Chapter 6: Center Fiasco
Gabriel and Buck arrived in the Fight Area after a few minutes. The area was quite deserted save for a few people wandering the streets.
“Let’s head to the Pokemon Center. My Pokemon needs to be healed,” Gabriel said. They walked past the Pokemon market and the famous Battle Frontier.
“Do you think we might need to face the Frontier Brains? I mean they are stronger than the gym leaders,” Buck said.
“I don’t know. If they do, I’m excited to see Thorton’s Pokemon,” Gabriel said. He remembered the little Frontier Brain who runs the Battle Factory. He also remembered a grueling fight with rental Pokemons and a silver print given to him by Thorton.
“Oh, the rental guy? I think he is too weak to be even considered,” Buck said with a grin.
“Oh, I wouldn’t underestimate him. Maybe he’d bring about six of his rental Pokemon, and order them to battle us. Hahaha!” Gabriel said. “I just hope we don’t face them. I hate to think what Jom would say when he knew his father, Palmer, is with the enemy.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Buck said. Soon enough, they reached the Pokemon Center. They pushed the door open. The sight inside shocked the two trainers.
Several citizens and Nurse Joy were on the floor, bound and gagged by some weird men. The men were dressed in a black coat with the matching cape. Some people were already unconscious.
“Man, this job stinks,” one man said.
“Yeah, but the payloads a lot better than Galactic’s,” his partner replied.
“Shut up, you grunts,” another said.
“We’re all grunts here, aren’t we?” another man near an unconscious man. The four grunts laughed. Gabriel and Buck hid behind a large cistern of water just near the door. The reason why is there a water there, Gabriel knows not. He was just thankful for the hiding place. Suddenly, the doors to the Pokemon Center burst open. A trainer in his mid-teens entered.
“Freeze! All of you grunt. Else I’ll wipe you out,” he bravely said. The grunt looked at one another and laughed.
“Ha! You wimpy kid will wipe us out? Again? Was funny, but the jokes getting old,” the grunt who complained about the job said. All others agreed.
“You may have defeated me but you just got lucky. Now, leave them alone before I lay a serious smack down on your Pokemon,” the trainer said. To emphasize what he was trying to say, he pulled out an Ultra Ball from his belt and showed it to the grunts. “This here can sweep you.”
“Haha. What is that? Is that the same Charmeleon you used against us a little while ago?” The grunts laughed hysterically again. The boy blushed at his comment. “He wiped the floor, that’s no doubt. He wiped of all the dirt!” The grunts laughed again. It seems like their laughter will not end. Gabriel nodded to Buck. It’s time to make their move.
“Freeze!” Buck and Gabriel shouted. The grunts stopped laughing. The conscious hostages looked at them, emotionless. The trainer stared at them.
“Who are you?” one of the grunts said. They took out their Pokeballs, clearly intimidated by the two new players.
“We go by the names Protégée and Aegis,” Buck said. He took out a Pokeball. “Release the hostages at once.”
“We don’t take threats seriously from a kid inferior to us,” a grunt challengingly said.
“You have to battle it then. It’s boring here anyway, so why not kill time?” The grunts laughed. “We’ll make a quick job here. Come on, guys!” The grunts threw their Pokeballs. Four Pokemon appeared in a flash of red light. A Nidoking, an Altaria, an Electabuzz, and a Starmie appeared.
“Whoa! That’s some mighty Pokemon you got there,” Buck said. “Why are you still grunts, anyway?”
No wonder the kid whited out, Gabriel thought. “It’s a four-on-four I guess.” He got his Crobat and Gengar out, the only Pokemon he managed to heal before going to Route 217. Buck threw his Pokeball and out came his Dusknoir and Umbreon out.
“Quit your yapping, kids. This may be you hardest fight yet,” the grunt said. He had an evil glint in his eyes, more like a symbol of greed and malice. “Battle on! Electabuzz, Thunderpunch Crobat!” His Electivire lead the rest of the enemy’s pack in attacking. As soon as the first blow was thrown, there was nothing that could stop grunts of any organizations. They are scavengers, strong in groups. But seldom seen strong, singly. Gabriel soon found himself fighting the grunt leader, the one with the Electabuzz, and the owner of the Nidoking. Even with his Pokemon fully healed, he couldn’t help but feel cornered while doing the battle. His Gengar managed to barely keep up with the Electabuzz, and Crobat barely manage to keep up with Nidoking, and Gabriel’s job here was to keep up with everyone, which he was doing pretty badly.
“Having a hard time, kiddo?” the grunt-leader said. “We’re still not yet the admins.” Gabriel risked a glance towards Buck. He was also having a hard time against Altaria and Starmie. Gabriel decided to end the fight quickly. He ordered his Gengar to throw a Shadow Ball to Electabuzz. The Electric-type Pokemon managed to dodge the attack, but it hit the Nidoking who was facing Crobat in another direction. It hit him squarely in the middle of his back. It was down. Crobat used a Cross Poison aimed at the remaining Electabuzz. The bat rushed to Electabuzz, but missed it by a few inches. However, Crobat continued rushing, its focus not on Electabuzz but on another Pokemon, focused on battling a different opponent. Altaria went down without much resistance, despite its being a Dragon type. The tide suddenly turned towards the Battleground trainers who managed to knock down to Pokemon in two consecutive attacks. Dusknoir, as a final attack, used Earthquake, thereby hitting Electabuzz, and Starmie, and his Umbreon. It knocked out the grunt’s Pokemon, but Umbreon remained standing. Unshaken. It was clear who the victors were.
The grunts called their Pokemons back, scared of these new arrivals. Buck grinned and said, “Shoo.” All grunts left in a haste. Buck and Gabriel recalled their Pokemon, while the young trainer cut the bonds loose on the hostages. In a few moments, with Gabriel and Buck’s help, all hostages were set free. Those unconscious were carried inside the Pokemon Center for further examinations. Apparently, there were four Nurse Joys on duty so three of them tended to the unconscious people while one stayed outside to help the others. Gabriel and Buck healed up their Pokemons.
“Who are you people?” the trainer said. Buck and Gabriel turned around and saw the brave trainer that stood up against Neocloud.
“We’re just stranger’s you know,” Gabriel answered vaguely.
“No, you’re not. You are the first trainers whom I’ve seen battle the grunts using their strongest Pokemon. I’ve been trying, but they never got serious with me. And still I always lose,” the trainer said. “At the very least, tell me your real names.”
“We will, kiddo, if you tell us yours first,” Buck said.
“I am Paul, Cynthia the Pokemon Master’s son,” he said without taking his eyes off Aegis and Protégée.