VerMuffEatin City, yet another notch in Indigo's anti-pokégirl rights belt. Marco and his group had wondered out of the forest to the delight of Carrie, Ashley, and Tam. Marco hadn't earned much approval with his forced march through knee deep snow from fight city. Jean and Henrietta didn't seem to mind; they were fire-types after all and kept themselves warm with their own internal heat. Tam was dressed in military BDUs and a heavily line coat along with Henrietta, Kelly, and Mina. Kelly and Mina didn't really need to be there but decided to go along so they could see some of their old friends.
"So I get this tamer, he was a nice enough guy until we all almost froze to death walking through the snow, in the middle of the night, through a forest." Ashley had been mock complaining for the last half an hour with no end in sight. "He's a kind man though, who at least had the decency to make sure we had good coats."
Henrietta smiled fiendishly. "Does all that bitching help to take your mind off how could it is?"
"Yes, yes it does. Why aren't you guys cold?"
Chesra shrugged and tapped the space next to her which shimmered for a moment. "All weather climate bubble."
Kelly looked back in amazement. "Since when did you learn magic?"
"Since I couldn't lift four tons anymore I had to do something."
"Cute, what about you two, you don't seem to be bothered by this." Grumbled the Peekabu.
"Seven plus years of on off anti ice-type training. You learn not to let it bother you." Replied Mina.
In a fit Ashley sneezed and fired a lightning bolt from her tail. "Ugh... This blows, aren't you cold Carrie?"
The Penance turned around and began to walk backwards while playing and invisible violin. "I think she's playing the worlds saddest song." Laughed Marco. "That was pretty cold but not as cold as she is. Come on we're almost to the Gym."
Henrietta snuck up behind the shivering Peekabu and grabbed her using Warm Embrace. She only squirmed for a second before settling down and enjoying the warmth. "There we go, can't have my favorite student catching a cold."
"Where's a Camera girl when you need one."
_____
The travels through the city were simple enough considering that most of them had spent a great deal of time there before. While the tamers were nowhere to be found in the early morning those who were in the military were already up and moving around. Marco remembered his time spent there and sighed. Being a sixteen year old with a silver bar put a hex on him from the very start and not running around in a hurry to screw anything that looked female and moved didn't help. It was obvious his peers didn't like him, but he didn't like them either so it worked out. The only one he kept in touch with was Sashi but it was more do to with proximity than anything else.
His trip down memory lane was halted when they reached the gate leading to the gym. The two First Class Privates along with their Amachoke and Thundrix stood patiently at the gate while they made their approach. Though Marco's military pokégirls had their names and ranks covered by their coats the insignias on their hats gave them away.
"Morning sir, ma'am, do you have your ID's?"
Marco and the Avalanche members presented their cards. Tam wasn't a registered member yet and wasn’t listed in his harem so he had to sign her in before they proceeded. "Is Colonel Guile around?"
The First Class had a strange look on his face and checked the ID again before running it through the card reader. "Sorry about that. Yes sir, Colonel Guile is at the combat training field."
Marco took his card back and gave the kid a stern look. "Was there some kind of problem with my ID Private, last time I checked it wasn't common practice to scan an officer's card."
"My apologies sir, your name has been passed around with a few rumors and I was just making sure the card was real."
"Rumors? What kind of rumors Private?" Asked Kelly.
"That he was AWOL, retired, um... dead. His card came up black and all of his information is blocked so it's fine. I didn't mean anything by it."
"It's fine, carry on." Said Marco, they continued past the guard station and walked another few feet before speaking again. "Where do you think those rumors started? I mean the one about me retiring was fair game but my being dead?"
"Anyone who was there knew you were alive, it doesn't make any sense. But then again the investigation team came way ahead of schedule and Gen. Butcher said the order came from another party. We have Spencer's testimony saying that it was a league official giving the orders." Mina replied.
"And since Andzral belongs to him it would stand to reason that some would think you were dead. If the team or someone on it was reporting back to him then they should know your untimely demise was exaggerated." Kelly thought back on the rest of Spencer's information and glared at her colonel. "You do know that the second you register for this gym battle you'll be back on the radar."
Marco had watched every second of Kelly interrogating Spencer and knew the score. The guy that was after them had deep pockets and was well connected. But the realization that there was a connection to Team Rocket made things a lot worse. They wouldn't be dealing with government hit squads after what happened to Richard. "Yeah, I'm aware. This isn't a problem that will just go away though. And Arianna is still missing."
"It's been over a month and a half, I’m surprised she hasn't come back already." Stated Mina.
Marco lowered his head grimly as they continued to walk. "She can't, she's already been captured." The others stopped dead in their tracks and looked at him in dismay. "Keep going... We didn't give her the name Blood Hound just to sound scary, she's the best there is at what she does. She would have found a way to catch up to her targets no matter what."
"I hope they level five her..." Muttered Kelly, the rest of her statement was cut off by Carrie abruptly turning and lifting her off the ground by her collar. Tears fell down the Penance cheeks and she growled angrily at the Duelist. "Marco?"
He placed his hand on the Penance head in a calming fashion and waited till she lowered and released Kelly. "Kelly wasn't being mean when she said that and I hope the same." Carrie didn't understand why they were saying what they were and her face showed it. "With what we do and who we're dealing with it's one of the most humane things that could happen to her. Arianna is part dark-type, her mind can't be accessed through a psychic. She would never talk voluntarily, so that doesn't leave many options for getting information from her. Torture is not a pretty thing, I know from experience."
They continued to walk in silence through the base and made their way towards the gym. Before they could make it there they were intercepted by a brown and tan Mini-Top in a pressed military uniform. She sneered at the military pokégirls with Marco as she got closer. Though the uniform was the same the emblem on the side was different. She hailed from the Blizzard unit, a separate team inducted the same time Avalanche was formed, and though the unit commanders were civil to each other the pokégirls weren't.
Henrietta glanced back at Marco and mouthed 'we got it' before stepping forward and flipping her dyed ponytail. "Judy, always a pleasure to see you."
