Hard Enough - Chapter 337 - Team Aqua

I should probably have felt scared. 

They’d obviously known we were looking around for them and rather than laying low they’d set a trap. 

Team Aqua had ambushed us upon arrival.

The Murkrow flock must have been a natural early warning system for them. They were certainly loud enough, and if we’d stayed to fight them we’d have spent our strength while allowing Team Aqua to position themselves around us. 

Only they must have made a bet that we wouldn’t stand and fight. That we’d reposition.

They’d covered the angles they could.

I didn’t glance down as my wrist vibrated silently. It was either a confirmation message from Janine that she and the others were on the way, or a message from my service provider that the message hadn’t gone through.

Seeing as my Xtransciever had very specific additions thanks to the Guardian Technicians, I suspected it was the former. 

If not, we had thirty minutes until Janine moved to check in on us. 

I kept my eyes on the grunts and the Administrators that had encircled us. 

There were enough of them to be trouble, but with Sabrina at my side, I had the best chances of getting through this.

A pressure on my mind let me know Sabrina wanted to talk. 

I drew in my dark energies while locking eyes with Shelly. “So we were right, Team Aqua is located here,” I said out loud while inwardly asking ‘Sabrina? Got a plan?’

‘Delay them, it won’t be hard. They think they’re in control of this situation. The longer we wait here the better we are. Your message went through and Janine is coming with the cavalry’ Sabrina announced telepathically. 

“Hmmm yes, you were right, but we were also right. The Dynamic Duo of Indigo. The star-crossed lovers that just can’t help but stick their noses where it doesn’t belong!” Shelly replied with a sickly sweet tone that was dripping with mockery.

“I mean, we’re Gym Leaders of Indigo so it is kind of our job?” I replied with a casual shrug. I made sure to give Matt another look to make it seem like I was worried about him.

I wasn’t. 

When you had a partner who could launch huge weights with nothing but her mind, you didn’t really attribute strength and muscles with power. 

The small device on his belt and the others' did stand out to me though. 

Wearable dark emitter devices? Those were supposed to only be something that was only in the research phase. It would seem that once more a criminal organisation had beaten the League to the punch. 

The only League devices I was aware of had required surgery to work. 

Huh, typical government funding versus private military mentality at work. Good enough versus what could be better perhaps?

Note to self: steal those devices. 

‘Got it, secondary objective added,’ Sabrina replied, reminding me I wasn’t alone in my mind.

“—and we have you right where we planned you to be!” Shelly monologued.

I made a show of doing a double-take. “Oh damn! Sorry! Start over! What were you saying? I got distracted by the big dude! His pecs started doing morse code at me!” I claimed pointing directly at Matt who’d pulled his wetsuit down so that his chest was exposed for all to see. 

When looking to distract and drag things out, baffle them with bullshit, otherwise known as ‘The Surge Special’

Admin Matt was jacked, and everyone turned to stare at his chest.

Matt shifted, raising his hands to hide his pecs. “No, they weren’t! Shut up! I can flex if I want to! It’s just cold!” 

More than a few people’s eyes tracked south at that last comment which caused him to glower. “Shut up! Shelly stop talking and just detain them already!” 

“Woah woah woah! Detain us? For what?” I said, like I had no idea what was going on.

Matt stabbed a finger at me. “Don’t try to play dumb with me! I was born dumb! I know all the tricks!” he declared proudly. 

Everyone stared at him momentarily, but he didn’t even flinch or react at the pity directed his way.

Lt Surge and Matt had to have been moulded in the same barracks. They were just too similar. If they hadn’t met yet, I could imagine how forcing them to interact would go. They would either be the best of friends or the worst of enemies.

Or both.

Shelly pinched the bridge of her nose. “It bugs me that he’s right… on everything he just said, you’re delaying,” she said, narrowing her eyes at us.

Her hand twitching towards her pokebelt was all the warning we needed. 

Sabrina and I both reacted. Me with a sweeping gesture, and Sabrina with a narrowing of her eyes. 

From my pokebelt, my Pokemon launched out as I radiated fighting intent through our bonds, blaring warnings about the situation. 

Sabrina’s pokemon disgorged from her pokeballs and two or three flickered as they tried and failed to Teleport. 

Alright so that option was out for us, time to make some room for us.

