In a cave below the Alfronda Ruins, The Blue Haired scientist of Team Flare smiled with giddy excitement as she watched rainbow-colored particles getting sucked into a complex-looking machine.
"Ma'am, We really should slow down the Tera Absorption Rate," One of the trainers looking over the machine called out to her, the computer screen in front of him showcasing distressing imagery, "At this speed, the next Earthquake will destabilize the machine's scaffolding, it might even go critical!"
"I already said, WE AREN'T SLOWING DOWN!!!" Team Flare Scientist, Mable, Screamed at her grunt. Her face quickly twisted from anger into a cutesy display reminiscent of a teenage girl dreaming about love.
"When our Leader sees my wonderful work, he'll undoubtedly agree that my research is much more advantageous to our cause than Celosia's, He'll be all like 'Amazing Work Mable, here's that raise you always wanted' And then I'll say 'No need Boss! Just doing my Job!' And then he'll give me the raise anyway! Ahahaha!" Mable laughed to herself as the Team Flare Grunts looked at each other awkwardly.
"Ma'am! A team of Trainers is headed this way!" A Grunt suddenly yelled as he turned a corner of the cave, a tablet in his hand showing hidden camera footage from the entrance of the cave, where a group of trainers and their Pokemon could be seen approaching the entrance of the cave.
"Everybody get in position!" Mable yelled loudly, The Tera Absorption machine behind her shaking and rumbling, "Don't let them stop our machine! For a Beautiful World!"
"For a Beautiful World!"
.................
Watching Lorenz and Bronzong teleport away after Orchid told him what to do, I turned to her as she started giving me orders.
"Dishon, I need to get to the Mayor's office to help deal with all that's happening, I want you to walk around the Hotel and check if anybody inside is injured, okay?" She told me, looking me in the eyes to convey how serious the situation was.
And I could agree with her, this Earthquake might not have been very destructive, but with all the Pokemon Terastallizing at Random, it could only be a matter of time before a Charcadet used ember and burned their house down.
"Yes Ma'am, Understood!" I nodded my head, Fanny still holding on to my shirt as her head looked all around her at the crystal-covered Pokemon. "But, what if an aftershock occurs while I'm inside? Do the Gotharita know Teleport?"
Orchid thought my words over for a moment before nodding her head, "Good point, that's why we hired you, Take Rabsca with you, he can get you out if something happens," She tossed out a Pokeball, and with a flash of light the Bug/Psychic Rolling Pokemon popped out.
"Did you hear me Rabsca dear?" She asked the Pokemon, who didn't visually respond, but Orchid nodded her head anyway, "Okay. Now you two go ahead, Make sure all the Staff are counted for,"
"Yes Ma'am!" I straightened my back and she nodded before turning away and quickly walking in the direction of the City Hall.
"You heard her Fanny," I tap my partner on her claw as she crawled back to her spot around my waist, Now covered in sparkling Tera crystals, "Let's go check on the staff!"
"Salandit!" She hissed as her tail started slapping my back.
"Okay Fine! I'm going I'm going! No need to be rude..."
"Sal!"
"You're right, I can't hate you..." I smirk and I run back to the Hotel.
"..." Standing on the floor behind me, Rabsca slowly moved to roll after me before lunging high into the air, moving several meters at a time as he followed.
.................
Standing outside the mouth of a cave, A Trio of trainers and their Pokemon looked at the Security Camera filming them on the ceiling of the cave.
"Good Job Glimmora," La Primera Geeta told her partner as she returned him to his Pokeball, turning her head to nod to her Gogoat.
"This is where the Tera Energy is being absorbed?" Dendra asked as Her Team stood behind her ready to take action against any possible threat.
"Doesn't look like much," She nodded at her astute observation, eliciting a small smile from the Top Champion of Paldea and a roll of the Eyes from her Childhood Friend.
"I imagine the rest of Team Flare are inside this cave," Tulip said as she massaged her shoulder, Cleo sitting on her head like a Bird in a Nest.