"Henrietta, Mina, Kelly... wow Chesra, my how the mighty have fallen." Jabbed the Mini-Top. Marco was seconds away from saying something but a pleading look from Henrietta got him to let it go. "Didn't think I would see any of you after his retirement."
"Yeah but we're all still here, I guess that means you're still stuck being second best." Replied Henrietta, her verbal jab got a chuckle from the others and a growl from Judy. "I guess that's why they gave your team a name starting with B."
Judy got herself under control and struck back. "Maybe, but a blizzard can happen anywhere, at any time. I guess that's why we get used more often."
Mina laughed and put all the attention on herself. "We know, we've heard the operational reports. I guess that just like a real blizzard you get enough warning to get out of the way. When you hear an avalanche it's already too late." Mina finished the last part of her statement in her grimmest voice and started spinning a kunai around her finger. "For being sent out more often you seem to be missing something." She stopped the kunai and tapped her hundred kill medal, something that each military girl with Marco had.
"Whatever, what brings you all to VerMuffEatin'?"
"Our Colonel is here to see Colonel Guile, nothing you need to worry about." Replied Kelly. "We’ll be going now but you keep on trying, sooner or later you'll catch up... maybe."
They proceeded past the Mini-Top laughing to themselves. She looked about fit to blow a fuse and each of them took pride in that fact. "Was that necessary?" Asked Marco. They were all fighting for the same team and he didn't see a reason to have bad blood between them.
Mina sheathed her kunai and move to walk next to him. "We're pokégirls, there's always going to be rivalries. But thanks for letting us get that out."
"Right, at least Chesra was mature enough not to engage."
Chesra shook her head but didn't look back. "I wanted to but she was right, I am fallen. There was nothing I could say that would have had an impact."
"Really fighting the urge not to hit you upside the head with this stone right now. Fallen or not you could take Judy. Even on your worst day you're ten times the pokégirl she is."
"Now who's the one being childish." Chimed Ashley.
"Ouch, I guess you were feeling left out Ashe."
"Just trying to be part of the team."
_____
0830, Combat Training Field
There was little snow left on the training field. Most of it had been melted or stomped into the mud by the soldiers training on it. Marco and his group approached in time to see Colonel Guile addressing the trainees. Though the man was middle aged, old by most standards, he didn't show it. His heavy muscular build was a standard to strive towards by most of those under his command. The only off thing about him was his Noir accent, though many had inquired to how he got it a straight answer was never given.
"Ok you bunch of panty waist, morning PT is now over. We move on to combat training next. How you do here will show me what kind of character you really have." The soldiers began to groan in protest and exhaustion, they had been up since 0500 and this was not what they were expecting. Guile looked over to Marco standing by and got a broad smile. "Stop your whining! I haven't seen anyone bitch and complain this much since I got stuck in an operation with some young officer. Three days of bitching and moaning."
Marco strode onto field, backed by his pokégirls. "Funny, I remember being stuck in an operation with some crotchety hardass older officer."
"Hey, I wasn't that old then." The two men shook hands and shared a laugh before Guile turned back to his soldiers. "This is Colonel Readman of the famed Avalanche unit. Behind him are some of the toughest pokégirls in the Indigo Military. For you pokégirls out there this is a level to strive for."
"Morning, pay close attention to this man. He's tough but fair and he'll never steer you wrong."
"Always was a man of kind words. What brings you to VerMuffEatin', I heard you had your own facility out in the sticks."
"I'm here to take on the toughest SOB in the Indigo Military and get a Thunder Boom badge." The soldiers started whispering to each other in anticipation. They'd heard stories of both men and their harems. While most would consider Marco to be both a rising star and the black sheep, Guile was a living legend for operational success and unit performance. It would be a matchup that no one would want to miss. "Whenever you have the time of course."
"Julia," Guile's Ria came and stood at his side. She was an oddity among her breed, being one of the few black and gold furred ever seen. "Run the DICKs through the combat training. I need to talk to Readman privately."
The Ria nodded and walked off towards the other soldiers. Marco motion for Mina and Tam to step forward. "Do you mind if Tam joins them? I've been told that she been training with my harem but I think she could use a lesson in the military structure. Mina can monitor how she's doing and assist Julia as needed."
"That would be a great idea; the pokégirls have been fighting with each other and are starting to develop rhythms to their training. If you don't mind I could use anyone you can spare."
"That would be fine," He turned to face his girls and looked them over. "Everyone but Chesra and Kelly are to assist them in their training. Don't take it easy on them either. Show em why you're at the top."
"Yes sir." Came out in unison and they ran off to join the others.
~~~~~
The four of them made it to Guile's office and set up in one of the empty meeting rooms. Marco and his group had been getting odd looks from the other personnel but didn't think anything of it. From their point of view it was just old friends catching up, the reality was far from the truth.
Guile took a seat at the head of the table and lit a cigar, a bad habit he was trying to kick. "What's been going on out there? I've been hearing things, bad things. You were laid up for two months after that business in Prussian." Marco gave the man a surprised eyebrow and a questioning look. "I guess you didn't know, I'm Black too. Rumor was that you were killed, but that only lasted a few days, read me in."
Marco settled back in his chair and thought. With Guile in Black Ops as well he wouldn't have to dance around in the conversation. "I've been targeted by some league official. Whoever it is wants me dead and to take Avalanche for himself. That operation in Prussian City was against Team Rocket, who we also believe he has an affiliation with. He contracted a man from IGS to bring me in and after that didn't work sent a pokégirl to kill me."
"Holy shit, from what I read she almost did the job too. But if that's the case then why come back into the open?"
Marco's eyes narrowed in fury when he thought about all that had been done. "This man got Henrietta killed, almost killed me, and is responsible for Chesra turning fallen. I'm through playing passive, now I start hunting." He growled angrily. "Our intelligence says that I'm not mission critical, Avalanche is his main goal. He'll try again and I'll be ready."
"Wait, what do you mean got Henrietta killed? She's out at the training field right now."
