Pokemon: The Queen of Kalos

Find Them.

One learn-to-fly session was just abruptly interrupted, and I think you can all guess by whom...

~

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"It's Jessie!"

"And James."

"Team Rocket Blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbbbbbuffet!"

It was Team Rocket! And in a balloon, too! They instantly pulled the net back up with the three struggling Pokemon, while Fletchinder cawed furiously. Ash and Zenith were both dumbfounded, too shocked to move, while the others were too far behind to notice them. Both Pikachu and Star seemed to be frozen in shock as well, not that the latter was even supposed to battle yet.

Fletchinder tried to break the net with its move, but suddenly James exclaimed, "Go, Inkay! Hold that pesky bird off with Psybeam while we take our prizes to the boss!" To Zenith's horrified dismay, the attack hit the fire bird straight on, forcing Fletchinder to back off to recover.

~

Suddenly, it wasn't Zenith helplessly watching her and Ash's Pokemon get kidnapped by Team Rocket, but the police with her mom and her friends, accusing her of witchery and high crimes, detaining them- detaining everyone- and searching their home.

Zenith, in the death-grip hold of a police officer that had grabbed her by her hair and had her dangling, neck bent at an excruciating angle, cried out. He only yelled in her face, reminding her so much of her father who did the same to her. She could hardly see her brother and sisters around her, praying they weren't in the same condition as her.

Though she eventually learned it wasn't true, she was told that her mother was sentenced to death, and that her family was to be split apart, since their dad had already left them. When she was finally put down- more like thrown to the ground as if she was some sort of filth- she could barely move, hardly breathe, frozen in place.

And that scene echoed in Zenith's mind now, so much so that the winds seemed to curl around her protectively, but she didn't let it show, couldn't let her true power save those she cared about, even when times were dire and it could have saved their lives. She was to never use her power, not when her friends were right there beside her. She just couldn't face them condemning her, too.

Then Team Rocket had flown off, and she was shaking, her throat dry and vision covered in black spots. Ash was finally unfrozen, shouting "Follow them!" to his recovered Fletchinder before reaching out to Zenith. As soon as he reached her, her knees buckled, legs collapsing under her, and then she was supported by a warm body and strong arms.

The winds let up a little.

"Zenith, are you okay!? We need to go get our Pokemon back from those thieves, but you look like you're about to faint!" He asked, worry present over how whole face. Pikachu looked over his shoulder with a similar expression.

Star pawed the honey blonde's cheek softly. "...Ee?"

"I'm fine," Zenith croaked, her voice as dry as if she tried to swallow cinnamon down a throat of sandpaper.

By now, the rest of the group heard Ash's desperate command to his Pokemon and ran over, getting a brief summary of the situation from said black-haired boy. All he knew for Zenith's case was that she froze up and her eyes lost focus, and then she was a shuddering mess that collapsed onto him.

The Sawyers gave their elder sister a knowing look, but their faces still creased with worry as well as anger at Team Rocket. In a sinister and grave voice, Shadow finally said, "Let's not dawdle any longer. The quicker we locate those thieves the better. Anyone with flying Pokemon should get on them and scout the area while the others look from the ground."

"Let's split into four or five groups," Zenith choked out, still trying to rehydrate her dry throat, "since we have five walkie talkies between us sisters and Red."

"Good plan. I'll take Corviknight; Clemont, Bonnie, you can ride my Charizard and join me, alright?" Pine decided, the blond boy and blonde girl nodding.

"I'll use my Dragonite... Serena, you may as well come with me," Crystal huffed.

"I'm going alone with my Salamence. If you find anything or are in danger, send up a flare and we'll all meet up to help," Shadow added.

Red gestured to Charizard as he released the Pokemon and climbed on, as if to say my buddy and I will take a look, too, but there's no more room for another person.

"That leaves you and me," Zenith breathed, looking at Ash. "We'll take the ground, since our fliers were captured. Stay safe... now go!"