# Pokemon: QATM Chapter 17

Author: Volcan MacAingeal
Tags: Dusknoir, Human, Pangoro, Tyranitar, Zangoose, battle, brutality, defeat, gengar, mightyena, pokemon, pokemon trainer, steelix, zoroark


Note from author
Hey everyone! Here's the
next chapter. Quick note; you might've noticed I've started inserting
soundtrack prompts into the story; I can't add links directly, nor should I, so
instead I just insert the titles as I find them; you can find the songs on Youtube.com
and play them from there during the reading. Bear in mind the themes I choose
may be borrowed from other characters -normally I strive for originality but
for a Pokémon story only Pokémon OST's should be used, wouldn't you say?
_________________________________________________________________
Pokémon:
Quest of a True Master
Chapter 17
-Johto and Sinnoh Arc-
            The last of the supplies were loaded onto the back
of the cart as Reggie brought them out from the store, letting out a sigh as
she placed the last two bags into the back. "Man, it's hot out here," she
muttered as she took off her hat and fanned herself with it for a moment, while
wiping sweat from her forehead. She ran her eyes over the groceries and tools
she had picked up from the trading post; a fortunate relief that this place was
so much closer than New Bark Town, or this trip would have taken her twice as
long.
            "Surprises me how much a whole camp
of diggers and archaeologists can eat," she said sarcastically to her Zebstrika,
Bolt, who was hooked up to the cart. 
A larger-than-average Zebstrika, Bolt was nearly
twice as large as any other Zebstrika, standing taller than his trainer and
with a thick, muscly form, a saddle on his back where Reggie climbed on to,
settling into the saddle before noticing him looking back at her; she reached
over and pet his muzzle, gingerly giggling.
"Don't worry boy, I didn't forget," she said, before
reaching into her pocket, producing a handkerchief and unwrapped it to reveal
several slices of apple in her hand, which the Zebstrika happily ate from her
palm as she offered them to him. "There you go."
Bolt nickered happily as he finished eating his
little treat, and with a click of his trainer's tongue, they were off,
following a dirt road back to the dig site at the foot of Mt. Silver.
With naught but the sound of the wagon's wheels
bumping over the rocks on the road to fill her ears, Reggie let herself drift
off into thought, wondering what other discoveries they might discover here, at
Mt. Silver. There were so many mysteries to unravel about the ancient Pokémon
of the past -so many species that might yet remain undiscovered all across the
world, and Reggie strove to be the Trainer and Archaeologist that would
discover and train them all...
She was so deep in her thoughts that she nearly
launched herself off of Bolt's back when a deafening explosion made her jump.
Snapped out of her trance by the blast she had the sense to grab onto Bolt's
neck to secure herself as he reared up and bayed in fright, preventing him from
throwing her off of his back for a painful drop. Urgently she tried to sooth
her Pokémon's terror, getting off of his back and pulling at his reins while
speaking softly to him to try and calm him.
"Easy, easy! Steady boy!" She said, keeping her
voice level despite her own thundering heart; the explosion had shook her up
just as much as her Zebstrika, admittedly, and that likely didn't help with her
job of calming Bolt, considering that he could probably sense her fear.
But, he slowly calmed down; he stopped pulling at
his reins and became silent, dropping back onto his fore-hooves and shaking his
head, before looking at Reggie almost apologetically. She smiled at him and
stroked his muzzle again, assuring him it was fine, before she turned and
looked for the source of the explosion. It didn't take long to find it; a huge
pillar of dust, rising up from behind Mt. Silver, climbing high into the sky
until it was dangerously close to merging with the clouds themselves.
'That's no simple
'drilling and blasting' going on over there; that's more like a war zone,' Reggie thought with
certainty before she jumped back onto Bolt. "Let's go check it out, boy!" She
urged, and with a tap to his flank with her heel, she sent the Zebstrika into a
run, pulling the cart behind them and nearly tossing out some of the groceries
and tools in her haste, but her attention was solely on the road ahead, fearing
the worst of what was happening around the mountain...
~~~~~
It seemed to take forever for the dust to settle
around them. When finally it was clear enough to see Gigalith, it was standing
in a deep crater in the ground, completely frozen and its eyes dark. The strain
of using such a powerful Explosion attack had taken the last of its strength,
and as Baxter stuck his head up over the side of the crater, he saw the
Rock-type Pokémon fall to its side, unconscious.
He chuckled as he produced Gigalith's Poké Ball and
recalled it. "Nice kaboom big fella," he said as it was drawn back into its
ball, which he pocketed.
His comment was promptly followed by a punch across
the face; it hadn't hurt so much as just caught him by surprise, and he turned
to face his assailant, expecting a brawl, but he paused as he saw the enraged
face of Marvin Gold staring back at him.
"You. IMPOSSIBLY
IDIOTIC MADMAN!!" He screamed so violently, his vocal chords hurt from the
force of his yell. "You could have killed us all!"
"Don't be such a wuss," Baxter returned
dismissively. "I got the job done; there's no way those two or their Pokémon
survived that blast."
"Think again, bomber man!" A voice spoke from
Baxter's right.
He turned with a start, only to successfully allow
the foot of the flying figure to strike him square in the mouth, sending white-hot
pain across his face, and, unknown to him at first, sending a tooth flying out
of his half-open mouth. Baxter hit the ground like a fallen tree, and when the
pain fully set in, he grabbed his face and screamed, muffled through the cupped
hands over his mouth. Marvin turned to face the assailant, seeing a very
displeased Mark Taylor glaring back at him. He backed away, but didn't get two
steps before he bumped into someone else, peering over his shoulder to spot
Randy Calvin, standing with arms crossed, between him and his escape.
"Not so fast, senor," Randy stated.