"Someone out there must like me, she got revived by a SLOI team and came back to save our ass in Prussian. I have the name Phillip Wade to go off of but I haven't dug any deeper on that front. Even though Indigo and the Shadow League are on good terms our information sharing is rather one sided."
Guile already knew the other reason Marco wouldn't go to them. He was being targeted on a government level, no organization was trust worthy. In the back of his mind he started running the list of his agency contacts, one of them might be able to give some reliable information. "Thank god for small miracles. How are you planning on fighting back though? It doesn't seem like you're in a position to strike back as hard as you want to."
"I'm the target, I'll prepare for the attack and try to compose myself enough to take them alive."
Kelly was beginning to wonder exactly how far her master was willing to go to keep them safe. It was no shock that his plan revolved around using himself as bait, he was the obvious target. All the same she was afraid for him. He barely survived the last attempt on his life and none of them wanted to go through that again. "I don't like this plan; as a matter of fact I hate this plan. We don't need you getting hurt like that again."
Chesra nodded in agreement. "Just because they failed once doesn't mean they will again. You were lucky last time and it was still very costly. We can't go through that again."
"This isn't up for debate ladies, you both know what's at stake. And if I am right about Ari then it's even more urgent that we act." Marco understood their hesitation towards his plan but he didn't know if one of his own was safe and that was enough to drive him to action.
Guile cleared his throat and looked at the three of them. "By Ari I assume you mean the Blood Hound. What happened to her?"
Kelly got herself under control and turned to answer. "While Mar... the Colonel was in his coma we had a visit from an investigation team. Since he wasn't fit to take care of us they were going to replace him until he was better. The majority of the unit was out at the time. We instated a Handler while the meeting was going on and managed to maintain control of the unit. After they left the others had come back and Arianna picked up the scent of the pokégirl that attacked Marco in Prussian City. Before I could talk some sense into her she teleported away and we haven't heard from her since. That was almost two months ago." She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to quell her frustration. "Knowing what we do about her Marco thinks that she caught up to her targets but was captured."
Guile put out his cigar and looked to Marco. He knew the man cared for his pokégirls and the idea of one of them being in danger wouldn't set well. "Now I understand, where was the last place she was spotted?"
"All we know is that she stopped off at the motor pool then left from there. We have an APB out on her but no one has called in. We know that she would have at least called in by now, that's why he thinks she's been captured."
"Ok, I'm going to reach out to my contacts and see what pops up. If she's just wandering around then they can find her. If you find her first let me know, and if you ever need my help just call. This doesn't sound like something you can take care of alone and when the time comes I'll stand by your side."
Marco heaved a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair. He hid it well enough but the idea of Arianna being under their control was frustrating. There was a possibility that they would have to fight and possibly kill her. "If it comes to that then I'll be sure I give you a call. Now how do you want to handle the battle?"
"Well I could just give you the gym badge but where would the fun be in that? What do you say to a team battle?" Guile took the hint that it was time to change the subject and went with it.
"Three v. Three sound good to you?"
"Perfect, can I assume the ladies of Avalanche will be giving me the business?"
Marco laughed to himself. "Nice try, you don't get any more information until the fight starts."
"Smart man, your girls should be a little worn out by the time combat training is over and you look like you could use some rest yourself."
"We needed to see just how much endurance Tam has, so we walked here overnight from Fight City. I suggest we return home and come back this evening after everyone's gotten a chance to rest." Explained Chesra.
"Sounds like a plan to me. Thanks for everything Colonel."
"Not a problem, just bring your A game."
The two men shook hands and they all started on their way back to the field. Once they made it back Kelly was greeted to the sight of Henrietta and Mina standing over a downed Tam. The Catgirl had been put through her paces and was knocked for a loop by one of the military pokégirls. Mina and Henrietta both agreed that there was no reason to beat on the recruits and decided to sic the harem on them. While Jean and Carrie were happy to train with them Ashley was more reserved. It wasn't that she disliked Julia, but she did see the Ria as a rival and if there was the possibility of fighting her she didn't want to give too much away.
"So... did she learn anything?" Kelly asked while standing over the dazed girl.
Mina grinned in a mocking fashion and canted her head to the side. "Couple of things; keep her guard up, it's better to dodge than to block if they're stronger than her, and that being in Avalanche won't win friends easily."
"Yep, lessons that most of us have had to learn. What about Carrie?"
Henrietta whistled in amazement when she saw one of the girls tossed through the air. "The rookies were hesitant to fight her until she started beating them up with absolutely no regard. Chesra you would have been proud, I sure was." They all shuddered when the howl rippled through the air. "When do we start the battle?"
"After those three are done we go home and rest up then we come back this afternoon." Explained Marco, he shook his head and watched Jean use images to keep her opponents off balance while she threw fireballs at them.
"Ok, what's the battle order?"
Guile cringed when he saw an arm being severed by Carries hair and shook his head. "It's a team battle Henrietta. Your three against my three, may the best team win."
Julia blew her whistle and brought an end to the training. Various moans and groans could be heard coming from the field as the pokégirls and humans tried to get back to their feet. Carrie, Jean, and Ashley limped back over to Marco and took their places in front of him. "How was it ladies?"
"Invigorating." Jean
"Painful." Tam
"... I got nothin." Ashley grumbled while Carrie gave and enthusiastic thumbs up. The Peekabu didn't enjoy holding back as much as she did. "Let's just go, I need to get away from this place. Can we please leave Marco?"
Everyone began to look at the Peekabu. Apparently something was bothering her and most could tell she didn't want to discuss it, most but not Kelly. "Why are you in such a rush to leave? Maybe you are coming down with something."
"And maybe you should mind your own damn business." She snapped back in an elevated tone. "I'm not asking you if we can leave, I'm asking Marco. If he wants to stay them I'm stuck here but I'd like to go back in my ball."
Marco gave her a wary look but nodded. "Let's go. Thanks again Colonel, and we’ll see you this afternoon." The second they teleported home Ashley broke away from the group and started walking off towards the training area. They watched the electricity jumping off her body flashy bolts. "How did she look during training?"
