Vol. I, Part 1: Chapter 2

  Nate and Hugh made their way to the next pen of Mareep. They managed to herd the flock into the barn while Mr. Blake and Mr. Orville prepared their stations. Nate was shearing his second Mareep when the barn doors slid open. It was Mr. Carrington, the owner.

  “Mr. Blake, Mr. Orville. How goes the shearing?” he asked.

  “It’s coming along nicely, Mr. Carrington. My son and his friend have been a big help. Without them, we'd still be on the first pen,” Mr. Blake replied.

  “That's good to hear. I came to tell you that we got another order from the University,” Mr. Carrington explained. “Looks like we'll need to double the amount of wool we send over.”

  “You got it, boss!” Mr. Orville said, not looking up from his work.

  Mr. Carrington turned to the boys. “Thank you for helping us out.”

  “It's our pleasure,” Nate said.

  Suddenly, the barn doors flew open again. It was Ellie. She ran inside, on the verge of tears.

  “Grandpa, Grandpa! They took Ampharos!” she shouted.

  “Slow down, Ellie. Who are you talking about?” Mr. Carrington asked, alarmed.

  “These two men! They snatched Ampharos and ran towards the forest!” Ellie cried amidst her sobs.

  “What did they look like?” Mr. Blake asked.

  “I don't know… they were wearing hoods with white and blue jackets,” Ellie described.

  Hugh froze. “That sounds like Team Plasma!”

  “You really think it's them?” Nate asked.

  “Ellie's description matches what I saw when they took Purrloin. I'm certain of it!” Hugh said, rage building in his voice.

  “Oh, this is terrible. What can we do?” Mr. Carrington fretted.

  “Sir, Nate and I can go after these thieves. If we don't catch them soon, Ampharos might be gone forever!” Hugh insisted.

  “Are you sure? It sounds dangerous,” Mr. Carrington warned.

  “Absolutely! Mr. Blake and Mr. Orville can stay to protect the Mareep, in case any other thieves are out there,” Hugh reasoned.

  “Dad, he's right. We can find them, I'm sure of it!” Nate pleaded.

  Mr. Blake looked at his son, then at the innocent Mareep in the pen. He sighed. “Alright. We'll stay with the Mareep while you two track down the thieves. And Nate, take Riolu with you. You may need a Pokémon, just in case.”

  Riolu stepped up, ready to follow Nate.

  “Best hurry! The thieves can easily be lost in the forest,” Mr. Carrington urged.

  Nate, Hugh, and Riolu sprinted out of the barn and into the treeline. The forest was dense, and they paused, unsure of which way to turn.

  “Where could they have gone?” Nate asked.

  “We're not going to be able to find them ourselves. Tepig, help us out!” Hugh shouted, summoning his partner.

  Tepig immediately began sniffing the ground.

  “You think Tepig can actually pick up on their tracks?” Nate asked.

  “I don't know, but without a lead, Tepig is our best bet,” Hugh admitted.

  Suddenly, Tepig looked up and squealed, signaling it had found a scent.

  “Hey, it looks like Tepig got something!” Hugh cheered.

  Tepig darted off, and the group scrambled to follow. They ran deeper into the woods for several minutes until Tepig skidded to a halt. It looked around, moving in circles, before looking back at Hugh with a worried expression. The trail had gone cold.

  “It's okay, Tepig. You did your best,” Hugh said gently.

  “Do you see any signs of them?” Nate asked.

  “No, the trees are getting thicker. I can't see very far out,” Hugh replied, scanning the area.

  Nate searched the ground for footprints, trash, or broken branches. Anything that could point the way. He found nothing.

  “I feel them. Those trees. A Hidden Grotto. They’re hiding.”

  Nate heard the voice. It was clear, sharp, and made Nate shiver. He closed his eyes and buried his head against the palm of his hand.

  “Nate,” Hugh frowned, turning to his friend. “Are you okay?”

  “Huh? Yeah… I'm fine.”

  Shaking off the confusion, he watched Riolu walk over to a thicket of densely packed trees. The trees grew so close together that their branches tangled into a wall. Riolu turned and pointed.

  “What's over there, Riolu?” Nate asked.

  Hugh peered into the overgrown mesh. “Hey, it looks like there is a clearing past the trees,” he realized.

  “You think we can squeeze past?” Nate asked.

  “Let's give it a shot.”

  Hugh lunged forward, pushing through the branches. Nate, Tepig, and Riolu followed close behind. As they pushed deeper, the trees gave way to a small, dim clearing where the canopy blocked out most of the sun.

  In the center stood two figures in white and blue hoods. Beside them was a large yellow Pokémon, tied up and helpless.

