Chapter Seven: Meditate "How goes the battle?" Booster asked his superiors. "We're doing fine," his commanding officer replied. "I heard about the Sandslash scaring half the troops away from the Pokémon Center." "Yeah, I found that kid myself." "We've totally barricaded the three Poké Marts from the Flame Force. A lot of them have either ran or have been captured." "By the way, sir, what do we do with the prisoners?" Booster had an impressive pileup in the Pokémon Center. "Release their Pokémon," Booster's CO answered. "Preferably into the woods. Then hold the trainers until we come to arrest them. Oh, hold on a second." Someone had to tell the CO something. "All right, there's a chopper with wounded trainers coming your way. Don't have that Sandslash knock it down or anything." The two laughed. "When you get the trainers off it, load the prisoners onto it. We'll deal with them." "Should we remove their Pokémon?" Booster asked. "No, we'll handle that." "Yes sir." The conversation was over. "Incoming chopper!" Curtis shouted. "Leave it! They're on our side!" Showers replied. By this time, the Flame Force had been beaten off the Pokémon Center grounds entirely. When the helicopter landed, the trainers helped the wounded into the Pokémon Center, then marched the prisoners out into it. "You'll have to come back for the rest," Thunders told the helicopter pilot. He nodded. "I'll be back with another load." "Okay." Thunders sent him on his way. Allison and Uiru were on the roof, looking over the city. "How're you holding up?" Uiru asked. "I'm fine," Allison replied. "We're winning, aren't we?" "We sure are," Uiru answered. "The Flame Force never saw it coming." Allison pointed at the helicopter. "What's that pilot doing?" she asked. "Huh...?" The chopper was changing direction! That meant only one thing. "Hey Thunders!" Uiru shouted down to him. "The captured trainers have taken over the helicopter!" "What? Damn! I better tell Booster!" He ran inside. "Butterfree, go!" Uiru shouted. "Beedrill, I choose you!" Allison added. "Hey Staryu, come here!" Uiru shouted. It floated over to him. "You three go up and help that helicopter pilot, okay?" They nodded and flew up. Butterfree assailed the entire thing with it's Confusion attack. Beedrill blasted open the door and Staryu floated up to the pilot. While the prisoners were confused, he jumped out onto Staryu. It effortlessly floated out of the way while Beedrill fired it's Pin Missile into the chopper. Butterfree combined it's Stun Spore and it's Whirlwind moves to blow the paralyzing powder over the prisoners. Then Staryu returned the pilot and he resumed course. "Yeah!" Allison shouted. "Look! Butterfree, Beedrill and Staryu are escorting the heli the rest of the way!" Booster ran out into the plaza. "Okay, what's going on?!" he shouted. "Don't worry!" Uiru shouted. "We took care of it!" Booster shook his head and laughed. "You kids are something else, you know that?" Later that night... "We got a call from the Flame Force," Booster's CO informed him. "They said, and I quote, 'You can have Charteruse, but we'll be back to wipe you off the map.'" "Idle threats," Booster replied. "What's our next move?" "Some new rebel faction called the Rock Brigade are on their way to a town not far from Charteruse," the CO replied. "I want Fire Strike over there to defend it tomorrow evening." "Just Fire Strike unit?" Booster asked. "The Rock Brigade is a lot smaller then the Flame Force. But, take a few other units with you. Not many, though. We need to defend Charteruse." "I'll take five." "Yes, five should do." "How are we doing elsewhere?" Booster inquired. The general sighed. "We're doing all right. The Flame Force is being really stubborn but we're starting to regain control. They assaulted our base twice this week and we beat them back, but they're getting stronger all the time. And the Rock Brigade is really being annoying." "I'll take my squad over to Sapphire City right now," Booster declared. "We might get there before the Rock Brigade does." "You do that Booster. Good luck." Patrick yawned. "Can't wait to hit the sack," he said to himself. The young members of Fire Strike were hanging around the Pokémon Center. Allison and Jessica were admiring Allison's new Growlithe. "No time for that," Booster announced. "We're on the move again." "What? Why?" Nick asked. "Sapphire City is about to be invaded," Booster replied. "Fire Strike and a few other units are going to defend it." "By Flame Force?" Matt asked. "No, by a new legion called the Rock Brigade." "Great! My Grass types are strong on Rock types." "Good. Now come on! We're leaving in fifteen minutes." "What? We just finished one battle and we're going to fight another?" Curtis complained. "We're going to prevent another," Booster