Feel The Ground Shake (Pokemon - Ground-type specialist)

[Kushville]

It's a ground type specialist story. He's going to use ground types barring particularly exceptional circumstances.

Click to shrink...

Like pokemon that fit the theme of a ground type but aren't like durant *I reread the title)

 

[LordVishnu]

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A/N: Double sized Chapter. Many important things. Much world building.

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Ground Shake 27

Olivine City Hotel

I pour over the travel guides with a hum as most of my team munches down on dinner behind me. The room isn't large enough to let everyone out at once - Grundy being the obvious issue, he'll need to eat outside later - but I'm also keeping Ma Ma capsuled until at least K.Rool finishes up.

'Probably going to have to tidy up the mess too…' Each of my Pokémon have different mannerisms when it comes to the subject of meal times you see. Vlad, my Gliscor, is a very clean eater. A trait he somewhat managed to instill in both Simon and K.Rool right after I caught them in Unova. Though the two have each taken it in a slightly different direction than their pseudo-parental figure.

Golett likes to savor his food. He peels apples with his clubby little fingers. He nibbles berries in tiny bites. He takes his time. Even if you give him a fifteen minute head start, he'll still be the last one to finish with his plate.

K.Rool meanwhile just chomps everything down like nature's garbage disposal. You remember those old cartoons where a character could stick a chicken or turkey leg in their mouth, suck on it for half a second, and then pull out a bone stripped clean right after?

That's him. I've seen it. And it's more disconcerting than you're imagining. Especially when he tosses the bones back in with a happy crunch right after.

Crocodiles have one of the strongest most-acidic digestive systems in existence back on Earth, and the Krookodile family has no issue living up to that reputation. There's nothing that iron stomach can't break down.

While mildly horrifying, it is still 'clean' though. He's not a Pokémon I ever have to pick up after.

Sorry. I think I've somewhat drifted from the point. What I'm trying to get at is that while Vlad and I may have been successful in teaching table manners to the past two "babies" of the team, the most recent one has just been failure after failure.

As my Grandmother used to say, 'Some kids are just messy'.

Poké Chow sloshes over the rims of the bowl as Junior practically buries his front half into the wet-dry mixture. Excessive snorting sounds come from the young piglet as he messily scarfs everything down as fast as he can - which isn't actually all that quick given the size of his small mouth - and honestly? At this point I'm just glad the mess doesn't carry past the spare newspaper I've put down.

You take what wins you can get.

Going back to the travel guides I mull over my two options. Almost all international flights from this side of Indigo come with some sort of brief layover in Goldenrod. This evening is probably too late to catch an open seat, but I could probably snag a ticket for a flight some time in the early morning. Then it's a quick two hour sojourn in Johto's capital, perhaps a switching of planes, and then I could be in the Gen III region by suppertime tomorrow.

That's option one.

Alternatively, we could take a less hurried route. There's more than one cruise ship here in Olivine that regularly travels between the regions. It would take a few extra days - plus a 48 hour stop in Cianwood for the tourists - but…that's not necessarily a bad thing. If there's a little luck on my side and an opening in Chuck's schedule, it's possible that I could get the last Gym Badge squared away before the weekend's over.

'Actually,' I glance at my watch to see if normal Gym hours are still open. 'That's not a terrible idea. Maybe we can call ahead and reserve a spot.'

Alright. I'll let that be the deciding factor. If Chuck's schedule is full, then we fly. If his Gym can squeeze us in, it's party boat time.

---

Later that Week, Aboard The S.S. Nautica

You know I've never really had the chance to test my hand at it before but...it turns out…refereeing is actually kinda fun!

"Totodile is unable to battle!" I raise the flag up and the small crowd - many of them sunbathers - applaud politely as the victor jumps up and down in excitement.

"Yes! We did it! We did it!" The young girl scoops up her Oddish to snuggle it against her face…only for the light of evolution to take over the little onion Pokémon. "Gloom! Gloom!" The Grass/Poison type cheers loudly with a derpy little smile. Its closed eyes turned upwards to indicate happiness.

The impartiality of a referee or judge is one of their most important features. I would never show bias towards one party over the other when wielding that important crown of neutrality, but damn if that doesn't put a smile on my face.

It puts a warm feeling inside to see someone I know succeed. In this case, the little lady I faced in the second-round at the Lake of Rage.

"Way to go Sally!" her Mom cheers from one of the lounge chairs as Dad moves in to scoop his daughter up. "Ice cream time!" the man announces with a wide grin. "We're celebrating!"

Small shouts of joy come from the rest of the girl's team who were watching the 1 vs. 1 from the sidelines. 'Ginger' the Snubbull, 'Current' the Chinchou, a Phanpy who's name I didn't catch, and Sally's newest team member who she definitely didn't have the last time I saw her.

A baby Larvitar.

I don't know where she got it. I don't know where it came from. But I'll openly admit, I'm a teensy bit jealous. Must be one heck of a story.

Two more trainers take positions on the open deck battle court, a space that would normally be used for something like shuffleboard back in my home dimension, and immediately I have to blow my whistle with an 'All Stop!' as the older teenager unleashes a Nidoqueen onto the field.

With an annoyed brow I condescendingly point at the posted sign of 'Rules & Etiquette' for battling onboard the ship.

First goddamn rule: No Fully Evolved Pokémon.

This isn't a Gym. This isn't a tournament area. There's no safety barriers installed beyond some sandbags and a metal railing. This is a cruise ship in the middle of the sea. There shall be low-tier fights only. I'm not risking damaging something on the boat and I'm certainly not going to let someone else fuck it up on my watch.

With an angsty click of his tongue the teenager withdraws his Nidoqueen and swaps it out to a Shellder instead.

I glance between the two combatants. "This will be a 1 vs. 1 match between Shellder and Loudred! No items or area of effect moves may be used!" I hold my two flags at the ready. "Begin!"

---

Wew. First day done. With a languid stretch I push my arms high before plopping down on the bouncy bed inside my cabin. This slower trip was a fantastic idea.

Chilling out in the sun. Big buffet table below decks that comes with a Mr. Mime magic show at dinner. There's even a sign up sheet to get massaged by a big burly masseuse lady and her Kangaskhan. Talk about a relaxing vacay.

