Chapter 240: Ambush Gone Wrong…
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Slateport City – Pokémon Contest Hall]
The Slateport Pokémon Contest Hall was indeed electric. The grand entrance, adorned with vibrant banners depicting various Pokémon in elegant poses, led into a cavernous arena bathed in soft, theatrical lighting.
The air hummed with anticipation, a mix of nervous energy from the coordinators and excited whispers from the audience. The Chairman and Ruby, with Azure trailing a little behind, navigated the bustling registration area with practiced ease.
But when they asked Ruby and Azure to enter from the Pokémon Contest Lady's receptionist, the Chairman frowned as he said clearly, "Humph… so you're saying this young boy, Ruby, may not participate in this contest?"
The receptionist nodded her head as she explained with a shy smile on her face, "He doesn't have a contest pass. And even if he did, this Contest is a Hyper Rank Contest… so he couldn't start here anyway."
But the Chairman was adamant as he showed Ruby's Contest Pass from Johto, as he said nicely, "But outside the Hoenn Region, Ruby has participated and triumphed in several competitions! Doesn't his previous contest pass fulfill the entrance requirement?"
Unfortunately, the receptionist shook her head as she bluntly explained to them the rules, "No. We're sorry, we only accept passes issued in Hoenn. And you can only get those in Verdanturf Town."
As the Chairman was making a fuss, Ruby stepped in with a disappointed tone, said, "Um… It's okay, Mr. Chairman."
The Chairman looked reluctant as he continued, but Ruby's true reason for the refusal as he thought worriedly, 'I want to enter the contest, but I don't want to cause a fuss. The more commotion I cause, the more likely my father is to find me…'
Seeing this, Azure stepped in, holding a hand over the Chairman's shoulder as he calmly stated, "Sorry, Chairman, you know the rules. But let's make some Poke Blocks together! That'll take our mind off things!"
This caught the Chairman's attention as Ruby sighed a breath of relief, "Poke Blocks…?! It's been a while since you cooked, let's see how much you improved!"
Leading the duo to the Pokémon Contest Hall, Berry Blender, Ruby chimed, showing off as they reached the blender, "Actually, I'm a pretty good Poke Block chef, you know. I've gathered all kinds of berries around here… Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, Aspear, Leppa, Oran, Persim, Sitrus…"
The Chairman looked impressed as Azure added, pointing to the Berry Blender excitedly, "We can use the berry blender to blend the berries… But we might need a few more people, the more the merrier, and the higher the quality of the Poke Block!"
The Chairman nodded as he went to search for one or two more people so they could operate the Berry Blender to achieve the best smoothness. The Chairman raced outside and dragged in two men who happened to be passing by the Contest Hall.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Slateport City]
Outside the Slateport City Pokémon Contest Hall, the Three Fires watched the area searching for two targets. Looking through binoculars, Courtney found they're target was chewing her bubblegum and spoke nonchalantly to Blaise and Tabitha, "There they are. Told you we'd find them."
But Courtney frowned outside, the Three Fires watched the four blending Berries inside the Contest Hall. Courtney complained, eyes narrowed, "What do we do, Blaise? It won't be easy to lure those others away from them… especially him."
Courtney, referring to Azure Sky in the way. Blaise responded confidently as he spoke through his own Rotom Phone, "Yeah! So, let's just get all of them! Not even that champion could foresee this! Especially if what you said is true, Courtney. If his starting with a new team, we should be able to handle it."
Turning his attention to his Rotom Phone, he spoke to Tabitha at the other end, "So let's just get all of them! Do it, Tabitha!"
*Beep*
From the other end, Tabitha said, "Roger!"
/////
[Hoenn Region, Slateport City – Pokémon Contest Hall]
In the Contest Hall, the spinning of the Berry Blender is catching the attention of the five present as The Chairman yelled excitedly, "Oooh! It's spinning its spinning!"
*Wzzzz*
But then it is suddenly the Berry Blender spinning that is drowned out by the spinning of something else nearby…
*Wzzzz*
When it comes to a stop, it is shown to be a Torkoal, alarming the four. Azure frowned as he saw this happen.
*FOOMP*
Torkoal stopped spinning as the chairman spoke out, alarmed, "A Pokémon?!"
