ตอน 136: Watching the Sun Rise

Ariana was silent as she watched the playback yet again, analyzing every single possible detail she could of the attack on Surge and their warehouse.

They had received the distress call back in headquarters almost immediately after the attack began, resulting in all of the executives being called in to deliberate their course of action.

Seeing the attack live through their security cameras, Giovanni stunned her and the other executives when he decided they would do nothing. Surge and the Vermillion city operation were completely abandoned.

It's not as if the reason why wasn't understandable though. Through the video feeds, they had managed to confirm two people being involved in the attack that they didn't want to pick a fight with, while there was also a third that they heavily suspected was lying in wait.

First was Brock of the Pewter city Gym.

His presence heavily implied that he had been sent here by the League to deal with Surge, which would mean that the League already knew that Surge was aligned with them. And regardless of how passive Brock was, NO ONE obtained the position of Gym Leader by being a pushover.

Then there was Lucy of the Battle Frontier.

The Battle Frontier was an organization based in the Hoenn region. It was owned and operated by a mysterious man named Scott, who only invited the strongest trainers from each region to join it. Last Ariana had heard, the only way for a trainer to even earn an invite was to place in the top four of a regional conference.

And Lucy wasn't just a part of the Battle Frontier, she was one of the Frontier Brains, an elite amongst their ranks that ran her own facility. Her position easily placed her at the same level of strength as a member of the Elite Four.

And then there was the third and final person that they wanted to avoid fighting against right now, professor Oak.

The last they had heard, Oak was in Vermillion visiting his friend professor Cerise. With Ace Ketchum, Ash Ketchum, AND his own grandson all participating in this attack, it would be foolish to assume Oak himself wasn't somewhere nearby.

And the last thing they needed was to engage in a direct battle with Samuel-motherfucking-Oak.

The man was a terror in his own right, even a couple decades after retiring from the position of Champion. Even if Giovanni tried to battle him with the strongest(non-Legendary) pokemon they had, his defeat would be all but certain.

That was why Giovanni allowed Surge and his entire operation to be lost with no push back, as the risks were far too great with Brock, Lucy and Oak present. If none of them were there, then he wouldn't have hesitated to send reinforcements to deal with the punk kids. Most of all, Ace Ketchum.

Normally Ariana would think the same as Giovanni and the others about the young trainer, that he was just lucky to get into one situation after another and make it out alive. But now she thought differently.

The focus of her attention as she replayed the footage was of course, Ace himself.

This was the first time Ariana was truly looking at Ace, seeing him for more than the annoying brat who had been disrupting their plans. Instead, she now saw a man who was waging war on their entire organization. And he was winning.

Ariana was particularly drawn to the scene of Ace and Surge fighting one another, in which the boy not only held his own, but somehow managed to overwhelm Surge completely.

This was more than a little shocking since Surge could easily be considered the deadliest human in all of both Kanto and Johto. True, Bruno was stronger than Surge physically. But Surge had been trained specifically to kill his opponents over just defeating them, AND he had been given a few experimental boosters that their labs had developed.

The fact that Ace Ketchum was able to come out of a fight to the death with him with no more than a couple bruises was nothing short of miraculous. Ariana was beginning to see why Giana was so infatuated with this young man.

She herself found it increasingly difficult to look away from him as the battle continued, right up until the point where Ace plunged his Honedge directly into Surge's heart from the back.

This was the point where Giovanni and the others had finished watching the live feed, and also where he had ordered that every electronic at the warehouse be remotely purged of all the data regarding them, and their allies. Giovanni was capable of many things, but he would not jeopardize their hidden investors and business partners.

Ariana however continued watching to see what Ace would do next. And after giving his pokemon a small speech, they all spread out to continue fighting. Or so it seemed.

Instead of scrolling through the cameras to find where Ace would appear next, Ariana went straight to Surge's private quarters where the girls still were. And sure enough, there was Ace a moment later as he appeared to check on them.

Or maybe not?

Ariana was surprised to see professor Cerise's daughter fling herself at Ace without a single care for their surroundings, before being joined by the rest of the women around them. And Ace didn't even try to fight back as they stripped him, and pushed him down to the ground.

"It appears as if this young man has more 'potential' than I thought..." Ariana commented as she watched the beginning of an orgy.

Thankfully she was locked within her own room, with orders not to be disturbed for the rest of the night, as one of her hands crawled southward into the confines of her sheer lace thong. She then imagined it was her riding that impressive specimen of cock instead of the little slut, allowing her to show Ace what a REAL woman was capable of.

***

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

I opened my eyes slightly as I heard May's unamused tone from above, showing me her and Dawn standing there with their arms crossed, both appearing angry.

"Is it morning already?" I asked curiously, as if I wasn't buried under the pile of naked women.

Each one of them had taken their turn to ride me after Chloe until they were satisfied, which hadn't taken very long due to the drug in their systems and how physically and mentally exhausted they all were. The last one had been Chloe coming back for another round, where she had passed out with my erect cock still inside her.

"Is this really what you call 'helping' them?" Dawn asked, as she too was showing some rare anger.

