A Little Adventure in Alola

by CommanderX5

Ch.6 - Rescue Party - Pt.5

The Team Rocket members watched, frozen in shock with their mouths agape while Meowth’s face became ghostly pale.

Oshawott held his broken shell close to his heart as his body trembled at the mere thought of the horrors the charming and brave Raichu had to endure.

Ash grit his teeth, staring at the unjust torture as Nica wasn’t even given a chance to evade, yet the Raichu in his embrace didn’t show any sight of worry. He couldn’t tell why, but seeing Ace so calm about the fate of his sister felt reassuring, as though he knew something he didn’t.

Suddenly, both himself and Team Rocket began to stumble as the floor trembled beneath them, each party struggling to stay on their feet. The Mimikyu’s costume started drilling itself deeper into the floor due to the extreme intensity of its assault, the floor soon dissolving into spider like cracks as the very room started to split in half.

“We have to get out of here!” Meowth suggested.

“You don’t have to tell me twice, let’s go!” James said as he grabbed Jessie’s hand and pulled her towards the exit.

Ash walked backward before running for the exit, yet occasionally glancing at the crater where Mimikyu was assaulting Nica.

Both humans and pokemon rushed outside, neither able to pause as the building trembled around them. Everyone stopped outside, now looking at the Megamart, Team Rocket in satisfaction and Ash in worry. The air was filled with the noise of blows and tremors from inside, while the walls of Pokemart started to crumble.

Much to everyone’s shock, the very building started to crumble, falling apart before their very eyes as both Mimikyu and Nica ended up buried under the rubble.

“Nica!” Ash shouted, wishing he could go to her rescue, but he could only stumble  backwards as cracks on the ground started spreading even outside of where the building stood a moment ago.

Ash lost his balance, watching in terror as the earthquake finally ceased. The tension high as he begged in his mind that Nica was okay. His attention focused on the moving rubble, yet his hopes were dashed when Mimikyu pushed the rubble aside before moving towards the Rocket members. Wait… the aura of Totem Pokemon… it’s gone completely, Ash thought as he noticed that Mimikyu seemed to be his regular size again. So using that Z-move… it cost Mimikyu the power he gained. But what about Nica?

“Hey, what’s that?” Jessie asked as she pointed at the pokemon who had climbed up onto the rubble.

Ash gasped, not believing his eyes. “N-Nica…” He could only stare in disbelief as the Raichu somehow managed to stay standing, covered in bruises from top to bottom as her tail dragged behind her. Both eyes had black marks like they had been continuously punched. Each step on those poor trembling legs suggested pain, yet she never faltered. 

As the Raichu kept walking closer, he noticed blood dripping from cuts on her battered body, staining the rubble a few little drops at a time, while her right forepaw seemed to be numb as it hung down limply, tugged down by gravity. How she managed to keep staring at Mimikyu without wincing in pain was beyond him. A deadly ‘Discharge’, two giant ‘Power Whips’, Kartana’s ‘Leaf Blades’, and now a direct hit from Mimikyu’s Z-move. What’s this Raichu made off?

<Scared?> Nica asked as she ignored the aching in her bones, the burning sensations in her muscles and her numb limb. She felt her beaten paws make contact with the rubble as she approached the now smaller Mimikyu, who shrunk back to regular size.

“What, how?” Jessie asked.

“This can’t be!” James said.

Meowth held his paws over his mouth. “But we hit her with everything we had… and then more!”

<Was that… all… you got? You were more tired than I thought.> With a single jump, she flew over the rubble, landing in front of the destroyed building. She spit a wad of blood and wiped more from a cut on her cheek as she approached Mimikyu with firm steps, avoiding the cracked part of the asphalt. <Tired or not… if you used this powerful attack… on someone else, you would have won.> She held her working forepaw on her belly. <But you messed with the wrong pokemon. Enduring blows is what I am best at, and it takes a whole lot more than a Z-move to finish me off!>

<S-stay back,> Mimikyu said as a shadowy hand shot from under his costume.

Nica swung her ‘Iron Tail,’ effortlessly cutting through the ‘Shadow Claw,’ the attack nearly useless due to how little power it had behind it. <What's the matter, tired already?> she asked with a smug smirk on her face. Not only had she exhausted a lot of Mimikyu’s power and stamina when he allowed his rage to overcome him, but using a Z-move on top of that seemed to run the pokemon completely dry. The aura of the Totem Pokemon was gone, so was the size increase as she could now look down on her opponent. 