A polite knock on the door has me meandering over and…oh my goodness, that's just precious!

It's a Drowzee in a little bellhop uniform. Look at her tiny hat and bow tie! She's so cute!

"Is that for me?" I gesture to the package in her hand - a classic red and white present that wouldn't be remiss from a Christmas morning - and the Psychic bops her head with a little nod. An oversized tag labeled 'From: Management' hangs off the side and the moment I take it the tapir-like Pokémon offers a pleased bow.

"Drowzeeee. Drow." An outline of blue Teleports the bellhop away and I turn to Vlad and Simon who were lounging outside of their Balls.

"Look what we got guys!" I gesture excitedly with the medium-sized box. "I knew something good would come from helping out the staff today. What do you all think it is?"

While Gliscor and Golett spit ideas at each other, chocolates or cheeses, classic gift box items, I flip open the tag card to see if there's any text written inside…

…when my phone starts to vibrate along my leg.

Not my main phone.

The second one.

"Bradley!" Admin Petrel's far too chipper voice comes through the moment I hold it to my ear. "How wonderful it was to see you again today. And so unexpectedly too! Tell me, how did you enjoy my performance on the ivory keys at dinner tonight? I confess I was worried about being just a little too rusty."

At his question I can immediately picture myself back in the dining hall. Long trays of food set out, steaming hot. A five-man band setting ambiance in the background while the magician with the Mr. Mime performs his act center-stage. "You're on this ship." The words leave my throat in realization. A redundant one considering he just directly told me. "Why?"
"Aww, that hurts Bradley." Petrel teases. "Are you not excited to see me? I thought it was perhaps fate that you purchased a ticket right before we set sail. How very sad that you don't feel the same."

"Just tell me what you want, Petrel." I keep my tone neutral. "I'm not available for any contract work at the moment."

The Rocket Admin hums aloud. "Really? But…we've already sent over your payment."

Gliscor's claw snaps off the cardboard lid of the present and I turn my eyes down to gaze at its contents.

A perfectly formed and picturesque Peat Block.

An item I had been trying to get for so long…and yet also one that I no longer need. There's little time to develop thoughts about that though as Petrel takes my silence as a sign to keep talking.

"Now don't worry your pretty young head my dear Bradley." The Rocket Admin sounds pleased with himself. His words carrying a sort of sweet mocking to their tone. Like poisoned sugar. "I know you've a certain distaste for the more 'unpleasant' aspects of what we do. I won't ask you to join all the staff and I in dirtying our hands tonight. So the job I have for you is really quite simple. All we'd like for you to do…is stay in your room for the next twelve hours. You can read a book. Or go to sleep. Just so long as you stay sheltered away and uninvolved with any…commotions that you may hear. Whatever is going on beyond your room's door…it's not your concern."

"All the staff?" I manage to croak his words back, an unpleasant stone settling in my gut.

"Every member." Petrel confirms with a smile in his voice. "The band. The bartenders. The pool lifeguard. Oh, that reminds me, so sowwy you won't get that massage you signed up for by the way. Fiona really does work wonders on the lower back."

"Why-" I swallow. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Why Bradley." Petrel 'tuts' three times. "Now my feelings really are hurt. Just as I know you, you assuredly know me. And while 'I' have faith in the rapport we've built, I'm afraid my dear colleagues Proton and Ariana just hate unplanned factors." The Admin's voice goes hard. A reminder of just who exactly I'm speaking to. Effectively an 'Elite Four' in the influence of Indigo's underworld.

"So please, be a good lad and sit tight will you?" He adds as a cheery final note. "Oh, and do call more often won't you? I enjoy our chats."

---

The soft ticking of the clock signals another hour passing by and I push my head deeper into my hands.

"...fuck…fuck…"

What do I do? The question pounds at the edges of my skull over and over. What do I do? What do I do? It's a lose-lose situation no matter how I play it.

He might be lying. He could always be lying. But if he's not then it basically means this entire cruise ship is an elaborate trap for someone. Every staff member is a Rocket Grunt. Potentially three Admin's are on board or at least involved.

What's it for? What could the trap be for?

The answer is obvious. It's right there staring me in the face but I don't want to look at it. I don't want to acknowledge it.

'The other passengers.'

Unlike their cartoon counterparts in the TV show, Team Rocket does not go around stealing people's Pokémon all the time. There's no profit in robbing a ten year old of a Pidgey. It's not beneficial to gain the animus of the public by doing something like that. There's nothing to gain in that Risk-Reward equation.

That's why most of Rocket's activities are more reminiscent of a financial mafia than anything else. They run casinos. They run illegal markets. They wheel and deal in money, booze, fake documentation and hard to find items.

As organized crime they do dirty work that the League doesn't have a handle on. They make the true psychopaths disappear from the streets. I've seen an iron cell filled with a ship's worth of Team Aqua zealots all beaten within an inch of their lives. I saw the spy return from Kalos while I was working on the job in Mahogany.

Do you know why the 'Max Potion' exists in Indigo? Because Rocket poached it from abroad in a bout of corporate espionage.

But all these fringe benefits don't change the fact that sometimes…

Sometimes Rocket will steal.

The rare. The shiny. The exotic. The things that are worth stealing.

Images flash across my brain. Every uncommon or special Pokémon that I had spotted throughout the day.

An Eevee perched on a lady's shoulder. Trilling happily at kids that came by and asked to pet it.

An effeminate rich boy from Hoenn who had shown off his Gorebyss in the swimming pool.

'Sally and her Larvitar. The tiny Rock-type gasping in bright-eyed joy as it tried a popsicle for the first time.'

"...fuck fuck fuck fuck…"

Simon's hand rests on my leg, a little croon coming from his throat as he looks up at me with concern. K.Rool is leaning against the far wall, eyes shut and arms crossed, playing the part of the edgy 'cool guy' as he waits for me to come to a decision.

"Guys." I speak weakly, getting most of the room to look at me. Vlad comes out of his meditative state where he was cycling through the type energies. Krookodile cracks an eye. Even Ma Ma and Grundy I can feel focus up from within their Balls.

The only one who doesn't is Junior. The piglet is fully zonked out in the corner, his feet twitching as he chases after something in a dream.

"I think I'm going to do something really stupid."