"Please," Marvin began. "I-I-I had nothing to do
with what just happened; Baxter was assigned to work with me! But I didn't know
how obsessed with explosions he was; I had nothing to do with what..." He
paused. "Wait a minute... how are you two even still conscious, let alone
alive, after that?!"
As if his question were a cue, a familiar looking
Steelix emerged behind Mark, towering over the trainer and growling with
displeasure as it eyed Marvin and the downed Baxter. On top of the Steelix's
head sat a Zangoose, who mockingly waved his paw at the two below, chittering
rapidly in a giggle. Only the Steelix appeared to have a single mark on him,
and even then, what scratches could be seen in his metal body were vague, more
like the kind a man would have after trekking through a dense underbrush in the
woods or the jungle, but hardly the level of damage the land around Gigalith
had suffered...
"How is this possible?" Marvin asked.
"Explosion is the most powerful attack in the known
roster of Pokémon moves," Mark admitted. "But even then, it's not an
unstoppable force," he continued as he gestured back to his Steelix. "And you
need unstoppable to beat unmovable, which Tanker is; nothing is tougher than a
Steelix, especially not my Steelix;
he has the ultimate defense. Explosion still deals kinetic damage, and there
isn't a Physical attack in the world that can stop him, of that I have the
utmost confidence."
Mark punched his right fist into his left hand.
"But, back to the matter at hand," he said. "This is the second time you've
gotten in our way when we're simply just trying to get somewhere; first the S.S Julia where you caused a whole
shipload of trouble -literally, for us and Captain Raven. Now here, on the
Goldrenrod Railway we once again find you causing trouble for us and others;
for all the annoyances you've caused me on what was supposed to be a meaningful
trip, I'm going to kick your ass." He
emphasized the last three words by deepening his voice...
Randy let out a devious chuckle; Marvin looked over
his shoulder to the sound of knuckles cracking, seeing Randy grinning back at
him as he meshed his fingers together before pushing them forward. "In short,
you and your buddy there are going to get punched a lot."
"Uh oh..." Marvin whimpered as the two closed in on
him from both sides; their faces alone told him they were not bluffing... they
were actually going to do it.
            But just as they got close, a new
voice called out. "That'll be quite enough of that, Mr. Taylor and Calvin."
            The three of them froze, turning to
face the source of the voice; they saw, standing at the top of the hill, a
tan-skinned man with jaw-length black hair and dark brown eyes, wearing green
hat, a black shirt and white pants over a pair of red hi-top shoes. Hanging
from his shoulder was a bag, slung across his chest and resting on the opposite
hip. His face was young, barely even matured -this person could not have even
been in his twenties yet, or if he was, he was aging quite slowly.
            Down the hill, the newcomer stepped,
slowly and casually, all the while Mark and Randy just stared, not sure who it
was they were looking at. While they were distracted, Marvin stepped cautiously
over to the dazed Baxter, helping him to his feet before the both of them
turned and ran over to the newcomer, standing behind him.
            "Mr. Zane... what're you doing
here?" Marvin asked the young trainer.
            "I came to make sure you didn't
botch up this operation, like you did the last one," replied the boy.
            "That was not my fault!" Marvin
screamed in protest, pointing at Mark and Randy. "They are the ones who
interfered! They ruined the heist of the S.S
Julia and now they seek to ruin this operation as well!"
            "Then why didn't you stop them?" the
stranger asked, plainly.
            "Well... I..." Marvin began. "We
tried... but they're both strong." He looked at Baxter. "And this idiot can't
resist making a mess of things."
            "Oy! Don't blame me for your lack of
any skill, bucko!" Baxter retorted.
            "Marvin's quite right, Baxter,"
stated Kevin. "Your little 'blast' a moment ago sent up a beacon so big, I
wager the police in Lumiose City saw it!"
His voice escalated. "I brought you on this operation for your demolition
skills, and I expected a little more finesse but no; you had to try and bring
Mt. Silver down."
            "But... but I..." Baxter stated.
            "Were your disciplinary actions up
to me, you would not only be demoted, but I would have thoroughly flogged for
your idiocy," the boy went on. "Fortunately for you, your fate does not rest
with me." He looked back at Marvin. "I sent you along to keep him under
control, and you could not even do that right. Fortunately, I had the sense for
foresee that, and so I came personally."
            "Wait..." Marvin began, looking at
the stranger intensively. "You... you knew!" He exclaimed. "You knew these two
were on this train, didn't you?!"
            "Yes, I did," replied the boy. "I
thought your desire to get even with them would drive you to battle at your
best, overcome them, and still carry out the operation, but it appears I
overestimated you." He turned away from Marvin. "So, I'll be taking it from
here; the both of you, get over to the train and..."
            Tanker's sudden roar interjected on
the heated conversation, silencing the stranger referred to only as 'Mr. Zane'
so far, despite being clearly out-aged by everyone else present at this
gathering. He turned to face the Steelix, seeing him towering behind Mark and
Randy, with Velox standing at the front of the group, lowered onto all fours
and ready to pounce as he glared at Kevin.
            "We're still here, buddy," Randy
called.
            "Who are you?" Mark demanded. "Are
you part of the Syndicate too?"
            The boy chuckled. "Well, obviously I
am," he replied, tipping his hat slightly. "My name is Kevin Zane; I am a
lieutenant with the IPCS."
            Both Mark and Randy felt a rush of
wonder surge through them, exchanging a brief glance. "This kid is a lieutenant?" Randy asked,
quizzically.
            "Guess the Syndicate doesn't mistake
age for leadership skill," Mark added, before turning back to Kevin. "So you're
one of the Syndicate's higher-ups, eh?" He asked. "And why are you so
forthcoming with that information?"