  “Team Plasma! Hand over Ampharos, now!” Hugh shouted, his voice stern.

  “What? How’d these idiots find us!” one of the grunts sneered.

  “We're not going to give up that easily! Go, Krokorok!” The second grunt summoned a crocodile Pokémon that stood with its jaws snapping.

  “Go, Klang!” The first grunt shouted. A distinct gear Pokémon appeared next to Krokorok.

  “Tepig, help out Ampharos!” Hugh commanded. Tepig stepped up to face the opponents. “Nate, I'm going to need you and Riolu to help us out!”

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  “You got it. Riolu, are you ready?” Nate asked.

  Riolu took a fighting stance next to Tepig. Nate’s mind raced.

  What sort of attacks does Riolu know?

  “Krokorok, Sand Tomb on Tepig!” the grunt ordered.

  “Klang, Thundershock on Riolu!” the other yelled.

  Tepig was instantly caught in a vortex of swirling dirt that buffeted its skin.

  “Hang in there, Tepig!” Hugh shouted.

  “Riolu, watch out for Klang!” Nate yelled.

  Riolu swiftly dodged the blast of electricity.

  “Right. Riolu…” Nate paused.

  Riolu looked back at Nate, confused.

  “Nate, do something! Call an attack!” Hugh urged.

  “I… I don’t know what attacks Riolu can do!” Nate admitted, panic setting in.

  “Damn, okay. Tepig, use Ember!” Hugh shouted.

  “Riolu, protect Tepig!” Nate instructed.

  If I can't think of moves, I'll have Riolu be a bodyguard.

  Tepig shot a ball of fire at Krokorok. It was a direct hit, but the Ground-type shrugged it off.

  “Krokorok, use Crunch!”

  The crocodile lunged for Tepig, jaws wide.

  “Riolu! Defend Tepig!” Nate shouted.

  “Klang, Vice Grip Riolu!”

  Klang zoomed in, intercepting Riolu and clamping down with its metallic body. As Riolu struggled, Klang’s gears ground together, tightening the hold.

  With Riolu pinned, Krokorok was free to strike. Its jaws clamped onto Tepig, lifting the small pig into the air before smashing it into the ground.

  “Tepig, No!” Hugh cried.

  Tepig lay motionless. It couldn't continue.

  “Tepig, return,” Hugh said, recalling his partner. “Looks like I have no other option. Go, Psyduck!”

  Psyduck materialized, looking confused.

  “Psyduck, you're our only hope for saving Ampharos,” Hugh said, his voice trembling slightly.

  Psyduck seemed to sense the tension. It faced off against Krokorok with surprising determination.

  “Psyduck, Water Gun!”

  A jet of water blasted Krokorok. It took significant damage but remained standing.

  “Krokorok, Take Down! Now!”

  Krokorok hurled itself at Psyduck, slamming into it with full force. The attacker stumbled back from the recoil, but Psyduck was in worse shape, struggling to stay upright after the critical blow.

  Nate looked from Hugh back to Riolu. He needed to do something before they lost completely.

  “Riolu, get out of Vice Grip!” Nate shouted.

  Riolu struggled, but Klang's grip was iron-tight.

  “Force Palm… Center gear.”

  Force Palm! That's right, Riolu is a fighting type.

  The thought arrived in Nate’s mind so suddenly he didn't have time to question it. “Riolu, use Force Palm!”

  Riolu's free hand glowed with energy. It struck Klang directly on the central gear. Klang immediately loosened its grip and crashed to the ground, fainting instantly.

  “Alright Riolu! Nice work! Now, Force Palm on Krokorok!” Nate commanded.

  Riolu pivoted, switching targets. Krokorok, still reeling from the recoil of its Take Down, was wide open. Riolu dashed forward and delivered a palm strike to its chest, knocking it out on contact.

  “Yes! Riolu, way to go!” Hugh exclaimed.

  Both Krokorok and Klang were recalled. But one of the grunts just laughed.

  “Oh, you think this is over? Go, Scolipede!”

  A giant, towering centipede Pokémon appeared, looking fierce.

  “Careful, Nate, that Scolipede looks tough!” Hugh warned. His face was steady, but Nate knew his friend was just as worried as he was.

  Nate looked at their Pokemon. Riolu and Psyduck were battered and exhausted. He didn't know if either could take another hit.

  “Metal Claw. Free Ampharos from the net.”

  That's it! We need backup! Ampharos can take on Scolipede.

  “Scolipede, squash these punks with Steamroller!” the grunt yelled.

  Scolipede curled into a wheel and sped directly toward them.

  “Hugh! Have Psyduck draw Scolipede's attention. Quick!” Nate shouted.

  “Huh? A-alright. Psyduck, use Confusion!”

