Chapter Twenty-Six: Riches Shall Pass



Terra's POV



There is a robot built to look like a giant Meowth, and it's towering over us all. Intermittently, crystals are embedded in its chassis, glowing crystals that seem alive with crackling energy. Maybe they're batteries? Something like what Team Rocket used against us in Pallet Town?



There's a pair of Mewtwo hovering by the mecha's sides, armed with giant silver spoons. Something tells me they're not here for the world's largest ice cream sundae.



"Prepare for trouble!" a voice booms out from inside the mech.



"And make it doub--"



"We don't have time for this!" Shu yells. "Just tell us why you're here so we can decide whether to kick your butts or not!"



"My, aren't you a rude little boy," Jessie says snidely from inside the mech. "We're just here to collect the unclaimed gold mine that an informant informed us was just lying in the alleyway for anyone to pick up and use!"



"And surprise surprise, it comes with a free load of rare Pokemon!" James adds, also inside the mech.



The Unown buzz in dismay. This treasure belongs to the Meowth. They wished for it, after all.



"Well, we wish for it more!" Jessie announces. "Mewtwo-X, attack!"



The Mewtwo to the left charges forward, psychic energies swirling around its spoon. It lets loose on a stack of treasure, scattering coins everywhere and sending the Meowth and Unown fleeing from the assault.



Pywacket growls. "You humans... you always ruin everything!"



Before anyone can warn him away, Pywacket charges at Mewtwo-X and bites down hard on its wrist. Dropping its spoon in shock, Mewtwo-X fires a brutal psychic attack straight at Pywacket, sending him flying into the remaining coin piles.



"Hey, that's not nice!" Shu yells. "Kachu, use Iron Tail!"



The Pikachu charges forward, her heart-tipped tail gleaming like polished silver. She charges at Mewtwo-X, bringing her tail down hard against its chest. Mewtwo-X is prepared, though, and shields itself with a Protect. Kachu bounces off the greenish energy shield, quickly catching her balance, but slides off an unstable pile of coins.



Jessie and James laugh, and their Meowth mecha's paws open to reveal huge serrated scoops like you'd see on construction equipment. "We'll be taking that trove of treasure off your hands!"



"Not likely!" Gladion yells. "Silvally, use Multi-Attack on those claws!"



"Mewtwo-Y!" James yells. "Deflect that attack!"



Mewtwo-Y spins its spoon wildly, absorbing Silvally's charge and sending it flying backwards. It smacks into a crowd of terrified Meowth, earning yowls and scratches for its effort.



"Alright, babies, playtime's over!" Wes shouts. "If it's a double battle ya want, it's a double battle ya get! Taco! Nacho!"



The Meowth look up in expectation, but instead of Mexican food, Wes sends out a bandaged and battle-scarred Umbreon and Espeon pair. Both growl upon entry, looking meaner than a den of snakes. The Umbreon in particular looks like he tangled with a Hydreigon and won. His fur is scruffy, his rings glow red, and filthy bandages are wrapped around his limbs. He looks like he might well be a shadow Pokemon himself.



"So these are the guys we're gonna beat down?" the Umbreon says. "I've had tougher cats for breakfast."



"Bring it on!" the Espeon says.



"Taco! Use Snarl!" Wes shouts. "Nacho, Dazzling Gleam!"



Both comply instantly. Taco's sound attack gives me the shivers -- especially translated, which pretty much boils down to gravely insulting the targets' mothers. (Do Mewtwo have mothers?) Nacho, meanwhile, fires off a spectacular light attack, which gleams off the metal of the Meowth mecha and off the coins and platters scattered around the alleyway, blinding just about everyone.



"My eyes!"



"I can't see!"



"Whose bright idea was this?"



"Look, the Mewtwo aren't even affected! They used Protect!"



I manage to see Gladion stepping forward, and I could almost swear I see him smirk. "Sasha, come out!" he shouts, casting his Poke Ball forward. "Teeter Dance!"



Of course. The only ones who haven't been struck blind were the ones that protected against the attack, which meant that they were wide open for Ultra Sneasel's Teeter Dance trick. I'm reminded of a nature video I once watched where a stoat makes a fool out of itself leaping and twirling closer and closer to a stupefied rabbit who doesn't realize it's about to be dinner.



I blink. It's not easy to make out what's going on, but the Mewtwo seem to be firing psychic attacks at random, trying to make sense of their surroundings. Gladion sends out a Zubat that chomps into one of the Mewtwo's arms, while Sasha strikes quickly with her razor-sharp talons on the other Mewtwo. Taco and Nacho are doing their bit as well, jumping and charging at the pair of Mewtwo to try to trip them up. Kachu and Silvally are attacking the mecha. And meanwhile, all around us, the Unown fly around and pulsate, screeching in utter confusion.



And then I realize, it's not just that I can't see properly. It's reality itself that's malfunctioning.



The coins and foodstuffs the Unown have created are acting oddly. The gold is melting, the food is flying. Even Ilima's T-shirt is starting to twitch and stretch, and Ilima himself seems frozen in terror. Crystal structures grow out of nowhere and shatter, melt, or vanish into mist just as quickly. From the Unown's confusion, reality itself is starting to come unwired.



"The Teeter Dance!" Gary yells. "It's affecting the Unown!"



"We've gotta get out of here!" Shu yells.



Even Team Rocket can tell this is bad news. Unfortunately, no one told this to the mech, which begins to sink into the ground, its chassis melting and sticking together. The crystals set into it start flashing oddly, scorching the metal around them.



They're doomed, I think. And they're blocking the only way out.



"ALLEY-HOOPARING!"



No. Not the only way out.



We have a Hoopa.



She whirls her rings together, creating three quick portals out of the Unown's nightmare. "Hurry up! Hurry for Hoopa!" she yells as teammates and alley Meowth alike escape through the portals of salvation.



But I remember. Oh, no. Hoopa can't escape through Hoopa's own rings.



I freeze in horror. Should I step through? Could I bring myself to leave Hoopa to her fate? She was my first friend in this world... how could I even...?



But there's no time for memories. The world around us is breaking down, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.



Benga bites me a little. "We've gotta get going, Terra!" he yowls, his translated cries sounding more catlike. "Hurry! Before it all breaks down."



I turn towards Ilima, who's still frozen in fear. There's no time to think about it; I grab his arm and yank him along as I rush through the ring.



We both collapse together at Paul's Pizza Burger restaurant. So do the others. Moments later, the ring closes.



And I break down sobbing.