“Regirock!” I pointed right at Matt. “Hyper beam!” I roared. 

Matt had barely a moment to twitch his eyes to the side to spot the Legendary pokemon standing in the midst of my team. His face went white.

“Speed Save!” he roared as he threw himself on top of those around him, dragging them to the ground.

From the water behind him, dark shapes lunged and flung themselves hungrily towards Regirock. 

My other pokemon threw themselves into supporting positions that would allow them to defend or attack at a moment’s notice while Regirock went on the offensive. Only one pokemon vanished into the ground and I was hoping that in the chaos of the sudden emergence no one would notice.

Thankfully, Regirock served as a great focus for their attention.

One thing that we’d quickly worked out with Guardian training was that it was best to use Regirock in shock and awe moments rather than keeping it on the defensive. 

My pokemon knocked the leaping Sharpedo back, causing them to flop into the space between us.

With the moment needed for it to power up Regirock chirped twice and a Hyper beam formed in front of it.

Team Aqua didn’t sit around however and from each of them a team of pokemon emerged. I caught sight of Tentacruel, Gyarados, Crawdaunts, Walrein, and even a Swampert. 

They all locked eyes on Regirock and fired powerful water attacks, attempting to deny the upcoming attack.

Only to have them sucked out of the air towards one of the pokemon that I’d started to include just for moments like this.  

Cradily took the attacks like a Champion and instead of growing weaker, he grew stronger, a vibrancy taking hold of its leaves while a gleam entered his eyes.

“Cradily!” sang my grass-rock type only for its shout to be lost as Regirock fired.

Regirock unleashed a powerful beam that kicked up sand around us and caused some sand underneath us to turn to glass. 

The Sharpedo pack that emerged from the water met the Hyper beam head on with Protect barriers forming around them. 

Their Protects held for two, three, four, even five seconds before sputtering as Regirock just kept going, powering on with its attack. 

The Gyarados that had been amidst the group threw themselves in the way of the attack and were hurled away.

They were flung through the air like limp noodles rather than the widely feared rage monsters they were. When they came down they landed heavily in the surf sending huge plumes of water into the air. 

The remains of three Sharpedo flopped to the ground in the space between us and the Team Aqua grunts took a step back as what had just happened began to register.

“Holy Kyogre! He’s got a Legendary? Why couldn’t that be a Ditto like I hoped!” someone shouted.

“Sir? What should we do?” wailed another as they directed their Tentacruel to launch a wave of Poison Stings at us only for another wave of Stone Edge to deny them.

Matt spoke up quickly, “Keep your head on! If he got it, that means it can be beaten!”  

A warning from Sabrina had me twisting to the side as an Energy Ball shot past. 

I glanced behind me to find Sabrina fighting with a group of pokemon like Dusclops, Ludicolo and Muk.

The shrill caws that began to overtake the field let me know that the Murkrow flock that we’d escaped minutes before had started to make their way over to us. 

Great, Team Aqua was about to get a hell of a lot of reinforcements. 

Best to put a pin in that right now. “Don!” I shouted, flicking a command his way mentally. 

Don shrieked in pure glee as he swept up and away, only to turn and lock eyes on a mass of flying types. 

Any other pokemon would have been scared off by the numbers. Don just saw them as prey though and so he accelerated, throwing himself at the oncoming rush like a missile. 

The cawing took on a vastly more shrill tone and stopped growing louder as the flock paused to register what was attacking them.

While they tried to regather Don continued to attack, chasing and diving and devouring to his heart’s content. The very act of combat driving his bloodlust higher and higher.

Sanchez shifted from building up a charge to launching long-range attacks to further disrupt the flock, but even with his power it was dicey to get the attacks going that far. It did keep the Murkrow locked down however, and only at the cost of two of my pokemon.

“Lay the hurt on while that pokemon is recovering!” Matt shouted and his pokemon attacked. Some launched water attacks only for Cradily to once more draw them in and negate them.

Other attacks however, did pass through with blasts of poison, dark orbs and even a small boulder slamming into Regirock.

Regirock chirped once and straightened, signally it was ready to go again.

“Keep up the attack!” Matt bellowed only for me to flick my hand, time to show them how futile this was. 

“Wide area Sandblast!” I shouted. 

Regirock twisted and sent the club-like arm up into the air before swinging it down and causing a huge spray of sand and air to blast outwards in a wide arc. 

