Chapter 15 – The Battle for Ecruteak
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A/N: Thought I was dead? Not quite yet! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Ethan closed his laptop in frustration. The young trainer sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. Dancer chirped at him from her position in the middle of the field. "Sorry, Dancer. I just need to think over this."
The problem was that he had been thinking over it for the past 4 days. Ever since Adrian had mentioned the possibility that Dancer could function as a medic in battle, he had done his research. Sure enough, there had been some literature on the subject. Mature Clefables were known for their incredible stores of energy—their wings absorbed moonlight and stored energy in their bodies, far more than they were likely to use themselves. With specific training, they could learn to project that energy into other pokemon that allowed them to absorb it. Ethan didn't quite understand the science; the papers he had found were quite technical, and he wasn't versed enough in pokemon physiology and the nature of fairy types. That was also part of the problem.
He had no idea how to get Dancer to learn how to do it.
Ethan continued to think as he watched Dancer bounce over the grassy terrain almost in slow-motion, borne aloft by her control of gravity. She's learning to heal herself, so you'd think learning to do that to other pokemon wouldn't be that hard. But it's not like there's a how-to guide just sitting on the net…
Perhaps you would do well to find a teacher. Espy sat several feet away from him, levitating just above the ground and soaking in the sunlight. Borrow from the experience of those wiser. You did that for the creature of darkness, did you not?
"That's a fair point," said Ethan aloud, rolling Loki's pokeball in his palm. "Of course, there's the immediate obstacle of having to find someone who knows how to do this. Until then, this might have to be a project we shelve for a little while. At least until I find someone that can point me in the right direction."
Life is rarely a straight path.
Ain't that the truth. Ethan got to his feet. "Dancer, get over here. We're stopping for now."
The Clefable squeaked and bounced over to him in a graceful arc. Ethan smiled and returned the fairy to her pokeball. He looked over at Espy. "Let's get back to town. I'm supposed to meet Adrian at the Gym, but I gotta pick up Tsunami from the Pokemon Center first."
Espy blinked. The familiar sucking sensation rippled across Ethan's skin, and in an instant he was standing in front of the Mahogany Pokemon Center again. He shook himself once to get rid of the pins-and-needles feeling in his limbs before stepping through the glass doors. Inside, Ethan's eyes were immediately drawn to the long line of trainers waiting in front of the desk. Some trainers looked very worried, their shoulders and jaws clenched as their eyes would periodically scan the back doors of the Pokemon Center, where healing operations took place. A few of them were wearing League armor and gear. Most looked like civilians.
The League's spread thin, recalled Ethan from his conversation with Adrian at the restaurant. He walked to the back of the line, behind an older man with a peppered beard. The trainer noticed him and stepped a bit to the side to allow him room. His eyes caught Espy standing behind Ethan. "You have a magnificent looking Alakazam," he commented. "How long has she been with you?"
Ethan could feel a positive, slightly smug wave of emotions emanating from Espy. "Three-quarter of a year," replied Ethan, his mouth curling up at the corner.
The man blinked in surprise. "Amazing growth in such a short period of time. You must be a very dedicated trainer."
"We worked hard," said Ethan, nodding.
"I can see that." The older trainer's eyes glanced down at the pokeballs at Ethan's waist. "I take it you're fighting in this war as well."
Ethan nodded again. The man sighed. "It's a blasted thing. When children are used in the wars of men, may Arceus help us all."
Ethan's mind flashed back to the battle at the Lake of Rage. Gyarados razing the beaches, destroying everything in sight. Bright beams of death turning sand into glass, people disappearing in explosions of light. His mind flickered back to the scene at Rocket compound. He was kneeling next to Riku's still, lifeless body, blood pooling around him. "War affects everyone," Ethan murmured.
"That's the worst part of it," agreed the older man. "People make choices. When people go to hell, it's because they've made bad choices. But war doesn't give anyone a choice—it punishes everyone all the same."
Ethan grimaced. "Yeah."
Eventually, he moved up the line and finally found himself at the front desk. "I'm here to check up on my Milotic," said Ethan, sliding his Pokedex across the counter. The nurse thanked him and quickly scanned him in. "Ethan, your Milotic is recovering well. The scales on the left side of her head are slower to recover than the rest of her body—she will likely have permanent scarring there. Otherwise, the doctor has deemed her fit for battle. Step to the side, and one of the other nurses will bring her pokeball out to you."
Ethan thanked her and walked to the waiting area. His fingers unconsciously played with the slot on his belt where Tsunami's pokeball would have sat. As he stood there, he suddenly felt a buzzing in his pocket. "This is Ethan," he said, answering his phone.
"Hey Ethan, are you near the Gym yet?" came the voice of his older cousin over the phone.
"Close," he said, watching a nurse enter the front desk area with a pokeball in hand. Ethan nodded and walked over to her to pick up Tsunami's pokeball. "At the Pokemon Center now. I'm leaving in a sec."
"Get over here as soon as you can." His cousin sounded amused. "There's someone here I'd like you to meet."
Ethan shrugged. "Sure." Ending the call, he looked over at Espy, who patiently sat near him polishing her spoons. Can you teleport us straight to him?
A trivial affair. Espy blinked. This person we are to meet is interesting indeed.
Ethan frowned. Before he could even think another statement, the world around him flashed and shifted. A rush of cold air swirled around him, and suddenly he was standing in the Mahogany Gym again. They were in the lobby, which had been fully occupied by League personnel in the wake of the Rocket invasion. Right in front of him was a slightly surprised Adrian. Next to him was a very…quirky-looking man.
He wore a purplish shirt and pants. Wrapped around his torso was a tight black jacket emblazoned with golden buttons that hung at his knees. He wore a black mask around his eyes, but Ethan sincerely doubted that anyone wouldn't be able to recognize the man having seen him more than once, given his outfit and soft purple hair.
"I can see why you wanted me to meet your cousin, Adrian!" the man proclaimed bombastically. He looked at the younger trainer, seemingly studying him, and then turned his attention to Espy. Ethan's eyes widened as the man's mask began to glow bright purple. Espy's eyes also glowed blue. After a moment, the man turned back to Ethan, the light dying around his face. "Young, but with a lot of potential."
"You're a psychic," said Ethan, not asking but simply confirming.
And very perceptive as well! The strange man's voice echoed in his head. I can see you've also begun to develop rudimentary psychic powers of your own. Normally, it's a process that takes years, but your young age and developing mind seemed to have accelerated it.
I have psychic powers? Ethan was slightly unnerved. He had never spoken to another psychic—outside of Espy, of course. It was also a slightly shocking revelation. To him, human psychics were old people, or at the very least professional trainers like the man before him.
The psychic link between your Alakazam—Espy, you call her—and you is an example of that. Were you properly trained, your abilities could be much greater. Still, let's continue this conversation in public, so as to not be rude. The strange man turned back to Adrian. "Prodigious!"
His cousin smiled. "Thought so. Ethan's never really met a psychic master before, so I thought it'd be good exposure."
The man conducted a dramatic bow. "Always happy to help young trainers, Adrian. You know this—you were once a budding trainer yourself."
"Yeah," said Adrian, nodding knowingly. "Ethan, meet Will, member of the Indigo League Elite Four."
Ethan's jaw dropped, recognition flooding through him. "Wow, it's an honor!" he sputtered. "You're a legendary psychic!"
"Nonsense!" said Will, waving his hand at him. "I'm simply a man of much experience. As you will be one day, too."
Adrian crossed his arms. "I was just chatting with Will about some security matters," he explained. "He's got to go soon, but he could spare some time for you if you're interested in getting some advice for Espy and yourself."
"Definitely!" Ethan turned to Will. "I'm sorry if I don't have enough questions. Normally I'm a bit more prepared for this type of thing—
"Not to worry," replied the Elite Four trainer. "I understand your situation from communing with your Alakazam and, candidly, peeking into your head a bit. Adrian, I'll talk with you in the near future."
"Of course."
Will clapped his hands. "Splendid! Espy, if you could take us somewhere a bit more private. We'll need a bit of space. I know just the place—just borrow the location from my mind…there!"
Ethan blinked. Suddenly, the trio was standing outside in a field. Trees marked the edges of the clearing. He looked up, and suddenly his view was obscured by a massive mountain that seemed to stretch on and on into the sky beyond his vision. It was so high that clouds formed below its peak, obscuring the highest regions. It was Mt. Silver.
"We definitely won't be bothering anyone out here!" Will walked several feet away from Espy. In a flash of light, a second Alakazam appeared on the field with them. This psychic was noticeable larger than Espy, with slightly darker skin than her own. In its right hand were three spoons. "I don't have much time to spare, so let's go ahead and get started! I understand you don't have much formal psychic training, is that correct?"
