Bullies, Schemes, and Pokemon Pheromones: A Sonia x OC story

Chapter 17

Matori was silent throughout the school day. Her fellow students didn't know whether to be afraid or relieved that she was not being her usual money-grabbing self, and Meowth showed no sign of planning to act as its partner's enforcer. For all they knew, Matori was waiting for her "investors" to let their guard down before claiming their money again at higher rates. Eventually, they deemed her harmless with her tablet missing, not knowing she was waiting until school was over to get it back.

When the final bell rang, Matori and Meowth went to Motostoke Junkyard. They arrived ten minutes before three and waited in the center of the junkyard, where there was open space. Matori stared at the clock on her Rotom Phone while tapping her foot impatiently, hoping the person with her tablet would arrive promptly at 3 o'clock.

"Be ready, Meowth," Matori said. "Whoever this Lucas Gulia is, he's gonna have much to answer for. Do not hold back no matter what Pokemon he has."

"Meow," Meowth replied, extending its claws.

At 3:04, an ice cream truck entered the junkyard and stopped several yards from Matori and Meowth. Luke honked his horn to intimidate Matori and Meowth, but they didn't flinch. With a snarl, he turned off the engine, took Matori's tablet, and got out of the truck with Vanillite. Luke walked toward the girl and her partner until he was only several yards away, his eyes fixed on the freezer coil in Matori's hand. Matori and Meowth were confused that the person with the tablet was too old to be someone they knew from school, but they hid their confusion with stern glares.

"Give me my coil," Luke said.

"Give me my tablet first," Matori said.

"You are in no position to give me orders, you little brat. I can just drop your device on the ground, and it'll break like that," Luke said.

"Vanillite," Vanillite said.

"And I can have Meowth slice your coil to pieces before you can say a word," Matori said. "Now, why do you have my tablet?"

"Why do you have my coil?" Luke asked.

"I found it in my locker with a note to come here," Matori said.

"Liar!" Luke hissed. "Freezing coils don't just appear in some kid's locker! You're in league with those freaks who wanted that twisted pizza!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't care," Matori said. "Either you give me my tablet right now, or I'll press theft charges and bill you with so much money you'll be paying me back until you're old and gray."

"Meow," Meowth said.

"Ha! Isn't that adorable? The little girl thinks just because she has a little suit she thinks she's better than everyone," Luke said. "I got news for you, termite. You have no power over me. I'm older, taller, and actually work to make a living. You probably want your toy back just to play mobile games and watch cute Pokemon videos."

"Vanillite," Vanillite agreed.

"A person's size, age, and especially occupation does not make you superior to anyone," Matori said. "I can see you're nothing but an oaf, so I'll make this simple. Give me my tablet, explain why you took it, and I'll return your coil without pressing charges. Refuse, and you'll be in the back of a police car with your face scratched."

"Meow," Meowth said, holding its claws up.

Luke clenched his teeth, and his free hand turned into a ball of fist. As reasonable as Matori's offer was, his pride wouldn't allow him to submit to someone half his age. He drove from Wedgehurst to Motostoke to punish whoever had his coil, and he wouldn't leave with it until he and Vanillite delivered their idea of justice. Matori raised her eyebrow and shook her head, silently warning Luke not to do what he was thinking of doing. Their Pokemon stared down at each other, ready for their partners to make a call. Both parties waited for the other side to move like a fast draw in a western until Luke pointed at Meowth.

"Ice Beam, now!" he screamed.

"Confuse Ray," Matori said monotonously.

Vanillite took a deep breath, but before it could form a blue orb in front of its mouth, Meowth unleashed purple balls at its target. The fresh snow Pokemon flinched upon impact and became disoriented. Without waiting for Matori to make a command, Meowth jumped and began slashing Vanillite with its claws relentlessly. Vanillite squealed and tried to fight back but was too confused to use Ice Beam.

"That's cheating!" Luke barked. "Battle me with real moves, no cheap shots!"

"I will do whatever it takes to get what I want," Matori said as she stretched her hand toward Luke. "My tablet. Now."

Luke growled and screamed, "Vanillite, use Ice Beam, and don't stop until your opponent is covered in ice!"

But Vanillite still didn't understand what was happening. Meowth stopped attacking and moved back, waiting for Matori to decide whether to continue the attack. Luke's partner took a moment to muster a blue orb in front of its mouth, but its eyes were too disoriented to see its target. It fired Ice Beam randomly, covering crushed cars and scrap metal in ice.

"Vanillite, knock it off! Your target is right there!" Luke screamed.

Vanillite turned to Luke and smirked, thinking it finally found its target. It took a deep breath and fired multiple light blue beams at Luke. With a yelp, Luke jumped away and the beams hit his ice cream truck, covering it in a solid block of ice. Luke looked at his truck in shock, and Vanilite shook its head, snapping out of its confusion before it realized what it had done. Meowth laughed while Matori chuckled condescendingly with her mouth closed.

"Well, on the bright side, your ice cream is gonna be nice and cold," Matori said mockingly. "So, I guess you won't be needing this anymore."

Matori held the freezer coil up with both hands and bent it. She tossed the coil into the air, and Meowth jumped to slice it to pieces as though it were made of cardboard. Luke and Vanillite started at the remains of the coil in shock while Meowth shook the dust off its hands, pleased with its handiwork.

"Now, my tablet," Matori demanded.

"Oh, you mean this tablet?" Luke asked, holding Matori's tablet.

With a cocky grin, Luke slammed the tablet onto the ground. Matori screamed in horror as Luke stomped on her tablet multiple times, then Vanillite used Tackle on it until it was in pieces. Matori got down on her knees and picked up pieces of her tablet with both hands while Meowth hissed at their enemies.

"Now, Ice Beam," Luke shouted.

Matori was in such a state of shock that she didn't realize what Luke said until she heard Meowth squeal in agony as it was being trapped in a block of ice. She had a moment to react to what happened to her partner before Vanilite used Ice Beam on her, freezing her until everything but her head was covered in ice. Luke and Vanillite cackled at the sight of Matori trapped on her knees before them.

"You should've listened to the grown-up when you had a chance, kid," Luke said. "It's like I warned Durbin back at home; one's punishment only gets worse the more you resist."

With another cackle, Luke walked away with Vanillite following him. It took them until they were out of the junkyard to realize they had no transportation, and Luke screamed in frustration, trapped in a city he had never been to before or knowing how to get home. With his moment of triumph ruined, he stomped away, grumbling as he and Vanillite tried to remember which streets they took to get to the junkyard.

Matori, however, stopped trying to break free. The moment Luke uttered the word Durbin, the wheels on her head turned. She looked at the remains of her tablet, her frozen Pokemon, and the ice cream truck. How the ice cream man was connected beyond destroying her tablet, Matori couldn't figure out, but she furrowed her brow as it became clear who was behind this.

"Durbin. Timothy Durbin."