in a skintight leather jumpsuit, and a flowing pink scarf.
"What the-!?" Proton exclaimed from the sudden new arrival.
"Go help the Lucario!" She commanded her Pokemon, who all cried in affirmation as they went to help my partner. The woman herself then approached Cubone and I as she pulled out a small vial.
"Drink this Ketchum."
Pressing the vial to my lips as she said that, I readily drank down the contents while staring directly into the only part of her face that was visible, her purple eyes.
"You're awfully trusting." She remarked dryly.
"Why should I ever refuse a gift from such a beautiful woman?" I fired back, as I felt a much needed warmth spread throughout my body, my sight sharpened, and strength filled my previously numb limbs.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason I was trusting her.
Despite the impressively strong aura around her being razor sharp, like a weapon just waiting to be pointed at someone, I could tell the mysterious woman meant me no harm.
"Stay here, and keep your head down." She told me with a stern voice, while standing and drawing a couple kunai to wield in each hand.
"Sorry, but I can't do that." I answered while standing to fight alongside her.
"How!? Those toxins are some of our best concoctions!" Proton exclaimed in disbelief.
"Humph! No one knows poisons as well as US!" The mystery ninja girl stated as if it were fact.
"!!!"
"I see.... You're one of the League's pets!" Proton declared as he seemingly figured out the girl's background.
"Enough chatter." I said, cutting their discussion short. "I've got a second wind, and I'm ready to kick some ass!"
"Cubone!" Cubone declared in agreement beside me.
***
*Meanwhile*
"Sol! Sol! Sol! Sol!"
Cried a certain figure as it shot across the mountain ranges in a blur, all of its intent focused solely on the tower in the distance.
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