---

I didn't know what to expect as the night continued on. Rocket was always one to mix up the playbook when it came to the start of operations.

Even just in the category of 'incapacitating the passengers', there were a number of incidents and methods I'd heard of being used in the past. Would it be green sleeping gas seeping through the ventilation ducts? A squad of Hypno casting a spell of sorts over the ship to lull all the passengers into a deep slumber? If highly trained enough, a Jigglypuff's Sing could even affect people through an announcement system.

Or then again, maybe they weren't planning on going about this quietly at all. They did bring an entire staff worth of operatives. Would a loud and destructive battle happening on the upper floors be the first sign that something was wrong? Are they going to travel in a group and suppress each deck one at a time? Maybe it's only certain rooms they'll target. That would mesh with what Petrel told me when he ordered me to stay put.

The Chesto Berry tastes vaguely of mint as I roll it around in my mouth, ready to crunch it down at the first sign of drifting into unnatural sleep. I don't know how much it would help if they went with the gas route, but it's the only real countermeasure I have.

That and having my entire team deployed - save Quagsire and Nidoking - and ready to smash out of the room at a moment's notice. Ursaluna will probably irreparably damage the door frame in her exit but…needs must I suppose.

A menacing chuckle comes from Grundy along the edges of our bond. Even if he wasn't the one dishing it out, a good round of impending violence always served well to amuse him. I almost form a reply, when something in the air shifts.

Vlad's bat-like ears poke up. His eyes narrowing as he detects some noise or frequency that wasn't present a moment ago…and a sort of rapid-fire clicks come from every Ball on my person. Quagsire's, Grundy's, even the spare one's in my bag which currently sit empty.

And with a pit in my stomach I now understand the first stage of Rocket's plan.

I never played the Generation IX games. I've said that too many times now. But I was still familiar with some of the broader details. Mostly things that ended up as jokes or memes. All the shitting on Champion Geeta and her sub-optimal team for example. Or the fawning over the 'Larry' character who's apparently holding the entire Paldea region together by his teeth. There was the troll strategies involving the Pokémon 'Houndstone' right at the game's release. And there was the stupid gimmick that the Professor boss used against you.

An electronic signal that can lock the player's Poké Balls.

…

…

It's not a perfect trap.

I know from both this world and from Ash in the anime that if you simply break a Poké Ball then its tenant will be freed.

…

But how many would default to that as a solution? How many would think of that while in a high-stress situation like a Rocket attack? More than that, who would even have the tools available to do so? Silph Co. and other capsule companies don't do shoddy work. You aren't busting that Ball without a hammer or a strong Pokémon already released to help you. Maybe if you're lucky, a solid enough rock to smash it into could do the trick as well.

My nose crinkles something awful. A foul stench that any denizen of Indigo would recognize has wafted in from under the door.

Grimers. A lot of them. At least one Muk as well. The evolved Poison-type has a sort of rottenness to its stink that not even a large grouping of its initial form can replicate.

There's sounds of doors opening. Those still awake are almost assuredly poking their heads out of their rooms to look up and down the hallway. That human need to investigate the source of the smell overriding good safety sense.

And then the screams start.

---

"Gastly, get the deadbolt!" Brom snarls as his target manages to slam the door in time. With a malevolent snicker the Ghost's eyes glow briefly with power and the iron latch snaps back into its open position. In combination with the skeleton-key ID card he has for every passenger's room, it's barely a three second delay in getting inside.

A Water Gun greets him as soon as he's in. A weak stream that is easily diverted to the wall with another glow of Gastly's eyes. So the target happened to have a Poliwag free when the signal went out ay? A lucky break for the child he admits, but it won't be nearly enough. Twin uses of Smog, one from Gastly and the other from Koffing, sweep easily over the baby Water-type's attack and get both the 'mon and its owner to start coughing terribly.

But that's not all!

With the flick of a switch, a thick rapid-hardening foam is sprayed out of the leaf blower-like nozzle in his hand. A little easy to employ crowd control cooked up by the eggheads back at Rocket R&D! Brom laughs as the Poliwag is knocked off its feet and then glued to the far wall by the adhesive. Damn, this stuff was great!

"Alright, kid!" The Rocket Grunt turns his attention to the fifteen year old. "We don't need to make this more unpleasant than it has to be. You can keep your wallet. Your bag. No one has to get hurt." his eyes focus in on the sole Great Ball along the straps of the teenager's backpack. "But I'll be having that Heracross."

Angry tears sting the young man's eyes as he glares in silent defiance. Once upon a time, Brom would have felt bad about what he was doing. In his second field op, he even received a harsh reprimand for letting someone go free in a similar situation.

That was a long time ago though. These days, orders were orders.

"Grimer! Grimer!" There's a haste-filled call from behind him. "Grimer! Grimer! Grimer!"

At the increasing tone of panic in the 'mon's voice, Brom allows himself a brief look back at the hallway…only to see an eight hundred pound blur of brown something smash into his Pokémon and carry it away.

The Rocket Grunt's eyes nearly pop from his skull and he rushes back out. "What in Zapdos' jagged di-"

And that's when three hundred pounds of maroon-colored crocodile crashed into him.

---

"Headlong Rush! Keep pushing!" Houndour, Raticate, even more Grimers, they are all smashed aside as Ma Ma's bulky form barrels through.

A Golbat shrieks a Supersonic and my ears feel like they're going to split open and bleed. My teeth are grinding down in a painful wince but thankfully Vlad is already on the job. A glowing pincer of energy is smashing down on the bat's head, earning a K.O. in one strike.

"Ma Ma, work in some Bulk Ups when you can!" I order from atop her back, Junior tightly gripped against my chest. "We can't suffer any Defense drops right now! Vlad you start boosting too! Agility! Swords Dance! Rock Polish! We're going full package! K.Rool-"

The Dark-type pancakes a Koffing into the wall with a tail swipe, whiting out its eyes. A sixth Moxie boost takes hold, sending his Attack stat even closer to its theoretical maximum.

"-keep doing what you're doing." I finish somewhat lamely.

"MUUUUK!" The boss of the floor roars out in challenge. Its surface is glossy with the sheen of Acid Armor and it's heaving back in preparation for some large move. Gunk Shot? Belch? Maybe even just one mother of a Sludge Bomb. I couldn't hear what order the nearest Grunt gave in all the chaos.

