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Episode 13b: Leave it to Brocko! (part 2)


"Brock, where are you?" Ash called into the brush.

"If you can hear us, sing something!" Dawn called into the trees. "Even if it's a sappy love song!"

[No go, Ash--haven't seen or heard anything from him.] Estrella sighed. She fluttered on a tree branch near a stream, in hopes of seeing any sign of Brock.

"That's weird..." Ash mused. "I could've sworn I heard Brock sing the Swanna Song..."

"I'm not gonna say you were hearing things, but we'll keep looking, just in case we hear him." Dawn assured her companion.

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Elsewhere, Brock led Terra and the Nuzleaf towards the forest edge. "Okay...this was the tree where the Galactic admins got us." he reminded Terra and the Nuzleaf, pointing out a familiar maple tree near a rushing river. "So to find everyone, all we have to do is cross this river."

He smiled as he found a sturdy log that was holding firm in the rushing water. "Terra, return." he commanded, recalling the Sandshrew.

A loud cry snapped him to attention. "What's the matter?" he asked the bawling Nuzleaf on the ground.

[Bring back my friend!] the Nuzleaf sobbed. [I'm scared of that rushing water...]

"Okay, I'll let Terra back out." Brock assured the Nuzleaf as he summoned Terra again. "Terra, the Nuzleaf needs you!"

Terra motioned for the Nuzleaf to climb on her back. [Climb on my back, and hold on tight, okay? We'll take it one baby step at a time.]

Minutes ticked by like hours as Brock and the Pokemon carefully walked across the log. While Brock felt confident the log would hold, a sudden swell made Terra stumble. [Whoa!]

"Everything okay?" Brock looked back to see if Terra and her passenger were in one piece.

[I'm okay!] Terra reported. [A wave made the log wobble, but I used my claws to brace myself. Nuzleaf's okay too.]

"We're almost there, so keep going." Brock assured the Pokemon as he led the way to the other bank. After stepping back onto dry land again, he set the Nuzleaf back on the ground. "There we go...we should be safe here."

Terra gasped as he heard the hiss of a balloon landing. [I think the Galactic goons found us!]

"Thought you could dine and dash, Mr. Idol?" Jupiter smirked as she and Mars landed in a clearing. "Now we're gonna duel for your freedom!"

She heaved a Poke Ball skyward. "Algol, let's go!"

[AUGHHH!] Terra yelped in surprise as Jupiter's Zubat materialized in front of her.

[Hey, coach...] Kage whispered. [Let me go a few rounds with Mr. Flitter-flutter there. No one scares my friend and gets away with it!]

"All right, Kage, you can duel." Brock replied as Kage leaped into the battlefield.

Jupiter's Zubat swooped in to Bite Kage, but Kage didn't even flinch at the Zubat's fangs. [Is that all you've got?] he taunted as his rubbery hand turned purple. [Take this!]

Jupiter winced as her Zubat went flying backwards from the force of Kage's Poison Jab. "Algol, use Poison Fang!"

Brock watched as Jupiter's Zubat rushed at Kage with glowing purple fangs. Kage, meanwhile, blocked the attack with a Poison Sting. He also noticed Mars and Jupiter were inside a balloon's basket. This will be too easy... he grinned as retrieved his bow and nocked a shot.

After a few tense seconds, he fired, sending Mars and Jupiter tumbling into the brush below. [Nice shot, Robin Hood.] Kage smiled. [Now's your chance to croon the superpower song they always use on TV.]

Brock nodded, and started the familiar melody. Gatrandis favel, secret, edena...

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Emusto ronzen fine el balaziis... The song rang through the forest and over the mountains, alerting Ash and Dawn. "Brock! That's Brock's voice!" Dawn gasped.

"Let's follow the song!" Ash led the way into the clearing, making sure to follow the haunting melody as it continued...

Katoradis favel siicletu edena...
Emusto koron zen fine, si...