<I said stay back!> Mimikyu yelled before throwing a ‘Shadow Ball’, only for the attack to be slapped back into his face. The Rocket members backed away, not daring to get in her way.

<What’s it like getting a taste of your own medicine?> Nica asked, still feeling frustration at the one who tortured her brother. She wanted to understand him, to show him mercy, and he spat on it. He deserved nothing but suffering. <You harassed Pikachu, you tortured my brother, and on top of that you allied yourself with the wrong people. Now you know how it feels to be on the receiving end.>

<I give up, I’ll leave!> Mimikyu said as he lay on his back.

<It’s too late to try and beg for mercy. You had your chance!> Nica shook her head before grabbing Mimikyu with her working forepaw, raising him up to her face. Her fur was stained red, growing wet as clumps of blood began to collect. <You’ll leave? That is where you’re wrong. The only place you’ll go now is a prison!>

<W-what?>

<Do you think I’ll let you go? Do you think I’ll let you try to hurt my hero because of your stupid jealousy? I have the power to protect my hero from the likes of you and I’ll use it.> She wrapped her tail around the weakened Mimikyu, shocking him with electricity in order to harm him.

“Oh come on!” Jessie yelled. “Team Rocket is finally making its stand in the world and our boss is counting on us! Why did we have to fail!? That isn’t fair.”

“No less fair than threatening to hit an injured pokemon with a Z-move to keep the Raichu from evading,” Ash complained, giving the trio a look of disapproval. “You’re ones to talk.”

James placed a hand on Jessie’s shoulder. “We have to get out of here.” He picked a smoke bomb from his pocket. “We may have lost, but we’ll…”

Nica jumped forward, slapping her tail with Mimikyu still wrapped in it against James’ hand, pushing the smoke bomb into the water in the distance. 

<Did I say you can leave?> Nica asked as bolts of electricity started forming on her cheeks. <Pikachu had told me about you. You have been hunting my hero for years. I’ll drag you all to prison and throw away the keys if I have to! You guys have all crossed the line.>

Meowth gulped. “I… I think she’s mad…” He yelped in pain upon being hit by ‘Thunderbolt’ as smoke started escaping his fur. “Y-yes… definitely m-mad.”

“Nica, calm down, we won,” Ash said as he ran closer with Ace still in his embrace. “Ace is safe and you defeated Mimikyu. Team Rocket’s plan failed. There’s no need for any more violence.” 

Nica looked at Ash with narrowed eyes. No need? They’ve been horrible, not to mention they escape every time for their evil deeds rather than face justice. I… I’m sorry, but I can’t back down now. She looked back at the Rocket members, noticing how James tried to reach for one of his pokemon. Not wasting a moment, she jumped up, stealing the pokeball from his hand.

“H-hey! That’s mine.”

Nica placed the pokeball in Oshawott’s limbs before addressing Meowth. <Surrender immediately and I’ll show you mercy, but make no mistake, you’re going to prison! Team Rocket nearly destroyed Alola, I can’t let you regroup with your leader.>

“Surrender, prison?” Meowth asked. 

Nica’s ears perked up. Not wasting a moment, she tackled Ash with her head, pushing him away in time before he could end up trapped under a descending Bewear.

“Bewear, you again? Why can’t you just leave us alone!?” Jessie whined.

“I don’t think we should complain considering the situation. I prefer Beware’s crushing embrace over prison,” James spoke up while giving Jessie a look of disapproval.

Feeling a growing frustration and continuous irritating pain in her whole body, Nica turned towards the unwelcome newcomer, who trapped the Rocket members in a tight grip. The Bewear was obviously strong and with the beating she just endured, it would be more than pushing her limit if she were forced to fight.

<Hey, what do you think you’re doing?> Nica asked.

<Taking them to safety,> Bewear answered.

Nica clenched her working forepaw before running to the side while slapping Bewear’s left paw with her ‘Iron Tail’. She followed up with a quick ‘Volt Tackle’, pushing the large pokemon away, only to follow up with a quick ‘Thunderbolt’. As if a bleeding and injured animal overwhelmed by adrenaline during critical moment, she fought with greater ferocity, not holding back in the least. <Those people invaded Alola with army of Ultra Beasts. They took my brother hostage. How can you side with these monsters?>

Bewear roared as she and Nica started glaring at each other, none daring to back down.