"Grimer! Grimer! Grimer! Grimer! Grimer! Grimer!" A wall of lesser Poison-types block the way, acting as a significant barrier to slow us down.

Though one member of my team can still "dig" even on the wooden floors of a cruise ship.

Simon surges upward from the shadow of whatever passes for a chin on the oversized Sludge Pokémon, digging into its gut with Ice Hammer. Whatever large Poison move the Lv. 38 was about to use is abandoned as the much smaller Pokémon actually lifts it slightly off the ground from the blow.

I'm aware that the secondary phone in my pocket is vibrating again. Somehow it's vibrating angry but I ignore it. In fact, I have every intention of snapping the device in two before the night is done. "Mud Bomb!"

From within Junior's tiny form, a good sized ball of Ground-energy blasts out to nail the foremost Grimer in the face.

It doesn't stop the remaining five from all summoning Sludge Wave and casting it together.

"PROTECT!" With a twinge of aura the order goes out to all my team at once. Hexagonal spheres of green energy all snap into place for Vlad, K.Rool, and Ma Ma. I press myself as flat as I can into Ursaluna's fur, allowing her sphere to be slightly smaller then it would have to be otherwise and there's a tense moment as the tidal wave of purple splashes over us.

It stains the walls. It stains the doors. It seeps into every crack and crevice and utterly ruins any carpet beyond hope of repair.

And then the moment passes.

Vlad takes out two more Grimer simultaneously. Simon comes out of the floor again to trip the Grunt who was giving orders. K.Rool sprints past Ma Ma in a low to the ground run to keep pressing the attack.

Junior…well Junior is actually still preening a little from the Mud bomb earlier, but that's fine. As long as the little guy's safe with me, he can do what he wants.

This floor is clear.

---

From within her yacht just a half mile to the west, Ariana, the most perfect, competent, and beautiful of all Rocket's executives, watched the live streaming footage coming from one of the useless Grunt's body cameras with a twisted smile on her face.

While that useless lout Petrel was likely fuming and the rabid dog Proton foaming at the mouth at the interruption, she always knew how to grab a silver lining in every setback.

"Send this footage to Headquarters immediately!" She declared imperiously to the nameless peasant worker most near her. "We've confirmed evolution of the boy's Ursaring. Just as broken clocks are right twice a day, it seems that idiot Petrel actually was actually correct on this one. The Peat we delivered to his room was the key after all!"

And by the looks of it, the new discovery was potentially part Ground-type as well! How excellent! With a swish of her long hair, the beautiful, amazing, unmatched Ariana stomped away to continue this viewing in her private quarters. No doubt she'd win quite the favor by getting the news of this to the boss before anyone else.

The possibility never even entered her mind that the moon tonight was all wrong. Why would such a thing even be a factor?

---

I have good news, bad news, worse news, and terrible news.

Good news. I've obtained an ally. An absolutely ripped gentleman by the name of 'Richard-call-me-Rick' who's joined the fray in nothing but his striped pajama bottoms. Dude didn't even slap on some socks when leaving his room. While his frankly terrifying physique would make me assume he's a Fighting specialist, it's actually the opposite which is true. So far he seems to have nothing but Normal-types in his roster.

Two Furrets and a Blissey to be exact. The male/female pair apparently sleep curled up next to each other rather than being housed in their Balls every night - which as a quick sidenote is somewhat adorable - and as such were spared when the trap signal went out. He didn't mention how Blissey remained free, but I'm not going to worry about an explanation right now.

With how hard the Happiness Pokémon is Double Slapping the shit out of the Rocket Grunt over there, I'm just glad to have the help.

Bad news. One of the Rocket pricks got a lucky shot at me with those stupid containment foam Ghostbusters-backpack-ripoff things. It wasn't a direct blast, more of just a splash to my side, so I'm not pasted to the wall or anything. But unfortunately, it still means one of my forearms is now basically unusable as the limb is covered in pseudo-concrete ultra-sticky gunk. My elbow accidentally made contact with my side and now the limb is stuck there.

Worse news. Half my side being covered in the quick-hardening gel means Grundy's Moon Ball is now entirely inaccessible. I wasn't exactly planning on smashing the thing open once we made it outside the bowels of the ship, but I don't like having the option forcibly denied. It's like my biggest safety net has been slashed away.

Which only leaves the terrible news.

I'm pretty sure that green-haired gentleman currently glaring at us from across the way is Proton.

He seems a smidge upset.

"I told that smug asshole Archer this was no place to field test the prototype!" He snarls more to himself than anyone else. "What good is locking up 90% of the opposition if the remaining 10 can still throw everything off balance! We should have just fucking gassed 'em all! Nothing ever goes wrong with gas!"

Four Grunts are present alongside their superior and though there's a number of Pokémon released at their sides - Zubats, Magnemites, one Murkrow, Voltorb and an Arbok- none of their levels are higher than the low 20's and don't concern me as threats.

The two that Proton has out alongside him are a little more troubling.

There's no Weezing or Golbat like he has in the games. No Houndooms or Vileplumes which are classic Executive-type Pokémon from the series. 'Though I'm sure he has them'.

Rather it's two exotic Dark-types the Admin has chosen to field for the operation.

Mandibuzz. Level 56. Sassy Nature. A flying vulture-like Pokémon from Unova. While seeing the bony bird is unexpected, I can't lie and pretend it's wholly a shock. Through Rocket's overseas connections was how I myself made it to the foreign nation. I did one job for the documents. Another for them to grease the right palms. I knew they had lines of access to the region.

The second Pokémon on the other hand - though considerably weaker - is a surprise to me. Because until this moment just right now, I didn't understand just how far Rocket's global reach actually was. Most Indigo citizens wouldn't even be able to properly identify those islands on a world map.

Alolan Raticate. Level 41. Rash Nature. Drool drips at the edges of its oversized cheeks telling me the pouches are stuffed to bursting with spare berries. It's possible that Proton is trying to abuse the 'Gluttony' Ability of the Dark-Normal rat for everything he can.

For the next thirteen seconds.

Absolute chaos.