Ash was the first to arrive, where he saw Kage's hand glow white in preparation to use Brick Break. "I'll tend to Brock, you wait on standby in case his team needs help." Dawn instructed as she helped Brock over beneath a tree to rest from using the Swanna Song. "That was a very brave thing you did..."

"I had...to do something...to guide you to me..." Brock wheezed. "I'd do it...again...many times...over."

He heard a THWACK!, signalling Kage had gotten off Brick Break. "Kage, well done!"

[I did my best, coach...] Kage wheezed. [But that Zubat...was...too...] This was as far as he got before collapsing on the ground.

"It's okay...you did great." Brock assured Kage before recalling him.

"Leona, use Fury Swipes!" Mars summoning her Purugly snapped him to attention.

"Don't you dare hurt the Nuzleaf!" Brock warned as he stepped in front of the Nuzleaf. He was still a little tired from using the Swanna Song a second time. But, his anger fueled courage had given him new strength.

Terra watched as Brock and Mars stared each other down. [I have to help my master now...] she mused as she hurried across the river towards a rock on the other bank. [Maybe, I can reach that fat grey cat-Pokemon from the rock! Water or no water, I'm gonna help you, Brock!]

Just as she arrived on the shore near the rock, she rolled away from a Bite attack. Then, she slammed into Leona with Double-Edge. Leona tried again and again to scratch Terra, but Terra countered with a rain of Swift.

Ash watched in awe as he watched Terra fight. "Wait, Kage was knocked out?"

"It looked like Jupiter's Zubat was too much for him." Dawn explained. "Terra's answered the call in his place."

"Let me know if I need to step in and help." Ash assured Brock.

"Not for now--Terra has the situation under control." Brock assured Ash as he watched Leona lunge a second time. Terra blocked the attack, and charged forward with another Double-Edge.

[WAAAUGH!!!] she yelped as Leona bit her, pinning her to the ground. In a desperate attempt to get free, Terra rapidly spun around, throwing her attacker off!

Annoyed, Leona tried another Fury Swipes attack. Terra rolled away and stomped the ground hard. [Hang on--Earthquake!] she smiled as the ground began to rumble, knocking the Purugly out.

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"Tintri, Brock needs you." Ash whispered to his faithful Pikachu.

But before Tintri could join the fight, he felt a gust of wind rippling his fur. [Look!] he squeaked, pointing out a brown humanoid Pokemon with a long white mane gliding down to the ground with a pair of leaf fans.

Piqued, Ash decided to read up on the odd Pokemon:

"Shiftry, the wicked Pokemon. It is a mysterious Pokemon that is said to live atop towering trees dating back over a thousand years. It creates terrific windstorms with the fans it holds."

"No fair with reinforcements!" Mars protested as she and Jupiter fled back to the waiting balloon.

"You forget that the one you tried to capture uses a bow!" Ash shot back as he watched Jupiter grab the Nuzleaf with a mecha arm. "And you know what happens when a balloon meets a sharp object?"

The Shiftry noticed Brock's bow, and hurried over. [Warrior of the bow, allow me to enchant your arrow with the sacred wind of the Millennium Tree.]

"Sure." Brock offered the Shiftry the arrow he planned to shoot. He watched as the Shifty's wind gust turned the arrowhead a bright purple with a tornado around it.

Dawn watched in amazement as Brock nocked the enchanted arrow, then fired. "That was so cool!" she raved as the Galactic balloon went flying off with a ping.. "It's like how you saved me and Kori back at Lake Verity!"

"Look at it this way...if you can infuse an arrow with fire, you can infuse it with any element you'd like." Brock replied as the Shiftry glided to the ground with the Nuzleaf in its arms.

[Thank you, warrior of the bow.] the Shiftry smiled. [The residents of the Millennium Tree will never forget your bravery and kindness in bringing back this little one to us.]

"Aw, it was nothin'!" Ash smiled.

"It was my pleasure to help." Brock agreed.

[If you need anything on your journey, we of the Millennium Tree stand ready to help.] the Shifty smiled as hundreds more Seedots and Nuzleafs came to bid the party farewell....

To Be Continued...