"She was really doggin it out there. Her attacks were weak, her movements were sluggish, and she appeared to be distracted." Replied Henrietta.
"Ok... Mina, what did you see out there?"
"Pretty much how Henrietta called it. It was like she was embarrassed or hesitant about using her powers... as a matter of fact I don't think I saw her use a single energy based attack."
Marco thought about for a few seconds. "Its fine, Carrie you have sword training with Chesra and Jean before you go to sleep. Kelly, I need you to turn on the electric training field, set it at the max." He pulled a coin out of his pocket and flipped it into the air then caught it. "Henrietta, you’re with me. Mina, I want you to let me know when Ashley comes back... in fact send her to my office when she does."
"Damn it." Mina cursed playfully. "Fine, who's going to be in the battle?"
"Henrietta, Jean, and Ashley." They all gave him a justified confused look. The way the Peekabu had been acting they weren't sure how useful she would be. "She'll be fine, she just needs to release. Her being there is critical for our success against Guile."
Carrie waved her hand then started signing. "If you could pull from the unit who would you be using?" Translated Chesra.
"That's a good question. Nikki, Lily, and Selena strike a good balance. While Nikki and Lily are fairly resistant to electricity they also have great utility to fight them. Selena on the other hand can keep them off balance with her range attacks."
"That makes sense to me, let's get moving people. We'll need our rest for the battle this evening." Mina said cheerfully.
_____
Avalanche Office, 0700
The majority of the unit was rushing around to get ready and head out. Most of them were excited to head back to VerMuffEatin' for the battle. It wasn't so much the gym battle as it was the friends they had made over the years that they were hoping to see. Marco was waiting in office when he heard a knock at the door. Ashley had gone to sleep after she finished her training and Mina had just told her she was being summoned.
She tensely stuck her head inside before she saw Marco and went the rest of the way inside. "Mina said you wanted to see me."
He nodded and waited for her to get seated. "Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were ok. How was the training."
"I maxed out at six lights before I was done..." She explained meekly.
"Very good, Mina and Henrietta said you were a little off during your training earlier. Is there anything you want to talk about?"
"I... I just couldn't concentrate earlier. I didn't think I was strong enough to use my powers around the Ria. There was just something about her that made me feel... inferior. I guess I'll be sitting this one out."
Marco's eyes flashed purple and he watched as her aura burst forth in a deep purple. "Nope, you're fighting alongside Rietta and Jean. And trust me when I say you are not inferior to Julia. She has more combat experience than you, but your raw power has become something amazing."
Ashley jerked her head up quickly. "You're going to let me be in the battle?"
"No, I need you to be in the battle. You three combine have the best chance of winning. Go and get dressed, we'll be leaving soon." The Peekabu lunged over the desk and gave him a tight hug before running off. "This is going to be a hell of a fight."
~~~~~
Everyone from the VerMuffEatin' base was in attendance for the battle. It was going to be a clash of some of the best Indigo had to offer and the anticipation was building. Snow began to fall as the winds picked up; off in the distance the sun was setting, giving off an orange glow on the horizon. Most of Avalanche had decided to attend and cheer their sisters on, leaving only three to watch over the house.
The pokégirls from the combat training were in the stands and waiting for the battle to start. Guile had told them that it would be an important fight to watch. Even though Marco technically had four members from Avalanche on is roster he would never use Kelly or Mina in something as trivial as a battle if they didn't ask to be used, or it was really important. As the two teams made their way into the center the crowd burst into cheers. The extra-large monitor was showing highlights of each girl in action and the ticker on the side was running the betting odds. It was no surprise that they were fairly even.
Both teams were dressed for the occasion, wearing matching uniforms and determined looks. Marco and Guile met in the center and shook hands again. "I can feel the electricity in the air, you ready for this?"
"Oh yeah Readman, show me how good Avalanche is."
"Trust me, what you get won't disappoint." The two men broke apart and the judge came in from the sideline.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and proud members of the Indio military, it's time for the battle. On the red side, the challenger, representing the Indigo Military and the esteem Avalanche Unit, retired Lieutenant Colonel Marco Readman." Yells and cheers erupted from the crowed. "And in the blue corner, VerMuffEatin's very own shock troop and gym leader, retired Lieutenant Colonel William Guile." The crowd erupted even louder this time, showing hometown love. "This will be a team battle, each side choosing three pokégirls each. The battle is over when all girls from either side are recalled. Gentlemen and harems please take your places."
Marco and his team were on the starting positing and preparing to go out. Ashley was brimming with excitement and excess energy she was ready to unleash. "Ok ladies, this is going to be a tough fight no matter how we cut it. The ground is still moist from the snow so be extra careful out there. Ashley, as tempting as it may be I don't want you going solo against Julia." He cut her off before she could get started. "I know how strong she is and I have faith in your abilities but I need you to try and divert as much electricity as you can from Jean and Henrietta. You two, make it feel like hell out there, be sure to try and use each other’s fire attacks to your advantage. Watch each other’s backs out there and give it everything you got."
The three girls nodded and replied in unison. "And then some more!"
On the other side of the field Guile's pokégirls were taking their positions. Julia was front and center followed closely by Lyra the Oni and Crimson the Sexlong. Marco shook his head when he saw Crimson, the partial dragon-type was going to make the fight exceptionally difficult. Electricity was arching between the three girls in a show of power.
The cheering crowd got quiet and began to count down along with the start timer. Ashley was just barely holding in her electricity, the short bolts flickering outward in quick snaps. Jean and Henrietta could feel the waves coming off her and it got their blood pumping. The buzzer went off and all six girls took off towards center field.
Guile's girls unleashed thunder bolts simultaneously that connected into one solid stream and tore down the field. Ashley shot past her teammates to meet the bolt head on; she stopped dead in her tracks and threw both of her arms out. All of her stored electricity broke loose creating a barrier between them that held the bolt. Everyone stopped to watch in awe as she manipulated the energy before redirecting it back at them.