Vlad blitzes through a Magnemite's Thundershock to get in Mandibuzz's face with an Ice Fang. Through his many boosting moves the scorpion-bat's Speed is outrageous but the overgrown turkey still manages to fire a point-blank Dark Pulse at him in exchange for taking the Super-effective hit.

One of Rick's Furret overpowers Voltorb's Sonic Boom by using Hyper Voice while the second one dances out a Helping Hand. An orange sheen descends over my vision as Blissey covers as many of our side as she can with a Light Screen. In a combo move they literally invented on the spot, Simon is launched by K.Rool to land a quad-effective Dynamic Punch right into the center of Proton's overly obese rat, completely disrupting its use of Laser Focus.

Ice Shards from Junior clips the wings of a Zubat but then the piglet whines in pain as a second manages to smack him with Leech Life.

Murkrow uses a Night Shade at me and I have to dive an ugly and graceless dodge behind Ma Ma to avoid it. One of the Rocket Grunts tries to hose Rick down with containment foam but the athletic man somehow jumps over it and then lariats his attacker in the throat.

If it wasn't abundantly clear from the combat earlier when I first exited my room, there's no niceties in play here like when you're fighting in a tournament or having a friendly spar on a Route somewhere.

There's no namby-pamby regulations. No sixty second timer on switchouts. No restrictions on item usage or on using boosting moves ahead of time. There's definitely no waiting for your opponent like its a turn-based game and absolutely no regards to even the slightest idea of fairness.

This is street rules. Weapons free.

Your only objective: Put the enemy down! Unconscious, out of commission, or whatever it takes to neutralize the threat!

Proton ducks under a haymaker swing from Rick and - in a surprising amount of agility - actually backflips to gain some distance. In a flash an Ultra Ball has appeared in the Admin's hand…only for the man to gnash his teeth angrily as he realizes his mistake.

'That confirms it!' I realize in an instant. I had already suspected, but seeing the look on his face cinches it for me. 'They can't release any new Pokémon from their Balls either. That's why so many of them are already out.'

"Gah! You know what?! Fuck this fucking shit!" Proton spits out a storm of curse words. "I ain't fucking paying for Archer's dumbass mistakes!" In a monstrously bright flash a Level 63 Alakazam suddenly Teleports in at his back. "Get me the fuck outta here!" Blue lines of Psychic power glow over the Admin as well as his Unovan bird and in another burst of light, the two are gone from sight.

Morale for the remaining three Grunts crumbles immediately. Powerful emotions are easy to read over each of their faces. There's fear from being abandoned. Disbelief that he just left them like that. The one female in the group turns around and bolts! Any thoughts of the team members she still has deployed are forgotten. She doesn't even try to scoop up the Zubat that I'm pretty sure is hers.

K.Rool and Vlad cut her off before she even makes it fifteen feet.

---

A rather liberal use of Rocket's own containment foam against them secures the Grunts and their Pokémon from any more ideas of running off. There's always the chance they'll get Teleported out the moment Rick and I are gone, but there's only so many things I can safeguard against.

Speaking of my newest big bodybuilding comrade, he's currently on the far side of the room hefting the Alolan Raticate up by its foot. The rodent's eyes are dizzy anime swirls and there's berries and vomit all over the floor from where it passed out.

Don't judge. A four times effective Dynamic Punch to the gut would of laid your ass out too.

"He just left it." The burly man speaks with a frown. "This isn't a shiny Raticate. I've never seen something like this before. And he just left it."

I nod along silently, not sure of what to voice among the dozen things I want to say.

Maybe with Dark-types being so resistant to Psychic energy, the Alakazam couldn't transport more than one at a time so it simply took the stronger Mandibuzz and that was that. Sure. I can see that being a possibility.

It's more comforting than the other idea I have.

That in Petrel's eyes - or rather Rocket's eyes - a regional variant from Alola isn't important enough to even bother with grabbing it.

There's definitely a number of unsettling implications that go along with that thought.

A rumble shakes the ceiling and I'm reminded there's no time to dally. Someone else is fighting on the main deck outside and a feeling in my gut tells me it's not going well. "Come on, we gotta keep moving."

Rick nods in agreement and hands the Raticate over to his Blissey, apparently intending on keeping the thing, and then we're racing through the ship again. Most of my team members are still good to go, but it'd be dishonest to claim they're all at 100%.

Ma Ma's bulky and hasn't really been able to dodge in tight quarters. While most of the weak attacks just wash over her like ocean water against a stone, chip damage is still a thing. Vlad took that vulture's Dark Pulse right to the face and I can't pretend that that didn't happen. Junior, the most fragile and vulnerable of my team is mostly okay - thank god - but all it would take is one bad hit from something powerful to send the little guy out of commission.

Blissey sends out a Heal Pulse as we huff along, which I truly do appreciate, but having its effects spread out among so many minimizes its benefits.

Up a set of stairs, through the dining hall, ascend a ramp and then one last set of double doors and all ten of us burst outside. Rick with his three Pokémon plus me and my five.

It is immediately obvious we should have stayed indoors.

Something akin to three dozen Grunts and what is easily over a hundred Pokémon are all milling about. Noctowl, Raticate, Raichu, Zubat, Golbat, Ekans, Arbok, Gastly, Victreebel, Paras, Gloom, Drowzee, Hypno, Koffing, Grimer, Electrode, the list just goes on and on. They're everywhere.

An Arcanine is thrashing in a steel net and being dragged across the floor by a quartet of Grunts. A Starmie and a Lickitung lay unconscious and sprawled out, covered in wounds. Multiple passengers are glued down by the same gunk currently trapping my arm and the only one still free is a woman currently being backed into a corner alongside a heavily wounded Espeon.

For a moment the world freezes.

No one breathes.

Everyone stares at us. We stare at them. A spotlight from a low hanging 'Rocket Blimp' in the sky shines directly on our party.

And then with a shout of two words from their owner, all three of Rick's Normal-types unleash Hyper Beam.

---

Dodge! Dodge! Move left! A Sludge Bomb comes directly at my face and K.Rool jumps in front of me to tank it. Vlad takes down a fourth opponent with Fury Cutter, skyrocketing the base power of the move to its theoretical limit. One of Rick's Furrets is down, trapped in steel wire by some sort of net launcher. Scratch that, both Furrets down! Ma Ma smacks a Houndour clean off the ship but another of the hell themed hounds has his teeth in her shoulder.