"That would seem to be the case," Geeta answered the two Trainers, Stepping Back as her Gogoat bulked up in size, his horns glowing with Pink Energy as he took point in entering the cave, the glow from his horns illuminating the stone walls.
With a short update sent from her phone, Geeta walked into the cave, followed by Dendra and Tulip.
"Be careful, Team Flare already knows we are here and has almost certainly readied for our arrival," She told the two Gym Trainers, her face a mask of calm as her blue eyes looked around for any sign of the group from Kalos.
"Okay gang, you heard the champ! Let's take these Team Flare guys down!" Dendra yelled excitedly as she threw her fist into the air, her boisterous voice echoing down the cave for all to hear.
"Hehe, Whoops," Dendra smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck, "Sorry."
Tulip felt her brow twitching as her already ruinous day was close to becoming worse.
Luckily for her, Taking down these orange Clowns should be a piece of cake.
"Poochyena Go!" And luckily for her, the clowns were running towards her, no need to go searching.
With a smirk on her lips and a flap of her lashes, Tulip ordered her Pokemon.
"Florges," She called out calmly, looking down at the Team Flare grunts throwing their Pokemon deeper in the cave, "Petal Blizzard,"
And Team Flare soon learned how a future Gym Leader fought.
................
Fanny and I stared at the Arena in the center of the Alfronda Battle Hotel, Where the Gym Battles take place. The dirt of the Pokemon Arena was cracked and thrown all over the place when the Earthquake hit, but we weren't looking at that.
The Funnels of water going around the edges of the Arena for Water Type Pokemon were empty, likely drained when a pipe was hit during the quake, but that also wasn't what we were looking at.
A Large Red Crystal, glowing with Tera Energy was standing in the middle of the arena, the same kind of crystals that were sprouting in the street as the Pokemon started Terastallizing at random, but even that wasn't what we were looking at.
"..." Even Rabsca was looking where we were looking.
"Goth..." High above the floor, on top of the Ceiling Lamps that illuminated the Arena, The Hotel Staff were sitting on top of the metal covers of the lights, Looking down at us after they must have teleported to the safest spot they could think of as the Earthquake Hit.
Twelve Gothorita, A Gothita, and the Gothitelle that mothered all of them collectively stared down at us from their safe space near the ceiling.
"Salandit Sal..." Fanny said blankly as we all shared a moment of awkward silence looking at the Psychic Type Pokemon hanging from the Ceiling lights.
"Well, This was quicker than expected," I said as we waited for the psychic types to levitate themselves down to the floor, "I fully expected to need to go door to door searching for everyone but no, they're all here." I gestured at the Staff.
"I guess we should call Orchid and ask what to do now," I took out my phone only to click my tongue in annoyance, "No signal. Ah, man..."
"Landit!" I nodded at Fanny's exclamation.
"Yep, Let's just head back outside for now, If any of the neighbors looks like they need help we'll assist them, at least until cell service gets back online," And with a new plan, Me, Fanny, My Boss's Rabsca, and all the Pokemon Staff of the Alfronda Battle Hotel headed outside.
......
"Wha- What is this?!" Deep in the Cave next to the Alfronda Ruins, With her face glued to the screen in front of her, Team Flare Scientist Extraordinaire, Mable, Grabbed the rings of hair at the side of her head and pulled at them in frustration as she watched three trainers beat up her Grunts, quickly making their way to where she and her Machine were.
"No No No! This isn't supposed to happen!" Mable quickly tapped the keys on her board, frowning as she looked through the many cameras she set up, watching the three trainers effortlessly blitz through her grunts.
"Arrggh! Fine!" Mable yelled as he tapped a few more keys, her eyes quickly turning to the loud shaking machine in the center of the cave, Her frown transforming into a smile of childish glee as she watched a thin layer of crystal grow on the cave floor directly below the Machine, and with one more tap of her finger on a keyboard, the machine momentarily paused.
Silence passed through the cave as the loud hum of the Tera Absorption machine was silenced.
Only for it to roar back to life louder than ever as Mable turned the machine on to the fastest it could go.
