Chapter 15
The Ultimate Plan-Part Three
Meanwhile, Archie, Julia, Andrew, and the rest of Team Aqua were en route to Lilycove-by air. All of the Team Aqua members had at least one Pelipper-a Water-bird Pokémon who resembled a pelican-that they could Fly on. When they landed in Lilycove, they noticed that there were no signs of Team Magma or Aqua.
"Which means," said Archie, "that they are at the base. Come on, everyone." Archie ran over to the water and threw a Pokéball into the water. From it emerged a Wailord-the largest Pokémon known to man. "Everyone, hop on." All of the Team Aqua members, along with Julia and Andrew, stepped onto the huge, blue, Water Pokémon.
As this went on, Magma had already infiltrated Team Aqua's base. Between the overwhelming number of Magma troops, Luke, and Maxie, the guards in front of the base were quickly defeated. They all moved on to a large, circular room with two levels: the lower one, with computers, and the balcony. There were two ladders on either side of the balcony that lead down to the lower level. At the bottom of the room, where the computers were, was the rest of Team Aqua's men.
"Luke, you ready?" Maxie asked his partner.
"You betcha I am," Luke replied. He sent an Armaldo, a Camerupt, a Banette, and an Absol onto the bottom floor. Maxie sent out all of his Pokémon-Charizard, Magmar, Crobat, Torkoal, Magcargo, and Mightyena. The other Magma grunts also sent out their Pokémon.
An Aqua member picked up a phone. "Sir," he started, "there's-" Before he could finish, Luke's Absol sliced the phone cord with the black scythe-like projection coming out of its forehead. "Uh…Clamperl, go!" said the Team Aqua member.
"Absol, Shock Wave!" Luke shouted. Electricity came from Absol's scythe, shocking the small, blue oyster-like Pokémon. The other Team Aqua troops sent out their Water Pokémon, ready to counter Magma's threat.
Maxie looked around. "Useless," he muttered.
* * *
Archie, Andrew, Julia, and the rest of Team Aqua hopped off of Wailord. On the beach, in front of the base, were two Aqua members, tied up.
Archie ran over to them and asked, "Are you guys all right?" He took off the rags in their mouth.
"Yeah," one of them responded, "we're fine. But Team Magma defeated our Pokémon, and then tied us up and left us here."
"Hm. I don't have any potions with me at the moment, so I can't help you. But I'll leave Wailord out here with you guys." He turned to his Pokémon. "Wailord, you pay attention to them, all right? Do what they tell you to."
"Archie, I think we should be heading down there. I hear something that sounds like a battle," of the Aqua troops said.
"Okay. Everyone, let's go!" They ran into the base, and were confronted by two Magma grunts. "You two," Archie said, pointing to two of his men, "take these guys on." Even though the Magma grunts tried to stop Archie, his men succeeded in distracting them. Archie and his men continued through the bowels of the base.
They finally reached the center, where Team Magma was overpowering Team Aqua. Luke stood at one side of the circular room, while Maxie stood at the other.
"Archie!" one of the members shouted.
"Shane! What's our status?" Archie called down.
"Not good," Shane, Archie's right-hand-man, replied. "We're outnumbered, or we were, and we have lost a lot of Pokémon." Shane turned around to recall his Mantine. "Golduck, take down the Numel with Water Gun! Lanturn, Spark on Crobat!"
Archie sent out the rest of his Pokémon to aide the failing Team Aqua. Julia did the same. Andrew, however, looked across the room, at Luke. Luke acknowledged him, and beckoned Andrew over.
Andrew walked over to Luke. "What do you want?" He asked.
"I was wondering why you, of all people, are here," Luke said.
"I am helping Team Aqua stop you." Andrew sent out his Crawdaunt.
"Ah, so your Pokémon are becoming stronger. I just assumed you stayed weak." Luke flashed him a smirk.
"I'll make you eat those words," Andrew said.
"We'll see." Luke tossed a Pokéball in Andrew's direction, releasing a Pokémon inside of a white shell-in fact, it appeared as though the Pokémon was a shell, with four legs sticking out the bottom and two eyes inside the black hole in its front. "Shelgon, Dragonbreath, now!" The small Dragon-type Pokémon spouted blue flames, doing mediocre damage to Andrew's Crawdaunt.
