Wow...I don't know if clearing off all of those Helioptile made it better or worse, but there's waaay more electricity surging out from the coil. Getting a little loud in here, though.
JESS: TOM! TELL ME AGAIN WHY THE HELL WE"RE GOING THROUGH HERE?!?
TOM: I'VE TOLD YOU! THIS IS THE FASTEST WAY TO GET TO THE COMPUTER BANKS AND THE ZOROARK!
JESS: FINE! SOOT, GO FIND KEVIN!
The Lanturn is looking really distressed now. Jess, can you tell what's wrong with it? You are a breeder, after all.
JESS: I'm trying to calm it down, but it seems overworked.
That's odd. I thought this operated on collecting ambient static electricity and then storing it--
Oh, of course...the collector is discharging excess energy back into the tank and is overcharging the Lanturn, causing it to stress and let off more static. That static goes out through the coil into the cage, back up into the collector, and it's going to keep looping until the Lanturn let's off a surge of electricity so powerful that the generator explodes. We need to fix this now.
JESS: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
TOM: If you're thinking that I have to touch that, then yes.
JESS: ...Tom--
TOM: I won't be handling it directly; it's too dangerous. But it needs to be removed or discharged, and there's only two people I think who could help us right now.
JESS: Doc.
TOM: And him.
ELECTABUZZ: ...wait, what?
TOM: Electabuzz can probably handle the transformer directly with the least risk out of all of us, and I can supervise to tell him what to do.
JESS: Is this a good idea? Electabuzz could get killed.
TOM: First off, my name is Tom Cedar...and good ideas are few and far between for me. Secondly, this guy here survived an encounter with a Zapdos, most likely; I think he's stronger than we give him credit for. And lastly, this could be just the edge we need against the Zoroark. If this works and there's enough juice in this transformer...Electabuzz could evolve.
JESS: Fine...but I'm going down these stairs and far away from this shit.
TOM: Gliscor, go with her. Vigoroth, return. Electabuzz...it's you and me now.
Don't worry, Lanturn. My name is Tom Cedar with Kanto Power...and I'm here to fix this shit.
Looks like there's an access ladder that will lead straight to the top of the tank where the static collector is...
But there's an electronic security hatch that's been fried from all the surging and it doesn't look like it's going to open any time soon. Electabuzz, you're going to need to bash that hatch off with Brick Break!
We dented it, meaning we can break it! Keep--
WHOOP! Joltik in the hair! Joltik in the hair! Electabuzz, gimme a quick comb-through with Swift, if you'd be so kind!
...thank you. Hit it again, but aim for the latches.
There goes the one! Now, aim for the one that's remaining and--
SHADOW! What--you scared the shit out of me! What are you doing here--?
And why are you looking at me like that? The last time a Gengar looked at me like that, it Shadow Punched me down through a hole in a burning house...
TOM: Shadow...I don't know what you're planning to do...but if you let me do this thing...uhh...Jess is going to be terrified.
SHADOW: Hmm...terrified, you say?
TOM: We're going to remove that transformer, but if it works, there's probably going to be some kind of explosive discharge...and I'll scream...because Jess probably thinks this is going to kill me.
SHADOW: ...alright. I fucks with this. Proceed.
Looks like the Gengar is backing off...but man, it looks messed up. Those Zoroark must have done a real number on him, but hey...at least he can't die.
Electabuzz, deliver the fist.
BOOM! Hatch is gone, let's climb up and see what we're working with here.
Woah, okay...it's covered in Joltik. Swift brush-off.
Awesome. Let's take a gander under the hood now, shall we?
Okay...hmm...mmhmm...okay.
This is way beyond anything I've ever fucking dealt with as an electrical engineer. I mean hell, I'm maybe a decade out of the profession and this is not only state-of-the-art, but this looks experimental to boot. Doc may be the only person who knows how to remove this thing safely, because judging by the rigging, if this thing is removed or altered improperly, the systemwide repercussions could be catastrophic. Hell, this could take out all the power in Cythos if I fuck this up. It is not safe to remove...yet.
Electabuzz may need to take the surge of excess static build-up through his body and discharge it up to take it out of critical power levels, but can he take that much power? What exactly does the Pokedex say about the needed power to incite evolution? Amperes? Voltage?
Hmm...
...according to the Pokedex...in theory...it could work. Sure, it's pretty vague in the wording, but I doubt the leading Pokemon scientists were also electrical engineers.
TOM: Look...you know how dangerous this is, probably better than I do. This could kill you, or it could make you more powerful than anything that's ever stepped foot in the Kanto Power Plant. We either step away right now, race to find Doc and have him remove this thing before it blows, potentially destroying this entire plant and knocking out critical electricity to the entire region...or we risk everything and take a shot at buying everyone more time, and prove what Team Cedar can really bring to the table.
ELECTABUZZ: I understand.
TOM: I'm not going to order you to do this. This is risk is on you, but I'll share in the consequences, for good or for bad. The choice is yours, Elekid.
ELECTABUZZ: Elekid? I--oh...
TOM: I'm with you.
...
...
...
ELECTABUZZ: ...for the plant.
The power...
The sheer power of it!
It's almost...
...beautiful.
Jess...is she alright?
I can see nothing...hear nothing...
...nothing but the light.
Elekid...I can still feel him with me.
...he's still here.
It's quiet now...
Elekid...
...we did it.
WE DID IT BUDDY! WE DID IT--!
TOM: ...JESS!!!!!!
JESS: TOM!!! IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?!?!
TOM: I...I HAD A GOOD IDEA!!!
JESS: Oh, for fuck's sake, Tom!
TOM: The doomsday clock just got ten minutes added to it, but we were down to the wire. We need to find Doc as soon as possible and get him to remove this damned experiment of his before he blows the region sky-high.
JESS: Is Kevin up there with you?
TOM: ...is he supposed to be?
JESS: He ran up to try to save you from getting yourself killed!
TOM: Aww, shit...Kevin!
KEVIN: Ughhh...
TOM: He's alright! He's down below. He took a cooker to the chest, but he's breathing and he's giving me the thumbs up, so that's good.
JESS: Okay! Good!
TOM: Jess...who's the new girl?
JESS: Oh! This is Clem! She says she works here.
TOM: Did you punch her yet?
CLEM: I'll do it!
Holy shit, did that girl just hit herself in the head...with a pipe? A metal pipe? A sparkly pink metal pipe?!
SHADOW: That looked like it hurt.
TOM: ...I didn't see that. Can she do that again?
SHADOW: I fucks with that.
CLEM: Okay--!
TOM: Kidding! Kidding...hey Jess.
JESS: Yeah?
TOM: You're, uhh...you're gonna want to come up here.
JESS: I'd rather not.
TOM: No...you're gonna want to see this.
JESS: This better not be some kind of practical joke.
SHADOW: Is it time for a practical joke?
TOM: No, not yet.
JESS: I really don't like heights.
TOM: Trust me...this is good.
JESS: Ugh! Fine! This better be fucking good.
TOM: Oh...it's good.
JESS: Okay! What is so important that you couldn't--woah!
JESS: He's...he's huge!
TOM: Pokedex...let's make it official.
POKEDEX: *PING* Electivire, the Thunderbolt Pokemon: it pushes the tips of its two tails against its foe, then lets loose with over 20,000 volts of electricity.
TOM: Elekid...you ready to crack some Zoroark skulls?
ELECTIVIRE: ...I fucks with that.
