An Alola Surprise!

Taken

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Serena's POV

Serena could see nothing. Sturdy rope bounded her limbs unforgivingly, digging deeper into her skin the more she struggled. Unlike the coarse restraints, her blindfold felt silky smooth against her head. Just moments ago she had been watching the battle unfold between Ash and Clemont, the latter promising a stay at Prism Tower if he were to be defeated. She remembered witnessing Pikachu's impressive Z-Move alongside her Alolan companion, Lillie. Then, during the blast, she had been swiftly stolen away and blindfolded before she could identify her captors.

The noticeable drop in temperature that Serena felt suggested the sun had probably set. Light goosebumps began to rise along the surface of her skin, although she didn't mind the sensation. It gave her something else to focus on besides the fact that she had just been kidnapped.

She listened. 

The wings of some unknown Pokémon flapped sporadically, a gentle puff amid the pleasant zephyr. She pictured a Fletchling taking flight for the first time on budding wings. In a different situation, she would have probably enjoyed this moment.

Minutes passed. So far, nothing revealed any information about her kidnappers. She only knew that her capture had been concerted and cleverly executed under the cover of the perfect distraction: a Z-Move.

She outstretched her fingers, straining for her Pokéballs that lied dormant in her bag tied loosely around her waist, but it was no use. Her hands were not long enough, and her bindings would not let up. She slumped against the solid interior of her box-like enclosure when distant footfalls suddenly alerted her senses. She quickly positioned her hands in a way that displayed no sign of an attempted escape.

Serena heard voices, ten, maybe fifteen feet away. She didn't have to strain her ears to grasp every word.

"Oy, have you ever seen a Thunderbolt like that before?" The voice sounded scratchy and somehow inhuman, yet Serena swore it wasn't her first time hearing it.

"Now that you mention it, that Thunderbolt did seem bigger than usual, but think about how happy the boss will be when we show him what his Pikachu can do!" another encouraged.

A woman grunted. "I still don't see the point in capturing the girl. What does that have to do with catching Pikachu?"

"Don't you see? The twerps will be forced to sacrifice Pikachu when they see that we have one of their own. It's genius, just like me!"

So these criminals were also after Pikachu? Serena sidled her back uncomfortably up the wall as noiselessly as she could, trying to resist the urge to panic. Her fingertips brushed against the quilted lining of her purse, feeling for a metal zipper to unseal the pouch. They passed over the heart-shaped embroidery that she had sewn on herself when she froze.

"Fine," the woman grumbled. She sounded louder and closer than ever—enough for Serena to be certain that they weren't even a few feet apart. 

"But if your silly plan doesn't wor—"

"It was actually my silly plan," corrected the first voice.

It was unsettlingly silent for a few seconds. Even without her sight, Serena could tell the woman was fuming. Whatever Pokémon that had been flying earlier had stopped flapping its wings completely. Finding the zipper, Serena's hands moved slowly and carefully to keep from losing control of the tab. She was so close; she hoped the interjection would draw any attention away from her, even for just a moment.