There's too many. There's too many. My reserves of aura drop to critical levels. I can't support the team anymore. Junior! Where is Junior?! I can't see him! Krookodile one shots the Victreebel with Power Trip but accepts a critical hit Leaf Blade to land it, forcing him to a knee. Blissey's being dogpiled. She throws out a Healing Wish towards a teammate as her last effort but a Shadow Ball disrupts and scatters the energy.

A piteous whine on my psyche pulls my eyes towards Simon. He's curled in a ball with his head in his hands. There's too much noise. Too much chaos. Too much everything everywhere all at once. He's having a panic attack. A full regression of all the progress we've made on getting him to battle.

Ma Ma's Guts Ability has activated, someone Paralyzed her. An Ekans wraps around Rick with Constrict, taking him down to the ground where a Hypno then forces him to sleep.

Vlad knocks out a Haunter with a single swing of his tail…

…and then drops to Destiny Bond.

My body is slammed against the side of the ship as a high-pressure hose of containment foam nails me in the chest. The back of my head bangs harshly against the metal wall and colors swim in my vision. Things are blurry. Sound is just a dull ringing. I vaguely recognize the towering protective form of Ma Ma standing on her hind legs in front of me. A guttural roar pours from her throat as she dares any to get closer. The Moon Ball on my belt is vibrating violently. Grundy can't get out. He knows that. Even if the Ball were unlocked he'd have nowhere to release to because of the foam and yet he rages all the same.

Krookodile unlocks the move Outrage. He shouldn't learn it for another 20-some odd levels and yet he taps into something and summons the Dragon move all the same. He swipes with abandon, taking out enemies three and four at a time…until he finally goes down too.

A squeal manages to reach my ears.

Steel nets full of Balls. Steel nets full of Pokémon. They're all being craned up to the airship via a pulley.

Junior is in one of them.

"SIMON!" I scream my lungs hoarse. "GET JUNIOR AND GO!"

My voice manages to pierce the veil of Golett's mental spiraling and he looks at me with eyes full of terror. A dozen Rocket Pokémon that saw fit to ignore the little crying blue ball suddenly turn his way with malicious intent.

He's hyperventilating. His head darts around as if just seeing his surroundings for the first time. He sees the unconscious Vlad and K.Rool. He sees Ma Ma on her last legs. He sees Junior being taken away. His whole body is shaking.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT US!" I scream again over the sounds of Ma Ma fighting in front of me. "TAKE HIM AND GO!"

An Arbok charges at the Ghost, its fangs glowing a sickly purple- "GOL GOL!" when pure white aura explodes off the little golem.

Spoiler: It Is Time

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrCHRhbWpY8

The cobra is repelled just from the energy release. Golett's stature suddenly doubles. Triples. The Golurk stands twice the height of any Pokémon around him. It stands at least a foot taller than other Golurks. With a roar of something ancient the Automaton Pokémon announces its presence for everyone to stare upon. Even after evolving, the yellow rune lines along his body are still glowing with power.

Ghostly legs disappear into roaring flames as the iron giant takes flight into the sky. Gleaming energy coats his fist as he speeds at the Rocket themed dirigible like a living missile. "What?!" Petrel appears from the basket hanging underneath the airship. "It can use Fly?! Honchkrow intercept-!"

It's too late. He's already punched straight through the side and the first of many explosions are beginning to rock the innards of the vessel. In only a few hits from the S-Potential Pokémon, the zeppelin is already beginning to list and lose altitude.

'No. Not S-ranked.' I realize with a moment of dumbfounded awe. I saw it only for a second, but it was there.

Potential: SS

He didn't go up one rank to S+. He went up three.

Fires are erupting all over the dirigible. The nets it was craning up snap loose. Petrel nearly falls over the edge as a gout of Ghostly energy rips another hole in the aircraft's side.

And then the locking signal, that barely perceptible hum that's been present all throughout the night…simply cuts out.

"BRADLEY!" Petrel snarls down at me from the sky, absolute fury etched over his features. "We'll burn you for this! You think this won't come back on you?! After all the work you've done for us?!"

Through the gaps of the nets, previously capsuled Pokémon burst out just as furious and looking to fight. Flareon, Feraligator, Farfetch'd. Abra, Ampharos, Ambipom. Chikorita, Cloyster, a shiny Corphish from Hoenn.

"Sorry, boss man!" I do my best to flip him off with the one half of an arm I have that isn't stuck. "My services are no longer available!"

Pure rage enters his eyes. "BRADL-" The blue aura of Teleport takes the Rocket Admin way right before the airship detonates in a magnificent firework.

More and more allies join the fight as they become free. Eevee, Elekid and Electabuzz. Lanturn, Leafeon, the Larvitar which helped push me to do this. So many uncommon and valuable Pokémon that I'm now positive that Rocket must have spent months in prep work aiming to have all these trainers here tonight. Offers of free tickets or special promotions via email. You wouldn't get such a diverse group here otherwise.

Simon comes to a slow landing in front of me, Junior protectively cradled in his massive oversize hands.

Golurk: Level 43
Nature: Brave
Potential: SS

"Hey there buddy." My voice nearly cracks in emotion. "You got big!"

"GOL!"

---

"Yes! Yes!" Samantha the Olivine reporter chanted as she waited to be freed along the other captees. "I knew this camera pen would come in handy one day!"

"This footage is going to get me the ratings of the decade!"

---

A/N: A mini-glossary of the chapter's characters we saw.

Sally: Young girl from Lake of Rage tournament. Bradley sees much potential in her.

Ariana: Rocket Admin. Very haughty. Not as smart as she thinks she is. Not as pretty either.

Proton: Rocket Admin. Angry when things go wrong. Angry when they go right too. Curses more than is healthy.

Petrel: Rocket Admin. Currently unavailable for comment. Mild case of being absolutely livid.

Archer: Rocket Admin. Was mentioned twice. Upset that prototype was destroyed. Big frowny face.

Rick: New friend get. Outwardly threatening, but likes floofy things.

Simon: Our MC's recently evolved Golurk. Has a new theme song.

