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-Black smog fills the corridors ahead and behind me, screams pierce the veil.

Screw it, “Wattsons, do we have control yet?”

“Not yet,” Mayor Joe sounds like he’s sweating a bit. “Another three to five minutes and we’ll have the system.”

“Not fast enough, get the lights first priority. I want them flickering at least, play up the scare factor. Maybe they’ll think it's just the loose Gengar instead of a full raid.”

Senior chimes in, “Your Ace back up just teleported to the front door.”

“Don’t let them mess with my new Airship.”

A panicked Team Ember grunt stumbles out of the gas in front of me alongside his Mightyena. Kona instantly sand tombs the wolf pokemon while I smash the butt end of my spear into his chin to send the sap sprawling unconscious.

“The new ride I loaned you not enough Kurt?” Asks Joe.

Of Course I love the big jeep.

Stepping over the grunt, “I like making an impact.”

Gengar’s hand suddenly stretches out of the cloud in front of me, giving me a thumbs up.

I wink before realizing he can’t see my eyes. Checking my little minimap in my night goggles, “Next set of cells is through the next door.”

Said door is solid metal but it’s mounted in stone. “Kona, you mind knocking?”

Sand pours from the hinge mounts and the whole thing falls forward.

“They got the door open!” a voice cheers, two bodies rush forward.

Spotting the signature red hoodies, I step aside into the smog, “Salazzle… burn 'em.”

A gout of purple flame spouts from beside me, right into the fleeing figures. Interestingly the hoodies seem flame retardant, still scares the shit out of them however.

Kona smothers the screaming grunts. I may need to give him a hit of Ether I’ve got in my pack if this keeps up. “Salazzle, Kona, take a rest for a bit.”

I return them to their balls.

Cages line the four walls of a decently carved square room. In each one lies the malnourished and brutalized forms of Aggron, Camerupt, Manectric, Lucario, Swampert, Garchomp, Blaziken, that Charizard. In the center of the room a man is wrangling a Houndoom into a cage on wheels.

He glances up my way from behind shaggy green hair, “I told them this was too risky of a project, and now look. A Hero, come to save the day as usual?”

The weakly struggling hound is just skin and…more bones.

“Well, that is the job description. You look familiar by the way.”

His eyes narrow, “Wouldn’t know with that fancy gear you got on.” He goes to kick the dog the last bit into the cage.

Senior Wattson's rushed voice, “Kurt! Those are devolved Megas!”

Houndoom’s jaw clamps down on the man’s leg.

“Son of a Bitch!” he pulls out a pokeball, “Fearow, Glare!”

A large condor appears on top of the cage, it pecks at the Houndoom and then stares it down. Crunching bones is all the diabolic doberman gives in response. The man attached to the shattered leg screams in pain.

It clicks, Jane’s father, “Rico Thompson, I think this counts as a parole violation.”

He looks at me while still struggling, “Piss off!” He pulls out another pokeball. “Tyranitar, crush this mutt with Stone edge. Fearow, Fury Attack the league bitch over there.”

‘Good ol’ Mega T-tar,’ as the morning show calls them, appears, snarling. Eight feet of green spikes and aggression. It prepares to stomp on the cage only to get face blasted by a strange ball of blue light. Tyranitar stumbles a bit while growling at its attacker.

Glados has reduced the lock on one of the cages to slag. A Lucario with extra dreadlocks is heaving heavy breaths while leaning against the open bars.

My friendly Rotom zips over to the Blaziken’s cage next.

Ear piercing screeching reminds me I have a feathered problem myself. Inches from getting impaled by a lance sized beak, I drop low and parry it aside with my spear. Spinning the haft back and smashing the pommel against the big bird’s head, in one fluid motion the spin finishes with a straight lunge for the feathered chest. The Fearow flaps backwards to avoid.

“Tesla, get out here and Wild Charge this bird.”

A flash of red lightning and now my bobcat sized tarantula is harassing the Fearow around the room.

“Blue, help get these cages open.”

My favorite little thief drops the spear form and flies to the closest cage. Inside is a Swampert that looks like it has unfinished business with the T-tar.

One by one the cages open, either by melting, picking, or sheer force of the angered and encouraged prisoners.

I sprint towards Rico who is still struggling to pry the Houndoom off his leg. Never a better moment for a superman punch to the face!

Knuckles meet the jawline so hard it sends a shiver up to my elbow. He falls to the ground as I regain footing to follow up.

Rico is dazed but still conscious, he spits blood across the cement floor, “You piece of shit!”

A croc hunter sized knife appears in his hand from behind his back. He takes a swing at my legs only to nearly drop the blade, screaming in pain as bright orange flames devour his captured leg.

When he moves to slash at the Houndoom it finally lets go, only to send a flamethrower in the man’s face. The man desperately rolls across the ground trying to stop the burning pain.

Half of the cages are open, energy attacks of all manner are flying across the room. Tyranitar takes a brutal kick from the karate rooster before responding with a torrent of purple flames. Blaziken stumbles a bit trying to dodge. The Dragon Breath is cut short by another aura sphere from the Lucario now collapsing from exhaustion.

A whimper pulls me back to the Houndoom half shoved in a cart, it’s hindlegs too weak to lift it upright. While Rico is still flailing about the pavement, I dig through my bag for one of my few Super Potions. The Wattsons only provided me with three syringes, which worked for traveling light but the pokemon in this room are going to need a lot more.