"Holy shit!" Yelled Lyra as she and the others dove out of the way. "You said she wouldn't be a problem!"
Julia rolled back onto her feet and looked at the Peekabu in wonder. "She wasn't supposed to be, it doesn't matter though. Focus on the other two first... fuck." By the time Julia looked back there were nine pokégirls on the field. Jean had been busy while they were distracted and created images that were circling into position to strike.
Henrietta and Jean started launching fireballs towards the downed girls in an attempt to make them scatter. Though the attacks were flying fast Guile's girls showed their discipline and all shifted to the same side. The skin began to melt from the Ghostrider's head when she shifted into her battle form, the flames from her collar disappeared and she internalized her powers. Before they could reach her she slammed her hand into the ground. The snow on the ground was melted instantly when the flames burst out covering the entire field. Ashley was just beginning to feel the heat when a ring of space opened up around her; Jean appeared by her side and made an open lane for the Peekabu to dash down.
The Ria ignored the flames and continued her charge, leaping to tackle Henrietta. Right before contact the Ghostrider flipped onto her back and planted her feet against the girl’s chest and pushed up, sending her flipping over. Despite the evasion Julia landed on her feet and resumed her attack, sweep-kicking her opponents feet from under her and spinning back up before coming down with an axe kick. Henrietta's dodge came quick, rolling to the side and then into a handstand before cartwheeling to the side. The Sexlong and Oni were just reaching her when they were hit by a wave of telekinetic energy then tackled by Ashley. The three girls went tumbling into a massive pile and scurried to get back onto their feet before someone took advantage in the mayhem.
Lyra was the first to get back on her feet, pulling Crimson up next and slingshotting her into the Peekabu for a kick that launched her into Henrietta. The impact knocked both girls down, Julia had jumped high into the air and was coming down in a curled up ball of electricity. Jean was already in motion though and countered the attack with Fire Wind, knocking the Ria into her partners and showering all three of them with flames.
Henrietta groaned and pushed the Peekabu off of her. "What the hell was that Ashe?"
"You're welcome; I was trying to keep them from mobbing you!" The Peekabu shot back.
Jean was watching her opponents helping each other back onto their feet and shook her head. "Cut it out, we need to get on the same page or there is no hope of winning."
"Cram it Jean, where were you in the middle of that?" Snapped Henrietta.
"Busy trying to keep your attack from burning our defender. It wouldn't have been much damage but it adds up." Julia and the others had gotten situated and were preparing to strike again. "They're coming, get ready." Ashley removed the picks from her back and moved into her stance.
The formation for Guile's girls switched, with Crimson taking point and Julia shifting to the left flank. Wings sprouted from the Sexlong's sides and electricity began to spark off them. She took off in a low flight towards them, the energy around her wings flickering from electric to draconic as she blew past them, clipping Henrietta with her wing using Dragon Blade. Though the attack wasn't strong enough to cut through her body armor the force was enough to knock the wind out of her. They were so busy dealing with the Sexlong they hardly noticed the crack of the two thunderbolts being fired at them. Even though the bolts were arching wildly Ashley could sense the huge amount of energy they carried. Once again she moved to the front and put her pick out to catch the energy. With one pick absorbing the electricity she put the other into the ground and let it flow through her body, absorbing some and discarding the rest.
Julia let out an exasperated sigh, the Peekabu didn't show much promise during training but now Julia was looking at her a new light. On the sideline Mina and Kelly were trying to figure out what the problem was.
"I don't get it; they are all great and competent fighters, why aren't they fighting together?" Asked Mina
Kelly looked on as the fight resumed. "It’s that they never fought together before. If Henrietta was in there with just about anyone from the unit she would be fine. Ashley and Jean are from the harem, they haven't been fighting together that long, and this is probably the first time they have done a team fight. They haven’t been trained to fight together like this, if Marco wasn't distracted he would have thought of it."
Marco didn't turn his head but replied anyway. "You're right about that, but I do have a way around it. Right now I'm hoping they will get it together before I have to step in."
The fighting had intensified back inside the field and things were not going in Marco's favor. Though he had neglected to ask Jean's age he was starting deduce that she was fairly battle hardened. Even though she was the weakest, the slowest, and lacked any kind of durability she was keeping the enemy team on their toes with her constant teleporting and blindsiding. Henrietta on the other hand had the mentality of a steamroller and would attempt to crush anything that stood in her way. This didn't go well with Ashley, who despite her ability to use long range attacks preferred a mid to close quarters fighting style. The combination led to the Peekabu getting scorched on several occasions.
Guile watched the fight in disdain, he was expecting much better from Readman's girls. "This isn't as tough as I thought it would be, I was expecting a lot more! Ladies, put em down!"
Julia and the others decided to pick up the pace and went on a full assault. Their positioning changed again, with the Oni taking point and setting the speed of the delta formation. During their many failed attempts at long range electric attacks they picked up on the pattern of Marco's girls and it was time to take advantage of it. Lyra launched a single thunder bolt and sure enough Ashley stepped forward to intercept. The second the Peekabu broke away from the group Crimson sprinted past the Oni and tackled with Thunder Impact, knocking Ashley back into Jean and Henrietta. Julia was already poised to finish the job, leaping high into the air.
The already darkened sky rumbled ferociously from the energy build up. "Thunder!" Yelled the Ria, causing jumping arcs of lighting to pour down towards Marco's downed girls.
Marco looked on in panic at the incoming attack. "Ashe, Static Barrier!" He knew it was a long shot but hoped for the best all the same.
Ashley heard her masters words and reacted on instinct, jumping to her feet and letting out all of her reserved electricity to form a visible dome over herself and her allies. The Thunder attack impacted with enough force to drive her to her knees and shake the stands. The powerful electric attack continued to rain down without mercy but Ashley held her ground until it ended. For the second time that day Julia was impressed with the abilities of the Peekabu, but holding off that attack had taken its toll and Ashley was having a hard time getting back to her feet. Henrietta ran past her downed partner to engage their opponents, hoping to buy enough time for Ashley to recover.