            "Simply because..." Kevin began,
raising his arms and holding them outward as if on display for a photo op. "I'm
untouchable."
            Randy laughed at that. "Oh really?
So if I run at you and kick you right in the solar plexus, that won't count as
'touching'?"
            "Careful Randy; this guy may be
tougher than he looks," Mark warned.
            But the threat had been made. Kevin
narrowed his eyes, but never lost that confident smirk, so smug it made Mark
want to hit him, but his instincts told him to hold back. He couldn't place it,
but something about this guy just felt... off. He remembered that feeling he'd
had when he met Lance, like he was staring at Feraligatr, filled with
anticipation as it was heading into battle. He was getting a similar feeling
from looking at Kevin, but with him it felt as if he were looking at Cofagrigus
-a Pokémon that on the outside, looked like a harmless object, but on the
inside, there was something sinister and dangerous waiting to strike. Kevin
gave him that same sensation...
            "Well... it seems I would assume too
much if I simply asked you two to step aside and get out of our way?" Kevin
asked.
            "Uh, yeah?" Randy asked. "We're not
just going to let you walk away with people's Pokémon and money."
            "I'm afraid you're almost too late
to stop me; by now our enforcers will have already confiscated anything of
value on the train," returned Kevin. "You've been here fighting all this time
but our men already had their orders and carried them out, and while you were
fighting Marvin and Baxter, I oversaw them to make sure they succeeded. By now,
they'll be packing up and getting ready to leave, and there is nothing you can
do to stop them now."
            "You want to make a bet on that?"
Mark asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Tanker. "This guy just took
the biggest blast since Cinnabar Volcano and barely flinched, and he's just one of my team; you think your lackeys
stand a chance against us?"
            "We got plenty more where that came
from," Randy added. "We can take on every Enforcer you have with one hand
behind our backs."
            Kevin eyed them curiously, that
smirk of his fading somewhat, until he spoke, plainly and honestly. "I believe
you." He shut his eyes. "Well, it appears that you're just not going to back
off... and I wager offering you a sum of money wouldn't help either?"
            "Barking up the wrong tree if you
think you can bribe us," Mark retorted.
            "Then it seems I have no choice,"
returned Kevin, opening his bag and reaching inside. "I'm not about to let you
get in the way on another of our heists, so I'm just going to have to deal with
you myself."
            "Kevin?" Marvin asked. "You're going
to battle them?"
            "I am," replied the young man,
producing one Poké Ball from his satchel. "I'll deal with both of them; you two
go join the others and finish the mission. I shall be there soon."
            "Yes sir," returned Marvin, before
he and Baxter turned and started to leave.
          (Pokémon X/Y - Vs Team Flare Boss
Music for this scene)
            Randy and Mark watched with keen
interest as Kevin held the Poké Ball in his hand, looking at it for a moment
before his gaze shifted to Mark and Randy. Immediately after, he cast the ball
forth -just the one, despite being outnumbered, facing two Pokémon trainers
alone, and with only one Pokémon chosen. It did not make sense to Mark and
Randy; they could only watch as the creature contained within the ball was
released from its confines and revealed itself to them.
            The Pokémon that emerged was
primarily black, floating in the air with no feet; only a little, jagged
appendage that hung down over the ground waving about as if a flag in the wind.
It had an oddly cylindrical head, with a yellow, disk-shaped antennae growing
from the top. But what at first appeared to be a mouth suddenly glowed with the
presence of a single, red eyeball. It's head was surrounded by six flat
projections resembling an upturned collar, and on its belly were yellow
markings resembling a jagged-mouthed face, and from its shoulders extended two
thick, powerful-looking arms. It released a low hum as it elevated its hands,
staring ominously at the trainers with that one red eye.
            "Whoa... that's a Dusknoir," Mark
stated.
            "Damn scary lookin' thing, isn't
it?" Randy asked.
            "Sure is... but why didn't he pick a
second Pokémon?" Mark asked. "Is this guy so cocky he actually thinks he can
take both of us with only one Pokémon?"
            Randy grimaced. "Well, Dusknoir is
pretty powerful... if he's going with just one, this thing's got to be tough."
            "Then we take no chances," said
Mark, picking Tanker's Poké Ball from his hand. "Tanker's my only other Mega
Evolution Pokémon without Vitesse; I need to save him for later." He aimed the
ball at the Steelix. "Tanker, come back!" He called, firing the red beam from
the ball that engulfed Tanker in light, transforming him into energy and
drawing him into the ball, looking at it with a smile. "Great work, big fella."
            "Velox isn't going to do much good
against that thing," Randy muttered, before pulling out the Zangoose's Poké
Ball; he hated calling back his Pokémon, preferring to see fights through, but
even he recognized the need for a tactical retreat, and recalled Velox. "So,
got a plan?"
            "Dusknoir's a pure Ghost-type; he'll
be weak against Dark-types and other Ghosts," he said. "So let's jump on that."
            "Got just the one," said Randy,
producing a second Poké Ball.
            "So do I," added Mark, doing the
same.
            The two of them wound up, and threw
the Poké Balls forward simultaneously, calling out the ones confined within.
From Mark's Poké Ball, Fang emerged; the Mightyena growled eagerly as it
erupted from the ball and landed on all fours, baring his teeth at the
Dusknoir. The second Pokémon, emerging from Randy's, was Gemstar, his Starmie.
To Mark, that seemed a terrible choice, and he turned to look at Randy, about
to question his chosen Pokémon, but then he saw that look on his face; the first time he'd seen that was before
Mark had lost his title of Champion to Randy, when he had that devious but
focused expression; a big grin and eyes fixed on his opponent.
