The last agent's stun baton flew from his hand, pinned to a cracked panel by a web shot. He stared at his empty fingers in disbelief.
A moment later, Joltik's Thunder Shock caught him square in the chest. The agent yelped and dropped to the floor, muscles locked in a brief, rigid spasm.
Kamala, still blinking away the dizziness, saw the opening. She pushed Eevee forward with an encouraging nod. "Now, Eevee! Swift!"
Eevee gave a determined chirp and shook its head. A flurry of glowing, star-shaped energy burst forth, pummeling the remaining agents who were trying to regain their footing. The bright stars struck without fail, knocking them off balance and sending them stumbling.
From above, a white and black blur zipped down. Emolga's cheeks crackled, and a final, precise Thunder Shock arced out, connecting with the last standing HYDRA operative. He shuddered and collapsed onto a pile of his groaning comrades.
Silence fell, broken only by the hum of damaged machinery and the agents' low moans.
May let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her Spider-Sense, which had been a frantic buzz against her skull, settled into a gentle, almost peaceful thrum. She reached up and gave Joltik an appreciative pat with her finger.
Kamala sank to one knee, her head finally clearing. Eevee limped over and nuzzled her leg, letting out a soft, tired chirp. She ran a hand through its fur, feeling the exhaustion in its small frame.
Doreen's Emolga fluttered down, looking worn but pleased, and settled onto her shoulder with a contented squeak.
They stood there for a moment, the three of them and their Pokémon, surrounded by the evidence of their fight. Soot smudged their faces, their clothes were torn, and they were all breathing hard.
May looked at Kamala, then at Doreen. A slow, triumphant grin spread across her face. It was a little wobbly, but it was real.
Kamala mirrored it, her own smile bright despite the grime. Doreen's grin was the widest of all, pure, unadulterated relief and pride.
They had done it. Together.
The low grinding rumble started deep within the walls, a physical vibration that climbed into May's bones before it hit her ears. Her Spider-Sense didn't just tingle—it screamed, a jarring, full-body alarm that cut through her triumph like a siren.
Kamala gasped, her smile vanishing as she turned towards the sound, her eyes wide with sudden apprehension. Doreen's Emolga, which had been zipping happily, flattened itself against her shoulder with a small, frightened whimper.
The weakened wall of the power plant bulged inward, then burst apart in a shower of concrete dust and twisted rebar. What stepped through was not another agent. It was a machine, heavily armored and menacing, with thick hydraulic limbs and a torso of dark, polished metal. Its single optical sensor glowed a cold, predatory red from its central chassis, sweeping the room.
The Elite Enforcer Bot took a heavy step forward, the floor groaning under its weight. Its multi-jointed arms extended with a series of sharp, mechanical clicks, the barrels at their ends humming as they prepared to fire.
Just as the red targeting laser from its sensor began to paint a line across the floor towards May, the bot's movement jostled the pile of unconscious HYDRA agents. One of them, a man with a singed uniform, rolled limply to the side.
A small, red-and-white orb rolled free from a pouch on his utility belt. It hit the ground with a soft clink and began to wobble.
It was a Voltorb. Its slanted eyes were scrunched tight with agitation. It bounced once, then twice, off a piece of twisted metal conduit, each impact causing its spherical body to vibrate faster.
The chaotic energy in the room—the sparks from broken consoles, the powerful electromagnetic field of the advancing robot—was too much. The Voltorb's internal charge spiked, a dangerous misinterpretation. It saw the giant, humming machine not as a piece of the scenery, but as the biggest, loudest threat in the room.
A high-pitched whine, almost like a tea kettle, began to emanate from the agitated Pokémon. Its body started to glow with an unstable, white-hot light.
Before May, Kamala, or Doreen could even blink, it unleashed a devastating Self-Destruct. A blinding flash of white light swallowed the chamber, followed by a deafening roar.
The Elite Enforcer Bot was obliterated in a shower of sparks and molten metal. The shockwave knocked every remaining dazed HYDRA agent off their feet, sending them sprawling in comical, limp postures across the floor.
May's brain took a full two seconds to process what her eyes were seeing. Did that thing just…?
From the ringing silence and settling dust, three singed figures emerged. They were disoriented, their hair a little frizzled, but miraculously unharmed.
May's Spider-Sense settled into a confused, almost amused thrum. The immediate danger was gone. It was like the universe had just shrugged.
They surveyed the scene. A smoking crater marked where the bot once stood. It was now surrounded by the unconscious, sprawled forms of the HYDRA agents, their tactical gear covered in a fine layer of soot.
A giggle escaped Kamala. It was a slightly hysterical sound.
"It… it blew them all up for us," Kamala managed, her voice full of disbelief.
Doreen let out a relieved, almost silly laugh. She wiped some dust from her cheek.
"Talk about a team player! A little dramatic, but effective!"
May just stared at the crater, then at her friends. The sheer absurdity of it finally hit her. They'd been fighting robots and commandos, and a rogue, grumpy Pokémon ball had solved everything with one big bang.
"Well," May said, her voice dry. "I guess we don't have to tie them up."
May shook her head, a wry smile spreading across her face. She looked at the small, battered, but docile Voltorb lying dazed near the crater.
"Well, that's one way to clear the room."
She gestured towards the Pokémon, her expression a mix of gratitude and bewilderment. Kamala and Doreen nodded, a shared understanding passing between them.
"So, the thing that almost blew us up… also blew up the guys trying to grab us?"
Kamala's tone was full of cheerful disbelief.
"I guess we owe it a thank-you card. Or a potion."
Doreen pulled a spray bottle from her utility belt.
"Nuts to grudges! Let's heal our new explosive friend."
They gently sprayed the healing mist over the Voltorb. The red and white orb wobbled slightly, its intense eyes softening. It was a strange, unspoken alliance sealed with kindness.
The girls walked out of the ruined plant, victorious and a little bewildered. May looked back at the smoking interior, a quiet question lingering in her mind.
Why was a Voltorb here? Did it have anything to do with Zapdos?
Kamala, however, was already chattering about their next steps.
"Okay, so HYDRA's definitely interested in electric Pokémon. Zapdos is the biggest one. We need to find it before they do!"
"Right. We should check in with Batgirl and the others."
Doreen's tail swished with enthusiasm.
May nodded, but her thoughts stayed on the larger puzzle. The mission was moving forward, but the mystery was getting deeper.
***
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