*PFFFST*
And the smoke it blows chokes the four of them until they faint. Not only that the people inside the Pokémon Contest soon choke out, leaving them defenseless from the Smokescreen of Torkoal.
*Pop*
But Azure was quick as he brought out Golduck as he ordered, "Bubble Beam stat!"
*Pop*
Golduck immediately created bubbles covering Pikachu, Eevee, and Azure's heads, regaining they're breathing. His eyes narrowed as he ordered, "Golduck! Quick use Psychic!"
*Shiii*
Golduck began to use Psychic, grabbing the flailing Torkoal in the air. With a simple swipe of its webbed hands…
*Woooosh*
*THUD*
… It sent it flying where it came from. It didn't take long before a guttural roar echoed through the hall, followed by the splintering crash of glass, "Raaaooo!!!"
*Crack*
Hearing glass cracking and the roar, it caught Azure's attention. Seeing the origin of the roar and cracking sound, a section of the grand entrance exploded inwards, revealing three figures clad in crimson uniforms, their visages grim and determined.
Azure's voice was a low growl, instantly recognizing the insignia, "Team Magma!"
Leading the trio was Courtney, her sharp, calculating eyes immediately locking onto Azure. Behind her stood Tabitha, a bearish man with a permanent scowl, and Blaise, younger, a sneer plastered on his face.
Courtney's voice was surprisingly calm, yet it sliced through the chaos like a knife, "Azure Sky. The Scanner. We know you have it."
Azure raised an eyebrow. His hand instinctively went to his belt as he demanded, while Golduck got in between them, "What are you talking about?"
Tabitha rumbled, his eyes narrowing as he spoke arrogantly, "Don't play coy, Champion! Hand over the device, and those two scientists, no one else gets hurt."
Azure eyes darted towards the two that the Chairman brought. Azure retorted, his gaze hardening, "As if I'd ever hand anything over to Team Magma!"
Blaise sneered, tossing a Poké Ball, and ordered, "Fool! Slugma, Lava Plume!"
Tabitha followed suit, "Torkoal, Overheat!"
Courtney's voice was concise, icy, "Ninetales, Flamethrower!"
Three powerful Fire-type Pokémon materialized, their attacks converging on Azure and the Pokémon Contest building. He was ready as he hurled his Poke Balls faster in a calm tone, "Golduck, Vulpix, Vigoroth, go!"
*Pop*
Two brilliant flashes of light, and his chosen partners appeared. Golduck, its psychic gem glowing, moved with an almost ethereal grace; Vulpix, though smaller, emanated a surprising heat; and Vigoroth, a whirlwind of restless energy, bounced on its feet, ready for action.
*Shiii*
Vulpix eyed the incoming Fire Type moves as it activated its Flash Fire ability, absorbing all the fire attacks into it. Flashing with power, its eyes narrowed as the Admins frowned, seeing they're attacks were countered.
Azure barked his orders, his voice cutting through the din of silence and the crackle of fire, "Golduck, Water Pulse on Ninetales! Vulpix, Tera Blast the Torkoal! Vigoroth, Focus Punch the Slugma!"
*SPLASH*
Golduck's Water Pulse, a swirling orb of condensed water, collided squarely with Ninetales, forcing the elegant fox Pokémon back with a pained yelp. As a result, it forced the battle into the outside, forcing the Admin's Pokémon outside.
*PEW*
Vulpix, nimble and quick, unleashed a powerful beam at Torkoal, which, despite its thick shell, recoiled from the sudden barrage. It forced it back into the outside, out of harm's way of the citizens.
*BASH*
Vigoroth, with a furious roar, wound up a powerful Focus Punch, its knuckles glowing with raw energy. The punch connected with Slugma's molten body, sending ripples through its fiery mass and making it hiss in pain.
Forced to the outside of the Pokémon Contest Hall, Azure and his 3 Pokémon stepped out all prepared and ready. Azure's Pikachu sparked electricity, and Eevee growled, prepared to step in if the situation called for it.
Blaise snarled, recovering quickly as he ordered fiercely, "Pathetic! Slugma, Clear Smog on that Vigoroth!"
*Poof*
A noxious cloud began to form around Slugma, but Azure was faster as he ordered, "Vigoroth, rush in using Slash! Don't let up!"
