Poketropols Chapter 17

Zach and Dawn made it to the museum and were about to leave, but then they heard a familiar voice.

"Dawn!" Said the voice. It was Mary Shockwool. "Dawn!"

"Mayor Shockwool!" Said Dawn, and she and Zach ran to the Flaaffy. "We found out what's happening. Someone's darting predators with a serum. That's what's making them go savage."

"I'm so proud of you, Dawn!" Said Mary, who was accompanied by two Gogoats. "You did just a super job!"

"Thank you, ma'am." Said Dawn, who was about to hand the case to Mary. However, she felt a bit suspicious. "How did you know where to find us?"

"I'll go ahead and take that case now." Said Mary.

"You know what?" Said Dawn. "I think Zach and I will bring this to the PPD." When she and Zach turned around, Bob was back, and he was ready for revenge.

"Run." Zach and Dawn said in unison, and they started running away.

"Get them." Said Mary, and the two Gogoats started chasing after Dawn and Zach. While running, Dawn accidentally got her leg scraped by the claw of a Kabutops model.

"Carrots!" Said Zach, running towards the injured Lopunny. "I got you." He grabbed Dawn and hid behind a post. He then got out a bandana and wrapped it around Dawn's leg.

"Come on out, Dawn!" Said Mary. Dawn then handed the case to Zach.

"Take the case." She said. "Get it to Taki."

"I'm not leaving you behind." Said Zach. "That's not happening."

"I can't walk." Dawn whispered.

"We'll think of something." Said Zach.

"We're on the same team, Dawn." Said Mary. "Underestimated, underappreciated. Aren't you sick of it?" Mary and the two Gogoats were searching for Dawn. "Predators. They may be strong and loud, but prey outnumber predators 10 to 1." Mary then saw a shadow of what looked like a Lopunny, and she snapped her fingers. "Think of it. 90% of the population united against a common enemy. We'll be unstoppable." One of the Gogoats walked over to the shadow, but instead found a Marshtomp mannequin. Mary then heard clanging, and she noticed Zach running with Dawn in his arms.

"Over there!" Said Mary, and she and the Gogoats followed in pursuit. While running, a Gogoat Head-Butted Zach and Dawn into a display pit of what Pokémon looked like 100 million years ago. Unfortunately, Zach left the case outside of the display pit, and Mary carried it while walking to the pit.

"You should've just stayed on the Berry farm, huh?" Chuckled Mary. "It really is too bad. I did like you."

"What are you going to do?" Asked Dawn. "Kill me?"

"No, of course not." Said Mary, taking the bazooka out of the case. "He is." She then shot Zach with a Night Howler.

"No!" Said Dawn. "Oh, Zach!" Mary then took out her Pokétch to call the police.

"Yes, police!" She said. "There's a savage Zoroark in the History Museum. Officer Lopps is down! Please, hurry."

"No, Zach." Dawn told Zach. "Don't do this. Fight it."

"But he can't help it, can he?" Asked Mary. "Since predators are just biologically predisposed to be savages." When Dawn looked at Zach, he went savage. Dawn tried to run away, but it was hard to run with an injured leg. She threw a wax Amaura at Zach to buy her some time, and she hid in the grass.

"Gosh." Said Mary. "Think of the headline! 'Hero cop killed by savage Zoroark.'" When Dawn looked at Zach, he ripped apart the Amaura.

"So that's it?" Asked Dawn. "Prey fears predator and you stay in power?"

"Pretty much." Said Mary.

"It won't work!" Said Dawn, and Zach started looking at her.

"Fear always works." Said Mary. "And I'll dart every predator in Poketropolis to keep it that way!" Zach walked towards Dawn and bit her neck. Dawn screamed, but Zach was just pretending to be savage the whole time.

"Blood! Blood!" Said Dawn. "And death."

"You're milking it, Carrots." Said Zach. "Besides, I think we got it. We got it up there. Thank you, Chattering Chatot! You laid it all out beautifully."

"What?" Asked Mary, looking at her bazooka. When she opened it up, there were no Mago Balls inside, but Pecha Berries.

"Are you looking for the serum?" Asked Zach. "Well, it's right here."

"What you got in the weapon there?" Said Dawn. "Those are Pecha Berries from my family's farm."

"And they are delicious, by the way." Said Zach. This left Mary frustrated.

"I framed Tajiri." She confessed. "I can frame you, too. It's my word against yours."

"Actually," Said Dawn, holding the carrot pen. "It's your word against yours." She pressed the button on the pen, and out came Mary's voice.

"And I'll dart every predator in Poketropolis to keep it that way!" Said the pen.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart." Said Dawn. "Boom." When Mary looked around, the police has arrived, and Chief Taki was not pleased.

"This should be good." He said.

Author's Note: If a Pokémon were to eat a Pecha Berry, it would be cured from poisoning.