Against most normal pokégirls Henrietta was more that capable of fighting three on one, but these were battle ready military pokégirls she was dealing with and she was quickly being over whelmed. In a last ditch effort Jean dove into the fray and teleported her out.
As far as Marco was concerned things were spiraling out of control. Jean had learned to rely on her harem sisters and was trying to hold them together but Ashley was headstrong and Henrietta was even more ferocious after her evolution. Throwing caution to the wind he knew he would have to get personally involved. "That's enough you three! Jean, Cognitive Resonation and Perfect Sync!"
The Dark Kitsune looked back at her master in shock. What he was suggesting would definitely give them the edge but it was extremely risky for him. "Are you sure sir?!"
"I'm not going to say it again, just do it!"
Jean took a deep breath and began to concentrate; her cream tipped tail began to glow brightly as the links went out. Slowly but surely their minds began to link together, Ashley and Henrietta didn't know what was happening until everything clicked and they turned to face their opponents. Guile heard the commands and saw the sudden shift in the attitudes of the opposing girls. He knew he was about to get the fight he was looking for but it may have come too late.
Henrietta gave Ashley a pat on the back and helped her the rest of the way to her feet. "You two ready to take this back?" Ashley and Jean nodded in serious composure. "Good, we go in a line formation. First thing we need to do is get Ashe recharged. Jean, I'm going to need your ball and chain; Ashe, be ready with the picks."
Marco's girls formed a straight line with Henrietta taking point and spinning Jean's ball and chain on her side. The Ghostrider struck first, slinging the metal ball towards their opponents in a wide arch that was guaranteed to be caught, despite its force and speed. Sure enough Crimson snagged the ball and started sending a current through it. Little did she know that Ashley would take the other end absorbed the electricity, recharging her own reserves. The Sexlong realized what she was doing and cursed before throwing the ball back as hard as she could.
Ashley broke away and dashed for Julia while Jean put her back against Henrietta and braced her for the catch. The second Henrietta caught the ball Jean lifted her feet and teleported the both of them between their opponents. When they reappeared Jean used the force of the catch to kick Crimson in the back and knock her away while Henrietta shot forward and jammed the ball into Lyra's stomach.
Just that quickly Guile's delta formation was broken and each girl was stuck fighting solo. Jean was trying her best to fight toe to toe with the Sexlong but was pushed into having to defend herself against the savage power Crimson brought to the table. Suddenly Jean started spinning towards her opponent. Flames shot from her hands and struck the girl several times before backing away. Crimson looked back at her in amusement, the fire attacks having almost no effect.
On the other side of the field Henrietta was having her way with Lyra. Even though they were both military pokégirls the Ghostrider had the upper hand in every conceivable category. On the other hand there was a reason Marco didn't want Ashley trying to go head to head with Julia. Even though they were relatively close in abilities Julia had more than a decade of combat experience and it showed in how she fought. The only thing keeping the Peekabu in the fight was her reflexes but she couldn't get a hit in edge wise. Julia forced an opening and began to pummel Ashley with strike after strike. Just as she was about to land a finishing blow she was knocked back by a fire ball. Henrietta teleported behind Ashley and threw her high into the air towards Lyra, landing with a punch that knocked the Oni off her feet.
As the fight continued the three of them were communicating telepathically and coordinating their attacks, sending fire balls and electric bolts when needed at each other’s opponents. Though they were still taking damage, thanks to the psychic link the pain was being evenly distributed between the four of them and was much weaker.
The longer the fight went on the more ground Guile's girls were losing. It was difficult if not impossible for them get back in formation with Jean and Henrietta making it a point to keep them separated as far as possible. Guile was biting his fist in aggravation, he didn't understand the orders Marco had given but the dynamic of the battle had changed completely. Both sides were putting up a terrific fight though and the longer it went on the more evenly matched they were.
Since the first strike Ashley landed on Lyra she had taken control of their fight. Though the Oni had toughness and durability the pick strikes were doing damage with every blow of the hammer heads.
Henrietta connected with a series of strikes and ended with a kick that knocked Julia back. "You're still pretty good Julia."
The Ria rolled back onto her feet and let out a ragged breath. "You're one to talk, I guess death did nothing to slow you down." Her hands began to spark with electricity. "Still I'm gonna take you down."
Henrietta sighed and ignited her hands. "You can try."
The pair clashed in a flurry of strikes and counters. Though they respected each other there was a battle to be won and neither was being too gentle about it. Julia's incredible speed was doing little against the close combat fighting style Henrietta used and with the Ghostrider's enhanced reflexes and strength she was getting hit hard. The Ria shifted around and grabbed her by the side before throwing her to the ground. Though Henrietta hit the ground hard she quickly recovered, her hands sank into the ground and hardened she pulled them back out, forming tomahawks. As she rose up she lunged forward and struck with an uppercut that caught the Ria by surprise. The force of the hit was enough to knock the Ria off her feet and into the air. Henrietta grabbed her by the foot while she was still airborne and yanked her back to the ground before coming down on her chest with the tomahawk. Instantly Julia's knee shot up and struck Henrietta in the head before she started coughing up blood. Both girls were dazed and shaken as they tried to make it back to their feet.
The reinforced body armor was the only thing that kept Henrietta's tomahawk strike from taking Julia out of the fight but she would need time to recover after the hit. Crimson witnessed the attacks to her alpha and kicked Jean away before extracting her and taking to the air. The skies began to rumble from her buildup of electrical energy as she activated Storm Heal to heal her allies and by type and proximity Ashley too. Sensing what was happening through Ashley Jean teleported to the sky and came down with Psi-Blade and cleaved through the Sexlong's wing, causing her to wail in pain and fall to the ground. The Dark Kitsune activated Hang Time to keep herself in the air and tiny red orbs began to form around her.
"Put em together!" Yelled Jean in preparation for a coordinated attack.