"Crawdaunt, Crush Claw!" Andrew commanded. Crawdaunt raised its claw high, and then slammed it hard down on Shelgon. However, the Dragon Pokémon withdrew into its shell, blocking the attack. "Uh…Crawdaunt, try to hit it with Water Pulse!" Crawdaunt blasted water at Shelgon, but the attacked merely bounced off of its shell.
"Nice work, Shelgon," Luke commented. "Now, Double-Edge!" Shelgon gathered some energy, and then rammed into Crawdaunt, doing a tremendous amount of damage. Crawdaunt held on by the skin of his teeth. "You see, Andrew," Luke begun, "I have greatly exceeded you in power. While you are off battling gyms, I have honed my training, becoming far more powerful than you.
"I don't believe that," said Andrew. "By battling gyms, I have become powerful."
"You only think you are good," Luke corrected. "And anyway, you've been chasing us. While you're chasing us, we've been training."
"For what?"
Luke pointed to the scene behind him. Most of the room was on fire. Maxie's Charizard was wreaking havoc. Andrew watched as his sister's Marshtomp was quickly defeated when the Charizard swung its tail around, whacking Marshtomp. "This," Luke answered.
"Destruction?" Andrew asked.
"No…power. Watch as your sister, Archie, and the rest of Team Aqua falls quickly to us. Do you not see our power? Do you not see what we can wield?"
"All I see is fire…and destruction."
"Then you are blind. You are seeing the beginning of the end, Andrew. You are seeing us at full power. Power which you lack. Power which you crave…"
Andrew looked at the ground. He knew, as Luke obviously did, that he wanted power. To become more powerful. To rise above his sister, the League Champion…even his father.
"See?" said Luke. "You know you want it. You want this…power."
"I am powerful enough," Andrew answered.
"Really? Then let's find out. Shelgon, finish Crawdaunt off with a Hyper Beam!" Andrew watched in horror as the golden beam struck Crawdaunt, instantly knocking him out. "Ha, you weren't expecting that, were you? Send out your next Pokémon, why don't you?"
Andrew glared at Luke. "You haven't won."
"Yet."
"We'll see. Mightyena, go! Bite!" Mightyena chomped down on Shelgon, but his shell protected him once again. Luke laughed. "Mightyena…" I need an attack that will catch him off-guard… Andrew thought. "Uh, Quick Attack!" Mightyena dashed toward Shelgon, ramming into the Pokémon. Shelgon fell over, but didn't take much damage. "Now, Faint Attack!" Mightyena disappeared from sight, struck Shelgon, and then reappeared.
"Nice work, striking my Pokémon," said Luke, "but do you notice what Pokémon you are using?" Luke pointed to Maxie's Mightyena.
"So? It happens to be a good Pokémon. I'm sure it's very common."
"Common among us. And it's not really that good of a Pokémon. But it is a dark Pokémon. Ah, yes, Andrew. Dark."
"That doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything."
"Your Crawdaunt is also Dark."
Andrew thought. He did have a knack for finding Dark Pokémon. But it doesn't matter.
"Shelgon, Dragon Claw!" Andrew stopped thinking about his Pokémon and concentrated on the battle. Luke's Shelgon slashed Mightyena while blue flames encircled him. Mightyena was instantly knocked out.
"Mightyena, come back. Combusken, come out and use Fire Punch!" Combusken punched Shelgon with a fiery fist, but, once again, Shelgon blocked it.
"And now a Fire Pokémon. Well, well, Andrew…it looks like you were made for Team Magma."
While Andrew and Luke battled, everyone else was quickly losing. Shane's Relicanth and Cloyster had fainted. He was down to only Huntail. Archie was down to Walrien-an Ice-and-Water-type Pokémon that looked like a walrus-and Gyarados. However, a Thunder Punch from Magmar quickly knocked out Gyarados.
"We can't win this one," Archie said the Shane.
"I know," Shane responded. "They got to us first. If only all of us were here, we would have easily beaten them…"
Suddenly, two more Pokémon appeared from nowhere-a Cradily and a Claydol. Everyone turned around to see who sent out the Pokémon. Steven was standing in the far doorway.