            He knew what Randy was up to, and
turned to face Kevin again, but his confidence suddenly drained when he noticed
Kevin looking at Gemstar with disinterest. "Must you try to insult my
intelligence, Randy Calvin?" He asked.
            Randy turned his head slightly.
"What do you mean?"
            "I'm well aware of your tactics,"
Kevin returned. "If you think your little illusion trick is going to -if you'll
pardon my pun, outfox me, you're sorely mistaken." He crossed his arms. "So are
you going to drop the illusion, or shall I have Terror do it for you?"
             Mark frowned. "He knows..." He said.
            "Crap..." grumbled Randy. "That
trick usually works." He let out a sigh, before calling out to Gemstar. "Okay
boy; may as well drop it."
            At that, Gemstar seemed to melt away
into nothingness, and was replaced instead by a Zoroark. Shadow stood up on his
hind legs, looking as displeased as his trainer that his usual, favorite trick
had not served them this time. Kevin eyed the Zoroark and the Mightyena, irking
an eyebrow. "Two Dark-types against one Ghost-type; a sound idea," he said,
before grinning. "But it's not going to be as simple as that."
            "We'll see," Mark retorted. "Fang, Crunch!"
            "Shadow, Night Daze!" Randy added.
            Fang charged forward as a crimson
aura began to form around Shadow, the vulpine Pokémon growling as it powered up
its attack, while Fang went in for the direct approach, keeping low as his paws
carried him in for the attack. "Terror; use Fire Punch," Kevin stated. Dusknoir
hummed loudly as it advanced towards the Mightyena, drawing back its fist as it
became ablaze with flames, swinging its mighty arm towards Fang, but the
swifter Mightyena banked out of the way of the punch, lunging for Terror's arm
with his jaws wide open, baring all of his powerful fangs as he tried to clamp
down on its arm.
            "Bind," Kevin commanded, his voice
calm.
            Reacting faster than expected, the
Dusknoir reared back, opening its arms wide and narrowly evading Fang's Crunch
attack, but as he outstretched his arms, his hands suddenly became larger, and
he clapped them over Fang, pressing him in between its super-sized hands and
clenching its fingers over his back. Fang yelped as suddenly the air was forced
from his lungs, and he struggled to get free, but he was completely encompassed
by Terror's hands as they began to squeeze, making it hard for him to breathe.
            But not without help. Shadow
suddenly appeared at Terror's blindspot, still enveloped by the crimson aura,
which erupted from him as he threw out his arms; the pulsing blast of energy
that erupted from him struck Terror in the back and launched him forward,
releasing his grip on Fang and letting the Mightyena fall from his grasp, hitting
the dirt with a plume of dust to mark his impact. Fang coughed before taking in
a deep breath, shaking his head. Shadow stood at his side, watching him as he
stood up.
            But despite taking a hit from
Zoroark's strongest attack, Terror was still up, turning around to face the two
again as his hands shrank back down to their normal size, once again that eerie
hum sounding from the Ghost-type Pokémon. "Good teamwork," Kevin admitted. "But
not good enough."
            "Attack together!" Mark called.
"Fang, Crunch again!"
            "Shadow; Night Slash!"
            At the commands, both Pokémon
charged forward, lunging for the Dusknoir; big and strong as it was, it was not
fast, and did not have a hope of escaping the two of them. He put up his arms
defensively, taking both attacks, the hum becoming higher pitch as Fang's jaws
clamped onto his right wrist, and Shadow raked his powerful claws across his
left forearm with long nails that trailed dark mist is they swept. Terror
tumbled back, shaking Fang off of his arm and narrowly avoiding another attack
from Shadow
            "Gravity," Kevin called.
            The Dusknoir put up his hands as the
two charged at him again, and they stopped dead in their tracks. Or, more
precisely, they stumbled, falling flat onto their bellies as suddenly the very
gravity around them seemed to intensify, almost suffocating them with its
pressure. Fang defiantly tried to move, but he couldn't lift his body, and
Shadow fared no better, using his arms to try and lift himself back up but to
no avail. Terror kept his hands raised, a blue glow emitting from both of them
as he maintained the pressure, preventing either Pokémon from fighting back.
            "Good, now keep them there," said
Kevin.
            "How the hell is Gravity working on
two Dark-type Pokémon? It's a Psychic-type attack!" Mark protested.
            "The same reason Glare or Growl work
on Ghost-type Pokémon," replied Kevin. "The immunity only extends to damaging
or status-inducing effects, but Terror is manipulating the gravity around them,
not the two Pokémon themselves. Simple physics."  He explained while reaching into his satchel
and producing another Poké Ball.
            "Hey wait a minute, bringing out
another one in the middle of a battle?" Randy barked. "That's cheating!"
            "It's a two-on-one battle; I think I
have the right to call out a second Pokémon," returned Kevin, before he
nonchalantly tossed the ball forward, and out of its confines emerged a rather
large, burly creature. 
The newly called out Pokémon was big and panda-like
in appearance, with a body covered in mostly black fur that grew in such a
manner the Pokémon appeared to be wearing a long-coat, growing in extensions
behind its legs. It had a round belly, covered in white fur, which also coated
its head except for its black-furred ears. It stared out with two jet black
eyes, completely void of pupils or colours, and it's disproportionately long
arms showed huge muscles as it flexed both arms and roared to the air above,
eager for battle.
"A Pangoro?!" Mark demanded, suddenly realizing what
Kevin was about to do. "Shit! Randy, call Shadow back, hurry!"
            Clearly Randy was onto the tactic as
well; he had already pulled out Shadow's Poké Ball, taking aim with it and
using the recall function, to which Mark followed suite. The red beams shot out
of the balls, making beelines right for their intended targets, but mere inches
from touching, the beams suddenly scattered in all directions, not reaching
either the Mightyena or the Zoroark. They tried repeatedly, but the beams never
touched them, as if blocked by some other worldly force.
