A/N - Sorry it's a day late. Had a  busy weekend!

Chapter Sixty Eight

What Switch had perceived as an incomplete android had them pinned in a corner. The gigantic chrome bug's pincers flexed by his throat, sparking with electricity. The creation's crude design was a vague attempt at what might happen should a vikavolt be fused with a hacksaw.

"Pretty good at warding off pests, isn't it?" The voice came from a sparksurfer raichu, leaning against the far wall.

The chubby pokemon waved a paw at the other guards and they flooded outside. Not one of them had wanted to advance on Switch and DL. More frightened of the android than anything else in the room. Switch didn't want to blindly guess what the thing could do, but if it were like the weapons space pirates used, it wouldn't be wrong to guess it could utilise both electric and bug type attacks... and with more force than a boosted hyper beam. The psychic types and pidgeot that had left the room likely had the same fears.

"Now." Yobi clapped his paws together, but his expression remained unreadable. "What to do with you first? I'm guessing I need to repair Download Database but... I'm more excited about that human you're hanging around with."

A deep hum came from the vikavolt as its mandibles whirred like a chainsaw, generating higher volts of electricity. DL flinched back from it until her spine pressed up against the wall.

"What makes you think he's human?" Her voice didn't even waver. She locked her eyes on the raichu, demanding a response.

He shrugged and looked down at the computer in his paw. "Oh, I don't know. The readings I've got from scanning him show a combination of both human and pokemon DNA, and not the kind that comes from years and years of cross breeding. Believe me, I should know, given I've often scanned myself. This is more pure." He looked back up at Switch and chuckled. "Can you fathom my excitement after finally finding a human? Now I get to find out what it is that made my ancestors tick."

"You're not touching him," said DL. "I won't let you."

Yobi fixed her with a leer. "Why? What are you going to do?"

"Leave it, DL," Switch whispered. "You're going to get out of here. I'll deal with the mad scientist."

Yobi laughed and shook his head. "What? Do you think I can't hear you? Hello!" He waved at his ears. "You don't stand a chance, Loop. I've waited years for an opportunity like this. I was stoked when Socket agreed to my plan to scour for new worlds. My main goal was finding a little human for my own intentions. I mean... it's estimated about eighty percent of System's inhabitants have some level of human DNA. Although a small percentage of us are a bit more obsessed and strive to keep our humanness higher. Oh, how they'd love to hear about what you have to say. Shame they won't get that chance."

"What are you talking about?" Switch gasped. "If they want to ask me things, then they can! I'll talk!"

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't have time for talk. I'm less interested in your words, human. I want to know what makes you tick, and I doubt you'll be answering any questions from my dissecting table."

DL's fur bristled and she balled her paws into fists, silently glaring at the raichu.

He sighed as he put his computer back into his pouch. "But first... I have a promise to keep for Socket."

That was it. DL let out a scream and threw herself towards the raichu, her cheeks sparking. Electricity flooded towards her jack socket, but she shook off the pain, tackling Yobi to the floor. He struck the ground with an 'oof!' then his eyes snapped open to fix on hers. They lit up with an eerie purple light, trapping DL's flailing limbs.

"You fool!" he screeched. "You really think you can do anything to me?!"

Switch zipped towards her like a dart, flexing his sharp talons. Before he could reach Yobi, electricity shot through his body, and the sharp mandibles of the vikavolt clamped around his tail. His beak flew open in a screech and he struck the floor, his limbs jerking with electricity. He rapidly lost control of his form, switching from human to talonflame like a strobing light.

Yobi laughed and pushed the detained pachirisu from his body. "It's useless. You won't get away from us this time."

He waved a paw towards Switch, his form completely out of control. His watch was fried. Limbs flickered between wing and talon, his body no longer settling on one shape.

"Socket will get her wish with a new Download Database," said Yobi. "I might even turn you back into one, Loop."

DL let out a squeak of protest, struggling against her psychic restraints.

"But first," Yobi said slowly as he nodded towards Switch, "I think I'll make you watch. It really is quite fascinating."