“Nica, what’s gotten into you?” Ash asked in worry while Oshawott pleaded for her to calm down.

Meowth grabbed Mimikyu, his body shaking in fear. “G-guys… I… I feel scared. That Raichu is insane.”

James gulped. “Normally, we would be sent flying by now. This is so wrong.”

Jessie grabbed the beastball. “We still have these. I think our Kartana will get us out of trouble.” She released her Ultra Beast.

Ash grabbed a pokeball of his own, ready to fight back, only for his attention to focus on yet another newcomer.

“Ninetales, attack with Flamethrower, trap that Ultra Beast in a pillar of fire. Torracat, hit the trapped pokemon with ‘Fire Blast’. Burn them, burn them to ashes!”

Caught off guard, Kartana turned around, not reacting fast enough as a gigantic pillar of flames surrounded it from all sides. ‘Fire Blast’ in the form of a flaming cat went into the pillar, striking it directly. 

As the flames vanished, the Ultra Beast fell down onto the ground, scorched and unconscious. Despite all its offense power and speed, it proved completely incapable of taking fire and special attacks.

“Wait...a pokemon using pokemon, what’s going on!?” James asked in panic while holding hands to his cheeks. 

“We’re surrounded!” Jessie added.

Bewear swung her arms at the injured opponent. Nica danced on her rear paws, evading every strike with a grace that she shouldn't have, occasionally pushing punches to the side with the help of ‘Iron Tail’. The asphalt received additional holes.

Ash looked at the pokemon that took down Kartana and waved at them. “Thanks! Nice teamwork by the way.”

Ninetales whispered something to Torracat, who nodded in response. He gave the smaller pokemon a pat on the back while gesturing with his head for the other pokemon to run ahead.

Torracat didn’t need to be asked twice, running forward before jumping into Ash’s embrace, pushing aside the Alolan Raichu, forcing him to levitate on his own tail with leftovers of his strength.

“Ash! Finally, after all this time we’re together again!”

The trainer felt weight press against his chest as the pokemon kept nuzzling his chin. “Do I… know you… wait… Litten, is that you?” Receiving a nod of confirmation, he said, “You evolved! That’s amaz-Wait, you can talk?”

Torracat smiled in pride. “I didn’t just evolve, I learned tons of neat tricks, all thanks to Master Ninetales,” he said, pointing at the majestic pokemon standing regally in the distance, who rubbed his chest with a satisfied grin. Torracat poked the collar on his neck and added, “Also, this magical stuff that ponies made is great. As long as I wear it, you can understand everything I say. This’ll make life so much easier.”

“Rarity did the decor while I worked on the magical enchantments… with some small help from Twilight.”

Ash looked at the pokemon… no, at the pony. This one similar to the alicorn, but with a different colored mane and missing wings. 

“My name is Starlight, nice to meet you,” Starlight said as she trotted forward cheerfully. “I must say, I love this training business. I get to command and destroy everything that gets in my way without doing any lasting harm to any creature. It’s so much fun.”

Ash smiled sheepishly. The way this pony described his field of speciality wasn’t exactly how he would describe it.

“Nica! What happened to you? Did he injure you?” Starlight grit her teeth, glaring at the bear-like pokemon. “Don’t worry, I got your back. Ninetales, attack with Flamethrower, help Nica!” Starlight commanded, pointing at the Bewear while lifting her horn. She wrapped her levitation around the large opponent, keeping it immobile just long enough for the flames to hit. 

Bewear started running back and forth like a dancing flame as her fur caught on fire.

With a wide smile, Nica ran and jumped, nearly knocking Starlight off balance as she embraced her neck with a single paw. A bit of her blood stained her friend’s fur as the result, but she ignored it and hugged her back just as hard.

Jessie, James, and Meowth looked at each other, and then at the slightly deflated costume of Mimikyu as the ghost/fairy pokemon didn’t seem to have any strength left. The Bewear was on fire, their Ultra Beasts defeated and they were surrounded. Nodding in agreement, they looked at Ash with saddened expressions and said in unison, “We… we surrender.” They gave a nervous glance to Starlight, or rather at Nica in her embrace. While they felt fear from Pikachu’s electric attacks that struck them every other day, it paled in comparison to the unstoppable force that this Raichu was. As long as this long-tailed pokemon was around, resistance was futile.