            "What the hell?!" Mark demanded.
            "It's that Dusknoir!" Randy stated,
pointing at Terror, noticing that its single eye was glowing brighter than
before. "It must be using Mean Look; he won't let us recall our Pokémon!"
            "Correct," Kevin said coldly. "And
now you both will be given a message, with your Pokémon as the delivery
system." He looked at his Pangoro. "Capone, use Hammer Arm; start with the
Zoroark."
            "Hey, no way! You leave Shadow
alone!" Randy demanded.
            "Make me," retorted Kevin, grinning
wickedly as the Pangoro named Capone stepped over to Shadow, raising its arm
high over its head. Once again, Randy tried to recall Shadow but Mean Look was
still in affect, once more blocking the recall function of the beam.
            "Shadow!" Randy cried out
desperately, taking a step forward.
            And that was when the arm came down
on the pinned Zoroark, slamming hard into his back. Shadow screamed in horrid
pain as he was stricken by the heavy-handed bear, feeling himself compressed
into the ground and his ribs groaning in protest from the blow. Even from the
distance he stood, Randy swore he could hear those bones creaking dangerously,
threatening to collapse if they took another hit. And another hit did indeed
come, followed by a third, and shortly after, a fourth; by some miracle, the
ribs held, but they would not endure a fifth, and each hit brought another
agonized cry from Shadow.
            Driven by desperate need, Randy
charge; no new Pokémon or a command to Shadow, he ran forward, crossing the
battle zone to Kevin's Pokémon, bellowing in fury before he sprang, launching
himself at the Pangoro before Mark could stop him. He grappled the Pangoro
around the neck. "Leave him alone!!"
He roared in Capone's ear, rearing back an arm and repeatedly slamming his fist
against the Pangoro's head.
            Barely fazed, either by the surprise
attack or Randy's assault, Capone reached behind him with one arm, grasped
Randy around the head, and then threw him off, sending him flying back towards
Mark, who was already approaching to try and help; Mark hollered in surprise as
Randy was suddenly sent whirling through the air and crashed into him, sending
both of them to the ground in a tangle of limbs and knocking the wind out of
Mark's lungs in the process as they landed.
            "Have patience, sirs," called Kevin,
mockingly. "And let this be a lesson to you; when you cross the International
Pokémon Crime Syndicate," he raised his voice as he carried on. "You get hurt! And so do the Pokémon that help
you!" He pointed at Capone. "Hammer arm, one more time!"
            Capone raised his arm high, no
emotion in his eyes as Shadow looked desperately up at him, clear terror in the
eyes of the Zoroark. Fang resumed his struggle, barking defiantly as he tried
to break the gravity bind around him, and he was quite impressive in the feat,
managing to actually move a few inches, raising his head and baring his fangs
as he growled ferally. Mark saw Fang, seeing his eyes on Terror, clearly his
intended target. Mark pushed Randy off of him, rather roughly -he'd apologize
later, and called out to the Mightyena. "SNARL!"
            The scream was so loud, it made his
throat hurt. Capone flattened his ears, and Terror falted; Fang's mouth opened,
and he released the fiercest Snarl he had ever unleashed, directing it at the
Dusknoir. The attack threw off his concentration, stumbling him and breaking
the gravity spell. As soon as he was free, both Fang and Shadow made their
move; Fang growled with a feral voice, the pupils of his eyes shrinking to the
size of a bead as he leered at Terror. Even the Ghost-type Pokémon was
intimidated by that look, visibly flinching, before Fang lunged at biting down
his shoulder with yet another Crunch attack.
            Capone attempted to finish his
attack on Shadow, but the Zoroark, no longer bound, darted away, despite the pain
wracking his entire body; he evaded the downward fist, and at Randy's command,
turned to Capone, pupils narrowing to slits before unleashing a near
point-blank Flamethrower at the Pangoro; the fires spread across his body,
engulfing him and making the Fighting/Dark-type roar in pain, trying to escape
the flames.
            Both Terror and Capone tried to ward
off their attackers; Fang bit hard onto the Dusknoir's collar, and Shadow kept
up the flamethrower until he ran out of breath. By then, Capone was severely burned,
but still on his feet. Even with his void-like eyes, the rage was still
apparent, and was promptly retaliated. He lunged forward, delivering a powerful
punch to Shadow's chest; the Zoroark's eyes went wide, wheezing out the air in
his lungs before he was sent flying back, hitting the ground hard. Fang was
finally thrown off of Terror's arm, hurled up into the air, before he was
struck by a Thunderpunch as he came back down, yelping before he fell on top of
Shadow.
            "No..." Mark rasped.
            "They lost..." Randy whispered.
            Without another thought, the two
trainers called back their Pokémon into their Poké Balls, looking at them
briefly before facing Kevin again, who stood with a pleased expression as he
regarded the two of them. "A good try, but I'm afraid it wasn't enough," he
stated. "You will have to do much better than that if you hope to beat me." 
            "You want better?" Mark asked, his
face brimming with rage. "I'll show you better; after what you just did to
Shadow, once I'm done knocking out every one of your Pokémon, I'm going to put
you right into the E.R!" He produced his next Poké Ball. "Anyone who can
willingly do that to a Pokémon, even one that isn't their own, digusts me!"
            "Damn straight!" Randy added.
"Shadow's one of my best friends, and you tried to break him right in half!
I'll never forgive you for that!"
            Kevin barked out a laugh. "If I
wanted forgiveness, you really think this is the path I'd have chosen?" He
asked. "I do what I want, when I want; I am one of the higher-ups of the
greatest criminal organization ever formed; one that makes every one of the previous
crime factions of the world look like a joke."