Ethan nodded. "Yeah, we're more or less self-taught."
"You've gotten fairly far on your own." The older trainer scratched his chin. "But becoming a psychic master is more than simple power. It's a mastery of the senses, the mind, and the environment. A sufficiently powerful psychic can see the entire battlefield as a collection of millions of different variables, from the makeup of the terrain to its own power reserves to the intentions of its opponent, and see all of the different combinations and permutations that can result. In other words, a psychic can control an entire battle."
Ethan nodded without words, absorbing everything. "With that in mind, you can begin to understand how to approach your training. The goal isn't to master new techniques and increase her stamina—that's a secondary effect. The goal is to train your Alakazam's mind and ability to take in information from multiple inputs simultaneously, process it, and execute decisions. Alakazam don't have the raw mental computational capabilities of Metagross or the sheer power of Reuniclus. What they do have is near omnipotence and predictive ability on the battlefield, more so than almost any other psychic."
Will gestured to his Alakazam. "Observe! Your Alakazam will spar with mine. Let them do battle on their own."
The younger trainer frowned but said nothing. Will's Alakazam withdrew its hands, and its three spoons slowly levitated above its head. Ethan quickly backed up as Espy turned to her opponent and held her spoons in front of her, her eyes and hands beginning to shimmer in bright blue light. He felt the hairs on his arms stand up from the amount of ambient energy in the air.
Will's Alakazam closed its right hand. Instantly, the ground beneath Espy shifted and slabs of earth shot out around her, quickly ensnaring the psychic in a prison of dirt. Her eyes flashed, and she disappeared, the dirt collapsing in on itself.
A second later, Espy reappeared behind the Alakazam, firing off a powerful Shadow Ball at the older psychic. The Alakazam retaliated with an even stronger Shadow Ball, easily blasting through her own in a cacophonous explosion and forcing Espy to teleport farther back. The Alakazam clasped its hands together, and two of the spoons above its head began to glow bright orange. Suddenly, two incredibly bright beams of energy shot out of the spoons at Espy, who quickly teleported away to avoid being struck by the Hyper Beams. The Alakazam cocked its head to the left and swept its attack towards Espy as she reappeared. She immediately conjured up a psychic shield just as the Hyper Beams collided with the construct. A loud crack reverberated throughout the battlefield, and Ethan's closed his eyes as a gust of wind buffeted him from the shockwave. Espy's shield held, refracting the powerful beams and causing them to raze the ground around her.
Ethan felt a pang of panic from his friend. A moment later, Espy quickly levitated into the air as the ground beneath her erupted in an explosion of dark ghostly energy. Ethan's eyes widened as the energy dissipated and revealed the third spoon, floating where Espy had been standing seconds ago. Espy loosed a powerful ray of psychic energy at Alakazam, and then teleported next to him and fired off a bright Psybeam into her opponent's shields.
Alakazam seemed to barely noticed the two attacks behind its dense shielding. The older psychic raised its hands, and suddenly a bright violet aura consumed Espy. Her eyes glowed bright blue as she struggled to free herself from her prison, but it was then Ethan noticed that the Alakzam's remaining two spoons were floating on either side of her, pressuring her with enormous power and preventing her from escaping again. The older psychic slowly levitated towards her and conjured up its third spoon above its palm. The focal object began to glow bright orange.
"That's enough of a demonstration, Alakazam," chided Will. The Alakazam blinked and recalled its spoons, releasing Espy from her psychic prison and dropped her to the ground. She quickly bowed before the more powerful psychic.
"How can we get better?" asked Ethan, stunned by the speed in which Will's Alakazam had dispatched Espy.
"Well, there are a few things Alakazam will want to impart to Espy that doesn't require our input," replied Will, nodding towards the older psychic. The Alakazam levitated over to Espy. Its body began to shimmer and glow a soft purple, quickly followed by Espy as her own form became shrouded in a sky blue light.
"As for what you can do to help," said Will, turning to face Ethan. "You're fortunate in that a determined psychic can learn virtually anything given enough time and effort. To speed up the process, you can train Espy by having her battle all of your pokemon simultaneously. She'll struggle at first, but it's a process that will benefit her hugely in the future. Given time, your Alakazam will be a master of the battlefield."
The Elite Four trainer held up a finger, smiling a bit. "Aside from that, another aspect of the Alakazam line's battle style is their use of focal objects. Similar to Hypno, Alakazam channel their energies through their foci to concentrate their power and, in some cases, magnify them. You'll notice that, in our battle, Espy largely kept her own foci close to her while my Alakazam used them around the battlefield away from his body. More mature and experienced psychics are able to channel their energies through their foci even when they're not physically close to the objects."
"Yeah, Espy's been able to do that on occasion, but it takes her a lot of effort."
Will nodded. "I imagine so. Similar to a fulcrum, their foci are harder to manipulate the farther they are from them. You'll need to practice with your Alakazam to project her energy through her foci farther and farther away. This will also prepare her to wield multiple focal objects in the future. Eventually, she'll be able to channel her main power as if she was in many places at once!"
Ethan smiled. The thought of being able to effectively be in multiple places at once was appealing, and opened up a host of inventive battle tactics that otherwise wouldn't be available to them. "How do we get there?"
"You can help Espy by training her to manipulate energy farther and farther from her foci until you're confident that she can battle with them. Of course, be aware that initially it takes a lot of concentration and energy—part of her effectiveness will come from an increase in stamina, which does take time, as I'm sure you're aware of."
Your kin calls. The human psychic is needed. There was a strange undertone to her thoughts—blended notes of green and orange. It felt like…excitement?
"Ah, Will?" Ethan turned to the Elite Four trainer.
"I hear that I'm needed!" Will extended his hand to Ethan, who shook it after a moment's realization. The psychic placed his other hand on the Alakazam's shoulder. "Best of luck to you, Ethan. You're a hard worker, I can tell. You'll go far with your team." He turned to his pokemon. "Now, my friend, let's not keep Adrian waiting!"
Before Ethan could say anything else, the trainer and pokemon winked out of existence. He shrugged and turned to Espy. "I guess that was productive for you?"
Indeed. Espy's eyes burned brightly, like Ethan had never seen before. I have never communed with a psychic as powerful as he. It was enlightening. It was as if pathways in my mind were opened—similar to how I felt when I transformed from my initial form to my previous form. I see the world around me in a new light. It is invigorating!
Her energy seemed to spill into his head, so much that he could feel himself becoming giddy. Ethan smiled, almost involuntarily. "Glad to hear it. I'm sorry I haven't been able to introduce you to a psychic master before. There's a lot I don't know."
I do not place blame on you. You do the best with the resources you are given.
"So you know what to do from here?"
Espy nodded, an oddly human motion that she had probably picked up from him. Indeed.
"Glad to hear it." Ethan looked around them again. "Ah, you do know how to get out of here, right?"
Espy nodded. As her eyes began to close, Ethan noticed movement in the shadow of the trees out of the corner of his vision. "Wait!" He squinted, trying to peer into the woods. "I see something."
Espy cocked her head towards where he was looking. I do not sense anything.
"But I swear I just saw something." He tensed, suddenly remembering the last time he had been ambushed in the woods by Team Rocket. His hand reached towards his belt, ready to release another of his friends at a moment's notice. "Throw up a shield. Just in case."
Espy's eyes glowed. A correction. I do not sense anything. But there is something that cannot be sensed, an absence of the environment. She paused. A creature of darkness.
Ethan pointed at the area where he had seen movement. "Illuminate that."
A ball of light appeared between Espy's spoons. The sphere sped towards dark woods, lighting up everything within several meters of the source of light. Suddenly, a small green creature stumbled out from behind a tree trunk, crying out from the abrupt brightness.
Larvitar. It was native to Mt. Silver in Johto, and only the mountain alone. Its kind originally evolved living in caves, eventually venturing out into the outside world when it needed more substance to grow. Their dense rocky hides shielded them from most predators, and when they evolved into fully formed Tyranitar, they were the apex predator of the mountains. They were immensely powerful, but they fortunately didn't breed that often—enough so that the small but sizeable population dominated but didn't overrun the mountains. They were also incredibly hard to find outside of the mountain region, and given that the area was normally filled with so many powerful pokemon, most trainers didn't bother trying to find and catch one.
The specimen before him stumbled into the clearing, its eyes blinking rapidly to adjust to the light. It stood at a couple of feet in height, though Ethan didn't know what was an average size for its species. Its dull green hide was marred with scratches and cuts, though none were recent. The Larvitar had definitely seen its fair share of fights, though.
Ethan released Tsunami. With its natural armor and typing, it was impervious to most of Espy's conventional attacks. She could probably beat it, but he didn't want to leave it to chance. Besides, Tsunami was aching for any battle at this point, even one as lopsided as this was going to be.