"Once those Idiots are done getting stomped by those other Idiots, The Tera Absorption would be long complete and I'd be out of here, Hahaha!" Mable laughed as she leapt off the chair next to the computer, twirling around like a ballerina doing a happy dance, before suddenly throwing out her two Pokeballs.
"Houndoom! Weavile! Get Ready!" She yelled loudly, her two Pokemon standing at attention as a wave of Tera Energy rolled out of the machine, Passing over the two Dark-Types, causing Mable to smile widely.
Seeing the Crowns of Fire and Ice-type Energy above her Pokemon's head.
..............
"Golbat No!!!" A Team Flare grunt yelled as his Pokemon was hit with a powerful Zen Headbutt, knocking it out.
"There's no end of these guys!" Dendra yelled as she stood back, Letting her Medicham and Falinks deal with the Pokemon, Hariyama and Tauros back in their balls as the cave got more cramped the deeper the group went.
"Do not worry," Geeta said calmly as she watched her Gogoat defeat several Pokemon by himself, she didn't even need to let out another of team members from their Balls, "These Trainers might be many, but they are not powerful enough to prove a threat. Once Hassel and Lorenz get here, we will quickly move past them and put an end to whatever they are planning,"
Dendra nodded her head at the Champion's words before turning to look at her best friend, who seemed to be having a wonderful time.
"Kyrlia use Psychic! Florges another Moonblast! Cleo throw more Shadow Balls at them! Farigiraf don't stop Using Twin Beam!" The Psychic-Type specialist yelled with glee, watching her entire team demolish swathes of Team Flare Grunts.
"She'll be fine," Dendra told herself and turned back to look at her team, only to widen her eyes in alarm and yelp as the ground shook once more.
Small pieces of rock came tumbling down from loose dents in the wall, Small growths of Crystals came up from the ground as a hidden family of Carbink dug out of the ground and ran out of the cave.
The Fighting stopped as the ground continued to shake, More and More rocks fell loose, and Wild Pokemon left their hiding spots as they ran outside of the cave.
"Get back!" A Bald Team Flare member with a white suit yelled as he ran deeper into the cave, A Swoobat flying above him catching the small rocks falling from the cave.
"Hold on," Geeta said as she grabbed hold of Dendra and Tulip, pulling the two trainers closer as the cave kept shaking.
Above them, a Loose stone broke off from the Ceiling of the cave and started falling toward the trio of trainers.
Dendra widened her eyes in fear as she yelled for Medicham and Falinks to get closer to her.
Only for a Loud voice to break through the chaos caused, A flash of Red Light illuminated the back of the group as a Pokeball was thrown and a Move was yelled.
"Oranguru! Trick Room! Don't let that Boulder fall on my Daughter!"
It seems The Alfronda City Gym Leader, Lorenz, arrived just in the nick of time.
"Oran!" His Pokemon yelled as he waved his fan, A Field of Psychic Energy spread across the Cave as the Falling stones all slowed down, now descending at a Shuckles Speed, allowing Gogoat to break it apart with a Zen Headbutt.
"Dad! When did you-" Tulip wanted to ask but suddenly found herself enveloped in a powerful hug.
"Don't worry, Daddy's here, everything is going to be alright," he said as he cooed at Tulip, rubbing his hand up and down her back as if trying to relax a baby.
"Let go!" Tulip struggled to escape Lorenz's hold.
"Great Timing Gym Leader," Geeta said as she approached the Family of Psychic-type Specialists.
"Hmm?" Lorenz blinked as he turned to see Dendra and Geeta look at him, "Of course I got here on time!" He said loudly, "My Baby was in danger!" The magician hat on his head tilted to the side with how fast he raised his head to look at his Employee and his Boss.
Finally pushing her father off of her, Tulip looked around to see her team already busy clearing out the slow rocks falling from the cave ceiling.
"Bronzong..." The Gym Leader's ace voiced in his signature blank tone as he reminded his partner that they had a job to do.