It was a powerful blow that caught almost all of Team Aqua in front of Regirock in a powerful blow. It wouldn’t be super effective, but it would still be a hard, binding attack.

It also had the benefit of denying an entire wave of attacks and knocking them back. 

Two moves from Regirock, and we’d created space. I adjusted my orders and had some pokemon around me dive into the sand.

It was time to shift from defence to offence.

“Masks on!” shouted a voice behind me and Sabrina hissed.

‘They’ve got grenade launchers!’ she announced and I felt more than I saw it, as she whipped her hand out and caught a canister before tossing it back. 

I heard a few more ‘thooms’ from behind me but I forced myself not to turn, trusting that Sabrina had them.

From in front of me a sand coated squad of Team Aqua Grunts were revealed as the dust cloud left in Regirock’s attack faded. They were all now carrying spearguns.

They raised their guns in our direction.

“Aim for the weak spots!” Matt ordered as he levelled his own spear gun at Bertha who lowered her head in warning. 

Tide, as a much larger and softer target had to duck his head as spears were fired. 

One of the grunts was smart and held back, waiting for Tide to move before firing. 

The spear would have stabbed into Tide’s neck if not for a sudden shimmering barrier.

That must have been one of Sabrina’s pokemon. 

I felt a small tremor through the bond I shared with my pokemon and grinned as from beneath the Aqua Grunts feet Empress emerged like a vengeful wraith.

One of the trainer’s legs folded as she bit down and had the man wailing.

“Fuck it’s got me!” he screamed. “Help me!” he begged, only for Empress to have no issues with biting down, snapping the leg off. She didn’t swallow it thankfully but instead spat the leg at a nearby Crawdaunt that faltered at the ‘attack’.

That hesitation proved to be enough as Empress pounced on it, smashing it into the ground.

A roar from the water’s edge let me know at least one of the Gyarados were coming back into the fight.

Titan, who I had still lurking beneath the sand, acknowledged the threat. 

I held back a grin. One good thing about having two Tyranitar? People often lost track of the other when one emerged.

“We’re gonna need bigger ordinance!” Matt shouted as he threw himself away from Empress. “Close quarters! Walrein artillery barrage!” He ordered. 

The Crawdaunts and Tentacruel that had been part of Team Aqua’s forces marched forward stolidly, their limbs raised in preparation of a fight. Parts of their bodies glistened with energy that showed they were buffing up as they marched in formation.

I signalled and Tide and Hypnotoad moved together to counter them. 

I’d mostly kept Tide on hand in case we’d needed water transport, but having a large Lapras wade into the midst of battle was pretty awesome.

I was about to focus elsewhere in the fight when Kirlia of all pokemon leapt from where we’d been standing to Tide’s back.

‘Uhmm Sabrina? Kirlia just—’ I started to send to Sabrina only for Sabrina to snort mentally.

It was a strange sensation to feel a snort through your mind, but somehow it translated. 

I watched as Hypnotoad began Hammer Arming the various Crawdaunt while Tide lashed out with powerful Ice Beams to waylay the Tentacruel. When they tried to use poison on him he called up a small rain cloud to wash away the poison.

On his back Kirlia stayed on his shell close to his neck, raising Barriers or throwing Thunderbolts all around her.

She had a huge grin on her face.

Huh, turns out she was a bit of a battle maniac.

The spears and attacks that plinked off Kirlia’s Barrier defence of Tide seemed to only make him madder as he lashed out more and more at the pokemon around him while Kirlia shifted roles as needed.

Walrein unleashed a wave of Blizzard overhead in a strike that threatened to slash us to pieces, only for it to be met with Stone Edges that caused cascades of glimmering ice over the field.

From behind me yet more ‘fhoom’s registered and I felt Sabrina lean back against me. 

“Alright back there?” I asked.

“Peachy!” Sabrina growled. “They’re getting desperate to take us down! They’re launching more poison attacks!”

“Hmmm,” I replied. “Regirock! Pivot and Hyper beam behind us!” I ordered knowing that it was more than ready to go. 

Regirock chirped once and spun, digging its legs into the ground and causing a splash of sand to cascade out before it locked eyes on its new targets.

Matt must have seen the issue. 

“Shelly! Watch out!” he bellowed even as he threw himself out of reach of Empress’ tail as she swept it at him. 