The Milotic flicked her tail, slithering protectively in front of Ethan as the Larvitar finally looked up at him. The rock type cocked its head at him, as if studying him and his pokemon. Ethan frowned and held a hand out. "Steady, Tsunami." The water type seemed a bit disappointed, but lowered her tail and head.
He looked at the Larvitar, whose inky black eyes were almost shielded by its thick brow ridge. "I'm Ethan," he spoke slowly, pointing his hand towards his chest. "I want you to join my team. We travel, battle, and explore the world. Do you want to do that?"
The dull green creature made a grating, rumbling sound that seemed to emit from its insides. The rock type then abruptly sat down on the grass, opening its maw wide. Ethan frowned and stood there for several seconds before a thought finally struck him. "Do you want…food?"
Espy lowered her spoons, but not by much. She couldn't sense its mind, so she was more cautious than usual. Some things are just…simple.
Larvitar closed its mouth and looked at him, almost expectantly. Ethan slung his backpack over one shoulder and retrieved a large Oran berry, one of the ones he usually kept for Agni after a particularly long training session. He hefted it in his hand for a moment and looked at the rock type, who cocked its head and seemed to follow the berry with its eyes. Then he tossed the Oran berry.
Quick as a flash, Larvitar lurched forward and snapped up the Oran berry in a bite so powerful Ethan winced from the sound of teeth on teeth. A barbed tongue poked out of its closed mouth as the rock type sat down again, rumbling positively—he assumed—as he chewed and swallowed the berry. Tsunami lowered her head and tail again after tensing up from the Larvitar's bite. Ethan withdrew a pokeball from his belt.
"If you want to join me," he said, enlarging the ball to its full size. "…and want more food, you have to enter this ball. So, just stay still for a second."
Larvitar swallowed the last of the berry and sat still. Ethan shrugged and tossed the ball, which bounced harmlessly off its hide before sucking the green creature into its depths. The light blinked once, twice, and then a third time before it finally dimmed. He stepped over Tsunami and picked up the ball. Welcome to the team, Larvitar.
He inserted the pokeball into the pokedex scanner. After a few seconds, the machine spat back out its information. "Larvitar, the Monster pokemon. Native to Mt. Silver, Larvitar spend their days constantly searching for food in order to grow so that it may be able to reach its full size and evolve. Born deep underground, this Pokémon becomes a pupa after eating enough dirt to make a mountain. This Larvitar knows Tackle, Bite, Screech, Rock Slide, Thrash, and Outrage."
"Outrage? Must have had some dragon influence at some point." Ethan clipped the pokeball into his belt alongside those of the rest of his friends. "Lucky catch. Once he evolves, he'll really balance the team out."
I was not able to determine its intentions. You must remain wary.
Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. He looked up at Tsunami, who studied the pokeball intently with her deep red eyes. "Sorry for the false alarm, Tsunami. You'll have another opportunity to battle soon enough." She made a sound that seemed suspiciously sarcastic before he returned her to her pokeball. As he clipped it to his belt, Ethan's phone buzzed in his pocket. Adrian's picture smiled at him as he picked up the call. "Yes, Adrian?"
"Ethan." His cousin voice was terse, and immediately he could tell something was wrong. "I need you in the Gym right now. It's an emergency; I'll explain soon."
"Got it." He hung up, and looked to Espy. If you'll do the honors?
The world around them shifted, and suddenly the two of them were back in the Gym. Ethan quickly stepped to the side to avoid being bowled over by two League personnel in intense conversation. The whole environment had changed. People were running around, and he could hear shouting in the distance.
A hand clasped his shoulder from behind. "Ethan, follow me." His older cousin was already walking away by the time he fully turned around. He quickly jogged to catch up with Adrian; Espy levitated behind him, keeping pace.
"Adrian, what's going on?" he asked, trying to peer into his cousin's face as if he could see the answer in his expression.
"I'll explain in the squad room. Alice, Sophia, and Yasneem are already there." Ethan had never seen his cousin look panicked, but this was as close as he had ever seen. Worried was what came to mind. He said no more until they arrived in front of a conference room.
Inside, the other three members of his squad sat in various positions around a long table. Alice was leaning forward on the table, her eyes immediately glancing towards Ethan and then Adrian as they entered the room. He flashed her a quick smile before he sat down as well.
As soon as he did, Adrian began to speak, drawing up his arms behind his back as he faced the group. "33 minutes ago, League scouts reported a sizeable gathering of Magneton and Magnezone in the skies above Goldenrod City. There are no exact numbers at this time, but the report ballparked their numbers anywhere between 300 and 500. Twenty minutes ago, the swarm began to head north."
500 Magneton and Magnezone? Ethan couldn't even imagine a swarm of that size. On an average day, a couple dozen Magnemite could cause major interference in radio tower broadcasts between cities. It was especially annoying during thunderstorms, when the steel and electric type pokemon would appear in the wild en masse to absorb the excess static electricity in the air. In large enough groups, Magnemite and their kind had the potential to be incredibly dangerous. They pooled their energy together, and the leakage from the mass could fry nearby electronics and even stun pokemon. Magneton were more powerful than 3 Magnemites, and Magnezone was as powerful as 10 Magnemite. Team Rocket must have just force evolved a whole swarm of Magnemite.
"Arceus," muttered Yasneem, now switching positions and actively listening. "Where are they headed?"
"Their trajectory puts them on a direct flight path to Ecruteak," said Adrian soberly. "Our current troops there are already battling an equal Team Rocket force. If the Magneton swarm reaches the city, League forces will be overrun. Fortunately, they appear to moving rather slowly. They are estimated to arrive in Ecruteak 45 minutes from now."
Adrian leaned on the table, his arms supporting him as he lowered himself and looked between all of them. "Mahogany has the closest contingent of League troops to Ecruteak. Our squad along with 5 others have been ordered south of the city to delay the swarm as long as possible while League reinforcements mount an organized defense in Ecruteak."
His cousin lifted himself off the table. "I hope your pokemon are rested. An aerial squad will meet us outside in 1 to 2 minutes to transport us into position just next to the road between Goldenrod and Ecruteak. If we fail, our troops in Ecruteak won't be prepared to fight off a Magneton swarm and Rocket forces at the same time. We'll most likely lose the city, and Team Rocket will have control of the core of the Johto region. We must stop them here, by any means necessary."
Ethan glanced at Alice, who looked back at him. Her face was neutral, but, whether it was his burgeoning psychic abilities or just intuition, he could feel worry radiating from her. This wasn't just a small raid. Their actions would decide the fate of the war. Ethan felt worried, but he also felt a bright burning rage simmering within him that overpowered all else. Team Rocket had destroyed homes, killed countless people and pokemon, and terrorized the people of Johto. His mind wandered unbidden to the dark times in the caves of Ecruteak, and then to the moment when Riku had died in his arms. Ethan clenched his fists, and he looked to Espy.
The Alakazam's eyes flashed. Let them come. They will all burn.
…
Ethan leaned against the rock in front of him, running the impending battle through his head.
The League's plan was simple. The Magneton swarm would be headed their way in minutes through the path of least resistance—the open route to Ecruteak. Fortunately for them, the route ran along a large hill on which they had positioned their teams. For what it was worth, the enemy would have to fight uphill. Though how that matters when the enemy is airborne is a different question.
Their electric pokemon—there were 30 trainers total and 20 electric types among them—were situated at the base of the hill. Magneton were attracted to large sources of electricity, and the sizeable current released from the electric pokemon would be enough to draw in the whole swarm, concentrating the enemy in a single spot. Then, their remaining pokemon would unleash hell on the swarm from the top of the hill. After the initial volley, the Magneton would likely scatter, and they would pick off the stragglers at will. The trainers took cover behind trees, rocks, and depressions in the earth, wherever they could find any. This was going to be a nasty battle.
At the bottom of the hill, Zeus was in a staring contest with another Electabuzz among the group. Even right before a battle, the electric type couldn't resist chesting up with another pokemon. Ethan could feel Espy mentally roll her eyes. The rest of his team stood in various positions around him. Loki was flying somewhere above them, though he was sure that it wasn't too far.
All right, Agni will be the main attacker. Loki will also be helping with his Inferno technique. Dancer's dropping them with Gravity and shielding everyone. Espy will have to just pick them off with Focus Blast. Ethan had left Tsunami in her pokeball for obvious reasons. Even if she wasn't still recovering from the battle at the Lake of Rage, this was no place for a bulky water type like her. He grimaced. Without Tsunami and with Zeus occupied below, his team was particularly unbalanced with a lack of area-of-effect attackers.