 He glared at the two, but his grin
never left. "And unlike the ones before, it won't be some prodigal child from
some small town in one of the six regions that will bring us down; victory is
all that matters, and how it's achieved is just a method to do so, whatever
that may be. Which was the right or wrong method?" He chuckled. "Well, that
just depends on who is the last man standing. If I can remove you as a threat
to my organization by breaking your Pokémon right in front of you?" His eyes
narrowed. "So be it."
            Mark's body felt hot, every muscle
tense with his anger. He could almost see a red veil forming over his eyes;
never had he despised anyone more in his life than the cruel, heartless boy standing
across from him. How he wanted to run at him right now and strike him with
every amount of force he could muster into his arm... sheer restraint was all
that kept him from doing so, to dare the wrath of the powerful Pangoro and
Dusknoir standing between him and the cause of his anger.
            He couldn't see it, but Randy was
sharing his thoughts, equally filled with fury by Kevin's actions. This was
only his second encounter with the Syndicate, and already he loathed them. If
they were led by people as evil as this Kevin Zane person standing before him,
then the entire organization was long overdue for some justice. Maybe he
couldn't be the one to deliver that justice to the entire group... but at the
very least, he and Mark could bring down this
one...
            "Alright, enough of this!" Mark
growled. "Time to take this to the highest level!" He threw the Poké Ball
clenched in his hand, releasing the Pokémon within; it was Tanker, once again
emerging for battle. "I'm going to show you just how powerful my teammates really
are!" Mark declared as he held up his keystone bracelet.
            "Count me in," added Randy, tossing
forward his next Poké Ball as well, releasing none other than Thorn, his
powerful Sceptile... which was about to become even more powerful as he reached
into his shirt and produced the necklace that carried his keystone.
            Kevin's eyes widened slightly,
filled with intrigue. "So... you do
have Mega Evolution available to you," he said, still smiling.
            Mark tapped the stone on his wrist,
Randy clenched the stone of his necklace tightly in his hand, both of them
beginning to glow brightly, shining between the seams of their fingers, with
identical lights shining from the Mega Stone imbedded in the harness on Thorn's
chest, and from the choker hidden on Tanker's neck, engulfing both of them in a
violet light as they ascended to their most powerful forms. Out of the light,
the Mega Sceptile and Mega Steelix emerged, roaring triumphantly as they
unveiled their ultimate forms, facing Kevin's two Pokémon with eyes that blazed
with fury.
            "Seed Bomb!" Randy called out to
Thorn.
            The Sceptile gowled as he hunched
over, angling his back forward as much as possible, before the seeds growing
all along his back launched from his body, shooting up into the air above and
returning to terra firma seconds later, bombarding the Dusknoir and Pangoro with
explosive force for every one that hit, showering them with dirt and debris.
Capone put up his arms, trying to shield his face from the assault, while
Terror tried to float out of the way to escape the blasts.
            Neither one of them noticed Tanker
had disappeared until after the barrage ended, and the ground behind Capone
exploded; the Pangoro spun around in time to see the Mega Steelix rising up
behind him but didn't get the chance to react before he was stricken with a
powerful Iron Tail that launched him cartwheeling over the ground, thudding
against the hillside. At Kevin's command, Terror charged in to continue the
attack with a Fire Punch, but its fist struck the nigh indestructible Mega
Steelix with minimal effect, and Tanker simply retaliated with another Iron
Tail that sent the Dusknoir smashing into the same hill where Capone landed.
With that, another Seed Bomb barrage, compliments of Thorn, fell upon them,
bombarding them and ensuring they were finished...
            When the dust settled, the two Pokémon
had been rendered unconscious by the onslaught, laying prone and motionless on
the ground. With a gruff snort, Kevin recalled the two into their Poké Balls,
pocketing them before turning to Mark and Randy. "Impressive; I knew at least
one of your Pokémon had the means to Mega Evolve, but I was under the
impression it was only the Sceptile and your Blaziken that could," he stated.
"Seems our intelligence on you two is incomplete."
            "We're full of surprises," Mark
retorted, cracking his knuckles. "Now comes the part where I put you into the
hospital."
            "Not so fast," returned Kevin,
revealing two new Poké Ball's that had been hidden in his hand, one of which
was actually an Ultra Ball, the other a Dusk Ball -identified by its green
casing. He threw the two balls forward, both of which popped open to reveal yet
two more Pokémon to join in the battle.
            The first Pokémon, small in stature
with a roundish body, with two bright red eyes glaring out from its face, over
a large, toothy grin that stretched across its features as it . It had short
legs and arms, each ending with three digits, and spikes covering its back all
the way down to its short, stubby tail, along with two pointed ears rising up
from the upper left and right corners of its body. It was a Gengar, Mark
recognized; a Ghost/Poison type Pokémon, and part of the evolution line from
which the first ever Ghost Pokémon was discovered. One thing that stood out
about this Gengar though, Mark noticed, was that it's body was supposed to be
purple; this one was oddly blue in colour; much lighter than a normal Gengar
was. 
            The second Pokémon was more than
quadruple the size of the Gengar, however. A huge, dinosaurian creature, with
countless spikes protruding from its body from the back of its head, neck and
shoulders, and had a mouth full of thick, razor-sharp fangs. Black, triangular
holes could be seen on both sides of its chest and on its outer thighs,
resembling vents into its body, and its belly was protected by gray, overlapping
scales, and it had a short, spiky tail as thick around as Mark's torso.
            "A Tyranitar," said Randy. "Those
things are extremely tough."
            "They're Rock-types, right?" Mark
asked. "Tanker or Thorn can handle
it."