...

Everything hurt. Pain cut into Macro's dream, dragging him into a painful reality. Cold, hard floor. Fur sticky with blood. His horn pulsed all the way into the base of his skull.

Something cold and wet brushed over his jaw and he snapped his eyes open, lifting an aching arm to grab at it. Water soaked through his pads, scented with sitrus and oran berries. He tried to blink away the bleariness, but his eyes wouldn't focus. Someone crouched over him, her ears twitching as she stared back at him.

"DL?" his voice came out as a husky croak.

"I'm afraid not." Surge tried to hide any disappointment, but her voice sounded thick with tears. "Oh Macro, what did she do to you?"

It wasn't a question he needed to answer. She brushed the wet rag over his eyes, and everything began to come into focus. Surge sat over him beside a bowl of pink water. He didn't want to know if the water was tinted with blood or berries. The latter was a more reassuring thought. She brushed the rag over his cheek, soothing some of the throbbing in his jaw.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"I don't know." She strained the rag into the water, and Macro realised it wasn't just a rag but her bandanna. The formerly green tartan fabric had been reduced to a blood-stained mess. "When she dragged us all into the cargo room, I held onto the door and ran the first chance I got. I hid on my ship, but... when I heard screaming I couldn't leave."

"Noble," Macro spat.

"Hey, if I'd been in there with you, you'd have no one to help you," she scoffed.

"There's no use in helping me anyway." He lifted a paw to his face and choked back a sob. "It's over. She's won."

"Don't be ridiculous. Pokemon need you right now."

"Neither of us even know where anyone is," he groaned. "We don't even know if they're alive."

She removed his paw from his face and brushed her bandanna over his forearm, removing the congealed blood.

"What if she's taken DL's memories back?" His voice came out weak and tears pricked his eyes.

"Once you're back on your feet," she said, "we'll find them. All of them. They're probably held up in their own cells. My priorities kind of changed when I saw you like this."

"And how do you expect to find them?" he snorted. "There's cameras everywhere. She's a psychic type, she'll know we're coming."

"Only if we're close enough to her. Besides, I didn't sneak in here out of sheer luck."

He cracked an eye back open and looked past her. Iron bars rose up behind her, but the gate was wide open. Some kind of primitive holding cell. If he were to hazard a guess, they were still in the belly of the mansion.

"How many of these cells are there?" he asked.

"Two. And going off the amount of dust and rust, I doubt they've been used in centuries." She soaked the rag with fresh water. "I'll get the schematics up later. Just... let's focus on getting you fixed up first."

He wasn't arguing with that. He felt awful. Every inch of his body ached. He tried to roll onto his back to give his ribs a rest, but his right leg complained with the effort. He let his paw fall over his eyes and took a deep breath, but it came out as a cough as a stab shot through his lungs.

"I'm pretty convinced she's broke something," he said.

"She's broken a lot of somethings," Surge muttered. "What did she hit you with?"

"An iron bar." He paused to cough and rub his chest. "Repeatedly."

"I'm really beginning to question her sanity."

She rung out her bandana again, then reached over and removed Macro's paw from his eyes. He looked back at her, trying to read her expression. A mixture of worry and sadness. Her eyes damp and her cheeks wet with tears. After a moment he realised she was still clutching his paw. He slipped it from her claws to idly scratch his scar.

"I feel like this is my fault," she said.

"It's not. We'd have had to come back here for DL's final memories anyway. It was never going to be easy."

"I want you to know," she diverted her gaze to the wall, "that I'm really sorry. I've acted like a real, jealous... Oh, I can't think of the right word."

He watched her as she puzzled over it, drawing her eyes back to him. "I warned you that you were playing a dangerous game."

"I know." She reached for the rag and brushed it over his ribs, causing him to flinch. "And you were really good at it."

"They were just words," he said. "You asked for payment and I gave it. But if I'd known for a moment it would have messed with your head, I would have declined."

"Would you?"

He stared at her, aghast, but she didn't meet his eye. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You needed my hacking services. You'd probably have leapt through a flaming hoop if I'd asked for it as payment."

