"This is as far as we'll take you." James stopped abruptly, earning thoughtful looks from Meowth and Jessie. "Any further and we'll run into spies." He warned them.
"Oh right, well, see you round!" Jessie saluted.
"Just keep going in that direction and you'll find the hideout!" Meowth added as Team Rocket threw confetti at them and handed a few dozen good bye cards that they'd gotten from hammer space.
"Thanks for the support." Amy harrumphed "Chickens."
"Sonic, what are we going to do?" Espio asked suddenly as the hedgehog began to silently lead them towards Giovanni's hideout. "Knuckles is still weak. He's only just walking." They glanced at the echidna, who glared back.
"I'm fine. Let's get this over with!" He snapped "As soon as I get back to the emerald, the better. So if you really want to help me, then hurry this stuff up."
"Calm down." Sonic raised an eyebrow, faintly amused at his dedication "When we get there, we'll need to work together. Stick tight and protect Knuckles from getting hurt, but at the same time, take down the three Pokemon. If convenient."
"This doesn't sound like a very thought out plan, Sonic!" Amy accused as she swung her hammer round her back. "What if something goes wrong?"
"And how much further is it?" Vector put in.
"Do you even know what abilities these Pokemon have?" Espio demanded.
"What happens if we beat them? Then what?" Amy pressured and Sonic stared at them all in bewilderment as they continuously questioned the hedgehog. He wasn't used to marching into battle with everyone like this, and he definitely wasn't used to being questioned and having to stay to listen to them. Then, Tails saved him.
"SHUT UP!" The fox roared. Silence fell and eyes switched to him as he panted at them. "Where did Knuckles go?" He demanded.
"What? He's right-" Amy turned, and turned again, but the echidna was gone. "He was right there!"
"Everyone stay close!" Sonic ordered immediately, his keen eyes scouring the trees. Tails dropped from the air to stand by Amy as they all waited tensely. "There." He muttered suddenly and whizzed off. For a few moments, nothing happened. They stood quietly together, huddled in the slight breeze. Tails was about to suggest that they go and see if Sonic had found Knuckles when Amy screamed.
They all glanced round, prepared for trouble (and make it double) for there stood another Amy and Shadow. Except they were shorter and looked younger and innocent, their eyes large with wonder. The taller Amy swung round her hammer and pointed it at them threateningly.
"Are you the Pokemon that Sonic was talking about?" She demanded and the pink hedgehog beamed at her in reply.
"Amic!" It cooed and Shadow glared at it.
"Shadic!" He scolded and brought up a gloved hand, which held a large purple orb in its palm. It prepared to throw the Shadow Ball attack, when Sonic rammed into them both, sending them sprawling to the ground.
"Run! Stick together!" Sonic cried urgently just as another blue blur came onto the scene and spat a powerful jet of water that Sonic wasn't able to dodge. It slammed him into a tree and relentlessly pounded into him until the hedgehog Pokemon ended the attack, letting Sonic slip dizzily back to the ground.
"Sonic!" Amy cried and ran towards him, but then the other Amy came into view and held out her hands. An unseeable force shook the protective hedgehog as the physic type used Extrasensory on her, and she dropped to the floor weakly. The other Amy wasn't finished though, so Tails rammed himself into her and started to use his tails to blow her away, but the Pokemon Amy seemed prepared for this and used the Gravity move. Instantly, his tails flopped down uselessly and he gasped.
"What have you done?" He cried in alarm, but the Amy just smiled.
"Amic!" It said tauntingly and held up it's hands threateningly. Tails flinched and it giggled, but then Espio got into the way and held up his ninja weapons; Shuriken. The Pokemon Amy tilted its head and held up it's hands again, it flicked a finger and a ghostly knife appeared from no where and sliced at the chameleon, who blocked it with his shuriken quickly. They glanced at each other in understanding before jumping into a deadly game of knives and ninja weapons. The Amy dodged and wiggled her fingers perfectly; Espio couldn't land a single scratch, but he himself slowly began to gain the odd weak cut. Then his leg suddenly became slashed and he fell, his weapons flying from his hands. He was suddenly very vulnerable, but Vector had his back and slammed into the Amy before it could attack. When he got back up again, the pink Pokemon had fainted.
Sonic was only just holding out in a brutal battle with Pokemon Sonic, when he finally got over come and had so much water forced on him that he couldn't breathe and passed out. Vector, Espio and Tails found themselves staring down the Pokemon Sonic and Shadow, but the blue hedgehog wasn't their opponent. Instead, it went over to the Pokemon Amy and lifted it up gently.
"Sonic." It told the Shadow Pokemon curtly.
"Shadic." It returned and cracked its knuckles unpleasantly as Sonic sped Amy off into the woods. Vector ran at it with a bellow and shot water from his mouth, surprised that it was possible, but the Shadow used Foul Play and the crocodiles powers were used against him. He was swiftly defeated and the Pokemon moved forward to Espio, who eyed it carefully. The Shadow Pokemon darted towards him quickly and used Pursuit, backing off and coming back to use it again. And Espio could do nothing; His opponent was too fast. Tails swallowed as the chameleon fell back in defeat, but bravely leapt at it, latching himself around the dark type's neck. He was quickly thrown off and skid across the floor, slamming into a tree. From this position, Tails could see all of his friends, lying in pain around him. It enfuriated the little fox, but it scared him too, because as the Shadow Pokemon advanced on him, he realised that Meowth and his friends had been right; They couldn't beat them.
"You alright there, Tails?" A snide voice made the Pokemon stop and look around curiously, for which Tails was grateful, even though he didn't like who was speaking "I thought you and your friends were going to save the day." Eggman walked out from the trees confidently "Looks like you're getting nowhere!"