"Nerves?" Alice walked over from her team, an assortment of mean-looking pokemon: Charizard, Exeggutor, and Steelix. Her Steelix towered over everyone, a massive fixture atop the hill. If the Magneton weren't drawn to the electric types, they would definitely fixate on Steelix next. Fortunately, the steel serpent's incredibly thick armor and durability would more than suffice against anything the Magneton could throw at it.
"Just thinking," replied Ethan. Alice's eyes flickered downwards, and Ethan joined her. He stopped tapping his foot. "Maybe a bit."
Alice leaned against the rock, facing him. "You ever think about how you ended up here?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You mean fighting a swarm of hundreds of Magneton force-evolved by Team Rocket to defend the city of Ecruteak that might determine the fate of a war over the Johto region?"
"Something like that."
"It's crossed my mind once or twice." Ethan chuckled. "Around 8 months ago I was just waiting at home to get my first pokemon. And now…" He gestured around them.
Alice shook her head. "Still amazed by how far you've come as a trainer in such a short period of time. 8 months ago I was still training to get my 4th badge in Ecruteak. Morty gave my team serious trouble."
"Funny how things change so quickly." Ethan played with his watch, needing something to do with his hands. "Have you heard anything from Goldenrod?"
She sighed. "Not a single thing. Whatever Team Rocket's done there, they've got it locked down. No one in or out of the city."
"I'm sorry." Ethan looked into her soft brown eyes. "We'll get it back."
Alice allowed a small smile on her face. "Yeah."
"Squads, in formation!" Their Ace platoon leader, a grizzled, salt-and-pepper-haired man named Captain Edwards, briskly walked past them at their backs. Alice immediately doubled back to her earlier position as her pokemon moved up. Just before she disappeared behind her cover, their eyes met. Then a group of Ace trainers ran between them, and it was gone. "Contact in one minute!"
Ethan crept up on the rock, digging his heels into its ridges and pulling himself on top of it so he could see just over its edge. The hill stretched on for a few hundred yards before splitting into several paths in the woods beyond its base. The electric pokemon below were a bright beacon of light in the dim light of an overcast sky. He felt oddly calm. You're not doing anything to dull my emotions, are you?
I am injured at the suggestion. Espy cast her spoons over head, letting them float there above her hears. Though I would be remiss to say the thought hasn't occurred.
"Stay safe, cousin,"his cousin had said on the way over to the hill. His words had almost been lost in the wind as they descended upon the road below. "Keep your head down and stay close to Espy. If anything happens to me, just get out of there. Take Espy and just teleport out. Forget the orders. You hear me?"
Ethan gripped the edge of the rock tightly, his eyes scanning the skies. After what seemed like forever, Espy spoke. There. He looked towards the clouds.
A low hum filled the air. In the sky, he could see hundreds of small dots that quickly grew in size as the humming grew louder. After several seconds, he could now make out the individual shapes. Blocky. Sharp edges. Modular-looking.
Magneton.
"We have visual!" yelled Captain Edwards sharply. "Hold your attacks! Wait for the diversion!"
Beside him, Agni growled. Ethan looked at the dog sympathetically and gritted his teeth, knowing attacking now even while they had range would be horrendously stupid. Espy closed her eyes, the orbs glowing behind her eyelids. They have no feeling, she said, after a moment. They know only to move forward and attack. A mindless swarm, to destroy anything in its path. They are beyond rescue.
The Magneton swarm flew ever closer. Now, Ethan could make out larger, irregular shapes in the mix. Wider and more curved figures. That'll be the Magnezone.
Below them, he could see the glow of the electric types become even brighter as they charged their attacks. Get ready, guys, thought Ethan as Espy relayed his commands. When they dive down, hit them with everything you've got.
Several seconds passed, and the Magneton swarm were just several dozen yards away from the top of the hill now. Ethan couldn't even make out the whole swarm—it was a seemingly endless amount of floating steel orbs that filled the air with an oppressive hum, like his head had been jammed into a Beedrill hive. He couldn't even see the sky behind them.
Then, in slow-motion, Ethan saw lightning flash from the ground up into the sky. A pure column of electricity stabbed into the clouds, colossal yet insubstantial in comparison to the huge swarm of pokemon in the sky. The loudest thunder clap he had ever heard echoed across the clearing, causing him to wince and duck behind the rock. As he looked back over, he saw the Magneton swarm slow. Then they descended, too tempted by the incredible surge of electricity that emitted from the ground below them.
"Now!"
Do it!
Agni roared towards the heavens, then unleashed a torrential column of flames from his maw. Espy spread out her hands and blasted a wave of psychic energy into the swarm. Dancer fired off Moonblasts one after the other from her palms. Their attacks were joined by a few dozen other pokemon across the line as they all struck the swarm simultaneously. Fire razed the outer Magneton and drove them deeper into the pack to avoid the intense heat. Scything blasts of psychic energy knocked the steel types into each other, further slowing their movement. Other elemental attacks wreaked havoc among their ranks. Some Magneton were instantly felled, taking the brunt of the initial volley of attacks. Behind him, Ethan could hear the Steelix roar, a grating sound that cut through the air and even the hum of the swarm. A shimmering beam of light shot over his head and blasted into the densest wall of Magneton, smashing them apart with the force of the Hyper Beam.
The Magneton swam scattered, thrown into disarray from the attacks. Then, they began to accelerate towards the League platoon atop the hill.
Dancer, Gravity field! The Clefable squeaked and raised her hands, alight with blue energy. The closest Magneton a couple dozen meters away sank like stones and hit the ground with loud crashes. The other Magneton zoomed past their brethren, completely unperturbed. Agni swept his Flamethrower towards the incoming electric types, bathing them in blinding fire. The first Magnetons screeched and crashed into the grass. Others behind them flew out on either side of the flames, firing off bolts of lightning in their direction. Espy repelled the attacks with her shields, and the electricity crackled around them in flashes of light. Loki, where the hell are you!
Above them, a pillar of dark purple smoke shot down towards them. The Gengar cackled and launched several Shadow Balls that struck the Magneton with pinpoint accuracy. The ghost swooped past them, and soon several Magneton were chasing after Loki, shooting Thunderbolts all around it.
The pressure off, Ethan looked around them. The Magneton had descended into their ranks, ensnaring each League trainer simultaneously. He could see Adrian in the distance fighting off multiple Magnezone, his Typhlosion spitting powerful balls at fire and keeping them at bay. Alice was keeping behind her Exeggutor as her Charizard snarled and battled the Magneton on the ground—it was too dangerous to fly around with so much lightning. Her Steelix screeched and attempted to bite at the Magneton that swarmed around its body, blasting its thick armor with shimmering beams of gray light. Yasneem and Sophia were back to back, commanding their pokemon in odd tandem. A Blaziken leapt from the back of one falling Magneton to another, pounding its armor with blazing fists. Another Magneton crashed into the two pokemon, sending them hurtling towards the ground. Before they could crash, a Flygon swooped in behind them and snatched up the sparking Magneton off Blaziken's back, allowing the fighter to leap off the falling steel type.
Ethan, more machines! He looked up—a trio of Magnezones had dropped down on them, pounding Espy's barriers with powerful Thunderbolts. Agni immediately tackled one of them with his blazing body, and Dancer dropped the second with Gravity, pinning it in the dirt. Espy took aim and fired off a gleaming Focus Blast that hurled the remaining Magnezone several meters into the air.
Loki, give us some cover with Inferno! Espy, let's back up Alice. The psychic said nothing, but Loki swooped down with a curtain of Will-O-Wisps trailing behind it. The Gengar grinned and swept its arms, casting the otherworldly flames behind them in a blaze that instantly halted incoming Magneton. Ethan ran out from behind the rock, moving towards Alice who was now dealing with Magneton from every direction.
Steelix had curled around her defensively, shielding her with its multiple-meter-high steel body while Charizard and Exeggutor were battling on top with invading steel types. A Magnezone spun and slammed into the grass type from behind, knocking it off its perch and leaving the fire type alone. Charizard roared and swept a powerful Flamethrower at the Magneton, keeping them away from its position.
Ethan's mind raced. Agni, help Charizard. Dancer, use Fire Blast. Espy, teleport us to Alice and give us some cover to free up Steelix.
The world shifted, and suddenly Ethan blinked and was staring into Alice's face inches from his own. Startled, she shoved him away instinctively before she registered his presence. "Arceus! Can't give me a little warning?"
Ethan shrugged. "Call off your Steelix! Espy can shield us."
Alice nodded. "Right. Steelix, get them!"
The giant steel type screeched and uncoiled its body, allowing it to reach its full height. The Steelix whipped its head around, snatching whole Magneton in its mouth and flinging their crushed bodies into the ground with ridiculous force. Charizard hopped off, slamming a Magneton into the ground beneath its feet and bathing it in fire. Another Magneton blasted the fire type in the back with a burst of electricity. Before it could retaliate, Agni leapt between the two pokemon and brought the creature down with a withering Flamethrower.