Though the heal was able to get Julia back to partially full health she was still reeling from the attacks and couldn't defend herself against Henrietta throwing her into Crimson. Lyra had gotten her second wind and was maneuvering Ashley towards her downed allies so they could help her take out at least one of Marco's girls. Jean couldn't hold her attack any longer and released Saturation, sending the tiny bombs raining down on all four of them then dropping from exhaustion. Henrietta saw the incoming attack and teleported in to throw the Oni into the attack and pull Ashley out.
At the last second Julia got to her feet and erected Static Barrier, lessening the damage from the explosions and throwing a field of dust and smoke into the air. The cheering crowd fell silent asante waited for the dust to settle. Jean made her way over to her teammates slowly, the exhaustion of using so many powers at once finally catching up to her. As the field settled sparks could be seen coming from the inside. Julia and Crimson were on their feet but Lyra didn't make it inside the barrier in time and had taken heavy damage. The red capture beam fired taking her off the field and Guile was left one girl down.
Marco let out a sigh of relief that was mirrored by his fighting harem. Though he had seen plenty of come from behind victories, the first tamer to lose a girl in a team battle normally lost the match. "Good job out there, target the Sexlong next!"
Henrietta helped Jean back to her feet and looked to Ashley. "If you can beat Julia do it, otherwise just hold her off till Jean and I can help."
Ashley picked up her fallen weapon and moved into her position. "Yes ma'am."
"Good, Jean, how ya feeling?"
"Exhausted, I've burned a lot of energy, not sure how much help I'm going to be."
"It's fine; just keep her on her toes. I have an attack that should take her out pretty quickly."
"Right."
Julia could hear what they were saying and was trying to come up with a plan. She knew that the Peekabu and Dark Kitsune weren't military and could be overcome. But Henrietta was as tough as they came and almost took her out once already. Her best bet would be to finish Ashley quickly and turn the fight into a two on two affair. Henrietta and Ashley rushed towards Julia and Crimson. The Sexlong had lost a lot of blood but was still ready to fight, as the pair closed in she began to glow dark green and inhaled a deep breath.
Julia charged ahead and started the fight to hold off Jean and Henrietta until crimson finished charging. The Ria had charged her hands with electricity and struck both girls during her defense, causing them to stagger. Henrietta broke away and continued her charge towards the Sexlong. Jean rolled to the side and grabbed Julia, teleporting them both in front of Ashley and leaving again to help Henrietta. Though Henrietta was attacking as quickly as she could Crimson kept backing away. Finally Crimson unleashed her Hyperbeam in a brilliant wave of colors.
Henrietta saw it in time to dodge to the side, only being clipped by it but still taking minor damage. Further down the field Jean caught the mental scream of 'Dodge' and teleported back to Ashley to pull her out the way. The second they were together Julia formed Electric Cage, locking them together and directly in the line of fire. Thinking fast Ashley grit her teeth and threw every last drop of energy into erecting the Static Barrier. The strength of the Hyperbeam was unmatched as both the barrier and the cage were destroyed and the remaining power began to burn though both girls. Before the full damage could be done Marco recalled them, leaving only Henrietta on the field to take on Julia and Crimson.
Henrietta knew that Crimson would need a short moment to recover after that display of power and was dead set to take her out before she and Julia could regroup. Flames began to swirl violently around her body, the heat so intense that despite the cold wind and falling snow people were shielding their faces. Henrietta knew that the Sexlong generally wasn't weak against fire but a large enough blaze would cook anything. Crimson was just getting her bearings when the Blast Burn washed over her body. For a moment it didn't appear to be having any effect, and then the screaming started. Her skin began to boil and blister as wave after wave of fire passed over her. A lesser pokégirl would have been killed, or at least one who was weak against fire would have been. Crimson's screams had started to get quieter and quieter, finally Guile toggled her pokéball.
In a matter of twenty seconds the field had gone from five to two and the only girls on the field looked weary. The flames around Henrietta had died out except for the black ones roaring around her collar. Julia burned a great deal of her powers with the cage to hold Jean and Ashley; she would need what little she had left sparingly. On the sideline the girls that had fought already were being healed and awaiting the conclusion of the battle. They had each tried their best but now it came down to their Alphas. The restart whistle blew and both girls moved to the center field starting lines. Electricity sparked around Julia's hands, black fire burned around Henrietta's. The cool tricks and fancy attacks were done; the moment the buzzer sounded all that would be left was down and dirty fighting.
"Your powers have come to reflect you nickname, Hot Head Henrietta."
"So says Julia, The Arc Conductor. How much juice you got left?"
"Always enough to win." Julia punctuated her statement by having an arc of electricity spinning in her hands.
Henrietta loosened the chain hanging around her waist and snapped it off to the side in a blaze of black fire. "Same here, good luck."
The final buzzer sounded and both girls charged each other. Julia was able to close the gap the quickest and opened with a series of electrically charged strikes forcing Henrietta back. With every step Henrietta took a small flame would appear on the ground and flicker brightly. Soon there was a small circle of flames going around them but the ones that were first created were going out. With the preparations complete Henrietta kicked Julia into the field of flames then used her pyrokinesis to raise them into towering pillars. The Ria was quick on her feet though and was quickly dodging around the pillars in an attempt to reengage with the Ghostrider. In the middle of dodging she saw an item she wanted to acquire and picked it up off the ground before rolling around a flame that was heading for her. Henrietta was a mere ten feet away and erected a wall of flames to keep Julia back.
To everyone's surprise the Ria jumped through the flames and came down with Ashley's pick towards Henrietta’s head. Henrietta knew the properties of the weapon and summoned a pair of rock tomahawks to counter the electricity. The first attack was blocked and she countered with a straight kick to the Ria's abdomen. During the block Julia hooked the pick behind Henrietta's other leg and pulled, sending both girls to the ground. Just as quickly as they went down they were back up and on their feet. Henrietta struck first, throwing her left tomahawk into the same spot she hit earlier and causing Julia to gasp for breath. She was only stunned for a second and came back bringing the hammer down and throwing her electricity into it. Henrietta saw it coming at the last second and grabbed it with her free hand, taking the shock.