My dex app pulls up data on the Houndoom as it, She, lets me jab the needle in her hind leg. This poor girl was reported stolen from the Lavaridge Breeder Ranch, the lead suspect is Flannery’s missing husband.

Houndoom whines and weakly stands with my help out of the cart. She gently clamps down on my jacket sleeve and begins to pull me along.

A roar draws my attention as Tyranitar takes a full bodied Heavy Slam from his Steel cousin Aggron. The Iron Armor pokemon just collapses onto T-tar, forcing a struggle to shove the unconscious behemoth aside.

Screeching wails come from the opposite side of the room where my Galvantula is practicing Thunder Fang on a webbed up big bird.

Flashes from Rico return his pokemon, his face bleeding, “I don’t know who the Fuck you are but next time I see you, you’re dead! Do you hear me?! Dead!”

He turns to dash for the exit only to collapse on his broken leg.

“Tesla, snag that jackass.” There won’t be a next time.

My lighting spider leaps forward to wrap up Jane’s wayward parent. Another pokeball flash followed by more fire and Tesla has to abort any thoughts of ensnaring Rico as a six foot anteater sends an endless wave of flames across the room. Red hot pipes along its arms weave into its flesh like some future cyborg.

Houndoom positions herself to shield me from the heat and any close flares.

I quickly recall Tesla as a whip of flame from the anteater's mouth nearly snags her. Rico manages to crawl his way out of the room, his nightmare fire pokemon continuing to cover his retreat.

“Shit…,” Sighing, I pull out my Carracosta’s ball before continuing to be led by Houndoom, “Zilla, start spraying down the area around the door so it’s safe to leave.”

My big sea turtle squats down on her hind legs and glares at me before commencing her lawn sprinkler impression across the super heated portion of the room.

The devil doggo leads me to a smaller cage near some supply cabinets with a blanket thrown over it. Peeking inside I find something that ends any thoughts about chasing down more bad guys. Five small forms are lying on a towel… puppies.

After watching for a moment and confirming with the dex scan, I close my eyes. Exhaling a slow breath, “Only three are still breathing.”

Anger and pain flow in a mournful howl within the room. All of the other pokemon still conscious pause and look this way, each feeling their rage giving way to sadness.

Unfortunately, type affects nature, and darkness has always been one of the strongest influencers. Houndoom takes off after Rico.

“Shit!” I scrabble to my feet and run to catch up. Returning Zilla along the way and releasing my two Murkrow and Naomi’s Mienfoo, “Bonnie and Froosh, help those puppies. Clyde, look in the cabinets for any more medicine.”

My birds squawk in affirmative as I round the still steaming exit and spot Houndoom's cracked bones just ahead. She’s struggling to get up a flight of stairs, pure anger fighting against the approaching catastrophic failure of her overtaxed body.

With another stumble, more of the signature bone armor crumbles against the metal steps. It’d be impossible to guess this pokemon had ever mega evolved in her current state. I grab her by the waist and help guide her up the stairs. She almost bites me in reflex but has enough presence of mind to recognise my help.

Reminded of another dead puppy of all things, “Come on Miss Wick, let's find your revenge.”

She growls in the affirmative but then glances back with a whine.

“Don’t worry, I left a few of my team to help your pups.”

Her eyes narrow but with a huff of smoke from her maw she continues up the stairs with greater determination. With every step her hind legs shake, there's probably something wrong with her spine. I’ve learned since coming here that despite some video game nonsense, no spray or injection can fix a misaligned or shattered bone. Same for anything missing like a severed limb.

Rico is just ahead, past a few unmoving grunts along the floor, pounding on a door, “Let me in you freaky shits!”

Gengar’s smog fills the ceiling of this tunnel too, Rico is coughing blood across the window to the room he’s looking in. Our menacing, neighborhood poltergeist sticks its head out of the black cloud just above Rico’s anteater and gives me the ‘Shhh’ sign before disappearing.

I give Houndoom one more jab with a Super Potion, “Go get him girl!”

She dashes forward in a clumsy charge spilling dark flames, betting it all on a close range Overheat.

The Anteater squares up in the hallway, preparing to blast it’s flamethrower arms. Gengar flickers into existence just overhead, smashing down with a massive Shadow Ball attack that flattens the enemy pokemon so hard against the steel grating that it gives way in a mess of metal and noise.

Houndoom jumps the gap but doesn’t wait for the landing before erupting into a black fireball that flashburns the surrounding area. I have to dive backwards to avoid getting caught in it.

Everything smells like someone threw plastic in a campfire. There's also the hint of ozone smell as sparks light up the now dark hallway. Any remaining light is coming from the molten metal surrounding Houndoom’s unconscious body lying just before a very crispy Rico.

Shouts come from somewhere behind me, “Mr. Kurt?! Is that you?”

Looking back I can see flashlight beams cutting through the smoke.

Should be the Ace team. “Ya! I’m moving forward. There’s a lot of injured pokemon just down these stairs over here.”

I walk forward, feeling my boots actively melting against the floor a bit. Houndoom is still breathing thankfully. Standing over the notorious poacher’s smoking body, all his green hair burnt away, blisters forming on his face.

His one working eye, completely bloodshot, finds me, “What kind of ‘Hero’,” gasping in the smoky air, coughing a fit, “Nearly kills everyone?”

“Your Daughter’s.” I stomp out his lights.

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