Next to them, Dancer nailed an incoming Magnezone with a Fire Blast. Moments later, a beam of gray light struck the Clefable in the back and planted her in the dirt. She flipped over, casting a blue aura over the offending Magneton. The steel type jerked and sputtered as its electromagnetism faced interference from increased gravitational forces. Finally, it fell to the earth. Dancer got to her feet, winded, and hopped over to assist another pokemon.
In the air, Loki was quickly losing stamina as opposing Magneton eventually scored a lucky hit and destroyed its corporeal form. The Gengar reformed every time and retaliated with its own blasts of shadowy energy, but the ghost was getting slower. Loki descended lower, allowing the Magneton to fly in range of Charizard and Agni, who fired off bolts of fire and blasted the Magneton in pursuit.
Espy was holding up her shields, but was quickly losing the ability to attack as she poured energy into the barrier to deflect Thunderbolts of increasing intensity. Espy, get Agni to assist! The Arcanine sailed into the fray seconds later, downing a Magneton with several bolts of fire. Two Magneton levitated over and zapped the dog from both sides, eliciting pained cries from the great fire type as he was driven to the ground. Charizard roared and dropped onto one of the Magneton from the air, crushing it with its sheer claws and razing the other with a Flamethrower. The flying type breathed heavily as it stepped off the body, blood running freely from open wounds in its chest and shoulders.
Dancer, get over to Agni! Dancer hopped next to the Arcanine and stood guard, ready to defend against more Magneton. Agni whimpered and licked the Clefable's side.
Espy closed her eyes. I cannot fight forever. My stamina will wane soon.
"I know," said Ethan, gritting his teeth. Damn it.
Alice sprayed Charizard with potion, healing its surface wounds and allowing the fire type to fully stretch its wings again. "They just keep coming," she said, wiping sweat from her forehead.
Above! Two Magnezone descended on their tired party from above, blasting Charizard into the ground with a Flash Cannon and razing Dancer's barriers. There was a loud screech, and Steelix crushed one Magnezone in its cavernous maw. The second levitated forwards Espy, who readied another Focus Blast.
The Magnezone jerked up, dragged by a bright green dragon in its thick claws. The Flygon swung back and hurled the steel type away, aided by another Moonblast from Dancer. As the dragon landed next to them, Ethan finally noticed Sophia on its back. Her normally long, straight hair was in disarray, strands pointing every which way from the ambient electricity in the air. Her face, though covered in dust, was marked with a calm expression as she joined the two trainers from her perch.
"A message from Beta squad," she said, her voice trembling a bit. "The right flank is collapsing and needs our help urgently."
Ethan and Alice looked at each other. "We'll do our best," he said simply.
"Get on Steelix's back!" Alice gripped the ridges of the steel type's body, lofting herself with practice ease. Espy opted to teleport the two of them behind her. Ethan looked down at Agni, who had steadied himself to his feet with Dancer's help.
"Agni, you can't fight anymore. I'm returning you." Ethan returned the Arcanine to his pokeball despite a defiant growl. Dancer hopped onto the steel type's back in a single bound.
"Follow me." Sophia and Flygon ascended into the air, and Ethan and company lurched forward as Steelix followed closely behind. The giant serpent barreled through the battle with impunity, and Ethan could see the pitched fights all around them. The League forces were holding, but barely. Dozens of Magneton bodies littered the ground. The trainers were coalescing into groups as they were driven back by the horde of Magneton. Their numbers had thinned significantly, but the battle was very evenly matched. Each of the trainers seemed to only have a couple of pokemon left, compared to the full teams they had fielded in the beginning.
On the opposite side of the field, Ethan could see Adrian defending a group of injured and unconscious trainers from a swarm of Magneton. Typhlosion was blasting steel types left and right. A blue, blocky, armored creature was zooming through the air and smashing Magneton with clawed fists. Another darker-blue dragon of some sort stood next to the group of trainers, roaring and knocking enemies out of the sky with Fire Blasts. After a moment, Ethan recognized the creatures as Metagross and Garchomp. Adrian's team.
He looked at Espy. "Get us there!"
Espy tiredly waved an arm, and the two of them appeared next to Adrian. His older cousin spared them a glance before returning his attention to the fight. "I got the call and headed here as soon as possible. We're handling it now."
Ethan watched as the Garchomp leapt into the air and snatched two Magneton with its claws. Then it hurled them at the Metagross, who clotheslined the flying steel types with its massive fists. "Yeah, I can see that."
"Are you okay?"
"Been better." Espy ensnared an incoming Magneton with her psychic grip. Steelix barreled past them and its tail smashed the creature into the ground with a sickening crunch. Alice hopped off its back, Dancer close behind her. Sophia hovered overhead with Flygon.
Ethan looked around. "Now we're just missing—
He heard a loud yell behind him and turned around just in time to see a red-haired figure leap off a Rhydon, who snarled and batted away a swarming Magneton. Her Blaziken leapt and kicked the Magneton with a leg shrouded in fire, dashing it into the ground. Rhydon turned around and revealed a passenger on its back: Yasneem. The woman had small cuts on her face and a dark red spot in her shirt on her side. Her face was curled into a snarl as she scanned the field for any nearby Magnetons. It was then she noticed her squad grouped together, and her expression turned into a smirk. She gave the squad a wave before hopping off Rhydon's back, bounding over to them. Her Blaziken followed, though it continued to face outward towards the fighting.
"These Magnetons ain't shit," she commented, spitting some saliva and a bit of blood onto the ground.
"You're hurt," noted Sophia neutrally.
Yasneem looked at the blood on her shirt, and she waved it off. "I've been hurt worse training my Weavile." She looked up at Adrian. "What's the play?"
Adrian pointed behind them. A substantial swam of Magneton and Magnezones was flying directly towards them, having noticed the large amount of trainers grouped together. Ethan noted somewhat fortunately that their squad seemed to be diverting a significant percentage of the Magnetons in the area, hopefully lightening the load on the other squads. Yay for us.
Yasneem rolled her shoulders. "Bring it on!"
At least one of us is excited.
Then their squad moved into action, and everything descended into chaos.
Several Magneton immediately swarmed around Steelix's head, forcing the steel snake to snap at the creatures to drive them away as they blasted its armored body. Dancer and Espy stood protectively next to Ethan, shielding him and the other trainers at the base of Steelix's body from attacks. Everyone else's pokemon scattered all around them as they engaged the incoming Magneton. Ethan caught a glimpse of Loki briefly in the fray, the Gengar snarling as it dodged lightning bolts and retaliated with explosive Shadow Balls that dropped each Magneton it hit.
Slam. Ethan flinched as a Magnezone suddenly smashed into Espy and Dancer's combined barriers with its body, though the shields held. "Dancer, nail it!" The Clefable clasped her hands together and summoned a torrent of flames from her palms, bathing the ground in fire. Magnezone swerved to the right to avoid the attack and began to rotate its body rapidly, a dense spinning ball of steel that now shot towards them again. Ethan heard an ear-splitting roar to his left, and a Garchomp leapt in front of him and smashed a glowing claw into the Magnezone. The steel type was sent hurtling into the air, far away. Ethan looked at Adrian to his left, who gave him a thumbs up before ordering his Garchomp back into the thick of the battle.
Above them, Sophia and her Flygon narrowly evaded attacking Magneton. The blue-haired girl lay nearly flat on her dragon's back, guiding the creature silently as it performed increasingly complex maneuvers in the air. A Magneton shot up right in front of the Flygon, who glided over the creature and snatched the two magnets on either side of its body in its claws. The dragon dove towards the ground, pirouetting its body into a stunning spinning dive and disorienting the offending pokemon. As it neared the ground, the Flygon released the Magneton and shot back into the air, slamming the steel type into the ground with earth-shattering force.
On the ground, Dancer and Espy were blasting at passing Magneton, anything to help. Their attacks weren't quite as effective as the attacks like that of Adrian's Typhlosion, who spewed searing bolts of flame at any steel type that sailed into range and dropped them almost instantly. A group of Magneton suddenly split off from the swarms and began pelting the ground around them with Thunderbolts. Ethan flinched as crackling electricity sizzled along his team's shields mere inches from his face and unconsciously gripped Espy's shoulder. "Espy—
A curtain of purplish wind descended upon the Magneton from above, buffeting them and halting their approach. A grinning Gengar dropped down from the sky, its right hand alight with bright purple fire as it raked its claws across each of the steel types on its way down. The flames spread from the point of contact on their armor and quickly engulfed the Magneton. One steel type retailed with a blistering beam of gray light that eviscerated the ghost type into a cloud of purple smoke. Moments later, the gases reformed into back into Loki, who snarled as it fired off a Power Ball into the group of Magneton that sent the steel types flying apart with the force of the explosion.