"I have you know my mother raised a gentlemon."

"One who became a space pirate."

"Yeh, well..." He rubbed a paw over his face, feeling the swelling in his jaw. "Most pirates in Pulse City know I don't generally form attachments."

Surge was quiet for a moment as she wrung out her bandanna. She glanced over at him and gave him a wry smile.

"I'm wondering," she said. "If you hadn't met DL, would you have ever meant the things you said?"

He stared at her wordlessly, his mouth hanging open. She shook her head sharply and turned back to the water bowl.

"Actually, don't answer that," she said. "I don't think I'd like either answer."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry I ever went along with that deal," he said. "I should have realised feelings were involved the second you asked me. In fact, I think on some level I did. It was a pretty jerk move on my part."

"Well, you were good company." She turned back to him and brushed the rag over his swollen cheek. "Now let's get you fixed up so we can go and rescue DL and your crew."

"You're actually going to help me?"

"Sure. Let's say it's making up for all those times I tried to kill you."

"All right, deal." He closed his eyes and groaned. "Right now I could use all the help I can get, anyway."

...

Matrix worked over the dismantled lock panel, his tiny paws blurring with each combination. Anchor and Defrag stood aside, watching the ribombee in a mash of fascination and impatience.

"I can't believe she'd just lock us in a room," said Defrag. "What game is she playing?"

"Cat and mouse," said Anchor. "She's toying with us. Keepin' us around so she can do what she pleases right before she bails on this world."

The lopunny shuddered and hugged herself. "I'd rather she just toss us over into the ocean right now."

"Exactly. Keep us scared. You saw what she did to Macro. She'll probably do somethin' similar to us."

"I'd like to see her try," said Matrix. "I don't know about you two, but at least one of us in this room has a type advantage."

"Yeah," said Defrag. "Way to put that to work earlier, by the way."

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm," Matrix scoffed. "Besides, I'd like to see you throw an attack while some bird of prey has you in its beak."

"He has a point," said Anchor. "That pidgeot would have bitten him in half before he'd even finished buzzing his bug buzz."

Matrix tutted and flapped his wings a little faster, creating an audible drone. "It'll take days to wash the bird breath out."

The room fell into silence again, and the two larger pokemon glanced around at their surroundings. The room was oddly clean, given it probably hadn't been used in quite some time. A bed stood against one wall, immaculately made as if its guest was expected at any moment. A small writing desk perched beneath the window. A wardrobe, locked with a traditional keyhole. A set of drawers, also locked. It all looked so out of place inside a modern building that relied on card keys.

"Do you think he's alive?" Defrag's voice was unusually quiet.

Anchor looked back at her, his mouth opening but he couldn't think of an answer. He scratched his mohawk and sighed, turning back to Matrix. If the ribombee had heard her, he didn't answer either. All his attention remained focused on the task at hand. He'd removed the buttons one by one and was attempting to hot-wire it.

"I..." Anchor cleared his throat. "I honestly can't answer that."

Defrag took in a trembling breath and diverted her eyes to the wardrobe. She hugged her arms tight around her torso.

"She's a monster," she said. "I think on some level I've always known it, but after today? How can I go back to working for Tracer knowing the pokemon I'm really working for does stuff like this?"

"Easy answer," said Anchor. "You don't. You're always welcome back on Wildcard Gamma."

She spat a laugh. "You really think Macro wants me back?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth her expression fell and she leant back into the writing desk. Anchor joined her and placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Look, we don't know for certain," he said. "But I can assure you, we're not leavin' this place until we know. And if I can, I'm takin' him home regardless."

"You guys all really care about each other, don't you?"

"Yeah, of course we do."

Electricity danced from the panel, then let out a loud 'pop!'. Matrix yelped and flew back across the room to land in a crumpled, smoking heap at Defrag's feet. He sat back up and rubbed his antennae.

"You all right, Matrix?" Anchor asked.

"Yeah, just a little singed." He fluttered back into the air and smoothed down his fur. "I shorted the panel. We can leave."