"You guys need help?" Steven asked Archie.
"Yeah, thanks, Steven," Archie replied.
Steven was standing next to a large Steel Pokémon which resembled a Rhydon. "Aggron," he said to the Pokémon, "go down there and help them out." Aggron jumped down there, causing the room to vibrate.
Charizard immediately turned around to face the Steel-and-Rock Pokémon, but was quickly defeated via a Rock Slide. Cradily and Claydol also took down several Pokémon.
"Magcargo, Overheat on Claydol!" Maxie commanded.
"Aggron, Earthquake!" Steven yelled. Before Magcargo could launch the Fire attack, it was taken down by Earthquake (as most other Fire Pokémon that were touching the ground were). "Do it again!" The second Earthquake caused part of the rocky roof to collapse, sending a rock hail down on to the Pokémon below.
"Steven, you're going to destroy this place!" Archie shouted.
"That's the point," Steven quickly replied.
"With us in it!?"
"Well…I'm hoping that you can escape." Steven shrugged, and then told his Cradily to use Ancient Power on any surrounding Pokémon. Maxie's Crobat was taken down.
"I can't believe we are going to lose again!" Maxie exclaimed.
Luke, hearing this, recalled his Pokémon and ran over to Maxie. "We had better leave before it gets any worse," he said.
Maxie frowned. "I know. Lead the men out of here."
Luke called all of his fellow Magma grunts out of the room, and then ran toward the exit.
Archie turned to Steven. "Aren't you going to stop them!?"
"What are they going to do?" Steven questioned. "They are out of Pokémon. They aren't a threat anymore."
Before Maxie ran out, he turned back to Steven, Archie, and everyone else in there. "From this point on, I cease to lead Team Magma. As long as Archie and Team Aqua is around, we'll never accomplish anything. And with Mr. Stone and Mr. Anderson meddling…" Maxie turned around. "Farewell, all of you." Maxie ran out of the base.
Steven sighed, and recalled his Pokémon. "Well, that's that." Everyone else also recalled their Pokémon. He, along with everyone else in the ruined base, left.
"I guess this is good-bye, Andrew and Julia," Archie said. "We'll be heading off. Thanks for helping us."
"Yeah, no problem," Julia responded. Andrew nodded.
"And thanks, Steven. Without your help, we would have lost in there."
"Don't worry about it," Steven answered. "I worry about our planet as much as you do." Archie, Shane, and the rest of Team Aqua bid them farewell, and then left on the Wailord.
Steven led Andrew and Julia back to shore. "Before you two leave," he said, "you should stop by the Pokémon Fan Club."
"What's that?" Julia asked.
"It's a place where a bunch of trainers gather and discuss their favorite trainers. If you're good, you might even get a few fans," said Steven. He smiled, at patted Andrew on the back. "C'mon, let's go inside."
They walked into the Fan Club, and were instantly swarmed by people shouting, "Steven!" "It's Steven Stone!" or "Look everyone! It's the Pokémon Master, Steven!"
"Hey, everyone," Steven said. "These two trainers, you may not have heard from, yet, but you soon will. Their names are Andrew and Julia Anderson, respectively."
"As in the son and daughter of Drew Anderson?" one of the fans asked. "The twins? The dynamic duo of Pokémon fighting?"
"Uh…something like that," Julia said.
"Whoa! We knew that you guys were fighting in Hoenn, but we didn't think you were here! Well, what about your dad? How's he doing?"
"Fine," Andrew replied. He wasn't exactly happy that they were more concerned with his father than him.
"Is going to challenge the Pokémon League?"
"No, I don't think so," Julia said.
"That's a shame, because he'd beat everybody, even the Champion!"
"I'm sure," said Andrew. "Now, I think we should be going. We have gyms to beat." He beckoned his sister to come with him.
"Bye," Julia said, waving to them. The two of them walked outside, and were soon joined by Steven.
"Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you two later," Steven said. "Goodbye, for now." Steven sent out his Skarmory, hopped on top, and then flew away.
"The people at the club were nice," Julia remarked.
"I guess," Andrew started, "if you like being compared to other, more powerful trainers." Andrew started walking down the long road to Fortree City.