replied. "It's a few hours by heli so you can sleep on the way. Heal your Pokémon and come straight to the pad." "But-" they protested. "That's an order!" he shouted. "Showers! Thunders! Where the hell did you go to?" He stomped down the hall, searching for his subordinates. "Ah, damn," Matt complained. "At least my Grass Pokémon can fight this time." Fifteen minutes later- Booster made sure it was fifteen minutes later- the helicopters took off. "Get to sleep, if you can sleep with all this noise," Booster shouted. "We'll be there in a few hours." Uiru, Matt, Allison and Jessica were crunched together in the back. "Why can't they make these things a little bigger?" Jessica muttered. "Pardon?" Uiru asked. "I said, why can't they make these things bigger?" "They should work on making them quieter!" Uiru looked at Matt and Allison. They were asleep. "How the hell can they sleep? This thing is loud enough to wake the dead!" "It's an old chopper," Booster shouted from the front. "We're going to have the entire city up, you know that, right?" Uiru shouted. Matt hit him. "You've got ME up," he muttered. "Now shut up." Uiru plugged his ears and lay back. *Might as well enjoy the ride, even if it deafens me.* Eventually, the whirring of the rotor blades lulled them to sleep. When they landed, Booster woke them up and dragged them out of the 'copter. "Okay, it's a few hours 'til dawn," Booster said. "It's FREEZING here!" Allison complained. "Can we go inside?" Patrick asked. "It is a bit chilly," Booster admitted. "Okay, go to the Pokémon Center and go to sleep. But be ready to fight at any moment, got it?" "Yeah, yeah, we got it," Curtis replied. "Center's this way guys." On the roof of a nearby house, a local Pokémon trainer watched the proceedings. "Fight? What fight?" "Isn't it a bit late for you trainers to be out?" the nurse at the Center asked them. "It's a long story," Uiru complained. "We just got into town, and we're freezing." "Right this way." The nurse took them to the dorms. They all climbed into the bunks. Most of them fell asleep right away. "Would it kill them to put the heat up a little?" Nick complained. "They must be used to these low temperatures," Allison replied. "Go to sleep, you won't notice the cold then." Uiru lay awake for a little while. It wasn't the cold that was bothering him, it was the fact that they had another fight in a few hours. *Rock types... I've heard Psychic powers work well on them, so Butterfree would be a good idea... Squirtle and Sandslash... Pikachu would be no good... Abra, no, probably not...* He lay there planning his strategy for the coming battle for a while- that is, until someone slid into bed next to him. "I'm frozen," was Jessica's explanation. "You don't mind, do you?" *Mind?!* "Matt! Matt!" Nick whispered. "Matt! Wake up! You have to see this!" "What is it...?" Matt moaned. He sat up. "This better be good." Nick pointed. "Check THAT out." Matt rubbed his eyes and looked again. "Wow. Quiet, aren't they?" "You think?" Nick asked. "No!" Matt snapped. "I was being sarcastic." "What's the noise for," Allison moaned as she woke up. "Look under you," Nick said. Allison looked. "So?" she asked. "Jessica probably just got cold." Uiru opened an eye and saw Allison, Matt and Nick looking back at him. "What...?" he asked. "Never mind, Uiru," Matt said. "Go back to sleep." Booster charged into the dorms like a train. "All right, Fire Strike. UP." It was midday. Most of the trainers were awake. Booster went over to a few who weren't, and tapped them on the shoulder. "What...?" Uiru complained. He opened his eyes... and looked right into Booster's disapproving frown. He woke up pretty quick. "Oh damn! I bet this looks a lot worse then it is..." "What the hell are you doing Uiru?" Booster asked. "Nothing!" Uiru answered. "The emphasis is on NOTHING, believe me." "Good," Booster replied. "Then wake up and come on." He turned to the other trainers. "Rock Brigade are on the horizon. They'll be here soon, so get ready!" Ten minutes later, the trainers grabbed their Pokémon and found Booster outside. "The others are taking up defencive positions now," he said. "Our job will be to meet the main force. Keep in mind they're using Rock type Pokémon, so Fire, Electric, and Bug type attacks won't hurt them, but Water, Grass, Ground, and Ice will." "None of us have Ice attacks," Patrick shouted. "Well never mind then," Booster replied. "My Pokémon are useless against Rock types, I'll be running the defence. You kids think you can manage by yourselves?" "We'll be fine," Uiru replied. "If we don't die of hypothermia first." "Good. I'm counting on you Uiru!" Booster left. "Ice on Rock? Excellent..." The mysterious local trainer was observing the proceedings from a nearby rooftop. "This could be interesting."