Thanks, Loki. Ethan thought, hoping Espy would pass along the message. Loki turned back to its trainer, grinning tiredly.
They continued to fight. Minutes passed. Ethan's squad stayed close, taking shots and covering each other when they did. The League trainers held, steadily wearing down the Magneton swarm until only a couple dozen were left. The steel types began to break off from each other, making them easy targets that their teams could pick off one by one. Finally, the last Magnezone dropped to the ground like a stone, smoking and melting slightly from fire attacks.
It was over. Several hundred unconscious and worse Magneton and Magnezone lay strewn across the grassy hill. There were also League pokemon and trainers dotting the landscape in varying conditions. Ethan's squad was one of the few still fully intact and grouped together. Ethan wrinkled his nose at the smell of ozone and scorched metal in the air.
"Team, report!" yelled Adrian, his voice a bit hoarse.
"Here." Ethan watched as Alice leapt off her Steelix, mostly safe from the attacks behind her pokemon's armor. Sophia and her Flygon descended onto the ground, quickly followed by Yasneem and her Blaziken who made their way towards their squad. Both women looked exhausted.
Adrian nodded. "Good work. It looks like we've successfully repelled the swarm. I'm glad none of you were seriously hurt."
"What about the other squads?" asked Ethan.
His older cousin glanced to the side. "Can't say right now. I know that Beta and Charlie had nearly their entire teams taken out. Captain Edwards is assessing squad statuses now. Speaking of which, I need to report to him." He looked at their team. "Just stay put. We'll have our orders soon enough."
With that, Adrian jogged over to where the captain and the other remaining squad leaders were standing. Ethan looked at his team, each of whom looked bone tired. Dancer sat on the ground, her head sagging down. Loki even lowered itself to the ground and leaned against Dancer's form, too exhausted to even bother the fairy. Espy's fur was in disarray, pulled every direction from the ambient static electricity in the air. She had her eyes closed and had begun to meditate. A thought struck him. "Espy, how's Zeus?" asked Ethan, not even bothering with telepathy.
The electric beast is fine. I have asked it to return to us. She opened her eyes. It is annoyed that it did not encounter sufficient combatants to satiate its desire for battle.
Ethan rolled his eyes. He looked over to Alice, who was checking her Steelix. The massive steel snake was covered in scorch marks, but otherwise looked unharmed—its armor rendered it impervious to nearly all of the Magneton's attacks. Its large eyes followed Ethan as he sauntered over to Alice. "Steelix looked like he held up pretty well."
"Wasn't too worried about him." Alice ran a hand along its armor. "The only way they could have hurt him is if they had gotten a lucky shot in between the kinks of his armored plates, but even that would have only immobilized him for a short amount of time." She grimaced. "He's about the only one. I had to return Charizard and Exxegutor. They both need a trip to the Pokemon Center. How about your team?"
Zeus had just made it to the top of his hill, quickly rejoining his team. The electric beast seemed bemused by their tired forms, and then he frowned, looking left and right as if he was looking for something. Espy's eyes glowed, and the Electabuzz nodded as they silently communicated. "They're mostly fine. Espy and Dancer mostly kept off their attacks with their shields, and Loki's lucky we've been training him on reforming after his body's been destroyed. But they're all out of stamina. Agni gotten taken out halfway through the battle. He'll be fine, though."
"What's with all of the down faces?" Yasneem held up her hands, and Sophia slightly shifted away from her. "We just kicked Team Rocket's ass! We'll celebrate once they've taken back Ecruteak. Drinks on me! My treat." She glanced at Ethan. "Maybe just one for you."
He smiled. "That'd be cool."
"Right? Time to cut loose." She leaned against her Rhydon, who had stoically planted himself on the hill and was silently observing the post-battle hubbub. "It'll be actually kind of refreshing to see what you all do outside of just training and battling—which is pretty much when we see each other."
Alice snorted. "Won't be much of a difference with Ethan."
Ethan shrugged. "Guilty." He gestured at Sophia. "You coming?"
The blonde-haired girl seemed slightly uncomfortable. "If you would have me."
"Sure we would," said Alice, smiling.
"It's settled then!" Then Yasneem frowned. "Wait, forgot our gracious squad leader. I'll bug him about it when he's back."
"You can bug me soon," said Adrian as he joined their circle. "We have some wounded, but no fatalities."
Their team nodded soberly. Their own squadmate's death was still fresh in their minds.
"It also looks like our actions here had some noticeable effects on Team Rocket's forces in the city," his older cousin continued. "Preliminary reports suggest that multiple Rockets have broken rank and are quickly retreating. League troops are routing them out of the city quickly. It's likely that we'll have full control of the city by tonight."
Yasneem snorted. "Guess they were really betting on that Magneton swarm showing up."
He nodded. "It looks that way." Adrian smiled. "I'm proud of all of you and how you held up today. And don't worry—drinks will be on me instead. I know a place called the Spirits of Johto in Ecruteak that's pretty great, assuming it's still standing." He looked at Ethan, winking. "And I won't be mentioning anything to your mom, either."
Ethan looked over at Espy, who had sat down on the grass, her legs folded beneath her. Guess you and everyone else will have the night off.
We will be fine. It will be good for you to develop bonds with the other humans, particularly since you will be battling alongside them.
Is that your way of saying I need to make friends?
If that is how you interpret it.
…..
By the time Ethan had arrived at the Spirits of Johto bar, Yasneem, Adrian, and Alice were already there. The building was packed with dozens of other trainers and town denizens who were celebrating their victory over Team Rocket. Ethan's squad had staked out a small booth near the corner of the room, with a round of drinks already set on the table.
"Ethan!" Alice waved him over, and he joined the group.
"I didn't realize it would be this packed," said Ethan.
"Everyone's just trying to relax and forget for a little while." Adrian handed him a glass of golden liquid, which he gripped tenderly. "Take a sip, see what you think."
Yasneem laughed. "Are we really his first time? I'm officially corrupting a minor."
Ethan raised the pint to his lips, letting a small stream of the beverage tilt into his mouth. The drink was somewhat sweet and bitter, but it burned a bit down his throat. It was a sensation he was not prepared for, as he immediately set the drink down on the table and began to cough. Alice and Yasneem both chuckled, and Adrian patted him on the back. "It takes some getting used to. But let's not make a habit of it now."
"That was, ah, different." Ethan pushed the drink towards the center of the table. The taste lingered in his mouth, in a way not too dissimilar from a Pecha Berry that he had accidentally taken a bite out of when he was very young.
"You know Ethan, I've been meaning to ask you this," said Yasneem, leaning back against the booth, drink in one hand. "What's it like being psychic?"
He frowned. "I wouldn't really call myself a psychic."
"Says the boy with glowing blue eyes when he's battling," she replied, waggling her fingers with her free hand. "You able to read minds?" She paused, as if considering her words. "Can you tell what I'm thinking right now?"
"No, I can't," said Ethan, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "The only people I've been able to communicate telepathically with are Espy and other human psychics."
"Ah hah! You just admitted you were a psychic."
Ethan's mouth opened and closed, and Alice giggled. Yasneem smiled confidently at him, and he shrugged. "Sure, whatever you want to call it. But I can't bend spoons, lift objects, predict the future, or read minds."
"How does it feel to communicate telepathically with your Alakazam?" asked Alice less abrasively.
He thought about it for a moment. "Imagine you're thinking to yourself in your head. You probably have some type of inner voice that you recognize as you. Speaking with someone telepathically is like hearing some other person's voice in that same space. You just think, and you hear their thoughts too."
Yasneem nodded, impressed. "That's pretty cool."
Ethan smiled. "Yeah, it's kind of cool."
"Do you know why your eyes glow blue sometimes?" said Alice.
He shrugged. "I actually don't really know the answer to that. It just sort of…happened at some point."
Adrian raised a hand. "I can actually provide some clarity there." He sipped his beer. "When psychics use their power, they give off an ambient energy, kind of like a machine giving off heat when it's in use. It's sort of a threat display. Most psychics do this, but through training and experience, they're able to mask the energy so that it's invisible. Effectively, it's just a sign of Ethan linking minds with Espy and communicating telepathically—the use of his power."
"How do you know about psychics?" asked Ethan loudly, trying to be heard over the steadily increasing volume of the bar.
"I have a Metagross, remember?" said Adrian, smiling. "We've got a psychic link as well, though I don't do the "glowing eyes thing" anymore. And before you ask"—Adrian held up a hand as Yasneem began to pipe up—"I'm not technically a psychic. It's a skill you have to actively develop and train. It's like playing a sport casually versus competitively. I might be able to connect with my Metagross and get a general sense of emotions from people I'm talking to, but I'm not lifting boulders with my mind or anything. If that's a path Ethan wants to take, he'd be better off talking to an actual master like Will from the Elite Four or something."