 

[Drakebane]

Brad is cutting the criminal ties cause he can't stand to do nothing when it's happening in front of his face and Simon evolves with flair.

 

[Kelsier Vin]

Simon is the Golurk that will pierce the heavens!

 

[Vanbers]

On one hand, being revealed as having done work for them isn't great.

On the other hand, publicly being one of the primary reasons a raid this massive was stopped cold? With one of the Admins actively swearing revenge? That'll dampen the hit to his rep quite a bit, most likely.

Also, lmao at them getting the evolution info wrong. Sucks to suck, Ariana.

Always nice to see more of this, chapter was a treat as always.

 

[Thatonesungod]

Pull drill run straight out of nowhere and give it crit boosting. Pierce.

 

[Moran]

An electronic signal that can lock the player's Poké Balls.

Click to shrink...

No reason word of this kind of technology wouldn't go public. I can imagine fear and the uproar and the league of several regions mobilizing.
A new lesson/rule to all trainers: Always leave at least one or two Pokémon out of their Pokéballs.

 

[Rin]

Oooh. I was kind of enjoying the back and forth with Team Rocket that Bradley had going on (*interesting* morally ambiguous pokemon protagonists are rare)... But I can't wait to see the fallout from this.

 

[mc2rpg]

Brad is cutting the criminal ties cause he can't stand to do nothing when it's happening in front of his face and Simon evolves with flair.

Click to shrink...

It is so much easier to hold to your principles when you have already gotten everything you wanted from breaking them. If he had not already evolved his Ursaluna would he really have worked to stop them here?

 

[ApiLol123123]

"Yes! Yes!" Samantha the Olivine reporter chanted as she waited to be freed along the other captees. "I knew this camera pen would come in handy one day!"

"This footage is going to get me the ratings of the decade!"

Click to shrink...

Don't tell me she got the interaction between Petrel & Bradley too..

Can't really blame the guy for acting. The jump from "Dig a hole in the ground and we'll pay you" to "Stand by and do nothing while we kidnap 100s of Pokemon" is massive. Thanks for the chapter, eager to read the next one!

 

[NightmareWarden]

Huh, I figured the quagsire would break free and flee into the ocean as soon as ball-busting was brought up. Instead, a rocket exec has an excuse to learn about the Golurk line's biggest weakness.

Thank you for the chapter! I hope Rick schedules a battle, hopefully with Ma Ma, to celebrate gaining Brad's respect/friendship. Heroes that answer the call in the middle of the night deserve attention and support if they have a stubborn problem keeping them from blossoming.

one for one trade?" he smiles. "Two Smeargles for two desert Pokémon? I do believe so, yes."

"I'll get you extra if you can prepare multiples for me to look at. Even with good genetics as you say, I can be a little particular." 'Understatement of the century there, but it's the most I can say to him at the moment.'

"My dear boy," Carter laughs at the implied challenge. "My business is to peddle Skitty's to spoiled little girls to use in their beauty contests. I believe I'm familiar with particular."

As the gentleman departs I feel the need to ask, "Hey Carter," I turn my head. "If we did have a battle, what Pokémon were you planning to field? And how far did you get in the Hoenn circuit anyway?"

The man grins a bit wistfully. "Well my Altaria seemed a bit much for this event. So I've been using Zangoose, Ludicolo, and Lairon. And I had seven Badges. Never could manage to squeeze out a win for number eight." He bids with his hat. "Until next time then.

Click to shrink...

Hopefully Brad is able to meet and battle Carter after the next gym. Carter might have time to come up with a challenge for the newly caught on camera Ma Ma as well as Nidoking if yet another adventure happens in Olivine. Or relaxation.

 

[DaSilverSceptile]

I kinda like that is was Sally and her Larvitar that pushed him over the edge to saying fuck this.

 

[Requiem_Jeer]

Huh, I wonder if Rick has a teddiursa/ursaring of his own. Bradley has a spare Peat Block, after all...

 

[Kehsem]

"I think I'm going to do something really stupid."

Click to shrink...

Immunity from Prosecution would be an interesting setup for the 'Kick the Shit Out of My Former Friends' arc. A good long-game setup to put MC into an Elite Four seat without totally upsetting the balance with Champion nonsense.

"Yes! Yes!" Samantha the Olivine reporter chanted as she waited to be freed along the other captees. "I knew this camera pen would come in handy one day!"

Click to shrink...

And I kind of want to see MC eventually sell the rights to his memoirs to her. Because she's adorable, yes.

 

[Fabhar]

Holy SHIT what a chapter! The drama! The action! THE EVOLUTION! I'm so fucking hyped.

 

[Xodarap]

That ending was just peak awe for a perfectly timed Gurren Laggaan moment.

 

[RainwithPromise]

Kinda idiotic for them to do in front of him? while morally gray They should've known that as long as it ain't something horrible it front of him and it's only from recounts and news he'd stay out.

You made a good asset leave because you prioritise a *easy exotics* than a handyman.

Hopefully the recording didn't get his "Defection" or else his gonna have a very bad time.

 

[Automaton]

Well, people are going to have some very pointed questions for him after that footage gets out...

Poké Chow sloshes over the rims of the bowl as Junior practically buries his front half into the wet-dry mixture. Excessive snorting sounds come from the young piglet as he messily scarfs everything down as fast as he can - which isn't actually all that quick given the size of his small mouth - and honestly? At this point I'm just glad the mess doesn't carry past the spare newspaper I've put down.

Click to shrink...

He should get one of those slow release food dispensers. I bet they make them very durable in the Pokemon world.

 

[Bob Saget]

Only one last step before Brad and Simon are ready for their full shounen protagonist metamorphosis.

"Get in the ghost, Bradley."
"Did you just mis-genre me? That's not how this wor—"
"Get in the giant fucking ghost, Bradley!"

Aside from months of effort, that's a lot of grunts for Team Rocket to lose. On top of all the secret routes/tunnels Brad can tattle on. Big ouchies for that inferior ground master. Maybe if he sits in his chair and pets his pussy he'll feel better.

 

[Zatch P]

"We've confirmed evolution of the boy's Ursaring. Just as broken clocks are right twice a day, it seems that idiot Petrel actually was actually correct on this one. The Peat we delivered to his room was the key after all!"