He rolled and came up with his spear gun, firing it towards one of the gaps in Tyranitar’s armor, only for Empress to twist and block it. She growled and advanced only for Matt to backstep.

Regirock unleashed once more and this time I heard several screams of both pokemon and people being caught in the blast. 

A few seconds later the splintering crack of trees falling also rang through.

“Get the full restores and revives out fast or we’re cooked!” shrieked Shelly. “Dusclops get close with that Regirock now!”

‘I’ve got it,’ remarked Sabrina as I started to turn to defend my pokemon. I relaxed, knowing I could trust Sabrina to handle it. 

Instead I surveyed the destroyed field before me.

It sounded like we had Shelly on the ropes, no it was time to put the pressure on Matt.

I punched a fist forward, feeding Titan an image of his target as I committed. “Titan! Go!” I roared and Titan leapt out of the sand.

Matt, rather than continue to flee, threw himself forward, jumping high. 

“Fuuuuuck!” he bellowed as he leapt over Titan’s snapping jaw to land behind him.

He stumbled however and I caught a splash of red on Matt’s torso. Titan must have got him with his spikes on the way past. 

Titan came up and around fast, snarling at being denied his prey only for Matt to sprint towards the surf where a relief squad of Gyarados were emerging. 

Titan snarled and advanced.

His charge was met by a roaring Gyarados.

It threw itself headfirst into Titan’s path with a gleaming skull.

Both pokemon clashed, and for a full second both pokemon were locked in a stalemate, only for Titan to hurl Gyarados back with a triumphant roar.

The roar was answered as two more Gyarados raced out of the water causing Titan to backpedal as they launched Hydro Pumps at him.

Empress turned at my urging and moved to help her son. I gave those Gyarados maybe another minute or two tops of life, I thought morbidly.

The sound of caws growing louder once more let me know that despite the pressure Don and Sanchez were putting on the flock they were still pushing closer.

I did not want those pokemon getting to Sabrina and her team.

With a good deal of my pokemon out on the offensive, Bertha shifted so she was in close to me, her massive arms raised protectively to ward off any aberrant blows.

Cradily remained to the side and I flicked my hand. “Cradily! Energy Ball!” I ordered only to flinch as a flash of steel whirled towards me. 

I reacted, ducking my head and swatting the offending knife out of the air while empowering myself. It fell to the side where it clattered uselessly.

A strip of sleeve hung uselessly in the wind while underneath unblemished skin appeared.

I glanced up to find Matt with his hand raised like he’d thrown something at me. 

I dug my foot into the ground and kicked up a rock that I caught and threw in one smooth, practised motion.

Matt, annoyingly, rolled to the side, dodging the attack but there was a glimmer of something in his eyes now, a wary respect perhaps? It didn’t stop him rising and throwing only to level a reloaded speargun at me… no, at Sabrina’s back.

I stepped into the spear, catching it as I Glared at him.

Matt’s eyes widened then darted to the side and he grimaced. “They’re taking too long to go down! Shelly Alpha protocol!” he shouted. 

He detached two pokeballs and rather than releasing them close to himself he hurled them directly at me, while the other went towards where Titan and Empress were laying waste to any trainer or pokemon they could.

“Regirock! Hyper beam them again!” I shouted which only made the grunts more twitchy.

‘!’ I pulsed a warning through my mind and Sabrina responded by catching the pokeball coming towards us and flicking it back at Matt only for him to kick it up into the air. 

Around us other Team Aqua members were likewise releasing final pokeballs.

“Move!” screamed Shelly as Regirock stepped forward and fired off another Hyper beam that tore through their lines. I caught sight of a few faltering Protects but they didn’t last long.

I grimaced. Regirock was reaping a bloody toll in this fight.

Before we could capitalise on this opening, multiple Electrodes appeared around us.

All of them were sparking and twitching as the face on the orb like pokemon grinned madly. 

I tugged Sabrina in close to me only for Bertha to scoop both of us up like children. 

I tapped on Cradily’s pokeball and returned it as I pulsed a warning through my pokemon bond. I’d just gotten Cradily returned when the world around us erupted.

Multiple Explosions were used with sand and electrical energy radiating outwards. I didn’t feel a lick of it however as I was ensconced by Bertha in a powerful Protect that she held for as long as possible.