  Psyduck clenched its head. A blue glow enveloped the charging Scolipede, forcing its trajectory to curve toward Psyduck.

  “Riolu, now's our chance. Free Ampharos with Metal Claw!” Nate yelled.

  Riolu charged past the grunts, sprinting toward the captive.

  “Hey! Get that runt!” the lead grunt shouted.

  The grunt without a Pokémon lunged to grab Riolu, but the small fighter pivoted and delivered a swift kick to the face, knocking him flat. Riolu reached Ampharos and sliced the ropes with a metallic slash. Ampharos was free.

  “Psyduck, dodge!” Hugh screamed.

  Psyduck barely managed to roll out of the way as Scolipede thundered past. The giant insect uncurled, scanning for a target, only to find itself staring directly at an angry Ampharos.

  “Now, Ampharos, Thunder Punch!” Nate shouted.

  Ampharos’s fist crackled with electricity. It struck Scolipede center mass with explosive force. The giant Pokémon flew backward, hitting the ground hard. It did not get back up.

  “We've lost. There's nothing we can do!” the grunt muttered, returning his fainted Scolipede. “Evacuate, now! Tell the boss, ‘Mission Failed.’”

  The other grunt nodded.

  Before Nate and Hugh could react, a large plume of smoke filled the grotto. The boys shielded their eyes, gasping for air. As the smoke bomb cleared, the two Plasma grunts disappeared into the forest.

  “Should we follow them?” Nate asked.

  “No,” Hugh said, catching his breath. “The’re long gone by now. We should head back to the ranch.”

  By the time they returned to the barn, two police cars had arrived. Officers were interviewing Mr. Carrington, and the Mareep were safely back in their pens.

  “Ampharos! Grandpa, Nate and Hugh came back with Ampharos!” Ellie shouted, spotting the group emerging from the trees.

  “Well, I'll be,” Mr. Carrington breathed.

  “Dad! We found them! We battled Team Plasma and rescued Ampharos!” Nate announced.

  “Nate! Hugh! You boys okay?” Mr. Blake asked, running over to inspect them.

  “Yes, Mr. Blake. We're both fine,” Hugh said, looking exhausted but proud.

  “That's great. I'm glad you're safe. How about you, Riolu?”

  Riolu gave a cheerful bark, signaling he was fine.

  “And Team Plasma? Did they get away?” Mr. Blake asked.

  “They did,” Nate sighed.

  “That's alright. As long as everyone is safe.”

  Ellie ran to Ampharos, hugging it tightly as tears streamed down her face. “Thank you, Nate and Hugh. You saved him.”

  “It was our pleasure,” Hugh told her.

  She smiled through her tears. “You're welcome to come to the ranch anytime!”

  Hugh smiled back. “You bet!”

  Nate and Hugh gave their report to the police, explaining that Team Plasma had fled into the deep woods. With no immediate leads, the officers left, promising to follow up if new information surfaced.

  “Go figure. They don't care about petty thefts,” Hugh muttered as the cars drove away.

  Nate understood the frustration. It was the same story with Tammy’s Purrloin.

  “It's alright, Hugh. We saved Ampharos. That's all that matters,” Nate said.

  “Right…”

  It was evening by the time everything settled down. The fiasco with Team Plasma had put a hold on the work, and only half the Mareep were sheared.

  “Mr. Orville and I will finish tomorrow. It's getting late,” Mr. Blake said. “Put your bikes in the truck and I'll drive us all home.”

  “Dad, we can help you tomorrow. Hugh and I don't mind,” Nate offered, and Hugh nodded in agreement.

  Mr. Blake laughed. “Alright, we'll all head back to the ranch tomorrow morning!”

  They dropped Hugh off just as the sun set, then Nate and his dad made their way home.

  “There you two are! I was worried! You were out so late!” Mrs. Blake said as they walked through the door.

  “A lot happened, honey. We had quite an exciting day,” Mr. Blake told her.

  Nate recounted the entire story. The theft, the tracking, and how Riolu helped them defeat Team Plasma. His mom was shocked, but ultimately agreed they had done the right thing.

  “We'll have to go in early tomorrow to finish shearing,” Mr. Blake added. “We got a special order from Nuvema University and we need to pack up the wool soon.”

  “Nuvema University? Who's ordering Mareep wool from there?” Mrs. Blake asked.

  “It's from a Professor Juniper, head of Research and Development,” Mr. Blake replied.

  “Juniper? Do you mean Aurea Juniper?” Mrs. Blake asked, her eyebrows raising.

  “Umm, I believe so. Why do you ask?” Mr. Blake said curiously.

  Mrs. Blake chuckled and smiled to herself.

  “She is an old friend of mine.”