*Zoooom*
Vigoroth blurred forward, too fast for the slow Clear Smog to connect with its hyperactive energy. Vigoroth used Slash as its claws glowed a white aura, cutting down Slugma with sharp claws before retreating.
*Shinng*
Courtney's Ninetales retaliated, unleashing a Flamethrower that scorched the ground where Golduck had just been. She quickly ordered swiftly, "Tch. Troublesome brat... Ninetales, Confuse Ray on the Golduck!"
*Shiii*
Ninetales shot an energy wave at Golduck. But Azure commanded, anticipating the move, "Golduck, Strong Style Psychic!"
*Shiiii*
Golduck's eyes glowed a brighter blue, and a wave of pure psychic energy washed over Ninetales, disrupting its Confuse Ray in the process. This causes the Nine-Tailed Fox to flinch and momentarily lose its focus, feeling the brunt of the attack.
Tabitha, seeing his Torkoal struggling against Vulpix's surprisingly effective attacks, stomped his foot and ordered, "Torkoal, Gyro Ball! Get that Vulpix!"
*WOOOSH*
Torkoal retracted into its shell, spinning rapidly and hurtling towards Vulpix like a deadly projectile. Azure eyes narrowed, seeing this as he thought, 'Can't let it pull through unless that Gyro Ball attacks someone inside the Contest Hall. Gotta cancel it!'
Azure yelled swiftly with a fierce glare, "Vulpix, Disable into Extrasensory!"
*Shiii*
Vulpix glared at Torkoal as it froze mid-air, halting its Gyro Ball attack. Next, Vulpix's eyes glowed gold, and it released a rainbow-colored beam from its opened mouth with white energy rings of energy around it at the Torkoal.
*BANG*
Torkoal crashed into the ground after being hit by Vulpix's Extrasensory. But the battle between the two was far from over.
The battle raged, a chaotic dance of elemental powers amidst the elegant Pokémon Contest building. Azure, despite being outnumbered by both trainers and Pokémon, fought with the seasoned precision of a champion.
He dodged a stream of concentrated fire from Ninetales, barely sidestepping as a Rock Slide summoned by Torkoal crashed where he'd been standing. His Pokémon moved with fluid efficiency, following his commands, their attacks relentless.
He noticed Blaise, frustrated by Vigoroth's relentless assault on his Slugma, reaching for another Poké Ball. A flash of anticipation crossed Blaise's face, a hint of a powerful new ally as he thought, 'Time to see that new Pokémon Maxie gave me do its work.'
But Azure's eyes narrowed. He recognized the pattern – a Trainer preparing a tactical switch, perhaps introducing a Pokémon with an advantage.
His eyes narrowed as he hurled out his Poké Ball, commanding swiftly, "Gardevoir! Use Psychic to crack his Poke Ball!"
*Pop*
Gardevoir quickly materialized its eyes, already glowing with psychic power. With one wave of its hand, it hit its intended target.
*Shiii*
Blaise's eyes widened in alarm as the Poké Ball, when suddenly…
*Crack*
His eyes shot wide open as he saw his Poke Ball containing Anorith was cracked, disabling its open mechanism. But it was enough for the group to flinch, understanding what had just happened.
Courtney's Ninetales falter mid-Flamethrower, and Tabitha's Torkoal pauses its attack. They exchanged a glance, a flicker of caution entering their eyes.
Tabitha growled, his initial shock giving way to renewed fury. A glint of fear was in his eyes as he ordered frantically, "This shameless bastard!! Unbelievable! He's more dangerous than we thought! Finish him!"
The Team Magma Admins redoubled their efforts, their Pokémon attacking with renewed ferocity, but Azure used their momentary hesitation to his advantage. He simply ordered calmly, "Pikachu… Strong Style Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu grinned smugly as it cried out, "Pi? Pikaaaa-CHU!!!"
*KABOOOOM*
A golden bolt of electricity shrouded the area, attacking the Torkoal, Ninetales, and Slugma directly in the blast. The Admin's eyes widened seeing that each of their Pokémon was taken out in a single move, scorched and pulsing with electricity.
The Team Magma Trio sucked in a deep breath, seeing they're Pokémon get one shot. Blaise cursed, recalling his fainted Slugma, his face contorted in a mixture of anger and fear, "He's too strong, Courtney!!!"
Courtney snapped, recalling her fainted Ninetales, though her movements were becoming more agitated, "Silence, Blaise!"