When she finally had to relent she made sure to sink down lower on us, pushing Sabrina and I into the soft earth.

The Protect faded and a wave of smoke and dust floated in causing Sabrina and I to cough before Sabrina twitched and the space around us rippled as the air was pushed outwards. 

“Neat trick,” I said as I turned to inspect Bertha. She was sucking in huge breaths of air. “Good work protecting us girl.” 

She grinned and offered me a thumbs up and I decided to throw her a metaphorical bone. “You really did your status as a Magical Girl Defender proud today.”

Bertha straightened and puffed her chest out only to sag a moment later, still regathering herself. A glowing warmth through the bond let me know she appreciated what I’d said however.

Sabrina pushed herself out of my grasp, her head twisting this way and that.

Her pokemon quickly formed up around her and I stepped after her, feeling through my bonds how my pokemon were going. Empress snorted in disdain when I checked in on her. She mostly seemed annoyed that her prey had fled.

I also made sure to give Cradily’s pokeball a quick inspection. Hmmm, it would seem he had taken some damage despite using Ingrain early, along with Mega Draining any pokemon that got close.

A roar from the beach let me know at least one of the Gyarados was still in play. 

I grimaced looking around for any signs of Team Aqua. 

Surprisingly, there wasn’t much. Several pokemon that had been hit too hard were dead on the beach but there were clear signs of the group returning their pokemon and fleeing. 

“Shit they got away,” I said.

“Not all of them,” Sabrina said and from her side Xatu swept its wings out causing the dust and smoke to clear. 

I blinked as a man holding a tourniquet around a stump of a leg was revealed. He glowered at us hatefully. 

“You fuckers are going to get what’s coming to you! Mark my words! Team Aqua might have retreat—” Sabrina raised her hand only to scowl when nothing happened. “— but they’ll be back! We’re an elite fighting force of the oceans!” the man continued to yell. 

I stalked up to him and knelt. He tried to punch me but I knocked away his blows, instead reaching for the small device at the back of his pokebelt. Idly I noted that he had a full pokemon roster. 

My eyes flicked down to the stump where his foot should have been. I glanced up at the dead pokemon.

“Sabrina, did we… kill anyone? Beyond the pokemon?” I asked. Our captive stilled at this, his eyes flicking around the torn up and bloody field. His gaze lingered on a few of the pokemon that hadn't been able to endure Regirock’s attacks.

Sabrina moved and put a hand to my shoulder. “No humans died no.”

I nodded, still feeling a queasiness in my gut at how easy it had been. I was also being surprised that no humans had died. Perhaps if I’d thrown Regirock into another attack at the group facing me with their scattered defences…

I shifted and shook my head, pushing down the slightly sick feeling that was coming on now that the adrenaline was starting to ease up. 

Yeah that’s all it was.

I tore our captive’s pokebelt away from him causing him to curse me out loudly only for him to go stiff a moment later.

I glanced back to find Sabrina scowling at him with her hand raised. “I really don’t like it when they have counters for me ready.”

I glanced back at the scrub that we’d just started to enter when Shelly blocked us. It was devastated with upturned trees and gouges in the ground. 

“You seemed to make do,” I mentioned calmly. 

I then turned back to inspect the beach. There were a lot of footprints in the sand leading to the water. There was a pair of Gyarados facing us but they were slowly paddling backwards away from us.

“They escaped by swimming?” I asked incredulously. 

Sabrina glanced up and scowled. “They had equipment out there.” She turned her head back inland and frowned. “They might have also been delaying us as much as we were delaying them.”

The sound of wing beats caused me to look up. Instead of more Murkrow or a Honchkrow I instead found myself looking at several Fearow with Golbats and even a single Crobat racing towards us.

“And here comes the cavalry,” I announced. “If only they’d been a bit quicker.”

“It was because they were so quick that Matt ordered the evacuation. He spotted them,” Sabrina replied.

“He did? With all the fighting going on?” I asked only for Sabrina to nod. 

“Huh, that guy is good,” I muttered. I glanced around. “Is it weird that they cut and run like that? It feels wrong that they didn’t stand their ground,” I mentioned.

Sabrina snorted and offered me a smirk. “We proved too difficult for them to crack Brock, so rather than getting bogged down they retreated.” Sabrina gave the still frozen man a long look. “That is going to cost them.”