"Oh Yes, Sorry..." Lorenz rubbed his mustache sheepishly before turning to Geeta, "So, What's the issue we're looking at?" He asked.
Geeta calmly smiled up at the older man, "Follow me and I'll explain," She said as she rolled her wrists to alleviate some tension.
"Have you heard of Team Flare?"
.................
"It's just that the Video Game scene here is incredibly lacking, there's basically no PC Games, and Nintendo is the only real gaming company, It makes no sense for there to be this little,"
Fanny tapped her claw to the Purple Crystal Skull and Bones that sat over her head as she watched her trainer talk to one of the Gothorita.
"At first I found it weird, but now that I've had time to look into it, I find it making no sense, you get me?" He grabbed the Gothorita and held her above his shoulders, letting the Psychic look into a birdhouse, shaking her head down at him to indicate nobody was inside before he let her down.
"There There," The Staff member said in Pokespeak as she patted Dishon on the shoulder, Causing Fanny to roll her eyes at how stupid her trainer could be sometimes.
Only to cry loudly and run back up his clothes as the ground shook once more, The Silent Rabsca jumped onto his head before glowing with bright pink energy as a bubble of telekinetic power shielded Her trainer, the Gothorita, the Rabsca, and Herself.
"Another one?!" Her trainer yelled in alarm as the ground shook beneath his legs, his eyes widening as more Tera Crystals forcefully emerged from the ground.
"Hey now," The Gothorita calmly said as her body was enveloped in Tera Crystals, A Large Diamond appeared over her head indicating her Normal Tera-Type.
"Even More Terastallizing?!" Fanny heard her trainer yell over the loud shaking of the ground.
"Do not worry," Gotharita jumped up to pat his head before she gently landed back on her feet.
"Don't touch him like that!" Fanny yelled at the psychic type, "Only I'm allowed to pet him!"
"Oh, I am sorry," The Gotharita bowed her head to Fanny.
"Don't Apologize! I can't be angry at you if you're sorry!" Fanny screeched, and Gothorita didn't know how to answer.
"I see, I am sorry..." She slowly bowed again, causing Fanny to grow hotter as she glared at the psychic type.
"Hey, It seems to have stopped Shaking," Dishon said as the ground stopped rumbling, Rabsca took down the bubble that surrounded the group, giving them a clearer view of the surrounding street.
"Oh no..." Dishon whispered and Fanny immediately started rubbing his back with her tail, it seemed to help him relax so Fanny didn't mind working for a bit.
If Previously the extent of the Damage caused by the Earthquake was a few fallen branches, now it was entire trees falling down.
Street Lamps fell to the floor, The Road was cracked with more Tera Crystals piercing the Cement, and Even the Pokemon Battle Rings outside the Hotel weren't safe as the earthquake destroyed them too.
Luckily it seemed that none of the buildings themselves collapsed, but an inspection of the structural integrity would be needed regardless.
"Is Everyone Okay?!" Dishon yelled, receiving calls of affirmation from the rest of the Hotel Staff who all seemed unharmed.
"Good, That's good..." Dishon nodded at that, before taking another look at the destroyed street around him.
"...Well fuck,"
.....................
"HAHAHAHA! IT WORKS!" Cackling maniacally like an evil scientist, Mable watched the Tera Absorption Machine fill up.
"EAT SHIT CELOSIA! I'M THE BETTER SCIENTIST! HAHAHAHA!" She definitely didn't seem unstable.
"Boss! The Trainers that got here-" The Bald Team Flare Admin that accompanied her tried to speak, only to be cut off.
"SHUT UP! I TOLD YOU TO DEAL WITH THEM SO YOU'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THEM! NOW!!!" She pointed a finger at the Admin as her Visor glowed with Blue Light, causing the Admin to flinch back.
"I'm sorry Boss!" He cried in apology before running back into the cave, His Swoobat flapping his wings as it followed.
"YES! APOLOGIZE TO ME!!!" Team Flare Scientist Extraordinaire, Mable, Said in a calm and definitely not alarming tone.
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
Yes, Definitely not crazy.