With the amount of energy the Ria had burned throughout the match the pick didn’t have much bite to it. All the same both girls were exhausted and nearing the breaking point, every little bit was going a long way. Julia attempted to force her way inside but took another hit to the chest from Henrietta’s tomahawk before letting go of the pick and connecting with a savage spin kick to Henrietta’s head. The Ghostrider flipped and hit the ground hard, lying motionless. The crowd erupted into cheering and Julia put her hand up in victory. It had been a long and hard fought battle but she had triumphed in the end, or so she thought. Guile's warning came too late as a black flamed bullet tore through her body armor and she fell to the ground. Henrietta fell unconscious just as Guile recalled Julia, and the grey flag dropped on both sides of the field.
The spectators wanted to be upset but it was too great of a battle. Both girls were quickly cycled through the healing unit and rereleased to join their masters and allies on the field. Though they were healed all six girls still looked worn out.
"Readman, for those two not being military they put up an amazing fight. You said I wouldn't be disappointed and I wasn't." Praised Guile as he shook the other man's hand.
"'It was a dead set honor. Everyone's improved a great deal since the last time I worked with you." Marco replied, nodding to the girls.
Julia stepped towards Henrietta and shook her hand. "Rietta, you are every bit as tough as rumored to be, it was good to fight a worthy opponent. And speaking of worthy," She turned her attention to Ashley. "I dismissed you earlier and I shouldn't have. I didn't even ask your name."
"It's Ashley, I was intentionally holding back earlier but truth be told it was because you intimidated me. You're so powerful... I didn't think I could measure up."
Julia laughed to herself and shook her head. "I'd say you measure up just fine, if you had my level of combat experience a fight between us would be interesting. I know Colonel Readman would never want to let you go but I would be glad to have you on my team."
Marco scratched Ashley behind the ears and smiled to Julia. The Ria had grown up since he last saw her, he remembered her be just as headstrong as Ashley. "Ashe is getting better and better every day. So... how do we handle a tie?"
Guile waved it off and pulled out a Thunder Boom badge. "Fighting military pokégirls is no simple matter. Around here the tie goes to the challenger, you earned it. We should go and celebrate; the first round is on you though." Guile laughed as the look Marco gave him before he started laughing.
"You got yourself a deal."
______
The Secret Base of Alphonso Haures
Arianna hung naked and lifelessly against the wall she was chained to. She had been in their possession for nearly two weeks and it hadn't been an easy stay. Haures had tamed her nearly forty times and when she didn't break he started turning to other methods of persuasion. He had just finished taming her again when Tessa walked in holding a small folder.
"Two weeks, two weeks and this bitch is still loyal to Readman! What is it Tessa?"
"He's back on the grid." She said in a low voice and from as far away as possible.
"Speak up, who's back?" He said in his normal irritated fashion.
"Marco Readman, he just finished a gym battle in VerMuffEatin' City." Arianna's ears, what was left of them, picked up the mention of her colonels name and shifted slightly to hear better. "He won his battle and may still be in the city. Should I send a rocket team to intercept?"
Haures closed his eyes for a second to let what she said sink in. "Tessa come here." She slowly made her way over and stood in front of him. As soon as she was in arms reach he ignited his hand and slapped her.
Arianna heard the hit and started to laugh weakly. "She must be the muscle, because she isn't that smart."
Tessa held her burnt red cheek and stomped up to Arianna. "Well I'm not the one caught and in chains."
"If you went along on that stupid plan you would be. Sending a team to capture military personnel on a military base; that's Bimbo levels of intelligence." She replied.
Haures turned abruptly and backhanded the War Hound. "Now you speak! You're too weak to answer my questions but to have enough strength for smartass remarks."
Her eyes had been seared shut by constant burns but she could tell where he was. "I make it a rule to point out ignorance when I find it. She could use some advanced education... some education."
Haures was about to strike her again when the phone started ringing. The only person with the number to the base was his boss and he was hoping not to speak with him until Arianna was ready to go. He made his way over to the small desk in the room and straightened himself up before answering. "Mr. G, what can I do for you this evening?"
The man on the receiver sat in shadows and held a glass containing a liquid of some sort. "Haures... I just got a report saying that Marco Readman was back on the pokégirl circuit. Now you promised me after that very costly incident in Prussian that it wouldn't take long to acquire Avalanche. You burned your resources with the other agencies after that Spencer fellow was captured, and you now have to rely on Team Rocket to finish the job. It's been two months and still no Avalanche! You better have something more than an empty promise for me."
"Yes Sir, I was waiting until we either captured more or broke this one but we captured one of the pokégirls from Avalanche."
The other man’s facial features couldn't be seen but his voice sounded of surprise and approval. "Really, how did you do that? Better yet, which one did you get?"
"First Sargent Arianna, a War Hound. Aside from smartass comments, that's the only information she's given us."
"Fine, I'm sending a Breaker to deal with her. It's going to be a day or two before he arrives. Good work, but next time let me know immediately when get one."
"Yes Sir, thank you for your patience. (Click) You hear that bitch; we're getting someone special just to deal with you."
"I feel so honored." She groaned, she was going to have to break out of her bonds but until she could see again it wouldn't make much of a difference.
_____
|
Alpha- Kelly- Duelist |
|
Delta |
Echo |
Indigo |
|
Beta- Chesra- Fallen Angel |
Beta- Henrietta- Ghostrider |
Beta- Mina- Kunoichi |
|
Emaline- FireMaiden |
Field Beta- Selena- Caphoochie |
Zianna- Lupina |
|
Kim- Bombshell |
Rebecca- Smokey |
Renae- Ice Maiden |
|
Nikki- SexSlash |
Alexis- Cherub |
Isabella- Mecha Musume |
|
Arianna- War Hound- MIA |
Lily- Gloomy |
Leona- Lamia |
|
|
|
Tam- Catgirl- School |
Harem
Chesra- Co-Alpha
Henrietta- Co-Alpha
Carrie- Penance
Ashley- Peekabu
Jean- Dark Kitsune
Handler
Christina Reynolds
Ariel- OfficerJenny