Defrag rolled her eyes and made for the door. "I don't know why you didn't do that first."

"Erm... Hello?" Matrix spread his arms, showing the singed edges to his yellow fur.

"It'll wash." Defrag opened the door and froze.

A medicham turned around, reflecting the surprise on her face. Before he could lift an arm to attack, Anchor socked the fighting type in the face with a punch. He flew to the side, spittle flying from his lips, and landed in a slump on the floor.

Anchor shook out his fist and gave Defrag a sideways glance. "Bit of a dirty move, that. I can't use elemental punches without my gauntlets."

"Well, it worked." Defrag tiptoed over the medicham's motionless body. "Come on, let's go. Before more of these goons show up."

Anchor and Matrix followed after her, trotting along the corridor as silently as they could.

"Where do you think they're keeping Macro?" Defrag asked as they turned a corner.

"No clue." Matrix brought up the schematics on his computer. "Unfortunately this place is riddled with cameras, so I'd brace ourselves for-"

"Stop them!" The harsh, masculine voice caused the group to falter.

A male meowstic and a slowbro stood before them, the latter charging psychic energy in his ears. His eyes flashed and a torrent of purple light flew straight at Anchor. The granbull ducked as Matrix countered the psychic with a bug buzz. His wings flapped wildly, sending the two psychic types careening backwards.

"Typical brains and brawn duo," the ribombee spat. "Anchor, you take care of that doofus."

He pointed a tiny claw at the slowbro, who immediately rounded on Anchor. The granbull didn't hesitate. He flew at the slowbro, jaws wide open to deliver a crunch. But the otter pokemon took a step back and fired a water pulse past his ears. It struck Matrix before he could launch another attack, plastering him against the immaculate wall.

"I don't like being called a doofus!" she barked.

Anchor froze and snapped his jaws shut, taking a step back. His hesitation cost him as the meowstic's psychic blew him back down the corridor. Defrag tutted and threw a heavy punch towards the slowbro. She teetered backwards, her eyes spinning, until she tripped over her tail and fell onto her back in a daze.

The meowstic flexed his claws and rushed at Defrag. She leapt into the air with a twist and landed a kick right in his face. Spittle and blood flew into the air as he fell away from her. He wiped a paw across his nose but before he could gather himself, another kick struck him across the ears. His paws flew to the side of his head to nurse the pain, and he fixed livid eyes on the lopunny.

"Yeah, I know where your weak points are!" She stooped to peel a soggy ribombee off the floor and then bellowed to Anchor. "Get a move on, you soft heart!"

Anchor muttered under his breath as he took off after her. "Well excuse me for not wanting to hit a girl."

"This is practically a war," she told him. "An attitude like that is gonna cost us. Do you want to die in Socket's chair?"

"Not really, but I was raised to-"

"Just fight!" Defrag popped Matrix on her shoulder to free her paws and threw open a set of double doors. "Where to next, bee?"

"Gimme a sec." Matrix shook water from his computer and buzzed his wings in a desperate bid to dry himself. "That slowbro got water all over my computer."

Defrag let out a pained groan and turned blindly to the staircase. She staggered back as a rush of medicham, oranguru and stoutland bounded up towards them. She turned to head up the stairs, but yet more of Socket's army stampeded from the floors above.

Matrix darted from Defrag's shoulder and soared over the heads of those closest to them. Powder drifted from his wings, paralysing everyone it touched. Pokemon froze in their tracks, their bodies jerking as they succumbed to the stun spore. Defrag didn't wait around. She leapt over the stunned pokemon and kicked at the ones behind them, bouncing over their heads in a series of quick attacks and bounces. Those that were left got thrown left and right as Anchor barraged through them, flailing his arms in all directions. He received as many blows as he dealt out, but the momentum of his attack kept him moving forwards. Once he'd reached the bottom of the stairs, he toppled back into Defrag and placed a paw to his head.

"Feeling all right?" she asked.

"Just a little bruised and dizzy," he said. "That's why I don't generally use that move, but desperate times and all that."