"Sure, I'll just text him and he'll swing over after this," said Ethan, rolling his eyes.
"I might be able to pull a favor for you there. Just ask me about it later!"
"Sophia's here," Alice pointed out. The light-blue haired girl seemed uncomfortable as she threaded her way through the crowd. Ethan got a sense that Sophia wasn't big on people—the way she avoided touching others if she could help it, the general unease around large groups, her preference for silence. Still, as she made her way to their table and sat down in the booth, he figured at least she could manage to be with them.
"Want a drink?" yelled Yasneem, pushing over a mug of beer to the girl. Sophia accepted it and took a long pull from the glass before setting it down.
"Thank you."
"You don't go out much, do you?" said Yasneem, grinning. Not really one for subtlety.
Sophia blinked slowly. "I can't say it's my most relished activity," she admitted. "I would prefer to be outside, stargazing. But you invited me, so I thought it'd be best for me to come."
"Stargazing?" Yasneem snorted. "Well, if it works for you. Maybe it's one of those hobbies you develop when you're a kid."
"And your childhood was bar hopping?" asked Ethan wryly.
She flipped a grin at him. "Close. Definitely parties when I was older. But my favorite thing to do as a kid was exploring Goldenrod. Old buildings, cranes, the Underground. Anything that was hard to get to."
"What about you, Alice?" said Ethan, turning around towards the younger trainer. "You grew up in Goldenrod too, right?"
"Yeah, though I spent a lot of time preparing for Pokemon Contests when I was younger." Alice shrugged. "I never spent a lot of time in the city because I was always travelling."
Yasneem raised an eyebrow. "What district did you live in?"
"I mostly lived in the financial district."
"Figured as much," said Yasneem, chuckling.
Alice frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Because half of all Pokemon Contest trainers in Johto are from Goldenrod." Yasneem kicked back in the booth, knocking back the rest of her glass. "And most of them are from the west end of town."
"Where did you grow up?"
Yasneem threw up an odd hand gesture: three fingers pointed to her left. "East end." She smiled faintly, almost amusedly. "Pokemon Contests weren't really a thing where I was from. Just for trainers who couldn't cut it as career battlers."
Alice raised an eyebrow. Ethan glanced at Sophia, sensing a need to change the subject. "What about you, Sophia? Where are you from again?"
The attention turned to the soft-spoken girl, who seemed to shrink ever so slightly. "Blackthorn."
"Only people I ever knew from Blackthorn were either mountaineers or weird dragon people," commented Yasneem. She held up an empty glass and waved at one of the waiters, who nodded curtly before returning to the back of the bar. "Where did you get your hand on so many dragons? I spent weeks crawling around those caves south of Blackthorn and never even saw a dragon, not even a broken egg shell."
Sophia had twitched at the mention of "weird dragon people", though her expression remained neutral when she replied. "The caves of Blackthorn are maze-like. If you're not familiar with the region, you're likely to become lost. Dragons have had centuries to practice hiding from humans in the mountains."
Ethan nodded. "Adrian, you got your Garchomp as a Gible from a breeder, right?"
His older cousin smiled. "Good memory. Yeah, I ran into a rare pokemon breeder in the Hoenn region years ago. He had a temperamental Gible that he couldn't control, so he gladly sold him to me—I still paid a pretty large amount. But I figured out that the Gible was just incredibly bored, so it was a pretty great match. He got to battle and smash things as much as he liked when he travelled with me."
"Impressive, that you managed to tame a dragon, even a young one." Sophia looked at Adrian with an inscrutable expression. Is it…envy? Pride? Awe?
"Not too different from some of the others on my team," said Adrian, raising a hand. "Scyther was an absolute menace when I caught him in the bug catching contest in Johto a long time ago. I definitely think his evolution mellowed him out a bit."
Yasneem laughed. "I think everyone here has had problems with temperamental pokemon. Cheers to that." Glasses clinked, and everyone drank except for Ethan, who opted for his water in lieu of alcohol.
"I was surprised to see you had a Gengar on your team," said Alice now, redirecting the conversation back to Ethan. "They're notoriously hard to control."
Ethan nodded. "He's definitely the wildest of the bunch. A lot of times I just let him out of the pokeball at night so he can fly around and do whatever he wants to do."
Yasneem shook her head. "Ghosts are freaky. Couldn't pay me to keep one."
Ethan grinned. "I could introduce you to it if you'd like."
"Hell no!"
Everyone laughed. Ethan felt a vibration in his pocket, and he pulled out his phone. It was a text from Lyra: "Talk later?" He texted her back. "Yeah. Gimme a bit." Ethan looked up. "I think I'm going to head back now, guys."
Adrian nodded. "Text me when you get back to the Pokemon Center. And let me know if you need me to walk you home." His cousin winked at him.
"Yeah, you know me—can't hold my alcohol."
Once he was outside the bar, Ethan released Espy. He shuddered in the cold—light snow had begun to drift from the night sky, dusting the area with white. The Alakazam blinked, and a light shield materialized around them, shielding him from the worst of it. "Thanks, Espy." Mind if you teleport us back to the Pokemon Center?
Not at all. In the blink of an eye, the pair had reappeared in the lobby of the Ecruteak Pokemon Center. Fortunately, there was no one around them—Ethan had had to apologize more than once to a startled trainer nearby when Espy teleported them directly into the building interior. He walked back to his room while Espy floated silently behind him.
Did you enjoy your time with the others?
Yes, mom, I made friends. Ethan stuck his tongue out at the psychic. Bubble green pulses in his head.
Humans communicate inefficiently, but you are stronger and more effective as a group when given the opportunity to form bonds.
Uh huh. Ethan reached his room. "Just letting you know, I'm going to call Lyra soon, probably after I shower and stuff.
I know.
Show off.
Ethan let the day's stresses wash off him as he showered. When he finally collapsed into his bed, the springs in the mattress creaked as he spread his limbs across its surface. For a moment, he considered falling asleep right then and there. Well, maybe after I call Lyra.
He tapped the call button on his phone. Ring. Ring. Ring. Lyra's face appeared on his screen. "Hey!"
"Hey Ethan," said Lyra quietly. Ethan frowned. His friend's face was marked with black streaks, like soot or ash. Her hair was a mess—stray hairs poked out every which way from a hastily assembled ponytail. Her eyes just exuded exhaustion. "How've you been?"
"It's been hectic," he admitted. "I've already been pulled on a couple of missions with the League. They need all the help they can get. What about you? Did you just finish battling or something?"
"Kind of." Lyra winced as she tried to stretch her neck. "Cianwood is a war zone. Team Rocket launches an attack just about every day, so it's been stressful. Today I was one of the people out on watch when they attacked."
"Were you hurt?"
"Not badly, but I think I'm going to have some bruises tomorrow." Lyra sighed. "Hope things have been doing better for you."
"It's been going. Where do I even start..?" Ethan recounted the events from Mahogany Town to Ecruteak: the Team Rocket base underneath the city, the discovery of what the Rockets had been doing to pokemon, the battle with the evolved Gyarados, Tsunami's injury, what he heard from his cousin Adrian, his squadmates, the first mission they had assaulting a Team Rocket base, meeting Elite Four member Will, capturing Larvitar, the desperate defense of Ecruteak from the Magneton swarm, and his squad hanging out after the battle was over. He quietly neglected to mention Riku and what had happened to him.
"Arceus, that was a lot," said Lyra, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think it's been nearly as exciting here. Just the same old, same old. Defend, recover, sleep, and repeat."
"You see any of the evolved pokemon?"
"Now that you mention it, I've had to fight a lot of evolved pokemon. Weezing, Houndoom, Arbok, Magneton. Thankfully, no Gyarados." Lyra shuddered at the thought. "Couldn't even imagine fighting a whole herd of them."
He shook his head. "You don't want to. I'm just glad everyone made it out of there."
"What do you think of your squad? Sounds like you're getting along."
Ethan thought about it, then smiled. "You know, it's been a little weird getting used to hanging out with…people again, but they're growing on me. Adrian doesn't really count, though. Yasneem's can be annoying and abrasive sometimes, and Sohpia mainly keeps to herself. I probably get along with Alice the best."
"You met her at Mahogany Town, right?" said Lyra.
He nodded. "Yep. We just vibe. Though I don't think she and Yasneem are really going to be friends. Something about where they're from."
"Where are they from?"
"Goldenrod, but different parts. Maybe there's some type of rivalry or something?"
Lyra shrugged. "Wouldn't know. Didn't notice anything like that when we visited before."
"Did they never group you all into teams?"