I held up the device and inspected it. It was pretty straight forward, wear on your belt with a small dial on the side that seemed to ramp up or down energy output or click itself off.

No screens, indicators, or anything beyond a simple green light that came on once when it was on, and again when you dialed it up.

“Hmmm green for the right size field?” I hypothesised. 

‘Our captured man seems to think so,’ Sabrina supplied mentally.  

I hummed and put it away as people began to land with others continuing on further into island or moving to follow the Gyarados.

Janine huffed. “They’re gone? Really?” she growled fiercely. 

I shrugged. “What can we say, they saw you coming and ran for the hills.” I blinked. “Or in this case, the waves,” I said, indicating the footprints. 

Janine glowered at me for a moment, trying to see if I was messing with her before raising her transceiver. “Get some flyers over the water! Be on the watch of any shapes moving about! They’re swimming away!”

Kirlia, who was still riding Tide, set herself up so she was riding the base of his neck. He turned and gave her an amused look only for her to kick him like one would to spur a mount onwards.

Sabrina giggled. “No, you’re not pursuing them Kirlia.”

“She did really well, thinking of evolving her soon?” I asked.

Sabrina shook her head as Kirlia stomped over to us with a pout. “Not quite yet. Kirlia and I are both enjoying her at this size. She’s got the finesse to make up for any lack of skill. The power of the Gardevoir line can come later.”

I turned towards where we’d first arrived and where the Murkrow flock had emerged. “I think we should investigate the island pretty tho—”

Right as I said it, a huge explosion rocked the island and a giant plume of thick noxious smoke began to billow upwards. 

I chewed my lip for a little before turning to Sabrina. “That was the base wasn’t it?” I asked.

Sabrina and Janine both nodded. “Most likely.”

“Right, and that cloud of smoke… it’s going to be visible from—”

“Most of the Orange Archipelago, yes,” replied Janine without missing a beat.

“So we’re going to have people investigating. Official sorts, police and such, right?”

“Definitely,” Janine said, only to reach out and clap both Sabrin and I on the shoulders. “Good luck handling them as G-men,” she replied as she turned and remounted her Fearow.

I worked my jaw back and forth, a variety of unkind things playing out in my mind that I could say. I was half tempted to have Sabrina force Janine to stay. 

Sadly it wouldn’t be a good idea and would instead raise further questions. 

It didn’t stop me turning to Sabrina. “We should recruit her.”

“Press gang,” replied Sabrina.

“Conscription due to her number being drawn,” I added. “She could be Hero Purple?” I suggested. 

Janine, who had yet to take off twitched and Sabrina smirked. “I was thinking of a second Hero Pink actually.

Janine shot her an annoyed look. 

“Hmmmm, second colours… would that be a good idea?” I asked.

Sabrina coughed. “There are probably already duplicates of our original colours with other G-men agents,” Sabrina muttered. 

“Ah, yeah cause of the League,” I replied. 

Janine shook her head. “I’m going now, but… Hero Purple would be acceptable,” she said.

Sabrina and I watched her go. “Hero Yellow?” I suggested and Sabrina smirked.

We set about returning our pokemon, apart from Don who was still harassing the Murkrow flock into compliance, and Kirlia who donned a mask of her own. 

“She’s Hero Sparkles?” I asked.

Kirlia nodded firmly from behind the extremely glittery Hero mask. Then she produced a small identification card that was almost identical to my own.

“Of course you got her registered.” I shook my head as I donned my own mask.

Sabrina smirked. “The League likes to stay on my good side.”

I made a show of looking her over in her Hero outfit. “It is something worth being on,” I commented. Then I sighed as I turned and watched as boats and flying trainers began to swarm the island. “This is going to produce so much paperwork isn’t it?” I asked.

Sabrina nodded glumly. “Sadly we need to do it in case anything was missed.”

I slumped. “We’re not very good at going on holidays.”

“I’m personally blaming Team Aqua for this,” replied Sabrina.

“Good call,” I replied as I adopted my heroic persona for what would no doubt be hours of yet more questions and answers along with report writing.

This was absolutely Team Aqua’s fault. 

_____________________

Matt walked with his usual hunched over posture along the halls of the sub. When he’d joined the Hoenn navy years ago he’d been on their coastal crews and even then he’d had issues with the size of… well everything.