"Well pull yourself together." She shoved him away from her and raised her fists. "They're still coming."

She caught a stoutland by the ears, but his snapping jaws lunged for her throat. Anchor's fist collided with the stoutland's head, and he grabbed the large pokemon from her. The stoutland's jaws snapped shut over his paw. He hissed with pain then retaliated, throwing his wounded paw back in the dog's face, sending him back into the oncoming onslaught. His large body crushed a smaller meditite and tripped another stoutland who landed at Anchor's feet.

The granbull grinned and opened his mouth wide, letting out an almighty roar. The stoutland yelped and cowered down, skittering backwards across the tiled floor. He was quickly replaced by an oranguru who grabbed Anchor in his paws.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me." The oranguru flicked his leafy fan.

Anchor very nearly obliged, but the oranguru let out a grunt as a pollen puff exploded off the back of his head.

Anchor came back to his senses in time to see a ribombee dart soar towards them, trailing a thick powder. He came to a buzzing halt before Anchor and Defrag and watched as the onslaught of pokemon came in contact with the trail. It clambered up their bodies in a spiral, locking them in place as they swatted at the pestering... spores?

"What is that?" Anchor asked.

"Infestation." Matrix pawed at his computer then turned away from them. "Come on, there's a basement in this place."

"Wait a minute," Anchor said as he took off after him. "Since when did you know infestation?"

"I went to a move learner." Matrix looked back at the granbull's surprised face. "What? I don't just play video games all day."

"Coulda fooled me..."

Matrix turned back to his computer and led them towards the next flight of stairs. "Can I remind you to never listen to an oranguru? They're oddly persuasive."

Anchor rubbed his mohawk, catching Defrag's shake of a head.

His cheeks flushed under his fur. "Duly noted."

...

"Here." Surge stretched out a paw to Macro and took hold of his. "Can you stand?"

He steadied himself as she tugged him to his feet. His head span and he teetered into the wall. A flood of nausea spread through his stomach, followed by a pounding headache, and he screwed his eyes shut as he cradled his brow. Then he keeled over and brought up the contents of his stomach. Every single berry Surge had forced him to eat before allowing him to try and stand.

She sighed and released his paw, letting him steady himself against the wall.

"I think you need about a week's worth of bed rest," she said. "I can take you back to Cyan City. My ship's just outside."

"No." He shook his head, slow enough to avoid exacerbating his headache. "I'm not leaving without DL and the rest of my crew."

"But we don't even know if they're still alive," said Surge. "She almost killed you, Macro! If you go into battle like this-"

"Give me your laser."

She broke off and looked down at herself. Then fixed him with a cocked eyebrow. "What?"

"Just give me your laser and I'll go myself."

"But... that would leave me unarmed..."

So it would.

He licked his dry lips and looked past her through the bars. "I can't leave them..."

She let out a flustered sigh and brushed back her ears. "Okay, fine. I think I know where she's holding all your confiscated weapons. I'll just..."

"It'll take too long."

"Just trust me, okay?"

He met her eyes for a moment, then nodded. She sprinted from the cell and he watched her go before sinking down against the wall. Every bone and muscle in his body complained with the effort. He lifted a paw to his horn and flinched. A deep crack spread across the top where it joined the stem, and his paw came away sticky with blood. Well, that explained the headache.

A muffled laser shot came from his right and he looked up all to quickly. The room span briefly, but he fought to ignore it, focusing on two more laser fires. Then everything fell silent again. Too silent, for much too long. He let out a groan and forced himself back to his feet, using the rough stone wall as a prop. If he had to get his weapons back alone he would. There was no way he was running off like a coward, leaving his friends to die. No way he was abandoning DL when she needed him.

Just as he was about to stagger from the cell, Surge came back into the room carrying a laser in each paw.

"I don't know if they're yours," she said. "I didn't check. But here."

She stuffed one into his open paw and he flicked it open to check the cores. Grass, ground and water. That was what he used. He took the other and opened it, and his heart sank.

Empty.