And by the looks of it, the new discovery was potentially part Ground-type as well! How excellent! With a swish of her long hair, the beautiful, amazing, unmatched Ariana stomped away to continue this viewing in her private quarters. No doubt she'd win quite the favor by getting the news of this to the boss before anyone else.

The possibility never even entered her mind that the moon tonight was all wrong. Why would such a thing even be a factor?

Click to shrink...

Funny thing is... the Ursaluna evolution is already public knowledge. Last chapter there was a reporter asking about it. Bradley refused to tell her how the evolution happened but there's really no denying that it did once the info spreads to the point reporters start asking questions.

Guess the Rocket executives don't bother keeping up with the news. Even without that, inless they happen to try evolving Ursaring on a full moon, it'll fail and they'll assume they were wrong.

Giovanni might not even try it, and will at the very least not be surprised it fails because he would know that Ursaring was already evolved before they gave Bradley the Peat Block. Obviously that wasn't the trigger. They'll test it just to prove that's not how it works, then he can punish these idiots. Really, the Pokemon is known to have evolved before now and you're claiming it evolved here instead? With a method that doesn't even work?

Great cover for the Ursaluna evolution though. Nobody would expect the moon thing, and by giving him a Peat Block now anyone who knows will assume he didn't have enough before now, so that must not have been the trigger. Peat will get dismissed entirely.

Bradley discovered the Ancient Power evolution method here, so they'll assume he probably found another move that works like that which is easiest to learn using peat (or requires it). Who's to say Headlong Rush is a move Ursaluna learns after evolving and not one that triggers Evolution, after all? It's not like evolutions triggered with a certain move are all that rare.

 

[Kalstorm22]

Great chapter! Simon finally learned to believe in the him that believes in himself.

 

[Caleb_Denin]

Slight whiplash from the sudden change compared to last chapter, but still a great chapter!

Though now I'm in a bit of a bind, whichever of your fic updoots first, I will be disappointed that it's not the other cuz both ended on a pretty big cliffhanger...

Why must you do this Vishnu?!

Also, wasn't Ursalunas evo already known? I know it was a whole bit with him not wanting to show her to that girl '"interviewing" him after he was done at the battle tower and he left but SURELY at least one person at the tower heard the name "Ursaluna" right?

EDIT : Typos.

 

[Dradel]

No reason word of this kind of technology wouldn't go public. I can imagine fear and the uproar and the league of several regions mobilizing.
A new lesson/rule to all trainers: Always leave at least one or two Pokémon out of their Pokéballs.

Click to shrink...

The final boss of gen 9 where they use it is hands down one of the most epic moments in canon pokémon.

 

[ya boi]

I enjoyed the chapter! Good to see him finally cut loose from Team Rocket, will probably make it easier for him to schmooze up to Lorelei lol

"Yes! Yes!" Samantha the Olivine reporter chanted as she waited to be freed along the other captees. "I knew this camera pen would come in handy one day!"

"This footage is going to get me the ratings of the decade!"

Click to shrink...

Wondering about the implications of this, I imagine Samantha caught Golurk's superhero sequence but you didn't make it clear whether she caught or even recorded any of the he worked with Team Rocket stuff.

 

[Petrox]

I feel the Quagsire is being saved for Mewtwo if Rocket goes hard on him.

 

[Arkon]

Don't tell me she got the interaction between Petrel & Bradley too..

Click to shrink...

It could be possible that the mix part of the pen camera wasn't working good, I don't expect the mic to have a range greater than 1m too, though Pokemon World tech is weird.

Also there's already tons of witnesses around.

 

[LordVishnu]

Don't tell me she got the interaction between Petrel & Bradley too..

Click to shrink...

Wondering about the implications of this, I imagine Samantha caught Golurk's superhero sequence but you didn't make it clear whether she caught or even recorded any of the he worked with Team Rocket stuff.

Click to shrink...

Oh she got it all. Her news director told her to go investigate and get him pictures of Spiderman the alleged new evolution. He refused to run any sort of story without proof. Incidentally this is why Bradley felt someone was following him at the end of the previous chapter. Didn't stop the indie teenage reporter from running her own little tale, but that wouldn't make it beyond her Poke Net followers.

Funny thing is... the Ursaluna evolution is already public knowledge. Last chapter there was a reporter asking about it. Bradley refused to tell her how the evolution happened but there's really no denying that it did once the info spreads to the point reporters start asking questions.

Guess the Rocket executives don't bother keeping up with the news.

Click to shrink...

Also, wasn't Ursalunas evo already known?

Click to shrink...

The timeline goes:
Day 1) Bradley creates a local stir at the Battle Tower west of Olivine. Reporters come to investigate but don't get much. See above.
Day 2) Jasmine clears an hour of her schedule to speak with Bradley.
Day 3) Bradley buys a last minute ticket to a cruise ship and the events of this chapter occur.

excuse to learn about the Golurk line's biggest weakness.

Click to shrink...

Que?

 

[Otherion27]

The Cruel Indifferent Pokemon World: No!!! The potential limit for a Pokemon is S!! You can't go past it!!

The Indomitable Spirit of one single Golurk: No! That's YOUR Limitation!! You sit there in your divine realm, locking away the limits of other Pokemon like a god of gods! That's nobody limitation but your own!!!

 

[Shadowj6480]

So first, I'd like to say that I really like how this incident caused the MC to cut ties with Rocket. It's such a human reaction, to suddenly no longer be comfortable working with them because he's been put in a position where people he's seen being happy with their Pokémon are about to have their companions ripped away from them. No moral ambiguity, no "See no evil hear no evil", just the knowledge that if he doesn't do something a bunch of innocent Pokémon and humans are going to suffer for it.

Second, the panic he felt was palpable. When the fight started taking a turn for the worse, I legit believed that this chapter could end with him and his Pokémon getting captured. The caveat being that maybe only Simon and/or Junior would manage to escape and possibly mount a rescue mission somehow. It's a credit to your writing that I was so caught up in the moment that I genuinely forgot that Simon was an S potential mon who might be able to pull some superhero badassery to save the day.

I really look forward to where this is going!

 

[Merzero]

Hell yeah, awesome!
Honestly expected a Quagsire moment, but a Simon moment... Wait! He's named Simon! I guess I forgot why he was named that way. Nice!