The navy built tight and didn’t account for an eight foot man joining up. 

Subs were sadly worse for how tight everything was.

Still, he was used to it and wasn’t about to grumble.. much. 

He squeezed himself into the dining area, ignoring the flash of pain in his side. He’d been hurt worse and he’d had the potential to not just be hurt, but down, if that insane dodge hadn’t worked out. 

The Commodore of the group of subs was sitting on one side of the table while Shelly had claimed the head position.

Matt snorted, stalked over and dragged a chair across the floor causing it to screech and for the other two to wince in pain. 

When he sat he made sure to hunch forward. “Ahoy matey!” he growled at the Commodore.

“Ahoy… sir,” bit out the Commodore before turning towards Shelly. “Ma’am what’s the nature of this meeting?”

“We’re going to be revising a threat assessment that you previously supplied to us,” Shelly stated calmly. “You previously encountered Brock and Sabrina alongside several other notable figures of the Kanto region, no?”

“Yes Ma’am I forward all intel on that encounter up the chain.”

“And I read that report and used it to prepare for this encounter. It was enough initially but quickly revealed itself to be… inaccurate.”

Matt snorted. “Ain’t your fault Commodore! Brock and Sabrina seem to be wunderkind if you catch my meaning. That or they’re the sort that are tenacious. I personally think it is a mix of the two.”

Shelly shot him a look to be quiet but Matt just kept grinning. “Did you try any man to man tactics during your encounter on New Island?” he asked.

“It was too chaotic,” demurred the Commodore.

“Hmph, more like you were too much of a pussy,” Matt replied. He sat back. “Anyway, I got off a few shots. Brock handled all of them like a veteran despite staying still.” 

Matt shifted. “I’d need to engage real close to get a proper feel for him, but at range he’s deadly, even counterattacked me!” Matt grinned. “Remember that if you go up against him in the future Commodore.”

“Thank you Matt,” Shelly cut in. “I also have much to report regarding Sabrina. The methods of bringing her down worked, but defeating her proved much harder. She moved as soon as the threat revealed itself and we had to go with quick countermeasures for the Dark Missiles. After that, she still displayed telekinetic abilities.”

Shelly patted the device on her hip. “These proved enough to block her going after us directly, but she still launched trees, rocks, and even loose fire at us. Staying mobile against her is vital.”

Matt worked his jaw back and forth. “Did she use her Mega Evolution?”

Shelly shook her head and Matt nodded. “Neither’d Brock. Constraint on that or they just didn’t think they needed the extra firepower?” 

Shelly gnawed at her lip. “I hope that it is a matter of them being exposed during the power-up process we’ve witnessed in the past. The pokemon themselves are able to shrug off attacks but the trainer… might be a weak point.” 

Matt nodded before rubbing his chin. “Might also be that Brock didn’t need it… He’s got a Regirock now.”

That caused both Shelly and the commodore to fall silent. Everyone took a moment to consider it only for Matt to smack his lips and swagger over to the fridge. Despite the locks on it he wrenched it open and tugged out a six-pack of beers. 

He flicked Shelly and the Commodore one each. He kept the rest. They drank for a while, understanding that they’d been lucky to get away.

“Indigo’s getting a bit hot for our teams,” Shelly suggested. “I think we’re going to have to go dark after the last base got raided while we had to scrap another… There are going to be too many people looking for us.”

Matt grunted in agreement as Shelly turned to the commodore. “How are we guaranteeing that we shake any pursuit?” she asked.

The commodore raised a map and indicated a chain of islands. “There is a chain of islands that we’ve been observing for a time. There is another target that we’re hoping to divert their attention with, especially considering what’s there.”

Shelly nodded. “Good, good, until then we need to investigate methods of empowering ourselves. I suggest we start investigating any trade conveys moving to the Trinity nations.”

Matt snorted. “Ain’t your call, we gotta go back to Hoenn for that talk with the Admiral,” he said.

Shelly sighed. “Very well, recall all but the scouts, we will return to Hoenn,” Shelly announced. 

Matt just nodded thoughts turning the previous fight over in his mind. He agreed with Shelly, he needed to get stronger.

They all did.

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A.N. Thanks go to my patreons for your continued support!

Thanks also go to Twmmy for proofreading this chapter!