With a sigh, he removed the grass core from the first one. But Surge reached up and stopped him. Over her arm was his belt pouch. He glanced down, noting it had been taken away. He took it back and fastened it around his waist. It was no easy task with a gun in each paw. Surge took over as he busied himself going through the pouch's contents. Much to his amazement, everything was still there. He took the electric core and popped it into the empty laser. At least it would help him take down some pidgeot and maybe deal some paralysis in the process. A welcome addition given he was in no fit state to use his horn for anything.

He staggered out of the cell, limping heavily on his right leg. Surge slipped an arm around his waist, and he leant into her gratefully.

"There's stairs this way," she explained. "I've no idea where they lead."

"Then how did you get in?" he asked.

"A different set of stairs, back that way." She nodded behind them. "Those lead back to the cargo docks. Unless your friends have ended up back there, then there's really no reason to go. Mind the bodies."

Macro glanced down and stepped around the fallen bodies of an espeon and herdier. Going off the amount of laser fire, he'd expected three to be taken out. But the splintered armour plating over the herdier's ribs explained the third and final shot. Their fallen bodies filled most of the narrow room between the cells and the stairs. The stairs wound up towards the floor above, each one providing Macro with an arduous task. Half way up, he needed to stop and catch his breath. A violent cough shook his body, splattering his open paw with bloody saliva. Surge tried to hide her concern and ushered him on. They paused at the top as she busied herself with the lock.

A deep hum came from the engine that held up the mansion. It seemed to come from both sides of the walls, dulled down by the heavy stonework. If he were to hazard a guess, they weren't too far from the engine room. Macro took the opportunity to look up at the walls, searching for any sign Socket was watching them.

"If you're worried about cameras," Surge said quietly, "I've deactivated them on the basement floors."

"How've you managed that?" Macro asked.

"A hacker never reveals her secrets."

The lock pinged and the door swung towards them. She pulled Macro aside, letting the heavy door swoop back over where he'd been standing. Fierce eyes greeted them on the other side. A pair of pidgeot, their talons and beaks decked out with glinting metal blades. Their huge, feathered bodies filled the narrow corridor. One of them opened his beak, and it glowed red with heat.

Macro reached for his electric laser and fired, striking the offending bird on the chest. But it bounced off harmlessly. Macro's jaw dropped and his body lurched to the side as Surge whisked him out of the way of the pidgeot's flaming beak. Pain seared through his body, blurring his vision. He fired blindly, clipping one of the birds on the wing. A shriek filled the air, and he felt talons rake his fur, adding gashes to his injuries. Another shot hit the first pidgeot with a torrent of electricity, washing over its body and reducing the flying type to a pile of sparking, spasming feathers. The flaming pidgeot flew over it, resisting every jolt of electricity he fired. Macro threw himself to his right, landing painfully on his shoulder. He groped for his left laser and fired off a water type, striking the bird on the beak. His head snapped back with the impact, and he fell onto his back with a grunt. Surge fired her fire laser, singing the bird's feathers and finishing him off.

She tugged Macro back to his feet and he feebly dusted himself down.

"So they make type-resisting implants now?" he scoffed.

"Only in wealthy areas." Surge ushered him away towards a small flight of stairs at the end of the corridor. "I've no idea where that leads, but I guess it's our only option. We need to be careful. Those guards I took out earlier must have alerted their friends."

She tried the door, but it opened with ease, opening towards them. A squeak left her throat and she took a step back into Macro. He peered over her shoulder into the room, meeting the gazes of Socket and her accomplice, Yobi. The latter held a cable in his paws, the other end of which was attached to a computer. A chingling hopped up and down the bed, admiring the raichu's 'work'.

A grin split the gothitelle's face and she chuckled. "Well, well. Look who's still walking. I hate to disappoint you, Hunter. But you're already too late to the party."

His fur bristled as she stood aside, letting him see the table. His paw went to his laser, hoping desperately she hadn't done anything to DL. But when he stepped into the room his heart hit his stomach.

There, on the table, lay a human, completely out cold. Switch.