"Hey, THEY assaulted me. I'M the victim here!" I exclaimed softly while sitting up slowly, trying hard not to disturb the girls around me.

""Uh-huh."" They said in unison, neither one lifting a finger to help disentangle me from the pile of bodies.

"Nhhh..." Chloe moaned slightly as I laid her down and slowly pulled out of her, before glancing around for my clothes and bag.

"Is everything finished?" I asked while pulling my clothes back on.

The two of them traded a look as if they were debating telling me something, before sighing in exasperation as if it couldn't be helped.

"Lucario is leading Ash, Bruce and Jackie in hunting down the rest of them through their auras right now. Brock, Gary, Barlow and Crawford are rounding everyone up to restrain and detain them until they can be properly processed, Lucy and Luana are rounding up the men, women and pokemon who were being exploited in some way." May explained to me.

"Ok. Let's clean these girls up and then take them to the rest, while Chloe can probably go to her parents." I said while pulling some wipes out of my bag, and wiping down Chloe's body. Specifically her crotch and inner thighs.

Though May and Dawn traded another look as if debating on whether or not they should help me, they eventually did as they started helping clean up the girls before wrapping them in our cloaks and some blankets that were in our bags.

Once that was done May and Dawn both picked up a girl to carry them downstairs to join the rest, while I picked up a couple and dropped from the window down below.

"We've got some more girls upstairs." I told Luana as I softly landed beside her using my psychic power. As annoyed as the girls were with me, I truly needed that little bit of rest.

"Oh!?! Ok." Luana stated, appearing startled slightly by my sudden appearance.

"Where have YOU been?" Lucy asked me suddenly, her voice cold with some accusatory tones.

"I needed to rest since dealing with Surge took a lot out of me. The dude was like the fucking Terminator." I said while setting the girls down and looking at Lucy curiously.

Her demeanor and aura were completely different from what I've seen from her up until now. It was like nothing and no one was worth her time or energy.

"Hey! How are things over here?" Brock suddenly called out drawing our attention towards him.

In an instant Lucy's entire demeanor switched, her body language going from cold and aloof to that of a maiden while her cheeks also turned rosy. If judging only by outer appearances then I'd think she was putting up an act in front of Brock, but even her aura completely changed as it began to gravitate towards him while being filled with pink and red hues.

The most incredible thing about all of this? Lucy herself didn't even seem to notice the shift in her bearing, as she immediately approached Brock to see if he needed anything like an attentive housewife.

"That Brock is one lucky son of a bitch." I commented while watching the two interact.

And just like how Lucy was so attentive to him, Brock was exactly the same way towards her. From what I've seen until now, the man had barely even registered Daisy, Wendy or Luana the entire night. All he saw was Lucy.

"I'd say they're both lucky." Luana commented wistfully as she too watched the couple.

"I can't promise the same devotion as Brock, but my door is always open to a pretty lady." I told her while flashing a smile.

"..."

"I'll keep that in mind." Luana replied dryly, though part of her did seem interested in my offer. The job of a Ranger was very stressful, so I can imagine she might enjoy some stress relief.

I then returned upstairs using my previous method, creating footholds of aura, and came back down a few more times to transport the rest of the girls. It was only on my final trip that I brought Chloe with me, just in time for professor Cerise and his wife to appear.

"Everything is settled outside, so we came to see if Chloe is ok!" Professor Cerise stated urgently, before noticing his daughter in my arms.

""!!!""

"Your daughter is fine. I managed to stop Surge from defiling her." I said while handing her over to them.

"Oh Chloe!" Talia stated emotionally, moving a strand of hair out of her daughter's face.

"Let's hurry and get her home. I'm sure Parker and Yamper will be happy to see her." Professor Cerise said, taking her out of my arms and preparing to leave with his wife.

He then said before they left, "professor Oak said you plan to wait in Vermillion until the SS. Anne arrives. If that's the case, then you're all welcome to stay with us for the next few days. We also need to properly thank you for saving Chloe."

I felt a bit weird at that since Chloe had already 'thanked' me several times after I killed Surge. But I felt it might be best to keep my mouth shut about that, especially since the other party was Chloe's father and mother.

After they left I went to check on everything else going on, starting with the arena.

Apparently Surge's body had been moved after it had been discovered, and now the arena was being used as a holding area for all of those who had been captured. Inside I found a couple hundred people whose arms were restrained behind their backs, and were being constantly kept in a state of paralysis and sleep due to the numerous grass and bug type pokemon using Sleep Powder and Stun Spore on them.

"This is the best we could come up with to hold them all until they could be properly processed." Barlow explained as I joined him in overlooking the arena.

"Hey. You gotta do what you gotta do." I said casually, not caring about the state they were all being held in.

"Ace." Brock suddenly called from behind me, apparently having separated from Lucy.

"I saw the state of Surge's body when we began bringing people here. Was that truly necessary?" He asked while directing a stern look towards me.

Welp, I can't pretend I didn't see this coming.

"I'm not going to apologize or pretend I did something wrong." I told Brock plainly, keeping my voice level and controlled as I did so.