"No." Lyra sighed. "It's been a lot less organized here. Chuck the Gym Leader has been in charge, and I think he's just barely holding everyone together. I've barely heard any news about places outside of Cianwood—you told me a lot of stuff that I didn't know. If Team Rocket is still controlling Olivine City, I don't think this is going to end anytime soon. We're basically stuck."
Ethan clenched his jaw. "Stay safe out there, Lyra. We took Ecruteak, and I bet we're coming for Olivine next. Then Cianwood."
She smiled. "Aye aye. Well, I'm going to get cleaned up. Good night, we'll talk soon."
"Good night."
He set his phone aside. As he stared up at the ceiling, Ethan began to close his eyes.
We'll get you all out of there. And then we're going to make Team Rocket pay.
…
The sun was just barely over the horizon when Ethan and Espy materialized in the field. They weren't allowed to stray far from the city—the League hadn't quite cleared every square inch of territory in the area, and Ethan wasn't keen on having a repeat of his last experience outside of Ecruteak.
He released Larvitar from his pokeball. The short green pokemon yawned and scratched its side absently. "Hey, dude," said Ethan, crouching to the pokemon's level. Larvitar turned to face him. "I was a little pressed for time when we first met, so I'm getting to it now. Do you want a name?"
Larvitar grunted, and Ethan took that as a yes. "Okay…now what to name you?" He's going to grow up to be a lot bigger and more fearsome than he is now, so best to roll with a name that will suit him later. Hm. After a few minutes of thinking, Ethan had a few ideas but didn't want to commit right away. He released Zeus onto the field. The Electabuzz snorted and his eyes fell on the Larvitar, who largely seemed to ignore the electric type's presence. Zeus looked down at the creature and then back at Ethan, as if to say, "Really? This one?"
"Don't judge a book by its cover, Zeus," said Ethan, stepping back from them. "We're going to test how well Larvitar does in a battle. Larvitar, are you ready?"
Larvitar yawned again, this time sitting on the ground hard. Ethan frowned. "Uh, I guess that's a no?"
Larvitar grunted at him. Zeus rolled his eyes, folding his arms as he impatiently waited. Ethan held up his hands. "Do you just not feel like fighting?"
The small rock type grunted back again. Ethan mentally scratched his head. Well, this is definitely weird. Never had a pokemon that didn't at least want to battle a little. Maybe he's just not a fighter?
Perhaps he requires motivation. Espy's eyes glowed blue, and a blue orb levitated out of Ethan's backpack and into his hands. It was an Oran Berry. This seemed to work last time.
He shrugged. "All right, Larvitar. If you battle, I'll give you this Oran Berry." He grinned. "If you beat Zeus, I'll give you two."
Larvitar blinked, and the rock type lurched to his feet, slightly bent forward. The pokemon's forked tongue flicked in and out of his mouth. The Larvitar had what seemed like a hungry look in its eyes, all signs of laziness or drowsiness gone. Ethan wanted to slap his forehead. Did I capture a Snorlax or what?
Zeus didn't seem impressed, though he snorted when Ethan mentioned the Larvitar beating him. He unfolded his arms, allowing current to run through his fur freely. Sparks bounced from his arms to his body, and Ethan smelled ozone in the air.
Ethan looked at the Electabuzz. "You can start it off, Zeus."
Zeus whirred and immediately stabbed its fist at the rock type, blasting the pokemon with a sizzling bolt of electricity that would have fried a Magikarp. Not one to pull your punches, damn.
When the Thunderbolt ceased, the Larvitar was still standing. Apart from a black scorch mark where the electricity had struck, the rock type seemed largely fine. Ethan raised an eyebrow. Well, this is going to be interesting.
Larvitar rumbled—the sound of rock sliding against rock—and dashed forward at top speed, though given its stature and size, that meant a jogging pace for Ethan. Zeus snorted and followed up his first attack with more Thunderbolts, each of them smacking the rock type in his head and body.
Larvitar bore the attacks well and continued its charge. Zeus windmilled one of his arms, roaring as he unleashed a staggering amount of current into the Larvitar. Ethan winced and looked away, the attack too bright to even look at from the corner of his eye. He heard a roar—not Zeus'—and a grunt, and Ethan looked back just in time to see Zeus launch into the air and hit the ground several feet away from the rock type. The Larvitar's green hide was blackened from the blasts of lightning it had taken. Ethan could see its small shoulder rise up and down from exertion, though it seemed largely fine for the pounding that Zeus had given him. It grinned, a forked tongue slipping in and out of its mouth occasionally.
Zeus growled as he got to his feet, winded but otherwise unhurt. The Electabuzz roared and charged at the rock type, its fists sparking with electricity. The Larvitar rumbled and dug its hands into the ground before standing up suddenly, tearing out and flinging a volley of rocks from the ground at surprising speed towards the Electabuzz. Zeus dodged them, even employing a Quick Attack as he bounced side to side to avoid the Rock Slide attack. Then it was up close, and Zeus chopped at the Larvitar's shoulder with a glowing hand. With frightening swiftness, the Larvitar chomped at Zeus's outstretched arm, but not before the electric type retracted the arm and smashed a white glowing fist into Larvitar's body. The force propelled the heavy creature back a few feet, but Zeus wasn't done. The Electabuzz breathed a plume of flames into the rock type's face; Ethan doubt that he meant for it to hurt, but it blinded the creature. Larvitar stumbled around, trying to wave away the bright flames around its eyes as Zeus closed in again and employed his Brick Break technique, pounding his fists into the Larvitar's abdomen constantly. Larvitar seemed stunned by the attacks and didn't retaliate. Zeus reared back and delivered a devastating lightning-charged uppercut that sent the creature flying several feet. The Electabuzz grinned, whirring in satisfaction.
Larvitar rolled back onto his feet. He was breathing heavily, and his hide was cracking in places where the Electabuzz had struck repeatedly. Larvitar roared, louder than he had before, and a light blue energy began to envelop his limbs. Ethan's eyes widened as the Larvitar seemed to forget about its injuries and charge forward even faster than before. Zeus growled and charged ahead as well. Then the two pokemon collided in the middle of the field with a smack. The Electabuzz seemed to struggle with the rock type's strength as the Larvitar screeched and tried to close his jaws around his right arm. Zeus pulled back the arm just as its teeth snapped shut on air, and he dug the hand underneath the rock type's body. With a loud groan, Zeus reared back and lifted the creature into the air. Then he swung around once, twice, and finally three times before he hurled the Larvitar several meters away, where it landed with a loud thud.
Larvitar rolled over, its eyes blinking rapidly. But he did not get up again.
Ethan exhaled. Damn. That thing is a tank. He's slow but powerful, even at this size. I think he even used Outrage, though it looked like a weak version of it. Can't imagine what he'll be like when he evolves. "Good job, Zeus. Though it probably would have been smarter to dodge his charges."
Zeus snorted and folded his arms, though he could see the minute trembles in his limbs. It really had taken all of his strength to take Larvitar's charge and throw him. Not that the Electabuzz would admit it.
Ethan walked over to the Larvitar, who looked at him before opening his mouth wide. "All right, all right," he chuckled before tossing the Oran Berry at the rock type. Larvitar caught the berry between his teeth and began to munch on it, its tongue flickering in and out. Despite the beating he had taken, the Larvitar largely seemed okay. "I think I know what to name you now. You seem lazy, but you're a real powerhouse when you get moving. I'm going to call you Ares."
Larvitar grunted but said nothing else. Ethan smiled and released the rest of his friends into the clearing. "Everyone! Meet Ares, your new teammate."
Loki seemed annoyed by the morning sun but said nothing as it floated towards the Larvitar, intrigued by the new pokemon. The rock type's tongue slithered out and almost touched the ghost, who quickly floated up to avoid it. Loki poked at its hide curiously, and grinned when the rock type did nothing, causing the ghost to continue to poke at it. Dancer, Agni, and Tsunami moved over as well, exchanging greetings with their new teammate. Zeus hung back, preferring to recharge in the sun after its bout with the creature.
"I'm starting a small family here," said Ethan, chuckling. He joined Espy on the ground, who was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed.
I think he will be a fine addition. She paused. I suspect you may have started a rivalry, though.
His pride's just a bit injured. He'll get over it.
Your confidence is inspiring.
Wouldn't be able to do what I do without that confidence. Ethan smiled. Well, don't want to waste too much sun. Our next mission will be here before we know it. And I want us to be ready for Team Rocket. He stood up.
"Let's get to work!"
…
A/N: Sorry about the wait again! It's been a tough year for me—lots of work to be done with my job, and other changes as well. Fortunately, I've had a multitude of flights recently (like the one I'm on right now to write this chapter), which has given me enough time and headspace to crank out more writing. I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about Ethan's character and that of his friends—I think it's time to start focusing on the human characters as much as the pokemon. You're going to be seeing more of them soon enough :)