            "I've fought a few Tyranitars, man;
they can take a beating and dish out just as much," replied Randy. "But,
Thorn's taken down every one I've fought; he can match it type advantage for
type advantage, but no Tyranitar can match his speed, and Gengar's pretty much
useless against a Steelix, so I'll take the big guy, while you..."
            Kevin was laughing, and it wasn't
until that moment his chortling grew high enough that the two trainers turned
to face him, wondering what he as so jolly about. They watched as he shook his
head in dismay, before grinning deviously at the two trainers. "If you know so
much about Gengar and Tyranitar, you should know that they both are among the
current Pokémon that are known to possess Mega Evolved forms."
            "Uh, yeah?" Randy asked. "But you
can't Mega Evolve them both at the same time; a keystone can only be used once,
and then it loses power for a while."
            Kevin continued to chuckle, before
he uncrossed his arms. "Then I just need to accessorize a bit more, don't I?"
He asked as he held up both of his hands, turning them about so they could see
the tops of the bracelets worn around his wrists...
            Both bracelets worn by Kevin Zane
were imbedded with Keystones.
            "No... freaking... way..." Mark
whispered.
            "He. Has. TWO?!" Randy cried. "Why
the hell does he have TWO?!"
            Keystones were the rarest items in
the known world; a person could find ten mega stones before ever finding even
one single keystone, which without both, mega evolution was not possible. But
there, standing before them, was a renegade Pokémon Trainer in possession of two keystones, and with two Pokémon capable
of mega evolution; the Gengar had their own mega stone on a band wrapped around
their left arm, while Tyranitar had theirs on choker worn around their neck.
            He was going to do the unthinkable,
and mega evolve two Pokémon at the same time...
            "Now I'll show both of you what
happens when you mess with a Syndicate Lieutenant!" Kevin declared, and the
stones began to glow...
            The sound of a phone ringing broke
the tense silence that had fallen over them as the stones had begun. The glow,
out of nowhere, faded from both stones as Kevin turned to look at his pocket,
reaching in and lifting out a phone. "This had better be good," he began. A
brief pause later, Kevin scowled into the phone. "Well why bother telling me?
Get going then!" Another pause, and then Kevin's eyes widened. "He what... He
wants me to go right now?" He nodded. "Alright; I'll start there immediately;
tell Marvin I need pickup." 
He pulled the phone away from his ear, looking at
Mark and Randy as they stood staring. "Looks like it's your lucky day," he
said, drawing the two Poké Balls of his current Pokémon and recalling them.
"Work's calling me."
"Wait, what?" Mark asked.
"You're backing out?" Randy inquired.
Kevin glared. "Don't get the wrong idea," he stated,
coldly. "My work takes precedence over my recreation. You defeated my Dusknoir
and Pangoro, but I had more Pokémon ready to tear you asunder." He turned away.
"But there a man even I answer to,
and he's demanded I take up a new mission. So, fortunately for you two, we'll
have to postpone this for another time."
Mark took a step forward. "Now you hold it right there, shorty," he said in
warning. "After what you've pulled here today I am not just letting you walk away."
Kevin peered over his shoulder at Mark, returning
the cold, hard glare he was giving him. They said nothing for a moment, only
staring into the eyes of one another, until finally Kevin broke the uneasy
silence. "You are out on a new quest," he began. "One to challenge the greatest
trainers in the world, correct?"
            Mark arched an eyebrow. "How do you
know that?"
            "Given your activities in Kanto, a
pattern started to form," replied Kevin. "Blue Oak, Dragon Master Lance, Pokémon
Master Red, but nobody else from the whole region. And now you're on your way
to Johto, where the only trainer in this continent said to be stronger than
even Red dwells." He turned his gaze away. "If you intend to battle all of the
greats, then it is simply a matter of time before we meet again." He turned
once more, this time his stare hard. "But I warn you... if our next meeting
should be brought by you interfering with the Syndicate again... then I will
hold nothing back. I have the most
terrifying creature in the world at my command, and I will use it to destroy
you if you cross us again."
            He began to step away again as the
sound of a car engine was heard over the hill; Mark took a step again, but then
a jeep sped onto the scene, driven by Marvin, who pulled up alongside Kevin.
The younger trainer jumped aboard the Jeep before promptly departing, throwing
dirt and grass upon Mark and Randy as it sped off and left the scene.
            "Damn..." growled Mark.
            "What the hell was that all about?"
Randy asked.
            "I don't know..." replied Mark.
"Come on; let's get back to the magnet train and see if anyone needs help, then
see if we can find some way to call for some ourselves." 
He turned to Tanker, who powered down and reverted
back to a normal Steelix, followed shortly by Thorn returning to his regular
Sceptile form. The two of them recalled their Pokémon to their balls, and broke
into a sprint as they headed back to the disabled Magnet Train...
~~~~~
Kevin, Marvin and Baxter reached the rendezvous
point where the rest of their operatives and enforcers had been told to meet,
where they would be debriefed on the mission, and the spoils would be counted.
Fifty men and women in uniforms of various shades, a few of them carrying thick
sacks and a large box to a gathering area, setting them down in an organized
fashion before they gathered into rows and stood at attention as the jeep
rolled to a stop nearby.
Kevin climbed out of the vehicle, taking off his hat
briefly to adjust his hair before putting it back on, and making his way over
to the pile of loot, unaware of the death stare Marvin was giving him as he
walked ahead. When Baxter walked past him as well, Marvin shook himself out of
his angered trance, and followed them to the stash as Kevin opened the first
burlap sack and examined the contents inside, reaching in and lifting out a
handful of paper bills.
"Most excellent," he said, before turning and
calling out to the troops gathered nearby. "A fine job by all you; good work.
Keep this up, and I will personally see to it that you all get a raise," he
called out. The Enforcers and Operatives remained composed, but he saw the
approval on their faces, and nodded to them to express his own at how they
remained disciplined and focused.
