Chapter 195: Operation Commence
The dead of night, 3 AM. An oppressive silence hung over the backstreets of Viridian City. Three unremarkable vans idled in a shadowed alley, engines out. Doors slid open noiselessly, and figures emerged, forming disciplined lines.
They wore plain, dark clothing, unremarkable in build, their features entirely obscured by the blank, insectoid lenses of gas masks— a sensible precaution to avoid identification and protection against their own tactics.
One masked figure, presumably Sachiko, stepped forward, scanned the assembled team, and issued a series of crisp hand signals. Without a word, the unit melted into the surrounding darkness, moving with practiced silence.
Xiu watched them go, deliberately detaching himself from the main group and fading back into the deeper shadows. He hung behind, a solitary observer.
They moved swiftly through the sleeping city, eventually nearing the target: the Viridian Bug Gym. Even in the gloom, the sheer size of the compound was noticeable. It sprawled across a significant plot of land, far larger than the rebuilt Grass Gym.
Prime real estate, Xiu noted internally. Sachiko mentioned its history… Once the most prominent gym in the city, built on training Beedrill – common, yes, but theirs were apparently exceptional.
They took in anyone, even street kids, offering a rare path towards power. Then the old master died unexpectedly, the inheritance fractured in the ensuing power struggle.
This current leader picked up the pieces, but their golden age was long gone. Still, the land alone represented considerable wealth. Easy to see why it made a useful front for illicit activities.
The strike team fanned out as they reached the perimeter fence, moving like wraiths. On silent command, Poké Balls were opened. A fluttering wave rose into the night air – Butterfree, Venomoth, their wings shedding shimmering clouds of scale powder that drifted down, blanketing the gym grounds.
Smart opening move.
Xiu remained concealed, watching the operation unfold. Initially, everything went according to plan. The confiscated Pokémon, likely more accustomed to coercion than loyalty, obeyed the basic commands, spreading the soporific dust.
Then, a flicker of movement betrayed panic. One of the commandeered Zubat, perhaps startled by an unfamiliar scent or simply desperate, broke formation, veering erratically. It collided with a hidden nesting box high on a wall, eliciting a sharp, startled cry from the Pokémon within.
The cry shattered the silence as alarms suddenly blared, harsh and grating. Lights blazed to life across the compound, banishing the shadows. An angry, high-pitched buzzing swelled rapidly – the sound of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of disturbed Beedrill. The entire gym erupted into chaotic motion.
Sachiko's team didn't panic. They reacted instantly, Poké Balls flying. Over a dozen Arbok and Weezing materialized, immediately spewing streams of Acid and thick clouds of Poison Gas towards the swarming Beedrill emerging from nests and training areas.
The scale powder had done some work; many Beedrill seemed sluggish, disoriented. Caught in the corrosive spray, their delicate wings dissolved, sending them tumbling helplessly to the ground. But others, faster or less affected, evaded the initial barrage.
"F*ck! Who dares trespass my gym?! Courting death!" A furious roar echoed from the main building. A gaunt, middle-aged man burst through the doors, his face contorted with rage. The Gym Leader. He hurled three Poké Balls. Two powerful-looking Beedrill, larger and fiercer than the others, materialized beside a hulking Heracross radiating brute strength.
One Beedrill stayed protectively near the Gym Leader while the other, alongside the Heracross, charged directly into the fray. Simultaneously, figures emerged from the barracks – apprentices, roused by the commotion. They began releasing their own Pokémon, predominantly Beedrill, but also other Viridian Forest natives like Pinsir and Scyther, forming some semblance of a defensive line.
The air filled with the sharp thwip-thwip of Pin Missiles launched from the defending Beedrill swarms. Their numbers provided covering fire, forcing the Arbok and Weezing to scatter, their venomous sprays less effective at range. Sachiko's team adapted, pressing forward to close the distance while releasing yet more confiscated Pokémon – Rattata, Ekans, Koffing – sheer numbers meant to overwhelm the defenders.
The battle descended into a vicious melee. But the Gym Leader's two main attackers carved through the lesser Pokémon with terrifying efficiency. The Heracross charged like a living battering ram, its massive horn lowered, scattering bodies and breaking the attackers' formation with raw power. It ploughed through the disposable Pokémon as if they were paper dolls.
The lead Beedrill was even more devastating. Eschewing ranged attacks, it darted into the enemy ranks, its twin lances glowing with silvery energy in the harsh lights. It moved with blinding speed, a whirlwind of precise, lethal strikes. Twineedle flashed, piercing and slashing, dropping attackers left and right. In seconds, it cleared a swathe of ground, leaving behind only twitching bodies. Almost elegant in its destruction.
Xiu watched the brutal display from his hidden vantage point, his expression thoughtful. The Gym Leader's core Pokémon possessed strength far exceeding the cannon fodder employed by the strike team.
"Impressive," he murmured under his breath, a flicker of cold appreciation in his eyes. This operation won't be as clean as Sachiko hoped.