Love in the Time of Tomorrow

Chapter 11: An Alarm

I usually don't like telling my readers what to think. However, everyone...please stop thinking Ash needs to be a part of this story right now, or that Serena needs to tell him that which may or may not be true. I think they have bigger fish to fry, don't you? That said, please do enjoy Chapter 11!

Chapter 11

An Alarm

"Pancham, Stone Edge!" Serena called out, throwing her hand to the side. Pancham instantly sprang into action, flipping into a handstand. The second his paw touched down, stones raced out for the giant fungus and jellyfish. Neither moved from their position while Dawn also took her own initiative.

"Bubblebeam, Piplup!" Piplup now jumped to the floor to join his partners, puffing his chest out before sending a cascade of bubbles forward. They impacted with the stones, breaking them into jagged edges that flew forward and peppered the lab. Amoongus seemed to puff its body up, absorbing the blow of the flying stones. In the midst of that attack and the sound of the alarm, Dawn could hear Zager calling out.

"Cassidy, Biff, get that meteonite to Alastair, now! And tell Giovanni it's time to move on the operation. I'll deal with the rats," Zager yelled to the pair of operatives. He reached up and adjusted his monocle, the small glass glinting red in the light. They called back: one in affirmation and the other in indignation, but they were soon gone through the open door. "Deirdre, call the remaining Four Pillars to this location to deal with the problem. Get them moving."

"Already done, Doctor," the woman stated. She seemed to be slinking back, not making a move to attack at all. Dawn kept transferring her attention between the two opponents, wondering when Deirdre would spring into action, and she could see Serena doing the same as herself. However, the auburn-haired woman seemed to hang back in the shadows of the pulsing red light, blending right in expertly. "Louise has already informed me she's on her way up here."

"Good, then help me keep them occupied until she does. Jellicent, Shadow Ball!" Zager ordered. The puffy Pokémon floated forward, spinning around. Large, pulsing orbs of shadows surrounded its entire figure in intervals and went flying off after only a second of delay. They flew towards both Dawn and Serena.

"Countershield, Piplup!" Dawn cried out, sending a wink to Serena. It was a little thing, the bluenette realized, but it helped her to feel like they had this battle in the bag, even as the trepidation of having been caught settled in.

"You, too, Pancham! Dark Pulse!" Both Pokémon instantly spun forward, landing on their backs and sending their attacks spiraling outward. The bubbles spewing around Piplup met with the Dark Pulse, undulating back and forth in the air while it beat away the Shadow Balls that were making contact. The papers and diagrams on the sides of the walls were ripped off the surface, fluttering to the ground as the computers were hit by the deflected Shadow Balls. It seemed a stalemate for the moment, and was the reason Dawn grabbed to Serena's arm.

"Serena, get after that meteonite!" she insisted as a harsh whisper, her eyes wide with passion. The honey blonde watched her friend for just a second and seemed to understand. Ash or no, that meteonite was clearly the crux of the plan that Team Rocket was enacting, and no matter their suspicions about it, letting it fall into place was all but a good idea. It took only a second before Serena responded.

"On it!" She reached her hand out, slapping it against Dawn's, and immediately tore off for the door, Pancham running swiftly beside her. Naturally, her departure wasn't about to go unnoticed. Zager turned in the fleeing Serena's direction almost the exact second she turned off.

"Stop her with Stun Spore!" the scientist called. His voice was raised in volume, but his level of control told Dawn that the man was thinking quite clearly. Amoongus once more bounced forward, and in the dim red lighting, the bluenette could finally see its eyes: blank and emotionless. This Pokémon wasn't acting on orders, but rather a basis of control as it moved its pokeball-shaped appendages forward and sprayed out a thick yellow mist.