"Ya! A raise!" Baxter bellowed.
Kevin turned to look at him and Marvin. "Except you
two," he said.
"What?" They demanded.
"You need to keep a lid on your obsessions," stated
Kevin, pointing at Baxter, and then at Marvin. "And you; your combat skills are
severely lacking. You need to work on that; your lack of ability is an
embarrassment to our organization."
"Embarrassment?!" Marvin echoed. "I'll have you know
I was an Executive with Team Rocket before the Syndicate ever formed!"
            "And Team Rocket was defeated,
twice, by pre-teen boys fresh out of their mother's arms," Kevin pointed out.
"I find your argument rather underwhelming."
"And what group were you part of?" Marvin demanded.
"What great claim to fame does the First Lieutenant, Kevin Zane, have that
brought him to the Syndicate? I was picked for my credentials; what about you?"
Kevin reached out, grasping Marvin by the collar of
his vest and yanking him down to eye level with himself. "That is quite simple;
I'm the strongest trainer in this entire organization -the strongest in my
entire region. You know what I was
doing while your old gang was blundering into the radio tower to make a call to
your old boss -the same man who disbanded you in the first place? I was
capturing a Pokémon that those imbeciles in Team Flare could not even subdue,
let alone control.
"I have never been beaten; while your organization,
and those of the other regions came crashing down, I was defeating every
trainer in my homeland and capturing the strongest Pokémon I found. I never
lost -never, not even to the so-called Champion. Our boss came to me, and I battled him -to this day he's the
only other who ever defeated me, but
instead of gloating he offered me a job. I spread the influence of the
Syndicate across the Kalos region, where he appointed me his first lieutenant.
And then I spread our influence to Sinnoh, where he appointed a second
Lieutenant, and named me his successor.
"I was entrusted to establish our new divisions here
in Johto and Kanto, but then you screwed up the heist of the Julia, failing to procure us some rare Pokémon
to give to our investors, causing them to withdraw our funding! Because of
that, we lost our division in Kanto; the first botched operation in our
history, and it was an operation led by you,
Marvin!" He brought the man almost nose-to-nose with him. "So never compare
yourself to me. You are a Litwick and I am Moltres;
that is the difference between us. Understand?"
Marvin nodded, weakly.
"Good," returned Kevin, releasing Marvin and letting
him stand back upright, as well as straighten out his vest and shirt. "Now,
we're finished with this op." He turned to face the enforcers and operatives
once more, pointing to the west in the direction of their base. "Pack it up and
return to base! See to it that the stolen Pokémon are taken to be conditioned
for deployment and begin distributing them to our divisions to supply the next
training graduates; it's time to increase our numbers." He gestured to the bags
of money and jewellry. "And take these to the vaults until they can be
transferred to the accounts. And don't go getting any ideas, now."
He stepped aside to allow them to carry out their
orders, before he turned to Marvin and Baxter again. "Now, we've got a rather
tall order to fill, directly from the boss himself."
"From the big man, is it?" Baxter asked, raising his
eyebrows
"What does he ask from us, sir?" Marvin asked.
"It seems we won't be working together anymore, at
least for now," replied Kevin. "Baxter; the boss wants you to take a small
detachment to raid a dig site not far from here," he explained.
"A dig? For what?" Baxter asked.
"Fossils," replied Kevin. "One of our top financiers
is a collector of Pokémon fossils; he has learned of this dig, but it was not
him who funded it, and he does not like missing out on possible rare finds, so
he has put in a request; he will boost the Johto base's funding ten percent if
we can provide him some rare fossils. The boss wants you to go there, take over
the dig site, and bring them back; you are free to do some demolition to speed
up the process but he urges discretion; damaged fossils are worthless."
Baxter nodded. "A'ight, I'll get on it."
"And me?" Marvin asked.
"You are heading for Sinnoh," replied Kevin. "An
operation is being put in place to attempt to capture one of the Legendary Pokémon
there; they need an organiser, so the boss asked for you."
"For me, specifically?"
Kevin nodded. "You may lack skill as a trainer, but
you can turn even the most chaotic and messy office into a well-organized
workspace; that's what the operation needs at the moment, as we could only give
them some rather unruly teams."
Marvin nodded. "Then I will head to Sinnoh as soon
as possible," he said, thought subtly thought to himself. Finally, I can get away from this little brat...
"And what about yerself; where's the boss sending
you?"
Kevin smiled. "Back to Kanto," he replied.
"Did he get our supporters back?" Marvin asked.
"Sadly not," replied Kevin. "This is something
personal to him; a Pokémon that was recently seen there. He wants it."
Baxter rubbed that back of his head in confusion.
"Isn't that a little below your pay grade, lieutenant?" He asked. "Why not one
of us?"
"Because the Pokémon in question is not only
powerful, it's commanded by the region's top trainer," replied Kevin. "The boss
feels certain I'm the only one who can get it."
            Baxter shrugged. "Right then... so
am I going alone to this dig; just me and a few enforcers?"
            "No; the boss is sending one of our
newest Special Operatives with you; think of him as a fill-in for Marvin,"
replied Kevin.
            "Who's goin' with me then?"
            "Me." The three turned, and saw that
someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation accompanied by ten
Syndicate Enforcers. The man at the lead, a young adult roughly the same age as
Kevin, with very unique dark red hair, dressed in a blue, long-sleeve jacket
with red undertones, and slightly lighter-coloured pair of pants, with shoes
matching his coat. "We're your team."
            "Well, you sure got here quickly,"
said Kevin. "The boss didn't tell me he was sending you for this op."
             "I often appear where I'm not expected,"
replied Silver.

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/906017

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