"Surge was incredibly powerful, to the point that I'm surprised I managed to get out of that fight with so little injuries. As a result I had to take some drastic measures to try and take him down. In the end I took his life because he was going to die soon regardless due to his injuries, unless he received immediate medical help."

Brock frowned at me in what seemed like disapproval, his aura directly showing that he believed there were numerous other methods that could have been used to avoid taking a person's life. Before he could start on any of that though...

"Leave it at that Brock."

Brock, Barlow and I all turned to see professor Oak approaching us, Dragonite and Daisy beside him while numerous men and women trudged along behind them with their arms bound behind their backs.

"This is a war, and people lose their lives in war. I won't begrudge Ace for taking a life while his opponent was trying to take his own. Let us just be thankful that all of us managed to make it through this dreadful ordeal alive and well." The professor stated, though I could hear a firmness in his voice that left no room for discussion.

Brock nodded slowly while seeming to contemplate the professor's words. He may be a Gym Leader, but I doubt he had seen REAL combat before recently that can be likened to a war.

Meanwhile as the professor looked at me, I saw sadness and guilt filling both his eyes and his aura. I didn't have to read his mind to see that he felt somewhat responsible for me having to take a life tonight, especially in such a personal and calculated manner.

"Please don't look at me like that professor. If something like this was enough to bring me down, then I would never be able to shoulder the burdens I'll have to bear in the future." I stated while exuding confidence and resolution.

The professor blinked in surprise before taking a second to contemplate what I said, and then nodding slowly.

"Indeed. Though such experiences can often break one's will, they can also reinforce and strengthen them instead, preparing one for the tribulations of the future."

So I was right, Bill did tell the professor about everything we had discussed with the true alpha Dragonite. Oh well, it was bound to get out sooner or later.

Brock however just appeared confused, not knowing what it was we were talking about. Daisy on the other hand approached me and took my hand in her own before saying in a soothing tone,

"No matter what you do Ace, I will always support you." I smiled warmly at my hometown girl, pulling her close for a quick peck on the lips.

"Ehem!" The professor cleared his throat, drawing our attention as he said awkwardly, "either way, it's been a long night, and its nearly morning already. We can handle the rest here, so why don't you and the others head on over to professor Cerise's lab? He's offered to house us during our stay in Vermillion."

I smile wryly since I had JUST heard the same offer from the man himself. But then I thought of something else the professor had said as realization dawned on me.

"It's nearly morning!?!" I exclaimed in surprise, before pulling Daisy along with me as I hurried out of the warehouse.

"You come too professor!" I told him before issuing a shrill whistle, calling two of my pokemon back to me.

"Tor?"

"Sceptile?"

Exeggutor and Sceptile asked as they caught up with us, both of them curious as to why I called them even as the professor and Daisy tried to keep up.

"Just come on!" I said, taking the closest exit out of the warehouse and heading east to a small hilltop.

Here there were trees, grass and flowering shrubs that would soon be filled with ripe berries. And off to the east I could see a glow on the horizon.

It was perfect.

"Come on out!" I declared, calling out both Tangrowth and Grotle, who I had on standby in case they were needed.

The four grass type pokemon looked at each other and then back to me in confusion, none of them knowing what was going on.

"What is it you're trying to accomplish here Ace?" Professor Oak asked, seeming more confused than my pokemon were.

"Just wait..." I told him, before turning towards my pokemon.

"I'm going to introduce someone to you guys. They haven't been around other pokemon for a long time, so I want you all to help them adjust and feel comfortable." I told them with complete seriousness.

In an instant their demeanor shifted as well, particularly Grotle and Tangrowth due to the circumstances in which I got them.

With them all ready, I grabbed one more pokeball from my belt and released its occupant to join us.

"Saur?"

""!!!""

Both Daisy and professor Oak inhaled in shock at the massive Bulbasaur standing before us, who glanced around curiously before realizing what was surrounding it.

"Saur?!?"

Bulbasaur exclaimed in shock as it looked around, seemingly overwhelmed by everything around it.

I could feel its apprehension towards the grass type pokemon around it, and its disbelief as it wiggled its toes in the grass underfoot, listened to the rustle of leaves around us, and felt the cool morning breeze on its face.

"Ace..." The professor began, starting a question he couldn't seem to finish.

"Professor, Daisy, meet the sewer monster of Vermillion city." I told them, prompting another sharp intake of breath as numerous questions probably came to the tip of their tongues. But that could wait.

I approached Bulbasaur as it glanced at our surroundings with suspicion and apprehension, probably trying to determine if what it was seeing and feeling was real. And when I kneeled beside its head, it looked at me questioningly.

"Bulbasaur?"

"I promised you, didn't I?" I asked with a wry smile, confusing it even more before I gestured to Sceptile, Exeggutor, Grotle and Tangrowth.

"I said that you'd never be lonely again, and that you would be able to see the sun once more."

Right as I said that the source of all life peeked up over the mountain in the distance, shining its light right into our eyes with its morning embrace. And while the rest of us squinted slightly, I saw Bulbasaur stare right at it unblinkingly.

Soon tears began to stream down its cheeks, and a rush of emotions filled its aura once it realized this was nothing like a dream.

For the first time in more than twenty years, it was able to watch the sun rise.