She knew they couldn't afford a prolonged battle. They'd come for a quick capture, not a drawn-out engagement with a League Champion.
*WHEWOOOO*
Then, piercing through the cacophony of the battle, came the unmistakable wail of police sirens filling the area, growing louder with each passing second. The Slateport City Police Department was on its way.
Courtney's eyes narrowed, a cold fury settling on her features as she growled bitterly, "Damn it! Our window is closing."
She looked at Tabitha, who nodded grimly as she ordered swiftly, "We'll retrieve the Scanner and Scientists another time. For now, retreat!"
Tabitha bellowed, throwing out a Poké Ball, "Magmar, Teleport!"
*Pop*
A powerful, bipedal Pokémon with a fiery crest and glowing hands materialized. With a flash of light, Magmar concentrated, and the three Team Magma Admins, along with their Pokémon, vanished, leaving behind only the lingering scent of ozone and smoke.
*Wooosh*
The silence that followed was deafening, as Azure sighed, recalling his Pokémon, "Sigh… they escaped."
Seconds later, Slateport police officers surged into the scene, their faces grim as they took in the shattered entrance and the disarray. Ruby was awake from the battle as he rushed to Azure's side, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and concern asked, "Azure! Are you okay? I've just heard the sirens when I woke up! What happened?!"
Azure, breathing heavily, then ran a hand through his hair. He looked at the Anorith Poké Ball in his pocket as he replied calmly, "I'm fine, Ruby. Just a bit of a surprise."
He offered a weary smile to the arriving officers, who were already securing the perimeter and questioning stunned bystanders. One Officer Jenny came as he explained, "The culprits were a group belonging to Team Magma. They were after something called a 'Scanner.' And two scientists here, because of their connection to the Submarine Explorer I."
The lead Officer, Jenny, jotted down notes. She replied cautiously, "The Scanner? And a kidnapping? They were trying to capture Captain Stern and his assistant, Dock?"
Azure blinked a bit, confused, but nodded his head as the two woke up. They filled them in on what happened as Officer Jenny thanked Azure, requesting of him, "Thank you very much for your intervention in fending them off, sir! But if they target you again with the Scanner, would you be okay giving it to us for safekeeping?"
Hearing such a request, Azure contemplated a bit as he thought, 'Probably best to give this to the police. Even though it's safer in my hands, I can't exactly keep a whole organization off with just my Pikachu and Eevee. Not only must I think about Sapphire and Ruby with me for their safety to consider…'
If Azure were on his own, he wouldn't have given the idea of handing the Scanner to Officer Jenny any thought. But because he has companions such as Sapphire and Ruby, he must be wary of his actions, or else he would put them in harm's way.
Ultimately, he handed over the Scanner to Officer Jenny as he said solemnly, getting her direct attention, "… Very well then, Officer Jenny. But please ensure the Scanner and the two people that Team Magma were after are always safely guarded. Because they aren't the only organization after them. Beware of the people in Blue uniforms called Team Aqua, they are as much of a threat as Team Magma."
Officer Jenny, hearing this, was stunned but nodded resolutely as she declared seriously, "I see! We'll put our all into defending them, Indigo Champion! You can rest assured we'll keep them safe!"
Azure simply nodded as he asked Ruby curiously, getting the boy's attention, "Say, Ruby, should we go back to the Pokémon Center for now? Sapphire would be waiting for us, seeing Verdanturf Town is in our same direction."
Ruby, hearing this, recalled that he needed a Pokémon Contest Pass in Verdanturf Town to participate in the Pokémon Contest in Hoenn. He sighed helplessly as he followed behind in a reluctant tone, "Sigh… very well then, seeing I don't have much of a choice. That and you can fend them off, so my options are limited… safety in numbers, right?"
Azure smiled, nodding happily as he said, "Safety in numbers."
Ruby shyly smiled at this as the two began to leave. Upon doing so, Azure pondered to himself as he mumbled confused, "Hmm… I feel like I'm forgetting something or someone… but what? Hm… Oh well! Must not be important!"
Unaware of Azure, the Pokémon Fan Club Chairman was knocked out cold. It would only be till nighttime; he would be awake again, confused why he was unconscious in his Pokémon Fan Club Building in Hoenn.
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A/N: Reach the goal of 300 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!